Stress Management

This week has been awesome! The first week in the transfer can sometimes be nerve wracking especially when leading an area because everything depends on you, but this week has gone great! My companion, Hermana Pardo, is from Concepcion, Chile! My first latina companion! and finally someone to fix my greengo accent. Although sometimes her chilean accent throughs me off. (side note:speaking of greengo before Hermana Christensen left a member told her, "yeah youre going home! back to greengolandia!" it was funny) She has such a love for the people!

New Years Eve was a blast. We had to be in the apartment at 8:30 for safety reasons and yes went to bed on time. ONLY TO BE WOKEN UP AT 12 BY ALL THE FIREWORKS. Holy cow. Basically everyone just shoots off whatever in capital and it makes a bunch of noise. We had fire works from the horizon up until a block away. Crazy. 

So now on to the title before everyone freaks out and thinks that im super stressed out cause im not. haha This is something that I was thinking about a few weeks ago but just now have time to write it out:

Missionary work is not stressful, by the worlds standards. We are 18, 19, 20 year old kids running around foreign countries, inviting people to come unto christ. Then how do we, as missionaries get so stressed out all the time about having baptisms, investigators coming to church, less actives who have a wavering testimony, and so on? Because a. we love the people and b. because we love the people, we are sad when they dont see the importance of this great message, or the big picture.

So if missionaries get so stressed out about this, how do you think our all knowing heavenly father feels when we choose to watch that movie, of say hurtful things, or do something we know we shouldnt? Or choose to not read our scriptures, or to not pray, or help someone along the path? Id get stressed out too, because he sees that were forgetting the big picture. He sent us here to earth to learn, wanting all of us to return to him, but knowing that some wouldnt, so everytime we choose wrong, yeah i bet he does get stressed out, because he sees that were getting further and further away from him. But luckily theres more to it. A sort of stress reliever. ITS REPENTANCE! If we repent, we CAN MAKE IT BACK! It depends on us. WE have to decide to change. We have to decide to want to come back. 

Yes god is perfect. Doesnt mean he cant get stressed. Its always the things that you cant control that give you stress. If he wanted to, he could probably control us, but because he loves us he gives us our agency, and repentance. Use them wisely. 

Well that was kinda long. But i liked the thought. Oh the things that you think about when youre a missionary :) Happy NEW YEAR! 

Love Hermana OStler