I loved this week it was amazing and I've learned and grown so much from it!!! The only thing is I'm going to write about this week is the day of Aug 30th.
That day I was left to run the area on my own while my companion left for a leadership meeting. Elder Bessant (my MTC companion)and I took Dekalb by storm, Teaching 3 members, helping one of them move in, teaching and coming in contact with new and old investigators and finding some new ones on the way. We taught a short and powerful restoration lesson bearing witness of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph. It set a fire in my belly and I felt invincible! We changed back to our companionships and Elder Engler and I had dinner. As we Had dinner a freak storm rolled in and horizontal rain started pouring down. We hurried and finished dinner and got to work. We made a couple of stop bys and the last one before we were going to another appointment changed my mission. As we got to the door we heard their dogs barking and as the lady of the home went to open the door to tell us right now isn't a good time her Pit bull broke loose and attacked. He ripped my hands and leg up. I got out of the assault quickly and it could have been a lot worse but as I hobbled-sprinted to the car, bandaged up and started to cry--not because of the pain or anger for the people but because it meant that we were going to miss an appointment with an investigator that I REALLY wanted to teach. I was BEGGING with my companion and mission president to let me go teach this person then go to the hospital but it was a no. Well, we ended up just doing a drop by anyways but sadly He ended up not being there. So I began to ponder why all this happened. As I sat in the emergency room I took some time to ponder about my mission and what I had just gone through and I realized that, I've been changing and for the better. I cared so much to teach this person that I didn't even know that it was placing my own self out of the picture of care. His spiritual life meant more than my physical life. I realized that missionaries are like spiritual superheros, going out and trying to save other people's (spiritual) lives. It was a changing point in my mission. I do want to hear of some of the mission/life changing experiences you have had.
I treasure the time I get to learn from challenges. Trials are the main way we get to learn in these tabernacles of clay. Never ask why God is doing this and why he is putting you through trials, because all he is trying to do is teach you and make you the strongest person you can be. Satan may try to remind your of your past and make them see them and bad things you've done but you just have to remind him of his future because he can do nothing to us or remind us of nothing that will compare to what he will go through after his last season.
- Elder Herdt
