That's What Friends are For

I have been meaning to write this blog post for over a month now and every time I tried to, it just never felt right. Until now. This is something that I thought I understood but in reality I didn't. At least not to the extent that I have learned it during the course of my mission. What I have learned is what it truly means to be a FRIEND. 

As missionaries that is what we are called to be.

A Friend.

Twenty four hours a day

Seven days a week.

We are called to be a friend to others.

Our companion

The people we teach

Even the people that slam the door in our faces

Everyone needs a friend

Everyone

One of my best friends that I have met on my mission was serving as an ASL (American Sign Language) Sister. In the Deaf culture because she is hard of hearing, she can give people name signs and so she gave me one. Now I'm not sure how familiar you are with the Deaf culture but name signs usually are descriptive or have a meaning behind it. The sign she associated with my name came from the sign meaning best friend. It has become something that I reflect on often. Something that I strive to be everyday. What does it mean to be a best friend, a true friend? How often can I truthfully say I was a friend?

Being a friend means being there for others, to listen, love and care. To me it means having someone that you can laugh with, lean on during the hard times, and enjoy the good times together.  Friends take you how you are but as Marvin J. Ashton suggests "that we are something less than a real friend if we leave a person the same way we find him."

Yesterday, we had a "Specialized Sister Training Meeting" where all the sisters in the mission met together. We were able to see old friends and meet new ones as we learned from each other and strengthened one another. It is an amazing feeling to be surrounded by the other sister missionaries and to feel of their love for the gospel. "To be sisters implies that there is an unbreakable bond between us. Sisters take care of each other, watch out for each other, comfort each other, and are there for each other through thick and thin" -Bonnie L. Oscarson.

All of our friends were there, except for one. A dear Sister was missing from our gathering. Sister Lierley was about to be released from being in the hospital due to an infection from a root canal, however we received the news during part of the meeting that she was no longer with us and had passed away. Now I didn't know her very well but I DO know she was an amazing missionary, and left the most incredible legacy in the mission. The heartache from EVERYONE in the room was so real, so tangible. Not a soul moved. Then I watched with tear filled eyes as Sisters comforted Sisters. Hugs were given. Hymns were sung. Prayers were said. Testimonies were borne. In that moment I witnessed the MOST Christlike love as friends were being every sense of the word FRIENDS.

"At no time will we be more Christlike than when we are a friend." -Marlin K. Jensen. In fact, the Best Friend you could ever ask for is Jesus Christ. He is always there for you, ALWAYS no matter what. He understands what you are going through and wants to help carry your load. He listens, He cares. He loves you, yes YOU. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His FRIENDS" (John 15:13)  I know without a shadow of doubt that He died for us, AND that He LIVES and because of that we will be with our loved ones AGAIN. The Savior is always there for us, after all, that is what friends are for.

Mountains to Climb

Last week we went on a hike as a zone. It was fun climbing this!!

Okay so we didn't really climb Mt. Hood, we actually hiked up Beacon Rock and the view was amazing!

I learned several things from our hike. The first one being that I am very out of shape. The second one being tourists climb really slow but the most important thing I learned is how the Lord moves mountains in our lives.

They always say you have to have faith to move mountains and I never really understood what that meant. I thought that you would just have to believe and ask for Heavenly Father's help and He would take care of it and your mountain would go away. That is partly true, you have to have faith and praying always helps but I realized moving mountains isn't Him moving them for you but helping you to climb them. The mountains don't move then, but you move past them. Why if He is all powerful would He make you climb? Because He wants us to become like Him and to be able to move our own mountains. That is how you use faith to really move mountains. And besides if someone just did everything for you would you really appreciate it or take it for granted? Would you be as happy or excited when it was accomplished?

It is tough going to climb mountains but it is supposed to be, however it is so worth it. "Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7) If you are anything like me, you get tired and want to quit because sometimes we look up ahead and we get discouraged, sometimes we look down and we become afraid of heights so to speak. Or even become proud of what we have done so far and decide you have gone far enough. And sometimes we are doing our best but there are rocks falling down all around us.

But the most important thing is that we keep going. Everything in this gospel is about moving forward. It is all about moving, becoming, changing, growing. It is about not being stagnant and sitting still watching life pass you by but savoring each moment in the moment.

I have learned this for myself and then I have had to relearn it again and again because I am a slow learner. But I know that Heavenly Father is patient with us and wants us to succeed and feel of the happiness, excitement when we overcome our limitations. Because when we do, we get a taste of the View from the top and my oh my it is breath taking!!

 "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph..." (D&C 121:7-8)