From One Missionary to Another

Dear Perry,  In just a week you will be a missionary serving in Kentucky and I have thought so much about what I would tell you if I could find the right words.  Today Aunt Amy forwarded me a email from a wonderful missionary serving in Equador and I decided to let her say it for me.  Grandpa and I are so proud of you and so excited because we know what a great experience you will be able to have as you serve in the Lord's vineyard.    God be with you until me meet again!

Well. I bet you will all be very excited to know that I almost died this week!

This week we went to Quito for training. Quito is about 4 hours away from us and Quito is INSANE. We had a new missionary training and it was really great. We ate some really good food and learned a lot about how to be better missionaries. And then we headed back home. There was a group of about 10 missionaries all traveling together to get to the bus terminal. I had my little suitcase and I was trying to navigate through all the people. I looked up and realized that everyone had started to cross the street. I quickly turned and started to follow them.

And then I saw the bus.

I picked up the pace and yelled, "AHHH. THERE IS A BUS! We are going to die!" Hermana Gardiner laughed and reminded me, "No Hermana! YOU are going to die." Everyone had already made it across the street and I was about to be road kill. Lucky for me, I was able to run quickly and safely make it to the other side where the other missionaries were laughing at me. All’s well that ends well. :)

This week was transfers. Hermana Gardiner and I had just barely arrived in our sector 6 weeks ago. We came not knowing anyone or really anything about Riobamba. It was a lot of work to learn the sector and gain the trust of the people, but we had both learned to love everyone in it. We weren't worried about leaving because we had just barely gotten to that sector and were finally figuring it out. There was no way we were leaving. Oh. We were so wrong. We got the call last night and we were told we were leaving our sector together and going somewhere completely new to us. We were in the home of a recent convert when we got the call and we all cried together. It looks like we would be opening an area all over again. I was really upset. I loved these people. These people helped me with my Spanish. These people had become my family away from home. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to sit on the curb and just be upset. Then I remembered something really important. One of my favorite talks.

"Come What May, and Love It."

I realized that this isn't my work. I am not in charge here. Who am I to say that I should stay where I am when the Lord needs me somewhere else? After that moment, I couldn't help but feel happy. This is not my plan, and thank goodness for that!! I don't know anything! I loved the people so much in my last sector, but now I have the opportunity to love even more people! I am so grateful for that. And maybe there is a blessing here that I could never have imagined! I know I could be very upset, but I don't want to be! Sometimes things happen and we don't like it. We want to pout and cry about it but how miserable does that sound? Always search for the blessings. Even when it’s hard to do.

So when you almost get hit by a bus or trip over every flat surface in Ecuador or wake up to dogs barking at 5 every. single. morning...remember the times you helped someone with an act of service or heard a testimony of a recent convert that changed your life. There are blessings everywhere!

I am so grateful for my blessings. I am so grateful for this gospel. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ that makes this all possible.

Love,

Hermana Bryce