First Week in Quirino: A Different Side of Missionary Work, Honest Companion, and New "Skills"

This week has been absolutely INSANE...so much has happened!!  I had my first couple of times working in the office, which wasn't too bad; I just have a lot to learn!!  And it was a very different side of missionary work than I expected.  Before, we would have days of tracting and teaching and getting punted and tracting some more, intermingled with our studies.  We still do that, but now we have extra things to do as well, like coordinating language test schedules and calling missionaries every night and leading in STL meetings and even occasionally bringing the AP's food haha.  It's been quite a week, with a lot of ups and downs, but I am learning a lot and I enjoy it so far :)  I think one of the things I've improved the most in this week is texting...I've never really been the type that was always texting, so I'm usually a pretty slow thumb-typer.  But I can honestly say that my texting speed has doubled in just this first week lol.  I feel like our phone never has a break...

The apartment we're in is nice, but there's 6 of us here, so it's sometimes a little crowded.  And more missionaries means more food and garbage, which means that it wasn't too big of a surprise when I started noticing the mice running around everywhere....ewwwwwww.  We had to go to the mall to pick up flashlights for the missionaries' 72 hour kits, so while we were there I grabbed some mouse traps, and literally within 5 minutes of setting them we already had a dead mouse.  Almost every day since then we've had to throw a dead mouse out.  Yuck.  But at least there's less mouse poop everywhere :)  I'm not so worried about getting some freaky mouse disease lol.

I've also been able to learn a lot about myself this week.  My companion is very very honest with me, which is something that I really appreciate but is also sometimes hard.  I have a LOT of weaknesses, and since I've received this new calling I've really seen them in myself.  Sometimes it makes things difficult for her too, so we've had a couple of good talks this week that taught me a lot about the kind of person that I really am.  I think I have a lot of growth ahead of me this transfer, because one of the things that I've learned so far is that basically all of the things I used to think were my strengths actually are very big weaknesses.  It's really hard to hear that about yourself, but is also really good because now I have specific things to work on.  I was really struggling with feelings of inadequacy at the beginning of the week, but I didn't know specifically what to do.  But now after talking with my amazing companion, I know what I can do to improve and to gain the qualities that I need to in order to magnify this calling and to really give my best.  It's been a bit of a roller coaster week, but I feel very happy and excited for the future :)  I just keep praying that Heavenly Father will take me and help me to be capable in this calling.

My quote for the week is something that Sister Consulta said to me that really impacted me:  It's not about secular knowledge; it's about spiritual worthiness.  I really do know that if we're humble and worthy and let the Spirit teach us, than we will receive the help and strength we need. 

Mosiah 26:18 Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they becalled; and they are mine.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and as a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ, I testify that I know that as long as we put our trust in Christ and do all we can to follow Him, He will be right with us until the very end.  He will watch over us and guide us, and He will give us the strength to do what we need to do.

Love you all!!

XOXO

Sister Payton Pectol