Dec. 26, 2016

This week! Transfer calls were announced, and it turns out I'm headed to Manette. English Speaking! (Whaaat...?!) Because three fourths of my mission is English speaking and there is a big surplus of Elders here. It isn't that big a surprise actually. And probably the biggest miracle is that this past week, for almost no reason at all, I decided that I wanted to get a bit more of a Spanish base, but I couldn't do it on my own. So I got one of my companions to help me. And just like that, almost like clockwork, as soon as I get the language down enough that I can at least be selfsufficient to learn it on my own. I get transferred. Even though initially it was quite a shock, I know the Lord has His hand in it. Because there is simply no way that I could've been able to learn the Spanish base that I needed to without my companion, Elder Carling's help. And the week that it all started making sense, the week I got it in my brain, was the last week we were to be in a companionship together. So in other words, companionships truly are inspired. Because now I can learn Spanish on my own, the Lord has moved me onto something new. I feel like I have learned what I needed to learn by trusting in the Lord, even though it was really difficult and I didn't totally understand the language perfectly, but because He loves me, it's all going to be okay. I just needed a tutor up to this point.

Also the past little bit, I've been Losing my glasses, my phone, and my wallet, oh, and my planner, all at varying intervals. (But prayer works, people, because I've managed to find them all again. Sometimes its little things like losing these things that just make me grin and laugh a little bit, because even in the smallest things, we truly do need the Lord. He's perfect. And we aren't meant to do this life alone. And sometimes I just have to take a step back and laugh at myself a little bit. Because even though we are meant to take on hardships, we were never meant to do it alone. I have remind myself that I've trusted in Him, and its through these little miracles. Like knocking into a kind person on a door when you just cant take another angry face, or actually finding joy in learning a language that you would've given up long ago if you'd had to be at it alone under such strenuous circumstances, yes, it is experiences like this that teach me not only to trust in the Lord, but to Love him, as He asks us to do with all our heart might mind and strength. So yeah. Just some of my thoughts from this week.)

As I realized that I would be transferring to a new area, (already!) with a new companion that I knew because he was in my zone and we had gone caroling together, I couldnot help but think back to my past few weeks. Had I really done the best I could with the time that the Lord had given me? Had I really served with all my soul, as Jeffrey R Holland had suggested so candidly about missionary work, that it was a work that 'required something of the soul'. Had I really, truly  done that?

All these thoughts were on my mind this week. Then, as I continued to ponder that I felt a quiet peace that just said to me. Yes. You're doing it. You're doing the best you can. And that is enough. And that meant everything in the world to me. As long as we are following the Spirit, no matter what anyone else says, we are in the right.

I know the Savior lives. He is perfect. I know that with Him we can become so. Without Him we are nothing, and we are less than the dust of the earth. we can't expect anything from Him because he's already given it all to us. but as we give our all to him I can testify to you that no matter whatever else happens, you will be safe in His arms one day, and you will never run faster than you are able. you will never be so overwhelmed you cant continue. You will never be pushed past what you can handle. So long as when you run, you run with the Lord.

That is my testimony today.

Love you all

Elder Hakala