Sister Hunting's email from September 23rd. She meant for this to be humorous, but made my sisters and mom cry. :)

(Elder Kyler Lopez thinks this should be published in the Ensign. :) )

Dear family and friends,

 

Sometimes missionary work is hard.  Sometimes you sit in the car with your companion laughing through tears as you try and eat your sorrows away with a delicious muffin.  Sometimes you have to push screen doors shut so that dogs don't escape and attack you.  Sometimes you have to shovel food in before you taste it.  Sometimes, after a difficult day of lots of walking, trying to find a non-existent address and rejection, you laugh at yourself and say, "I chose to be here and do this!"  Sometimes you lie awake at night on you bug bed proofed bed and think, "how did I get here?" 

 

Sometimes you do stupid stuff.  Sometimes you laugh during a prayer.  Sometimes you text someone "smiley face" instead of actually putting a smiley face.  Sometimes you fall asleep during personal study or during your companion's prayer.  Sometimes you drop and break one of the only good plates in the apartment.  Sometimes you put your tag through the wash.  Sometimes you write "lunch" at 6:00 p.m. in you planner and instead of erasing it and putting, "dinner" you just write next to it, "I mean dinner."  Sometimes you try and kill giant spiders with febreeze.  Sometimes you get glued to a t.v. that is playing "cloudy with a chance of meatballs" and you forget where you are and keep watching and don't realize that someone is blessing the food.  Sometimes you eat a whole chocolate milk shake right before a dinner appointment.

 

Sometimes there are disappointments.  Sometime you get really excited to finally wear jeans only to discover that it takes you 5 minutes to button them...Sometimes you watch for the mailman on your lunch break and then after they come you open the mailbox and find it empty.  Sometimes your lessons are canceled, or they don't go so well.  Sometimes  your investigators don't keep commitments or start to avoid you.  Sometimes you can't find potential's houses.

 

Sometime there are miracles.  Sometimes you get to see a recent convert who was struggling and falling away come back with full force.  Sometimes you feel the spirit in a crazy lesson where you thought it wouldn't be possible to feel it.  Sometimes doors are opened to you and a friendly face invites you in to sit down.  Sometime you meet people who are super prepared to hear the gospel.  Sometimes you get a much needed letter or email.  Sometimes you see someone who swore that they would never be converted start coming to church and taking lessons.  Sometimes you pray to find more people and you find them!  Sometime you receive personal revelations that change lives.

 

Missionary work is ALWAYS worth it. "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!  And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" -D&C 18:15-16  

I love you all!  Keep pressing forward!

-love, sister Hunting