I am mildly baffled to say that we just finished with the third and last General Conference of my mission. As a missionary, conference definitely ranks up there with Christmas in terms of best weeks of the year.... We get to hear the prophet speak! What was even cooler was listening to conference in German. I absolutely loved hearing the apostles' sweet and powerful testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ... and though the language was different, the Spirit spoke just the same.
All the weird things
- an 80-year-old gentleman asked me to dance. I knew there would be rejection on the mission but I didn't realize it would sometimes be coming from my end...
- Also a different old guy in a wheelchair beckoned us towards him. My smart comp was like, "nope...." but I was like, "Come on be nice!" He extended his hand and I thought he wanted a handshake or maybe some spare change BUT NO HE CLAMPED ONTO MY HAND AND STARTED TRYING TO TAKE MY OTHER HAND TO PULL ME IN CLOSE AND HE TOLD MY COMPANION "SIE IST LIEB" ("SHE IS LOVING") AND WOULDN'T LET GO OF ME AND THEN I WAS LIKE .... GOTTA GO
- This was literally 5 minutes after a lady yelled at us that she didn't want us there even though we had previously set up this appointment and traveled 1.5 hours to get to her doorstep. In my head I was all sad thinking, "I just feel so unwanted all the time..." but when we escaped the creeper man I was just like "THAT WAS NOT THE KIND OF WANT I WANTED" heilige kuh
- We also get a weekly surprise of chocolates and music CDs in our mailbox
- I wore my glasses for 2 days and got a raccoon tanline on my face #contactsforlife
- Usually when someone brings up President Trump to me it's because I'm American but this time it was because I look like his daughter? Apparently the lady took a double take when I came through her door haha
Flashback April 2014
When I was 17 years old I went out for a late night jog. Although my parents weren't fans of it, I preferred running at night because at that point the brutal Arizona heat would be cooled down; plus I found the darkness to be peaceful. My hometown was once named one of the top ten safest towns in the U.S., so I trusted that I didn't have much to worry about being out alone. After being out for a while I decided it was time to cross the street. There were two possible lights that I could cross at to get to my neighborhood, but the northern road was poorly lit so I thought it would be safer if I crossed at the big intersection instead. I waited until the crosswalk turned green, and then I started jogging, the song "Lights" playing on my iPod. I heeded my parents warnings, watching carefully for cars. Sure enough I could see a car in the distance - driving incredibly fast - towards the red light on its way to turn right. I wasn't sure if this driver was paying attention to the five-foot, black-clad teenager in the road, so I decided to stop on the other side of the lane and wait for him to pull his California stop. However, my attention was tuned in so much on this speeding vehicle... that I didn't notice the other van trying to turn left from the opposite side until it was perhaps only a foot away from me, headlights shining bright, barely slamming on the brakes in time to stop from hitting me when I wasn't paying attention. I screamed, dashing out of the road. I ran home trembling and freaking out. When I burst open the door, I fell into my fathers arms and started sobbing.
I thought I was a pretty good kid up to that point in my life. Ok, I had done some pretty dumb things here and there but in general I tried to go to church, read scriptures daily, and keep the commandments. But I remember walking in my bedroom and just seeing how much of a mess it was. I remember checking my phone and wincing at the sassy text I had last sent to my best friend. I remember thinking of the little mistakes I had been sweeping under the rug with the excuse of "There can't be anything too bad about it." Looking back, I don't know if the van REALLY would have hit me or not, but in that moment as a panicked 17-year-old I was convinced that I had barely escaped death, and I was horrified of the state in which I would have left this life.
That was a point in which the atonement truly became real for me.
I prayed. This felt like a second chance to me, a chance given by Jesus Christ because of that great sacrifice which He made for all of us. Because of Him, I could improve myself. Because of Him, this imperfect teenager could ask forgiveness and then move forward, striving to give my best to be worthy to live in the presence of God one day.
Now I would like to add my testimony to that of the apostles. Jesus Christ lives! He truly knows us and truly, sincerely loves us.
Love,
Sister Lundgreen
