Singing in the Rain July 28

Title: Singing in the Rain

So we had zone training last week and that was the first time that I have honestly not received any mail whatsoever from anyone. No letters. I remembered an elder at the beginning of my mission who only had a few transfers left and he hadn't gotten any mail that conference and he assured me that there comes a point that we all enter into the forgotten phase where we've been out too long and nobody wants to keep contact anymore, and I believed it would come, but I hoped it wouldn't. But now I have gotten there. And it's sad to be in the forgotten phase. (Plus, I'm pretty sure none of my companions will ever be there...they're all way too cool.) 

But anyway, this last week was Pioneer Day! And of course I had to call everybody in my district and give them some pioneer trivia--such as how long ago was Salt Lake City declared as "the place"? [1847] What was Brigham Young ill with when entering into the valley? [Mountain Fever] What did the pioneer children do as they walked and walked and walked and walked? [Sing. According to the primary song, right?] 

So I think of these pioneer children and families--not only possibly forgotten for long term because they weren't coming "home" after a year and a half, but also unable to recieve mail, and they sang. They suffered a lot of hard things and yet they still found joy in their journey. They had purpose. They had cause. I was especialls touched while reading "Our Heritage" and seeing the testimony of one of those men in the Martin Handcart Company.

“I was in that company and my wife was in it. . . . We suffered

beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure

and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company

utter a word of criticism? . . . [We] came through with the absolute

knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our

extremities.

“I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary

from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead

of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill

slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give

up, for I cannot pull the load through it. . . . I have gone on to that

sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have

looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my

eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither

then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become

acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was

privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.”

I am privileged to be in the Belgium/Netherlands mission being a modern day pioneer but way way more fortunate.

Last night it rained like CRAZY and it was my first thunderstorm to experience in this country and it was BEAUTIFUL. I loved it! But this morning we were trapped inside for a while as our door stoop became a beach for the sea of the fallen rain. And it was beautiful.

xoxo

ZusterHoff