Fuzzy vs. Tough Love

Aw, ya’ll, I wish I was there... thanks for sending pictures of the reunion.

I realized how spoiled I’ve been with a good family who writes to me. Not a single DearElder has come through for like two months and you guys couldn’t write this week because of the reunion and I realized how it feels to not have family communication. Imagine how it would be if it was like that every week...

Sister Pitcher helped me to change drastically the way I street contact and teach. Last week I learned not to be so compulsory. This week I realized that it is so much more important that people feel love than that they learn doctrine. Before, I thought “planting a seed” meant saying bold statements of doctrine that, after stewing in peoples’ heads for a while, would make them consider that they’re wrong and want to look for something better. Usually they get over the fact that I offended them by telling them blatantly that they’re wrong. J

But I think a seed of greater impact would be to feel love in our presence-- feel so strongly the love that Christ has for them through us-- that they NOTICE it when we start talking to them and notice it when we leave. What if we were walking, talking evidence of the type of charity that only the gospel in its fullness is able to cultivate. Even though people might still not want to listen, the thing that will be stewing in their mind is that they felt something good that they will want to feel again and will wonder where it came from. And, if nothing else, people will think “Mormons: good” instead of “Mormons: obnoxious.” They'll be one step closer to accepting missionaries the next time.

Still trying to find a balance between fuzzy love and tough love. Sometimes if you really love someone what they need is a plancha (plancha means an iron, but I believe she means something heavy, hard) for their own good. I still don't know the balance. Sometimes it confuses me how Christ uses on awful lot of “Thou fools” and “Thou hypocrites” and “You’re an empty sepulcher of decaying bones” if he loved EVERYONE so much. Are those things that only Christ has the prerogative to say or should we be bold like that, too?

Speaking of being bold. Just as some advice for sister missionaries who are going to leave soon on their missions and contemplating what to bring: READ YOUR CALL PACKET.  If you read your packet you would know that you should NOT:

-bring flats instead of walking shoes

-decide to dye your hair (why?!! You're a MISSIONARY!!!) or choose  a hairstyle that requires time-consuming and frequent maintenance (that doesn’t just take up your time, it will take up the time of all of your companions)

-decide you don’t need to do the 4-generation pedigree chart

-bring more than the 8-10 sets of clothes.

You’ll save yourself and your companion a lot of time and money.

Happy Birthday, Jenna!

Can somebody say “hi” to Agee for me?

Well, fambly, live up the reunión. Long live the Burnetts and the Scots!

LOVE,

Hermana Ludlam