Good afternoon crazy world!
Life is so funny. You know, I figured that middle school was crazy. Then I got to high school. Then I thought, whew...scratch middle school. High school is loco. Then came life at college. And Res Life, Denmark, graduating, Willow Street and summers in California. And now--I'm in Salt Lake City, on a mission......Life is crazy. And wonderful.
Highlight= A motor coach full of Danes just walked into one of the Visitor's Centers one day. A huge group of them!! I almost had a heart attack. Like 40 Danes. All in the same room. After the "Hi, Welcome to Temple Square!! I am so glad you are from Denmark!! Welcome!!" [all in Danish], they smiled and said "Thank you. Now why can you speak Danish?"
Love the Danes.
One of my favorite things about serving a mission is really re-defining stereotypes. This week, Sister Kemsley and I have met so many people who have left Temple Square with fresh perspectives. We met this guy last week named Chris. He reminded me of a lot of my friends in California. His hair was about mid-neck, he was geared out in North Face, he had his water canteen and a bracelet from Africa. He grew up in Ohio, but was just stopping through on his way out to Kenya for a humanitarian service project. He came into the South Visitor's Center at Temple Square. In this Visitor's Center, we have a model of the Salt Lake Temple. It's essentially a giant doll house of the Temple. It's a cut-out that exhibits all of the rooms inside with interactive kiosks (that remind me of larger-than-life-iPads) nearby that help people explore and understand the rooms in detail. Chris was just staring at the Temple model, like it was a cake in a window. I walked up to him and we started talking a little bit. Sister Kemsley joined us and we talked for about a half hour. Chris was so annoyed with the culture of the church. He didn't like some of the things that people who are members of the church choose to do. Well, little did Chris know, he had just met two sister missionaries who do not submit to most stereotypes.
We were able to share with him our individual application of the same gospel in our own lives. To me, the Gospel is not always "culture". God's in charge of the Gospel. People fiddle with the culture. The gospel isn't about CTR rings, green jello and Donny Osmond.(Although I wouldn't mind a nice night in with a big bowl of green jello, listening to Donny and Marie with a huge bling-bling CTR ring...oh yeah)
The gospel is about the Atonement. Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father.
The gospel is simple, sincere and true. We can't always say that for people's cultural make up.
Chris left us that day with a smile. When he was leaving, we said, "Well Chris, hopefully you know now that Sister Missionaries aren't weird-os". To which he replied, "Well, people talk about diamonds in the rough, I just met two diamonds". Thanks Chris. We needed that.
I love the Gospel. It helps me find REAL happiness. The kind of happiness that doesn't fade in the wash. The kind of happiness that doesn't lose the fizzles after the cup has sat on the counter for 5 hours.
People are real.
Today, I miss the fam. And the amigos. Love you all. Thanks for all of the support!! Serioso.
Love you,
Sister Aimeister.
