Sister Sarah Bennion : November 10th

Hey Family!

So today was a little crazy....actually really this whole week was a little crazy.

What was crazy about it?

I will make a list:

1) We were in Melbourne for a meeting and came back to Tassie Tuesday night. The meeting was really good; I really learned a lot there, but being out of our area for so long kills!

2) Car crash. Not for us. For some other elders in our district. We were heading back from district meeting in very wet weather. We were driving behind them so we got to watch as their car hit a wet spot, skidded off the road, and rolled twice as it tumbled down a hill. Scariest moment of my mission. Luckily (incredibly, inconceivably), the only thing injured was their egos and their car. [I included a picture of the crash and elders...notice the BYU cougar that was on a piece of litter next to the crash scene.]

3) We had a three days in a row that were completely packed with lessons....it was insane. We just went from appointment to appointment to appointment. And we were able to set a lot of baptism dates with some really solid people. Exhausting? A little. Awesome? Definitely.

4) Yesterday was my last time in Hobart ward, because I will be going back to the Melbourne Chinese Branch for my last Sunday. It was so gut-wrenching to realize that I won't be back in that ward! Ugg. I am going to miss the members so much! (Special shoutout to Alice Bell, who has done SO MUCH FOR US and to whom I had to say goodbye to already because she is going to be in Launie for this next week!)

5) The Hobart ward temple trip to Melbourne is this next Saturday and we got permission to go up with Harry, our recent convert! He got the priesthood and a temple recommend this last Sunday. So excited for him! But that means we will be leaving Tassie on Friday! Not ready to leave!!!

Spiritual Thought:

A few weeks ago, at a meeting, Pres Maxwell shared with us a story he had heard from the Area president of the Pacific Area,Elder Pearson. Many years ago, Elder Pearson was a very talented baseball player. He played throughout high school and had a lot of success. After graduating form high school, he was called on a mission to Finland. His first few months, he struggled. It was cold and dark most of the time and the language wad difficult. To make things worse he was with a companion that wouldn't ever talk. He missed home, baseball, and all of the other things he had left behind. However one day, he was reading a scripture in 3 Nephi and received an answer on what he needed to do to be successful And happy as a missionary. The revelation was simple: ;you need to change the way you view yourself. At that moment, Elder Pearson realized that he still thought of himself as a baseball player who was called on a mission. His mission was changed for the better when he accepted that he really was a MISSIONARY who used to be a baseball player. he later shared the quote: "You are not you. I am not me. We are different from the way we sometimes view ourselves." Elder Pearson also shared some tips on changing self view. They are:

1. Accept you have agency. You are not a victim. The Lord knows your circumstances perfectly and He knows when you are simply choosing not to follow all His commandments.

2. Act outwardly the way you want to feel or be inwardly (example: SMILE!)

3. Accept grace. Learn about and rely on the enabling power of the Atonement.

Hearing Elder Pearson's experience and advice really has made me think about how I view myself and how I should be viewing myself. In a few weeks, am I just going to be another university student who use to be a missionary? I hope not. I hope that I can always view myself an "A disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (3 Nephi 5:13), even when the badge is gone and regular life resumes!

LOVE YOU ALL. Thanks for all the support, prayers, letters, emails, etc!

-Sister Bennion