Let's Start with Spaghetti

Before you read the post below, read this.




Just before heading to the MTC, #1's friend had a family move in with them. It just so happens that that family was from the Philippines.

Random? Okay, yah, I agree.

Wait….It gets better.

They were living with this friend's family until they could find a place of their own, and they did….In our ward boundaries (for those who may not know, a "ward" is an LDS congregation. What ward you are in is determined by where you live). At one point, I had heard that our ward has the smallest geographical boundaries in the state of Oregon. Whether that's still true or not, I don't know, but for them to just happen to find a place in our small boundaries?….Yah, random.

Then, okay, maybe not so random….I am made the wife's visiting teacher (in the LDS church, a visiting teacher is assigned to each woman to check in and make sure everything's good for the family. It's kind of like an assignment to be someone's friend. Strange? Yah, okay, but you really do end up being friends, and it's a lovely thing). So, you kind of get the picture of what my assignment is here. Well, my assignment has turned into a joy.

I have to admit, the first time I visited with her, I was nervous. We had chatted back and forth on Facebook a few times, but I really didn't have any experience with her, and I had to take #7 with me.

From the moment she opened her door, it became SUCH a SWEET visit. She even embraced my lively and wiggly four-year-old in her kindness. I couldn't wait to go and be with her again. I am grateful that I was the one who was chosen for this assignment. She has become my good friend.

The other night was her birthday. I went to take her a little something. The Warden waited in the car while #6 and I ran it in to her.


This woman invited us in and sat us down and fed us spaghetti. Not like American spaghetti or Italian spaghetti, but Filipino spaghetti. It was SO DELICIOUS!

We left with a big bowl full for the Warden. She had to share.


Knowing what I know now, is it any wonder #1 loves who she serves?


Yesterday we got word that #1 has been transferred to a new city. I received a letter stating the facts of her transfer. I want to share a line from that letter.

We were told where she will be serving and that it is a wonderful place, and then it goes on to say this:

"…The people are loving and kind, and you will also find the people to be hospitable….The members there are supportive with regards to missionary work and they are always excited to work with the Missionaries and involve themselves to the work."

These are the kind of people my daughter rubs shoulders with, and these are the kind of people I now rub shoulders with as well.

Can you see how this is not random? This is a small part of a much bigger picture. This is my life now. It's so different from what it once was.


There is one more significant detail to this story…..

Before you send a child to a foreign country, people tell you about the culture, the food, other little details. You don't really know what to expect.

So, in my first email to #1 after she arrived in the Philippines, I asked her about the food. Her response?…


"Sister E made spaghetti for us! Oh it was the best spaghetti I've ever eaten. reminded me of home."


Funny our parallel lives on opposite sides of the globe. Best spaghetti I've ever eaten. Reminded me of her.


People said there would be great blessings for sending #1 on a mission. I just had no idea.

Maybe you begin to agree with me….None of this is random.

I Hope It's Not Too Late

Driving in the car the other morning thinking about spaghetti…..Tears start to form in the outer edges of my eyes…..Why? It's just spaghetti, for heaven's sake. And REALLY GOOD spaghetti at that. Nothing worth crying about. That's for sure.

Sitting at the intersection, waiting at the light. Waiting to turn left. Listening to #1's music. That wasn't making me cry either, and I have to say, in my own defense, that I wasn't really "crying," just tearing up. Crying includes sobbing and tears flowing rather rapidly out of the inner corners of my eyes near my nose. Believe me, I'm a cryer, I know what it's all about.

No, these were tears forming in the outer edges, and no sounds were coming out of me at all. They were just suddenly there.


Then, this song comes on:






I've heard this song dozens of times, and although I probably sing along with the chorus each time it comes on--I'm a car singer, what can I say? I never really listened to the words until it collided with thoughts about spaghetti.

While this song plays, I start to understand the tears…..I am sitting in the middle of something significant. The little day by day things all add up into something I'm just now starting to understand. It's big. Bigger than I understand in my daily comings and goings. The cumulative effect is a bit overwhelming. How did I get here?….

Line upon line. That's how.

But because they've come on so subtly, I haven't written about them.

Is it too late? Do I really remember (with my lousy, middle-aged, brain-too-full memory) all of the important details? Do I recall enough to help someone else understand just what's happened? Do I even fully comprehend all of the little bits and pieces that have added to this larger picture?

Yes, I'm doubting my abilities. And then there's this...If I write about them, will they stop?


Well, let's begin with spaghetti…..

Bumping into Blessings

You know….Life is AMAZING right now. Wish I could capture in words the fulness of my heart--Just SO grateful!

On Thanksgiving, I was driving in the car with my dad. I was sharing with him all of the incredible things going on, and he asked if I'd written them down. Oh, how I love that man!

image: supportblueridge.org

Things have been happening so fast and furiously that I really haven't taken the time. I want to. I really do, but the other thing is so many of these recent experiences have an interesting cumulative effect. If I write about them piece by piece, you might not see the full picture. It's all just astounding.

image:
italiangirlingeorgia.blogspot.com

I was talking to the kids in senior Primary (ages 8 to 11) last Sunday, and I asked them if they ever have the experience where they get an idea and then that idea is like a magnet, and it seems like everything they see or hear or do is pulled into that first idea with its magnetic pull. I was surprised at how many nods I got from those kids. Even at their young ages, they knew exactly what I was talking about.

image:
juliashinklephotography.com

People told me, when #1 left, that there would be great blessings to our family. You know, to hear that, you just kind of nod. I mean, how else do you respond to words like that? But, honestly, I had no idea.

Crazy how much my life bumps into the Philippines these days…..I mean even to the point of walking in the grocery store yesterday and having people walk by me on their cell phones speaking Tagalog….There are little reminders (and BIG reminders) EVERYWHERE….every day.

I honestly think you'd be shocked to walk in my shoes right now. My life is truly blessed, and I am extremely grateful.

At this point, I'm not sure where to begin with recounting the experiences of these past few months. I know that the things I publish will become too long for a simple blog post, but I'm going to give it a go. I have to. I mean, my dad's expecting me to write them down.

#1's Weekly Email: Week #24

It's hard to believe that we're into December. We'll be Skyping with this girl before we know it. How great it will be to get to hear her voice and talk to her in real life. 

She's gotten to the point of really loving what she's doing where she can let go of the semantics of it all and just really go out and do. It's so exciting to see! 

#1 sends another email to us each week. Today, she said this, I thought it was so cute: ""I decided that I'm just gonna talk to everyone no matter what. They already stare at me all the time. So now they should know that there's a price for staring at me haha they have to listen to me talk to them about changing their lives."

Anyway, here you go….

ENJOY!

yata. oh how the time flies when you're having fun :)

Well I've officially been out here in the field for 5 months and I still love it,  possibly more than I ever have. 

This week has been very productive. We opened areas again and it's a lot of fun because now Sister J and Sister P and Sister L and I are all pretty much working together. We all go to the same area every day and then walk on opposite sides of the street. Hehe it's quite fun.

Also because I've been realizing that my hugest weakness right now is finding the courage to talk to everyone, that's what we've been doing. We got a total of 18 new investigators this week. I wish I could keep track of how many times I've taught lesson one in my mission. The other day we taught it to 9 people. CRAZY. And they were all very attentive and receptive. Astig :)

Remember Sister M? She's one of our previous investigators and she's 18 and she lives in Santa Rita. Well this week we went and found her family and taught all of them. Hopefully, they'll all accept the Gospel and then they can all be together forever. That would be so amazing.

Well that's been the funnest part of this week. Just meeting new people and getting out of my bubble.

Also, I've come to appreciate the Atonement a lot more this week and realized why we all grow up so much on our missions. We are basically gospel psychologists. We go from appointment to appointment (less-actives, recent converts, and investigators) and listen to all of their problems and concerns. And then we try to fix them with the gospel. This week has been interesting because we've gone to visit a lot of less-actives who have been offended by members here. Their reasons for not coming to church are so heavy sometimes. And of course we can feel exactly what they're feeling because we're missionaries and we're the servants of the Savior and we love them. So I just feel like I've matured a lot this week because of their stories that they've told me. I don't feel like I'm 20 right now. Probably closer to 35.... Oh well. I know that their lives are hard and our jobs as missionaries is to help them come unto Christ because that's the best help they can get in their lives.

I love being a missionary so much but I can promise you that I am NOT going to be a psychologist when I grow up. I'll be getting enough of that during my mission.

I love you all. The Gospel is true and it's the best help any of us can get in our lives. We just have to trust in God and remember that "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts in my behalf. Have a great week!

Mahal ko kayo

-Sister Hess

p.s. Mom, you should tell [#7] that some little kids here have started to call me Tinker Bell because I do my hair like her :)