Well I can now say that I
have been through a hurricane! It was
not bad at all here in Pinehurst. We
seriously got so lucky!! Other areas in
our zone are seriously flooded and don't have any power or water. A lot of missionaries had to leave their
apartments and go to safe houses with members and are still at those safe
houses. Transfers are coming up this
Tuesday so it will be interesting how anybody is able to get anywhere. It just rained hard all day Saturday with lots
of wind. The storm we had last year in
Wilmington was much worst, but that's probably cause it's on the coast. Church was canceled however because the rest
of the stake had it much worse. After
learning that we wouldn't be able to take the sacrament for 2 weeks in a row
now Sister Hogge said, "I'm gonna die in my sins!" hahaha 😂
We put on our service
clothes and went to it! We helped
Grandma Pat clean up her yard. We hardly
made a dent. Pinehurst gets it's name
cause it's literally all pine trees so there are branches, sticks, pine cones
and needles everywhere! We filled up two
large trash cans full of debris. When we
knocked on the door Grandma Pat said, "It's the marines!" haha I love
that woman. We drove around the gated
community where we live but every one turned us down or told us that they have
professional gardeners. Typical Pinehurst. We just had a hurricane and everyone was at
the golf course. 😑We drove around and checked on our less actives and
members that we thought but need help but either everyone was fine or not home.
We did finally help another member clean
up debris in their yard. So I guess A for effort from us? I'm wishing that they would let us all go down
to the areas that actually need our help!
Something fun that
happened before the hurricane was on Wednesday we had a zone conference with 4
zones at the Catlett's farm (pres. Catlett is part of the mission presidency)
In Fayetteville. The beginning part was
instructions until lunch time and then we had a field day of sorts, each zone
competing against each other. We had three-legged-race,
sack race, tug o war, scavenger hunt and even fishing! Sister Hogge caught a fish! She told me she was really good at fishing but
after a while of not catching anything my faith started to waver in her, but
then she caught it right at the end! It
was seriously such a fun day.
We weren't really able
to do much teaching this week as you can probably guess, but I want to share
with you something that I learned this morning. I was reading the Ensign and read this article in
it the author says, "When I was attending college, I noticed two very
different beginning piano classes listed in the course catalog. The first, “Group Piano Instruction,” featured
row upon row of electronic keyboards where students wearing headphones all
practiced the same song from the same book and received grades based on their
ability to perform at a predetermined level.
By contrast, “Private
Piano Instruction” was a class of one. Here
a teacher worked individually with one student to correct blunders and hone
technique. Even though the teacher often had many students, each one received
individualized instruction and assignments based on the student’s needs. The final grade was based on individual
progress, not on how well the student did compared to the group. There was a catch, however: private lessons
required a fee above the basic tuition."
She goes on to compare
that experience of learning about those two classes to her calling as a Primary
President. "I had assumed that accepting my new calling was like joining a
group piano lesson with all of the other women called to be Primary presidents.
In my mind, we all sat in rows with
copies of a manual, How to Be a Primary President, in front of us... Watching
one Primary president, I could see she was working faster than I was. Listening to another, I noticed that her
responses were more creative. Nervously
I glanced up at the teacher, wondering if I would get in trouble for not doing
as well as the others. “Sorry, you’re falling behind,” I could imagine the
teacher saying. “You’ll never become a
real Primary president.”
I of course compared
this to being a missionary. We all sit
in rows with a copy of Preach my Gospel in front of us all practicing teaching
the same lessons and receiving success based on our ability to teach or testify
or whatever it was better than the other person. Of course this is wrong. She says "Accepting a calling (or being a
missionary) was more like enrolling in private lessons—with the Lord. Knowing both our strengths and weaknesses, He
places us in situations where our unique gifts are needed to bless a ward member,
a class, even a Primary. (An area, an investigator, a less active)
Although the former Primary president (Missionary who just left the area),
may have just finished performing a concerto, the Lord knows when it’s time for
my simple sonata. Through our callings,
He gives us the experiences we need to become more like Him. Whether teacher, secretary, or president, (or
missionary) callings throughout our lives are part of the individual curriculum
the Lord develops for our progress.
It was a much needed message
and reminder to me that my mission is a private lesson with the Lord. He knows my strengths and my weaknesses and
knows just the right timing for me. I'm
grateful to have Him as my master teacher as I learn to become more like Him.
Send your prayers this
way to the people of NC still being affected by the hurricane!
Love you all,
Sister Dearden
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