Hi!
So, Maybe I'm a bucket of tears right now... haha. I opened my mail today, one giant envelope from my Camp Springs family - Relief Society. And I began to think, is it really all done? Is my little branch REALLY being closed down? Heavenly Father gives us things and takes them away to help us to grow and ache and recognize the good we have. My tears, they are from the stretching my heart has to do. I LOVE that I even had the chance to be a part of such a difficult and maturing task of starting a Branch and putting my heart into it. The people I have meet there are my family and some of my best friends.
I remember the day that the stake president, President Page, called my family into his office and asked us to help start a branch. We had been living back in Maryland for 2 years and I had JUST made some friends in the Ward we were in. (I was the type of kid that was a bit uncomfortable about approaching strangers so finally having a few good friends was a big deal for me, especially being kinda new to the area). To say the least I was NOT happy about this request but Dad's response to my gripping was 'the Lord has asked us to do this so we are going to do this'. I was not allowed or able to argue that.
There was a lot asked of everyone who was in attendance and no experts on how anything was to be done but we did what we could. I was not the best at teaching lessons or being a leader. I was a brat, stubborn, and lets be honest now - Who doesn't know about my desire to bite back at anyone who bit me first? (you could say I was very much a follower of the law of Moses, an eye for an eye anyone?) not very Christlike. haha
God doesn't call us to serve him because we are perfect or the best qualified. He does it because he knows it is what we need to draw nearer to him. We don't hear about the great faith of that random boy in the scriptures who didn't except the challenge the Lord was giving to him, We do hear of how Moses was able to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt because he had faith in what the Lord was asking of him though. I have learned SO much from everyone in my small familiar little branch full of people who just struggle with life, but were willing to do what God was commanding of them. Among those things: how to take on challenges, overcome weaknesses and difficult circumstances, love, teach, have patience, etc. It has been the BEST preparation I could have had before coming on a mission.
Which is kinda ironic because I have had a lot of changes the past few months. Since in LA I have had 4 companions in the past 6 months, I have worked in 3 wards, and I have had 4 areas. It has been interesting, hard and amazingly rewarding. My current companion is Sister Bustamante from Spain. She is amazing and we are learning so much together. I don't have my camera cord with me today but I promise to send pictures from the past few months to give you some visual aid. ;)
I love you all and I'm thankful to have you in my life.
Sister (gabi) Schumacher
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