Week 83: Happiness

So I've mentioned that there's been a shift in focus in the mission to working better with members, getting referrals, and baptizing people with a support network already in place. It turns out that that's really difficult, and seems to be leading to fewer overall investigators. So that's been a challenge.

This week we did have 5 investigators at church though (with varying degrees of experience and mental stability), which was awesome. One was Sister Lek, who is progressing pretty well. She also brought her daughter.

I've been thinking recently about happiness. I often hear people talk about the mission as the happiest two years of their lives, and sometimes I wonder how that could be with all the challenges and disappointments that are so common in missionary work. I enjoy being a missionary, but sometimes I just feel downright frustrated.

I've recognized in myself a tendency to set conditions on my own happiness; "when this happens, then I'll be happy." I've realized that that attitude just brings dissatisfaction; as there will likely never be a day when there are no problems or challenges going on, so if we're waiting for that day to be happy, we'll miss a lot of joys along the way. So that's a goal I'd like to set, that of having happiness in the midst of trials. Why not? They're going to happen regardless of our attitude, so we may as well have a good one!

"Happiness is when your thoughts, words, and actions are in harmony with each other."

"Happiness is finding a cause greater than yourself and losing yourself in it."

"If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be our greatest growth, which can in turn lead to times of greatest happiness."

"Be still, and know that I am God."

(I don't have time to figure out who each of those quotes are from...)
Here are some scattered thoughts that I want to share and leave everyone to draw their own conclusion.

Thanks for your letters and thoughts!
Until next week,
Elder Parish

Bangkok flooded

I'm too big for a doorway

 

Fake money that Chinese burn for their ancestors.