Tuesday, August 26, 2014

"This is really volleyball!!!!!" -Sis Smith

 Nothing gets a missionary fired up like sports. It's the one time we can take our skirts and ties off, and expend some serious pent up energy. (Not the we have a reservoir of energy to use, it's just that that's about as close to normal feeling as we can get. So we get a little crazy.)


Recently we've been trading in our soccer nets for a volleyball, and THAT has been so fun. Nothing like a bunch of missionaries who don't really know the rules, who only kind of understand what's going on. Basically it's a free for all on each side of the net, and points are scored if the opposite team misses. :) That's it, that's all.


One thing that I've noticed and really loved is one phrase that has seemed to become our mantra for sports and missionary life: "Play on!"


If the ball hits the ceiling, it's fine! "Play on!" If you hit the volleyball with your head and it goes over, perfect! "Play on!" If you hit it more than three times before it goes over, who cares?! "Play on!"


Here's the moral of the story: When you hit a bump in the road, play on! When you mess up a little, (or a lot), play on! That's what the Atonement is for! It was never about how many times you fell, but how many times you got back up and kept. moving. forward.


Is it hard? Yes. Do you sometimes feel like throwing in the towel? Yes. But that's part of life; learning, growing, and coming out the better for it.


So, dear readers, keep those heads high.
Work out your problems with the Lord.
And don't forget to play on. :)


With love, from Can-Win

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

"Could the maker of the stars hear the sound of my breaking heart?"

Oh hey,


Remember that time I actually WROTE a blog post?


...Yeah, me either.


This week has brought a lot of insanity. I'm getting ready to come home soon, and that is such a strange thought. But I've been reflecting on the things I've learned, the things that have stirred the sweet little spirit inside me.


The biggest one I would have to say has been prayer.


I struggle with prayer. Some days it's hard for me to believe that anyone even cares about my problems, my wants, my struggles, let alone will listen and respond to the whisperings of my heart. Some days I feel alone, like He's not there, and my prayers are left on His voicemail.


But that's not true!!!!


He listens!! He hears every single whiney, tear-filled, angry, joyful word that is sent through our connection. He hears everything! He responds, it's just sometimes I'm so caught up in myself and my fears and doubts that I miss His answer all together.  That's hard. For Him and I. But we work through it, and I carry on.


So this is a short post, but it's filled with every ounce of testimony I have on this subject.


We are children of God. We pray to the Father, and the Father hears and answers us.
Never the way we want.
Never in the timing we want.


But He does listen.


And that is a fact.


With love, from Can-Win