Whew! What a week!
My companion was called to be a Sister Training Leader for her last transfer!! It's been an exciting two months, but I am so happy for her! She'll do great.
We recently tracted into the Finch family and had a chance to brush up on our "Bird" -
"Excuse me, my fine-feathered friend! Tweet-tweet tweet, twitter tweet?" :)
Our mission president has recently been emphasizing positivity. He shared with us:
"...What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: "Critics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve."
Looking at the dark side of things always leads to a spirit of pessimism which so often leads to defeat. If ever there was a man who rallied a nation in its time of deepest distress it was Winston Churchill. The Nazi war machine had overrun Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and was moving into Russia. Most of Europe was in the grasp of tyranny, and England was to be next. In that dangerous hour, when the hearts of many were failing, Churchill spoke:
"Do not speak of darker days; let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days: these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race."
Following the terrible catastrophe at Dunkirk, many prophets of doom foretold the end of Britain. But in that dark and solemn hour this remarkable man said, and I heard him say these words as they were broadcast across America: "We shall not flag or fail...we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
It was this kind of talk, which saw victory distantly through the dark clouds of war, and not the critical faultfinding of cynics, that preserved the people of Britain and saved that nation from catastrophe.
"I have little doubt that many of us are troubled with fears concerning ourselves. We are in a period of stress across the world. There are occasionally hard days for each of us. Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds. Opportunities will eventually open to you. Do not let the prophets of gloom endanger your possibilities."
- President Gordon B. Hinckley
Let us all press on in this great work! There are people praying to find Gospel light. Others are seeking truth, but they know not where to find it. Let us be faithful and serve with all of our hearts, mights, minds and strength, that we may be bring salvation to our brothers and sisters!"
I just want to add my testimony of the power of a positive attitude - which stems from faith. One happy person truly can make a difference in a discouraged group!
Hermana Smurthwaite
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