December 5, 2011
Submission for C2 ward newsletter: After 8 weeks in the beautiful Corvallis, it's time to leave. Today I'll head to Eugene where I will switch from being a Beaver to a Duck! Not sure how I feel about that yet...beavers have grown on me a bit! My time here at OSU has been priceless; I've learned a lot. Members are the key. Natural beauty can't happen without rain. As long as your companion loves you - you can take on the world. Never underestimate the power of a YSA ward. If you THINK you have a cavity...get it checked out sooner than later. The strongest testimonies are developed in the hardest times. Love the Lord, put Him first & everything else will take care of itself.
For those of you who are just coming into the story at this point, I spent the last 8 weeks in Corvallis with my all-time-favorite companion, Sister Britton. Last week I got transferred to Euguene, OR; I’ve been here for a week.
Eugene is most definitely NOT Corvallis but it’ll do for now :) I’m assigned to a trio, so my companions are S. Baxter & S. Kennedy – both are from Utah. The OEM is basically 95% Utahns – super weird. We have a quote wall in our apartment; one says, “Eugene scented Glade --- aka Pot” TOO.TRUE. Sometimes I wonder why people here aren’t more receptive to the Spirit and then I remember that half the people we talk to are high! This however, does not mean it’s unproductive. One guy we tracted into last week “said” he was interested – but really was high – and is now meeting with the Elders!!! So we keep at it and share the gospel with literally everyone J
This week I had my first-ever experience with explaining our beliefs on ghosts. On exchanges, Sister Judd and I helped Maria figure out how to explain to her guy friends why she wants to marry someone who holds the Priesthood. Thank you Dad for always being worthy of that – it has blessed my life so much. Lauren is getting baptized on Christmas Eve! She’s headed home to California for the Christmas break but will get confirmed here when she comes back in January, I’m sad I’ll miss that.
Susan…should have been a cat. Or so she tells us! This poor lonely, old and frequently cold lady just needs someone to love her. Her father was never in the picture, he mother died 13 years ago, her brother has never been nice to her and she lost her five children as babies. Now she lives alone with three cats. Half the time I thought she was crazy and the other half I figured she’s just got to be really lonely. But I will say that there were several instances when I though, “Oh man – this would be the perfect set up for a super-creepy movie…” because she has the perfect laugh for it. We asked her if she would be interested in learning more about how families can be together forever. She replied, “I wanna see ‘em now!” she said that each time we asked and I wanted to tell her that I get it – and so do I -- but sometimes “the heavenly virtue of patience is required”.
Watching the Christmas devotional made me homesick for TMSQ. Just 2 weeks!
Love is truly the tradition.
Sister Despain Jr.
“And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.” Mosiah 27:36-37
