LOVE YOUSELF, EMBRACE YOURSELF, APPRECIATE YOURSELF.

Dear everyone I love,
I just want to talk about the importance of BEING YOURSELF. Sometimes
as a missionary, and I think as normal people, we get so caught up in
trying to be "perfect", whether in the world's eyes, or even just in
God's eyes, and as we do this, we start to forget who we are and bind
ourselves to these guidelines we'e made up in our head. I am guilty of
this. Sometimes I'm trying so hard to do every little thing right,
that I forget to relax and be myself. AHHHH! We cannot let this
happen! There is a reason we are who we are. Nobody wants to talk with
a robot missionary who is just trying to do everything just to almost
check off the list of all the things I should be doing. INntead we
should love and appreciate who we are, while ALSO trying to be a
little bit better and "stand a little taller" each day. We remember
our purpose and why we are here and also enjoy life and embrace
ourselves, our personalities and charactaristics.
It's just so cool to see as a missionary, the change in the work as I
remember to be myself. When I got here in Russia, as I would "contact"
people (we don't knock door to door, we just walk around and talk with
people on the streets) and I would just ask "can i give you an
invitation". Of course this had a lot to do with my lack of languauge
skills. But then I started to get a little brave and would ask if they
believed in God. HA! How boring and lame is that? Who wants to talk
to anybody like this? Sister Pinkston and I have just been trying to
TALK and CONVERSE with people on the street. Its SO much more fun and
effective. Instead of worrying what to say, we're laughing and making
friends. Instead of being awkward and people trying to avoid us,
people are coming up to us and asking US about who we are. WHAT A
CHANGE! Of course we aren't forgetting our calling; as we converse we
testify, from the heart, that we know that Christ's gospel is restored
and how this knowlege blesses our lives. I feel like I'm finally
doing it!
So please, LOVE YOUSELF, EMBRACE YOURSELF, APPRECIATE YOURSELF. I
promise as you do so, coupled with the daily proccess of "personal
perfection", you will be SO much happier, and the Lord's spirit will
be more abundant in your life. You will be lead to where you need to
be, and you will just smile as you think about your life.
I know this is true, and I know our Heavenly Father knows and loves
each of us, and wants us to be happy. So be happy!
:)
love, сестра Тенни
ps- я знаю что Бог жив и что Он любит нас!