Serving Where I Can -- An Eternal Mission Doctrine

Dear Sweet People, 

It was Sunday and I felt so needed by our branch. I translated three meetings (Sister Wong and I switched off speakers) (we have a nifty headphone/microphone set where everyone who needs it in Cantonese or English grabs a headset and we just talk into the mike), accompanied all the singing, including choir practice (in which we're singing a  devilishly hard piece, "Because He Lives" and an easier but sappy, "My Mother, My Daughter" or something) AND conducted choir (from the piano bench....).

I was assisted by Sister S. and randomly taught Young Women's class (...to the sole YW there) with Sister M. I love serving and helping and I think one of the worst feelings in the world is not feeling needed or not feeling helpful. It's also a sensitive and subtle art to help others develop more skills, responsibility and awareness of the need for them--I'm thinking of younger missionaries, children, or members of quorums or class--without just getting impatient, frustrated OR too worried about their lack of ability and just doing it for them. ...reminds me of Elder Eyring's talk in priesthood last last Conference where he told about his bishop telling him "I NEED YOU" and actually believing it.

I want to ask myself more often how I can not only serve, but help others around me feel--not just included but NECESSARY--Essential to the work, and how to become humble and Christlike enough to really believe that they are needed. Like Lisa S. has mentioned once before in a letter, wards and families and classes and districts come together in unity as work is shared and lives are strengthened, NOT as everything moves smoothly along without a finger lifted by anyone but the presidency. 

On this topic, I recall feeling so needed when I was preparing with Sister Ramsey for Girl's Camp after my senior year that summer, and remembering that when I made a girl aware of her responsibility and that we needed her, how everything changed. 

Mind you, it did not work with all of them:  One of the girls we just had to Benadryl, actually, but usually making them feel needed really worked :P ha ha.   

I pondered about the moments when Mom also made me do hard things and the realization that her insistance of my learning and doing these tasks went beyond making life easier on her... I don't know, I was just thinking about service and how community AND how individual oriented it can be at the same time. In whatever stage of life YOU're at, you can feel needed, help others feel needed or accept the help from someone else that will make Him/HER feel needed (like our Women's Chorus song, "May God grant me the grace I need for me to let you be my servant, too"). 

And that's my thoughts on that. 

I was so grateful to read about Grandma Bezzant's testimony and sharing in her church about her life. I am so unaware and so ignorant about my loved ones lives and stories; it's so sad. I'm so, so grateful to have read about her service and the service she's seen rendered. I love that she is so aware of God's grace and mercy that makes that love and selflessness possible--that instilled in each human breast the urge to love and take care of the others around us. She still serves so much, even at 93!! I remember always feeling SO needed, loved, important and filled every time I left after visiting with her. I remember, too, after she got out of the hospital the last time, that Brian and I went to sing for her at the recovery center. I can't believe how long ago that was now... but singing, "serving", for her still felt like it was healing MY soul. I love you Grandma.

The Kessler senior missionaries will be coming for the LAST time this coming up Sunday, so that's the end of quick mail from the mission home. No problem, because we're heading up to HK on May 22nd to see Elder Oaks! AND they Kessler's not coming back BECAUSE Macao is getting a pair of its OWN senior missionaries! YAY! Senior missionaries are SO AMAZING. They are like the tenth-black-belt-star-stripe-ninja-power-etc missionaries--a lifetime of service, experiences, testimony and family power backing them up. They are the treasure of the mission and they are amazing for reactivating entire stakes, from what I've heard about Sister Bishop's parents. My English is questionable, sorry.

I loved seeing that Aidan won hottest chili. We had the funniest experience the other day where it was pouring rain, wait a second did I already tell this story? Whatever, I 'll tell a super short version---Sis Wong and I were cooking right before we'd planned on going out for scripture class, it'd been pouring all day, she cooked up some garlic, onion and then sliced 3 TINY red chilis and threw them in. Just as I was picking up the phone to talk to our miracle (except we didn't know she was a miracle yet, she was just a contact) investigator whom I'll call Jewel, she threw in the chilis and I went in and stuck my face in the wok and BREEEAAAATHED IN. And then my lungs shriveled up and died, and I laid on the floor and coughed and then went out on the porch and got soaked and coughed and then sat in front of the fan and coughed and wheezed all while Sis Wong was trying to talk in English to the contact (who wanted to see us RIGHT THEN, wheeee!) on the phone and make sure the food didn't burn AND not breath in at all AND laugh really hard at me...  it was so funny.

We are blessed to be here and spending every last second of the short time left in service.  

Love, 

Sister Darcey