A Day out In Concord

Hey everyone,

Sister Patterson and mine's adventure in Concord was great!  Louisa May Alcott's home was darling. Although it's been so long since I've seen Little Women, it was still a treat to take a tour (they didn't let us take pictures though.) Certain parts were renovated, but there were still original pieces decorating and adding that extra special touch including May's artwork, the desk by the window where Louisa wrote both parts of Little Women, Mr. Alcott's study room and more. Overall, it was a neat tour. :)

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard home

After Louisa May Alcott's home, we met up with the Elders again to check out the Concord museum. 

Although we had to brisk through it since it was about to close, we saw some cool sights as the museum takes you through Concord's history. They even had one of the two lanterns Paul Revere signaled from the belfry when "the British were coming." There was Ralph Waldo Emerson's study, more about the Transcendentalists who tried to reform society through literature, tea china, guns, furniture, and more.

We didn't have much time to see anything else, but we are planning on touring around some more next Monday.

 

Paul Revere's lantern

Ralph Waldo Emerson's study

President Packard also left another scripture from inspiration that had me reading it a few times to get the full essence of it. Alma 13:27 was a verse I never before paid much attention to. When President Packard handed over his scriptures for me to read outloud, "I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance." I first thought, Oh no! What's president asking me to repent of?! Am I giving him pain because of it? Haha! :)

But as we studied the verse, he had me take a different look at 'anxiety' since we often associate that in a medical perspective, so I decided to look at it as 'great desire.' As President went deeper, he emphasized the phrase even unto pain. At this point, I understood what he meant. I recounted my experience to him a few weeks back--when I felt literal pain--physical pain--to bring souls unto Christ. Yet, during that very difficult and trying day, I learned I could feel a sense of what Alma described here. I could somewhat relate to Alma through that experience, and I could  relate to his great desire. At this point, I became more grateful for hardships, how I could personally relate to the scriptures, and for my mission president's wise counsel.

Well, what I thought was a 10 minute interview turned into a 45 minute one! It was all good though and I left feeling more encouraged and uplifted.

Sister Patterson and I began teaching another family closeby to us--the mom hasn't been to church in a long time and a strong desire to come back, and her husband is very open and interested. And oh my darlingity, I should also mention their kids are adorable. We are also scheduled to begin teaching another young girl from the same town Pam, Jose, and the two kids being baptized are from. I'm not kidding--it's a town where everyone knows each other and everything about each other and what's going on in their lives. Haha we must be one by one teaching all the youth in that town. Who's knows what's in store there!

Anne Marie

 I've also been thinking of a so-strange-it-ends-up-being-funny story to tell from the mission--well, I now have one to tell! We were at a lesson for Anne Marie, and just as we reached the climax part of the lesson, somehow it went completely off topic. Since Anne Marie loves yoga, she began talking more about how yoga has helped her. Before we knew it, she got on the ground and began doing yoga! She even had me sit next to her and sit up straight with legs criss-crossed. I quickly stood up and Sister Patterson and I were frantically thinking of ways to pop in a "ninja question" to bring it back on topic. At the end of the lesson, Sister Patterson straight up said she never was able to finish what she had to say since she was cut off. The lesson ended up concluding well and beautifully, but I'll have to say, I've never been present in the lesson where it was paused to do yoga. Haha Anne Marie is awesome. :)


Well there's not much else that happened this week. Sister Patterson and I are still doing our best and making the most of what may be the last couple of weeks in this area (but who knows.)

With love,

-Sister Roy