I like to EAT and get SWOLE
Aloha ko'u 'ohana a me hoaaloha,
In my Senior year I was interviewed for our schools newspaper on what I liked to do with someone that I loved and I replied: "We like to eat and get swole". Missions change people but not everything. I still like to eat and get swole (defn of swole: to get stronger).
Eating. With the weather getting warmer outside that means more street vendors! Ice cream, mangoes with lime and hot sauce, and Coco Ice to name a few! Ah oh how food makes life so much better :) and a special thanks to my mom who sent me some mochiko flour! Made a pan of butter mochi, took it to Zone Conference yesterday and it was enjoyed by all even President and Sister Smith (whom both served their missions in Hawaii).
Getting Swole. Yes I am probably physically getting stronger from walking everywhere all day everyday. BUT I have definitely been able to see how spiritually swole/strong I have been able to get over these past months.
In Ether 12:27 we learn:
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them
Our Heavenly Father knows us personally. He knows our strengths and especially our weaknesses. He gives us opportunities and experiences to help us recognize these strengths and weaknesses. And lo and behold this past week I learned a new strength of mines...Nothing like learning a new strength like taking out your Bishop's wife's weave for her on a Saturday morning. Am I right? Haha. Sister Combe and I were so quick and didn't even cut off any of her actual hair #pros Maybe we will come back and start a business.
A weakness of mines is public speaking and in specific impromptu. I have no problem with speaking one on one with a random stranger on the bus but when it comes to speaking to a group of like 80 missionaries at Zone Conference...yeah. That's a big roadblock for me. Not only do I know this and you know this (now) but our Heavenly Father knows this 100%.
The day before Zone Conference we were asked to prepare a 3-5 minute talk on a Christ-like attribute and how we can help others develop it. Pretty easy right? Yeah I thought so too. Wrote a nice outline on my tablet and was thinking "well I'm already conducting the music and I just got here soo hopefully wont be speaking".
Fast forward to the next day at Zone Conference. In the rush at 6:30am to leave the house, pack the mochi, and catch the two trains on time...I forgot my tablet. Lowkey stressed but not really because before conference President Smith asked Sister Combe what she prepared her talk on so we were both like ok Sister Combe is going to speak and I jokingly say: "watch him through a curve ball and I speak hahaha jk he better not".
Then the time comes for him to choose one Elder and one Sister...President proceeds to ask six Elders what their topics are until he settles on one. And then he says "Sister Ellis what did you prepare?" and I say "Dilligence" and then President Smith sits down.
You all don't even know how nervous I was. Especially when I got up and I could not remember my outline at all. Hahahaha...oh how the Lord truly works in mysterious ways. To be honest I don't know how well my talk went but I know that this was a way that Heavenly Father wanted me to grow and get stronger and develop my speaking skills. But as we know from Elder Lynn G. Robbins talk this past General Conference, "success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm". In my head that talk was an epic fail but it's a moment I can look back on and learn, smile, and laugh and therefore its success.
Heavenly Father knows you personally. He knows exactly what we need to learn, grow, and progress on this earthly life. And the cool thing is is that it's so unique and different for each person. Yes we will fail and we will fall. But if we don't fail we will never grow into the person He wants us to become. Trust Him, Love Him, Lean on Him.
Me ke aloha,
Sister Ellis
Believe Believe Believe
