This is our blog about the adventures and experiences of two Snyder kids as they serve missions, one in Mexico and one in Japan, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are the weekly emails and pictures they send home.

Monday, November 23, 2015

(Hermana S.) The Value of Hard Work

Hello family! 

It's been an interesting week. We accomplished a lot of goals we had set as companions but it ended a little tough because no one went to church. No one! That was sad. But we keep working. I know the Lord blesses us for our efforts and obedience. "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say..." Yesterday we were able to have a lesson with a little 9 year old girl who hasn't been baptized yet but has decided to do it! Whoo! We're gonna help her do it. :) 

I forgot to tell you guys an amazing story. We were looking at the ward directory for people we don't know and saw Gustavo S. We put in the plan to go look for his house but we weren't able to find him. Then, in the night the ward mission leader was accompanying us. All of the appointments fell through so we said a prayer in the street to be directed to where we were needed in that moment. We opened our eyes and this drunk guy approached us and said to the ward mission leader, "Hey, you remember who I am? " He thought for a minute and then replied, "Gustavo S?!" Gustavo was baptized 15 years ago and ended up going down the wrong path afterwards. He wants to change and, well, he's changing! Since that night, he's gone to church two Sundays in a row and he's found a job. He gets to church all nice and clean, smelling good and super sober! He reads the Book of Mormon and has not taken one drink! He is literally a walking miracle! Working with people like Gustavo makes this all worth it.

Today we had a zone activity so I don't have much time to write. But I've been thinking a lot of one word: WORK. President wrote us a great letter last week that I am going to send you. Translate it and read it! I loved it. And in response to his letter, I wrote him this:

P.S. I love your letter this week! It reminds me a little of my childhood, even though it sounds like you still worked way more than me. :) Growing up on a farm is something that I am so grateful for. I'll never forget on one occasion when my dad gave me an assignment: go shovel out all of the weeds in one of the corn fields. Now this was not a small cornfield. And they weren't small weeds either. Every time I found one I had to dig all around the exterior for about 15 minutes to be about to get down deep enough to shovel it out with all my might. It was a hot summer and I was about 14 years old. After the first day, I had blisters upon blisters on my hands. I thought I was going to die out there alone! It wasn't punishment or to be cruel and I still don't know exactly why my dad made me do it alone. But after a week's work, I think I could understand a little bit better the importance of hard work. And over a lifetime of small lessons a lot like this one, oh how grateful I am for the person they have helped me to become! Now, when we recite, "The field is white already to harvest," I think of my dad and how he would feel after working and preparing a grand crop only to see it go to waste because of lack of help. I know that we are the workers! The field really is white, and we are the hands that get the job done.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the great childhood you gave me! The value of hard work is, well, priceless. How grateful I am to be able to have learned so early in my life of this important principle. 

Have the best week ever. Love yinz!


Hna. Snyder






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