Editor’s note: Many are familiar with my daughter, Sara Arkell, also known as The Piano Gal. Sara has been called to serve in the New York Syracuse Mission. This is a series on her weekly letters that we will be posting on the site for those who wish to follow along with her mission. You can read her previous emails here.
This past week was quite the rollercoaster! Time for a funny story! So, a member in our ward set up a time for us to have dinner with her & one of her friends who isn’t a member of the Church. Nicest member ever might I add! She tells us she will pick us up & we’re going to meet her friend at a restaurant here in Lockport. The night comes, she picks us up, and after being in the car for longer than we had anticipated, we come to find out that we are totally out of our area!
The restaurant ended up being in NIAGARA. There really wasn’t much we could do at this point, though, so in the back seat we quietly texted our district leader to let him know where we were and what was going on. We ended up going to Rainforest Café which was a very fancy place! But it took so long so once we actually got our food, we had to basically put it immediately in to-go boxes and head out so we could make it home in time. And we still made it home 15 minutes after “curfew”. Man it was quite the adventure! Won’t forget that day for sure.
We had MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) on Tuesday! This time we focused a lot on the missionaries specifically and how to help them be more exactly obedient and consecrated missionaries. It’s easy to slip up sometimes so we’re going to have a greater focus on exactness so we can see miracles. The Spirit taught me a few things I need to improve on so I’ve been working on correcting some things so I can make my mission the best experience possible! I’m grateful for correction from the Spirit to help me become better.
We had interviews with President Gentry on Wednesday. I am truly so grateful for him. He answered one of my prayers I’ve been praying for a while! I’ve been really pondering if I’ve changed since I’ve been on my mission. It’s hard to see sometimes! During my interview, out of the blue he told me how proud he is of me and that he has seen me grow so much in my mission so far. It meant so much to me & really answered my prayers! I felt like it was coming directly from Heavenly Father.
We went on exchanges with the Orchard Park Sisters! It was so fun 🙂 I was with Sister Oliverson 2 transfers ago in the Utica Zone so it was good to be back with her! I chopped 8 inches off her hair and it looks SO GOOD. It’s making me want to chop mine so bad! I miss my short hair!
Church on Sunday was absolutely amazing. So many of the youth in this ward bore their testimonies and it was so uplifting. I felt the Spirit SO STRONG. These youth are incredible!!! Yes, there are a lot of people in this world nowadays that aren’t making good choices but focus on the good people! There are many of them and it’s so amazing to see!! It’s all about what you focus on. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude that I chose to serve a mission. I am continuously amazed by the members of the Church everywhere I go!! My heart is so full!
Last night we went with our Bishop to the house of a referral from a member in Virginia. This lady has been going through a lot of awful things and needed a priesthood blessing. He brought his guitar and we sang her “I Need Thee Every Hour” to invite the Spirit and it was so beautiful. I love music!! It is so powerful! Don’t know where I would be without it.
I hope you all have a great week!! Love you all!!
-Sister Arkell-
261 Beattie Ave #2
Lockport, NY 14094
Lockport, NY 14094