Spiritual Running

Something really crazy happened to me the other day, but first, a quick back story.

In December I lost my beloved Grandpa Dallas Mangum. He was a really good man and he loved to play the guitar. At his funeral I didn't cry. I knew he was someplace better than here. However, just after Christmas I was driving around St. George. A song came on by Fleetwood Mac; the song is called, "Go Your Own Way." For some inexplicable reason it reminded me of my grandpa and caused me to cry. (It's also a very catchy song)

                                 

                                    

Now fast forward to last week. I added this song to my list of classic rock songs that I enjoy working out to and the strangest thing happened. I was running on the treadmill and this song came on and I began to run faster. My mind brought up visuals of my grandfather before my eyes and suddenly I was on the verge of crying. And then it happened, I was no longer running for myself or to be fit. I was running for him, one of the greatest men I know, my grandpa. In fact, I ran faster than I have for awhile and I didn't stop. I put that song on again right after it ended and I kept running for him.

At last we come up to the crazy thing that happened. I was sitting in my Contemporary Native American Issues class. Somehow we had gotten on to the topic of Hopi runners. Not only does this tribe run for competition, but for religious/ceremonial reasons. They run for their people. My teacher, Dusty Jansen recounted a story of when he ran an ultra marathon. He recalled that on his way back to the finish line he was making deals with God to finish this race. As he turned the corner, his little girls called out to him, "Go daddy!" He proceeded to cry and they came and ran with him to the finish. When he reached his wife, he was sobbing. It had become a spiritual experience for him.

And that's what happened to me. Running became so much more than just working out or trying to lose weight. It transcended all temporal and became spiritual. It became a memorial, a dedication to my grandpa and maybe even to all my family past, present, and future.

I really hope that when I run from now on that I'm not just running for something like losing weight, but for myself, my family, and my God.

I dedicate this entry to my grandma: Judy Mangum

A Look Into Today

I've been away from the blog for some time now and felt it was time to come back.

Right now, I'm in my second semester into the Social Work program at UVU. So many things race through my head all day and all night. The central theme of these thought that I carry home from school are: Who am I? What am I? What do I want to become? Who do I want to become?

It might be helpful seeing as one of my assignments this year in my diversity class is finding out who I am and my biases and then working on removing them. It might be tough to find biases in myself. What I mean is, I know I have them, but it might be tough to face them. Time will tell.

I've decided to come back to blogging to express myself and share my artwork, school work, and community work with friends, family, and anyone who needs to see it.

A view from my apartment

Recently, the snowy weather has reminded me how much I like to write poems and use words to express my thoughts. Here is a little haiku I wrote just now:

Waking Up - A Haiku

How still the air is

As I wake from dreamy sleep

Sun beams through windows

I'm hopeful that I can continue to be creative while being so busy with classes and homework and I hope that, maybe, it will inspire someone else as other's creative work has inspired me.

Matisyahu and Understanding the Gospel

As a recently returned missionary, I've had many thoughts, especially concerning the Gospel. One such thought hit me quite profoundly as I walked home listening to my iPod. I was listening to King Without a Crown by Matisyahu (one of my very favorites by the way). This is song is quite packed with lyrics that go very fast and the once blur of words was absolutely clear to me. I thought, most songs that I listen to for the very first time, although I like them, I don't understand every lyric that is being sung. I usually jump in somewhere in the chorus where they repeat stuff. (Admit it, you've all done this.)

I thought back to the first time I had heard the song in January. I could hardly understand it and I'm pretty sure I tried to sing some of the lyrics...with different words. But the more and more I listened to it, and the more I read the lyrics the clearer the fast jumble of words became! Everything was being clear, but it took a bit of time and effort. I still sometimes, to this day, mess up on the lyrics.

How is this like the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, it's like this. At first, we learn about the Gospel, and we like it, but we don't actually comprehend all that is being said or taught. Then as time goes by and we take efforts into learning about it, our understanding is expanded. This is the way God works, He doesn't give us everything all at once and expect us to understand it on the first go. It states in Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 - "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (Emphasis added)

When we really get down to it, the Gospel is so alive that we are continually learning to understand it clearer every day of our lives. When we allow God to touch our understanding, He will reveal His doctrine and will so that we can understand it, but only "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30) until the whole picture becomes clear to us.

The Gospel is a beautiful thing that we can discover if we do our part and "learn the lyrics".

Here is the famous song itself, "King Without a Crown" by Matisyahu

And KAPOW - 12/1/14

Well....IT'S FINISHED. I am done, I am on my way home but not before I tell you the CRAZY AWESOME miracle that happened my last week!!!

We went to go to an appointment from someone we found the week previous and as we got there she had brought her friend with. Then she said, I think this Book of Mormon comes from you, and I thought, nah, I didn't give that to you.

She handed me the book and on the inside cover there was a note to another person (her other friend) and signed at the bottom was Sister Schmidt and Sister Rimmasch.

NO. WAY. 

Can you believe this?! This is crazy. A Book of Mormon that was given out in about Feb. or March. to another person, found its way into the hands of someone else, of whom we then doored into only because an investigator from Berlin moved to Leipzig and lived in that building and that investigator was in Berlin was found by one of my previous companions. Can you just read that one more time?

Yes, my friends, the Lord works in very mysterious ways and I like these mysterious ways because they always turn out really cool!

Oh, and for a grand total of BoM's given away from my mission, 102, and we are giving one out tonight. THE LORD'S WORK MOVES ON. I love this! 

And then this weekend was a party because it was the first advent and my last Sunday and so people just gave me stuff and fed me. It was fabulous. Lovely people, this is my last email and I just wanted to say:

Christ lives. Remember why it is that we celebrate Christmas. It wasn't just because he was born, it is what he did for us and what price was paid that we might enjoy the freedom of choice and peace in our lives and a hope for a better world, even a hope for ever lasting life. This I leave you in His name,

Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love

Sister Rimmasch

Soon to be Steph. Amen

AND ALMOST THERE - 11/24/14

Well...my companion and I have discovered that we LOVE doing doors!! It is so great!! We see miracles every TIME. For example, I felt like I needed to take a Chinese Book of Mormon with me. (Hello we are in Germany) and we did some doors. Then we were almost done and the VERY LAST door we did was a Chinese man who happily accepted the copy of the Book of Mormon. Like, whoa. What, are you serious? (Yes, I just quoted the district 2 thank you, missionary jokes are getting way too old. HA)

Or another one, we did doors and the girl already had a Book of Mormon in her native language and set up a return appointment with us on the spot. Talk about miracles of actually doing work. Seriously, you do work, you see miracles. That is just how it is.

We also had a lovely appointment with our self referral. Man, this man is definitely searching for the truth and it is absolutely awesome! I love it when people have such great questions and really are searching after the truth. So nice.

Also, I discovered...that I like to attack my companion in empty elevators and tickle the crap out of her...it just happens that she falls on the floor dead. I think I will do it next time when someone is actually in the elevator. Bwahahahhahahahahaha. And we totally bought comp toothbrushes...THE HOBBIT!!!!

Yes!!!

Well friends only one email after this and then I am slowly on my way home. I will take my dear sweet time. Please enjoy the hilarity of these pictures

The Countdown - 11/17/14

This week...oh man.

We did exchanges this week. I was in Chemnitz with a German companion! Cool!! We had a great time and found 2 different people! SWEET! I like finding people!

This week we did something special. It's called Pioneer Day. On this day, we plan no appointments and are not allowed to use Trams and Buses or S-Bahns. Too bad on this day, my foot had been acting up.,..so I basically limped the whole day around Leipzig. 8 hours of finding! We walked to Lindenaur Markt and back and then over to Straße des 18. Oktober. Cool! We found a new investigator and three different new contacts! How cool is that!!! Yes. Unfortunately for me at the end of it all, my foot was left with a giant bruise and I am still wondering what the world happened to me...na ja

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAREST MOTHER!!! :)

However, this week we tried out the SURVEY. Oh my best things to ever hit finding!! It is really nice! It really helps people to find interest and works like a charm. I think I would be a really good sales woman when I get home. Sweet.

Had some weird experiences. This guy... that I met in March...decided to call and wanted to meet...upon meeting him, we found out that he just wanted to hang out...so I basically had to tell him nice offer, but we got some work to do. Yes, even on Sunday! TSCHÜÜÜÜÜÜßßßßßßß

Yeah, so that is that. I guess I should probably start cleaning out my apartment slash packing things....that is super weird. I am not sure what to do with that. Does anyone have any tips on that?? ACK!!!

My ward is doing really good though! They invited my investigator to go bowling with them....without the missionaries!! That is good work right there! People being friendly without me having to ask them. That is a real good thing! Invite the investigators of the missionaries to be your friends and do stuff with you! It will make the missionaries faint and then it will be funny!

LOVE YOU ALL

Got about...14 days left. 

Anndd...we out!

Love

Sister Rimmasch

Soon to be reinstated as Steph

Yeahh - 11/10/14

Okay, people. 3 weeks.

This week was cool. We had Zone Training Meeting and!!! the Elders and Missionary Couple in Magedburg are going to check out some cemetaries for me and see if they can find my ancestor buried there!! How cool is that then?! Family history in the country of my family. So neat!

Also, even though I am in Germany and there are some many wonderful foods to eat, my district LOVES Subway. Plus, it was Sub Day, were each Sub was one euro. Needless to say, that is all I ate that day because we bought a ton of Subs as a district! Hahaha.

We have invited so many people to baptism this week! One it even going to pray about a baptismal date! We are so excited to be assistants in the Lord's work, because it is His work!!! We even so little miracles everyday!! The Lord really does take care of His children, sometimes we just have to pay attention.

Even at the end of my mission, I get to learn all the time. This week, one of my investigators asked if I would pray in English. Let me tell you, I have not prayed in English since who knows when. But seriously. I was a little nervous, but went for it anyway. As I prayed in my native language, I felt such a Spirit that is was almost emotionally overwhelming. It's tiny experiences like these that make a mission up. And Moments are just the little molecules holding life together. 

I was privileged to watch a baptism yesterday. Does anyone realize HOW cool this is? It is literally the first step in making it back to our Heavenly Father. He really wants us to return, so he set up a way for us, namely, baptism. So cool!!

Being on a mission is interesting. You meet so many people from so many different places with so many different ideas and stories. It is really cool and changes your whole perspective on everything. 

Also this week, I was at an eating appointment and do you know what happened? I tried to cut something in half, slipped and got sauce all over myself, my companions face, and the members' nice white shirt. Yup. Bummer. Good thing, nobody seemed to upset. I just laughed for the most part. Bwahahaha. Yes, I did this on purpose! (no I didn't...awkward. HAHAHA)

LOVE YOU ALL SEE YOU SOON

Tschüß!

Love

Sister Rimmasch