Pride has reared It's Ugly Head

 I am having trouble writing this week because quite frankly I just e-mailed you the most exciting news I've gotten already. Washington Spokane Mission.  As soon as I get a new address I'll pass it along, but find comfort in knowing that if you send a letter here to Nauvoo it will get forwarded. I don't know if you guys remember me talking --- er --- writing about the Howards. They are "the most giving people I've ever met in my entire life". That's usually how I describe them anyway. They are from SPOKANE! They were crying when they found out where I was going. They offered to take a box to Spokane for me because they'll be leaving about the same time we are. They said that they know exactly where the mission office is and would be able to drop it off. I told them that that would be great, the only problem is that in 6 months I'll have to be able to make it back to Nauvoo with the same amount of stuff.
       Sister Lukens and I have been studying humility. It has been really neat. I want to share what it says about humility in "True to the Faith". Just the first paragraph. "True to the Faith" is a study resource that I have that has been put out by the Prophet of God and the Apostles that defines and describes words and concepts so that we can better understand them. The first paragraph concerning humility says, "To be humble is to recognize gratefully your dependence on the Lord --- to understand that you have a constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgement that your talents and abilities are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity or fear; it is an indication that you know where your true strength lies. You can be both humble and fearless. You can be both humble and courageous". I love it. The opposite of humility is pride. We read through the scriptures to help us better be able to identify pride in ourselves. We only got through three so far, but this is what we came up with. 1) If you do not flee from temptation and willingly put yourself in spiritually threatening situations, pride has reared it's ugly face 2)If you blame God for your shortcomings or for your hardship, pride has reared it's ugly face and  3) If you are offended by something or someone, check yourself for the following situations, a) if you are offended at something that is not true you are being over sensitive. Who cares if it's not true? or b) if you are offended by something that is true, something needs to change. Pride, has reared it's ugly head.
       So, the study continues. We still have some scripture references to go through, but that is what we've got so far. We can all be more humble. The struggle with pride will never be over. And just has you think it is, it's bit you on the ankle. For what humble man would sit and say to himself "I have conquered pride" with out an inkling of pride in his heart?
       In my most recent president's interview President asked me what my greatest fear for my new assignment was. I was completely candid and told him, "that I wont want to come back to Nauvoo". I love Nauvoo. I know with all my heart that this is where I need to be right now and that I was called here by God himself, but I have never felt comfortable here. I feel so much more prepared for the kind of work I will be doing in Washington. I know I am going to fall in love with the people. I generally fall pretty hard for people. I am going to get attached and just as I have to rip my heart away from Nauvoo, leaving little pieces of it behind, I will have to rip it away from Washington as well. It is going to hurt. President Ludwig responded, just as any God-inspired man would,  "Sister Bailey," he said in his love drenched tender tone of voice, "I know that you are scared that you wont want to come back, but I certainly hope that it happens that way. I know that Nauvoo has been hard, and maybe the outbound won't be as challenging for you as it is for others, but thank goodness the Lord let you do something that is just a little bit hard. I hope you hate leaving Washington. I hope you fall in love with the people. But we will be glad to have you back".
       I would rather be drug onto the plane kicking and screaming than plowing people over trying to be first. I know it will be the former. If I manage to leave Washington with out getting my heart ripped out, then my heart won't be right with the Lord. Here's to growing pains.
       I love each of you with every piece of me. Thank you for your support. I am being 100% serious when I say I can feel it.

Sister Bailey

D&C 128


Oh yeah! here's where everyone is going:
Sister Aston: Texas, Dallas
Sister Quick: Colorado Denver North
Sister Lukens: Colorado Colorado Springs
Sister ME: Washington Spokane
Sister Patterson: Tennessee, Nashville
Sister Barry: Washington, Keenewick (sp?)
Sister Reece: Texas, Fort Worth
Sister Picard: New Jersey, Morristown
Sister Goodrich: Georgia, Atlanta
Sister Parker: New Jersey, Cherryhill
Sister Westwood: Montana, Billings
Sister Johnson: Nevada, Las Vegas
Sister Morgan: Colorado, Denver South
Sister Thomas, Sister Alexander, Sister Meyer: All the the Iowa, Peoria Mission for 6 weeks and then they go home