Letter to Elder Bingham

Drew Bingham has been your friend since the 5th grade.  Your friendship has ebbed and flowed- and stayed pretty solid, even when you didn't spend a lot of time together.  Drew always knew he could count on you to get him, to help him, to just be there-- to not need anything.  (which is a very cool and atypical thing in a high school friend, esp that's a girl) He was called to the Dallas Texas mission, Spanish Speaking.  He left in June 2019- you both had your mission calls, he was leaving a lot earlier than you were.  So you took missionary prep classes together and went to the temple to take out your endowment the same week.   Because the Stake President was out of town on the Sunday before Drew reported to the MTC,  Dad was the one who got to set him apart.  That was special because Dad and Drew have a special bond from when Dad was his Bishop.  I think Drew looks up to him a lot.  Anyway-- from the beginning Drew had a hard time-- he was homesick and had companion issues and just struggled.  This was hard to read in letters and you were a great support, but you didn't really know because you weren't out yet.  This is one of his emails from the field.  And this is when you started worrying-- because other missionaries that went out the same time Drew did started coming home for various reasons.

Sent: Monday, October 14, 2019

Subject: Keep on keeping on

Hola mis amigos y mi familia,

   I hope yall have had the most amazing week ever yall are so amazing. I wish I could put into words how much all of yall have impacted my life! I know that this journey would not be possible with out the prayers yall send my way. So I thank yall for that.

   It has been a hard week, I called my mission president this week and told him that I was ready to go home that I couldn't do this anymore. But he had some good advice for me. We have to do some things that help us to remember who we are we are each our own person for a reason and there are characteristics that describe us. So I have started to work out a lot more and it has helped me a little bit. And I don't mean to say this to make yall feel bad for me I think it is a good thing that all of us could learn from. We have a purpose, God has a plan for us. For me Gods plan is for me to be here in TINY Quitman Texas, o know God has a plan for each and everyone of you! We have to search that out. And we are going to struggle to find that but I know sometime we will. It's hard for me to say that because I feel like I can't really see my purpose yet but I know that i will find it. 

   It is cool even in these HARD times we see so many miracles. We were knocking some doors and the first 2 we knocked were people who got mad at us one even threatened to call the cops on us because we were trespassing. But the 5th house was a Spanish man that invited us in and he had never prayed before so we had a good lesson and we even got him to say his first prayer it was awesome. But we have felt the spirit every day.

   I love yall so much and I look up to yall in so many ways. I hope yall know that yall are all children of God and he loves you so much.  Love, Your favorite Elder Bingham!!!

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It was after this email that I'd talked with Drew's mom, Melody and we had a good cry together....what a helpless feeling sometimes to not be able to fix everything-- and to need to rely on prayer to call down the blessings of heaven to sustain and support both the missionary and the family.  In our video chat we talked about Drew and I could feel your great love and concern for him.  So you wrote him a letter-- and in true Sadie form, it was probably everything that Drew would need-mixed with some lightness and sweetness- and some things that just you could tell him- and in my eyes, an offering from a true friend with so much charity for his struggle and so much faith in his capabilities- and a heartfelt urging to help him push and see a mission through.

Then this group email came...which was much improved and sounded like he was in better spirits.  I kind of marvel at the way the Lord works- how he blesses us with strength, how he surrounds us with family and friends who cheer and lift us, how HE remembers the one.... It's so neat to feel known by the Lord.  

Sent: Monday, October 28, 2019
Subject: Love Y'All
Hey yall hie the week has been the best ever!! We are still hanging in there out here in Quitman Texas. I feel the prayers daily thank yall so much. 

I had an experience with being bold this week. We went to a lesson with a man and he was drinking and we read Helaman 5:33 I believe about repentance and he said he wanted to come closer to God and I told look you can start now by dumping the rest of that out and he said no at first and I told him I know he will be blessed and he dumped it out right there so that was actually super cool. 

I am still struggling but I know that yalls prayers are helping. I reach 4 months this week and it is pretty exciting to see these mile Mark's. Here are a few pictures from the week. 

Also i love getting emails please if you get a second please feel free to write a little email I love them and they help so much. 

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On a side note, all of this has made me ever grateful for your strength and how valiant you are.  I know the Lord will continue to bless you as a missionary and as a person to be a LIGHT to the world.  I love you Sadie bug!!! Drew is blessed to have a friend (and an example) like you.