So this week was amazing!!!!! It was the best week Sister
Mullins or Myself have ever had!!! So we thought that our week was going slow
and we had some unfortunate set backs and then Sat. Rolled around and it was
awesome. So here was our week.
Monday: Monday was p-day and we had an eventful start to our
week . We had a potential call us and say she needed to get moved out of her
house by that afternoon! So we called our ward and worked super quick to try
and get them involved. We ended up helping for a short amount of time before
choir and it was a disaster! The house was so dark and dirty and there was a
lot of inappropriate things in the house! Sister Mullins, Myself, and the ward
wanted to help her and let her know we cared but it was not what you would call
a “house of the spirit”. So Sister Mullins and I started singing a Child’s
prayer that we sing in mission choir, and it didn’t seem as dark anymore. We
got through the work and headed to sing. Choir was great as always! The rest of
the day was a lot of cleaning grocery shopping, and trying to see people with
no success. So our lessons that day were super low!
Tuesday: On Tuesday we decided to go and see a potential
named Awate. We went to her house and she wasn’t there… but her family was. We
met her brother Jonathan and her Sister Victoria. Jonathan moved from Africa 2
weeks ago and Victoria has been here for 6 years. We got to share an intro to
the Book of Mormon and Restoration with them. They were so sweet and we were
able to give them Book of Mormons and set up a time to come back. We invited
them to church but they unfortunately didn’t come. :/ But we did get to sing
with them and share with their sweet spirit. It was a great lesson. After our
lesson though we tried to get in our car to go to the next appointment and the
car was dead… again! We had to call the vehicle coordinator Elder Allen, and he
came rescued us. We got some jumper cables and an appointment for the next day.
We did however get to visit with three
RCLA’s which made up for losing tracting time.
Wednesday: On Wednesday we had to go to pepboys to get our
battery looked at. Turns out it was dead, and the car is still under warranty
so they sent us to the dealer ship. We had to jump start it that morning and so we knew there was a problem.
Luckily the dealership was able to see us without too much of a wait. Although
it ended up taking 4 hrs. by the end. We went tracting after we got our new
battery and only got two lessons and no potentials. So by this point we were
feeling kinda frustrated and thought we were not going to have lessons this
week. So Wednesday night was kind of stressful.
Thursday: On Thursday we had weekly planning and we decided
to try something new. We decided to put our focus members, inv., and all people
we knew we wanted to see directly into our week that day. I really hope that
helps improve lessons this week since we are going into the week with the people
in mind rather than thinking of them only the night before we visit them. We
saw our ward mission leader this day and talked about who we want to focus on
currently. We also talked about starting a scripture study class in the ward
which we are really excited to invite investigators too. That night we visited
a sweet family named the Johnsons. This family is a grandma and her granddaughter
that she has guardianship over. Alicia is the granddaughter and she is 9 and
has not been baptized. The Grandma wants her to be baptized but wants the
decision to be something she comes up with. So we were really allowed to push
it. We decided to cover the plan of salvation though and Alicia practically
taught the lesson and invited herself to baptism!!!! She is getting baptized Nov.
16th! And We are so excited.
Friday- On Fridays we visit with a ward member and go over
the gospel principle lessons. This week one of her sweet friends that lives
next door joined her. His name is Jim and he was so sweet. We discussed how God
is our Loving Heavenly Father. We sang Nearer my God to thee and he sang with
us!!! So sweet! We contacted quite a few referrals that night and then went to
our ward fish fry. This was put on by the high priests and it was delicious. It
was great though because we were able to have individual lessons with every
single non-member that was invited. We got to visit with one gentleman named
Bill. We didn’t know he wasn’t a member but it turns out he cleans the windows
of the house we are at and was invited to the party. Sister Mullins had me take
the lead and give him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read it and to come
to church. It was great because there was a ward member at the table that
joined in and helped with the lesson. Bill had some great questions that led
into a mini plan of salvation lesson. I am pretty sure we taught the plan of
salvation 9 times this week and I loved it! I get new insights each time! We
took Bill’s business card and we are planning to see how he is doing this week.
We also taught a Woman named lee and a man named Benny, both were so sweet and
we got to share a message and sing with both of them. Loved it!!!
Saturday- This is the day where everything started getting
really good! I know I know someone on
date and three lessons in one hour is a miracle, but this is the day that
Sister Mullins and I realized we could possibly get a perfect week. For once we
could reach every goal we had set for
the week even with some of those goals pushing ourselves! We ended up tracting,
visiting potentials, investigators, members you name it! We even got a ward
member to come with us for 2 hrs of proselyting and it was AMAZING!!!! The
spirit we felt and the Dynamic of having three was soooo cool! It was a long
cold day full of work and we practically fell into our beds for Sunday.
SUNDAY!!!!!!- So basically my fav. Day of the week. This day
is the BEST to see ward members/get them to come with us to appointments. We
had 10 lessons this day!!!!! Sister Mullins and I went to see a family right
after church and it was so sweet. It is a part member family and we found out
from the mom that the dad is warming up to the gospel and sees how it touches
his kids lives J
After that we weren’t hungry and it was technically lunch time but we really
wanted a perfect week so we stayed out and went and saw more part member
families, referrals, and members. We went tracting in the evening and it was
great!!! We tracted the Hermanas apartments because they can’t and can I say
GOLD MINE!!! In one hr we didn’t even finish one building of apartments! So
great we got to sing, share scriptures, give out book of mormons, and we met
Consuelo. Consuelo is a beautiful Hispanic mother in her 30’s that speaks Spanish.
I know Spanish and I have been using lately but only to ask if someone is
interested in knowing more about God and a plan he has for them. (A little
rusty) but I really felt we needed to stay and speak with this woman… so we
did. The spirit that was felt was amazing!!! I worked really hard and struggled
and said some things wrong but I was able to give a lesson on the Gospel of
Jesus Christ in Spanish and she understood! She wanted to know more, she wanted
a book of mormon, and she wanted to come to church!!! I bore my testimony in Spanish
about the Book of Mormon and how the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families.
Without even knowing what I said Sister Mullins testified of the exact same
things in English and then Consuelo told us a sweet story of how she was not
supposed to get pregnant. She tried for years and nothing. And then she got
pregnant with her sweet son. After that she wanted more kids but the doctors
told her again that she can’t get pregnant and they don’t know how she did in
the first place. She told us that her son is her miracle and she know that that
is because of God and because of that she wants to come closer to him!!! So
Golden! So sad we had to give her to the Hermanas but I know that they will be
able to touch her life and give her exactly what she is looking for… in her
language. We walked out of that appointment literally on cloud nine and then we
looked at each other and realized something! We had made so many of our goals
without even trying! God blessed us so much this week! Even with 9 hrs of being
stranded/getting our car fixed we were able to get 31 lessons!!!! I have never
been so elated in my life. We were able to teach people and not lessons in each
and everyone and that was because God put people in our path that were ready
and waiting! We only fell short on one referral, one church tour, and a
baptism!!! WE CAN DO ANYTHING THROUGH GOD!!!!
It finally hit me this week that this is 100% his work. Because it is his work we can’t wait for it
to be done. The message in conference this session seemed to be the same over
and over:” The lord is hastening his work” or “The time is far spent”. Not to
be dramatic but we are running out of time. I often think that after this life
we will have those that we are able to be an example to and teach thank us and
hug us, but those we feel like we can’t talk to or approach they come up to us
and simply say “why?”. “Why didn’t you just share your light with me? Why didn’t
you just try? Why didn’t you think of my family and my salvation” Every single
person we teach is a beloved spirit son and daughter of God! He loves each and
everyone so much that he created this plan for us to return to him. Don’t you
think that if he spent so long to create a perfect plan we can include others
in it? Even if it seems daunting. Elder Uctdorf said in conference: “Come and
join with us, there is room for you here” I want every single person I learn to
see, love, teach, and grow from on my mission to know I did my best to get them
to come and join us. I have a deep love for my savior and I am learning to
understand and love his plan for us so much better. Death is not something to
fear but something to find joy in. We are given this plan so we can become as
our Father is “Perfect”. But much like a diamond our perfection will take time,
trials, heat, pressure but in the end we can become perfect. I am so thankful
for this promise and I am even more profoundly grateful for this gospel. It
truly does bless families, and I know that families CAN be together because of
this great plan. I know that my Savior lives. I know because I have seen him in
my life. He has blessed me with a loving and wonderful family. He has blessed
me by creating the earth I get to look at each and every day. He has blessed me
by his example to help me know “to what source they may look for a remission of
their sins” He has made it possible for me to go home. To return to my father.
I know that he loves me and that this mission is his and not mine. I know that
as I turn to him I will be blessed with opportunities to serve those around me
and to be a tool or instrument in the hands of my savior (Alma 29:9) I know
with as much faith as I can muster that God lives, he IS the reason I live that
my family lives, and that my faith lives. I say these things in the name of my
dear savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all and I have a missionary challenge for you:
This
next week please take a moment to make a list of a few names of people
that are less active, non members, or someone you know that is going
through a difficult time. Please take the time and pray for them BY
NAME! you will see your heart is softened and opened and you will KNOW
how to help them ! God will let you know how to succor the weak! and to
Mourn with those that mourn. Mosiah 18:9 (By serving those around us we
are keeping our baptismal convenants) We are all member missionaries and
we all have a commision to do our best to bring other to zion by our
examples, talents, prayers, voices etc. Find the way you are comfortable
helping and get involved!!! Let me know how it goes!
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