This week was soooooo much better than last week. We worked so hard and we felt the love of God in so many ways. For starters we had exchanges this week and I learned a lot. I had the opportunity to go to the University of Washington for 24 hrs.... okay here is what I learned:
1. My feet hate walking all day ha ha I feel very blessed to have a car.
2. Teaching YSA age is SO different then teaching in a family ward
3. Street contacting ON YOUR OWN is SO hard. I am so dependent on my companion at this point in my mission that it really threw me for a loop to talk to people about the gospel on my own.
4. Walking more = more people to talk to.
5. Diligence is so important.... without it no work gets done.
Sister Madsen and I both had a great time on exchanges and it really put a fire under our skirts. We decided to ditch the car more and talk to those around us. We made a goal to talk to everyone this week and we did so much better on this goal! By the middle of the week we had already exceeding the lessons of our previous week and we KNOW that is because we really made an effort to talk to more people.
Saturday was an amazing day for us! We have been working to meet all of the Elders Investigators that have been passed off to us and we had a set appointment on Sat with an inv. named Tyler. About an hr. before the appointment he got called into work so we decided to go finding instead. We decided on a street to tract and started knocking.... and you know the saying "one rotten apple makes the whole barrel sour?" EVERY single person on this street was not just not interested... but mean. We had a lot of door slams, the usual "There is NO soliciting here" and the like... There was one woman that was sitting outside of her house though with her sweet Border Collie. Her dog started to get up to come say hi to us and she started telling the dog: "No... Stay.... No.... Go.... No... GOODBYE" It was then that we realized that she was actually shewing us away and telling us to leave. She hadn't looked up and was staring at her dog so we assumed she was talking to her dog since human beings tend to acknowledge one another.... I spoke up and let her know we were in the area simply singing for people to cheer them up and help them feel God's love and she exploded! She yelled at us and said "No! I don't want to hear any message and if you don't get off my property in three seconds I am going to set the dog on you! Now Go! 3...2...."
We could not believe that she threatened to set her dog on us, and that she counted to us like we were children! The spirit is so good to us though because we were able to move on and finish knocking her street with a smile on our faces.
The day before we heard a talk from Elder Holland in zone meeting. He had given this talk some time previous to mission presidents and I took a few notes. This talk was in my mind as we walked away from this lady and it REALLY helped me. here are some of the notes:
"Missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience... Why would it be easy for us if it wasn't easy for him?... Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to feel the pain he has felt and shed a tear he has shed...Discipleship calls for something from our soul... we are not the first to ask why it isn't easier... Christ asked if there was an easier way... out of symbolism there may not be an easier way for us either... When we are rejected we are standing side by side of the greatest missionary that ever lived... Remember Him!"
We didn't let this lady get us down though and we went about our day. We had a wonderful lesson with a woman from our ward that is blind and confined to a chair at home. Her Husband is not a member of the church, but he loves having us come and visit her. We were able to sing for her and cheer her up, and it actually cheered us up as well. :)
Later on we went finding in another neighborhood and we only caught one woman home and she was absolutely delightful! She was so sweet and she wanted to know why we went on missions. She loved that we were sisters! We sang for her and she told us we can come back anytime! The miracles didn't stop there. We have been teaching New member lessons to a 12 yr old in our ward and her non-member mother and grandma have been sitting in on the lessons. Her grandmother is Hispanic and does not speak much English. The mother has been translating for her but we promised that we would get her some Spanish pamphlets. At zone meeting we were given 2 of each Spanish pam. just in case. When we went out finding I felt really strongly that I should bring a spanish pamphlet out with us... so I did. We decided to ditch our car and go contact a potential. On our way to see him a man ran us down and asked what we were doing. His name was Roberto and he speaks... SPANISH! He told us that all his life he has wanted to know why there were so many churches when there is only one God.... ! Ah Roberto is awesome~ He also told us that is is ALWAYS happy and yet he feels like there is something missing in his life! We were able to bear testimony to him that his hole can be filled through the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ! He accepted the Spanish pamphlet and gave us his number so he can be taught by Spanish missionaries.It was a very spiritual lesson. After that 3 women came up to us! They kept asking where we are from and we got to introduce ourselves and sing for them! People literally ran to us! So much better than kicking us off while sicking a dog on us! God is good.
And then Sunday.... BEST SUNSET EVER! no words can describe it so I will just sent pictures :)
I love you all and I know that God lives! I know that His son Jesus Christ set up the perfect church on the earth and I KNOW that it is here again and I KNOW with all my heart that any pain, sorrow, temptation, anger etc. can be swallowed up in the Joy of Christ to the point that we are overcome with joy. I can promise this and leave this testimony with all of you in the name of our dear savior Jesus Christ, Amen. 1. My feet hate walking all day ha ha I feel very blessed to have a car.
2. Teaching YSA age is SO different then teaching in a family ward
3. Street contacting ON YOUR OWN is SO hard. I am so dependent on my companion at this point in my mission that it really threw me for a loop to talk to people about the gospel on my own.
4. Walking more = more people to talk to.
5. Diligence is so important.... without it no work gets done.
Sister Madsen and I both had a great time on exchanges and it really put a fire under our skirts. We decided to ditch the car more and talk to those around us. We made a goal to talk to everyone this week and we did so much better on this goal! By the middle of the week we had already exceeding the lessons of our previous week and we KNOW that is because we really made an effort to talk to more people.
Saturday was an amazing day for us! We have been working to meet all of the Elders Investigators that have been passed off to us and we had a set appointment on Sat with an inv. named Tyler. About an hr. before the appointment he got called into work so we decided to go finding instead. We decided on a street to tract and started knocking.... and you know the saying "one rotten apple makes the whole barrel sour?" EVERY single person on this street was not just not interested... but mean. We had a lot of door slams, the usual "There is NO soliciting here" and the like... There was one woman that was sitting outside of her house though with her sweet Border Collie. Her dog started to get up to come say hi to us and she started telling the dog: "No... Stay.... No.... Go.... No... GOODBYE" It was then that we realized that she was actually shewing us away and telling us to leave. She hadn't looked up and was staring at her dog so we assumed she was talking to her dog since human beings tend to acknowledge one another.... I spoke up and let her know we were in the area simply singing for people to cheer them up and help them feel God's love and she exploded! She yelled at us and said "No! I don't want to hear any message and if you don't get off my property in three seconds I am going to set the dog on you! Now Go! 3...2...."
We could not believe that she threatened to set her dog on us, and that she counted to us like we were children! The spirit is so good to us though because we were able to move on and finish knocking her street with a smile on our faces.
The day before we heard a talk from Elder Holland in zone meeting. He had given this talk some time previous to mission presidents and I took a few notes. This talk was in my mind as we walked away from this lady and it REALLY helped me. here are some of the notes:
"Missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience... Why would it be easy for us if it wasn't easy for him?... Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to feel the pain he has felt and shed a tear he has shed...Discipleship calls for something from our soul... we are not the first to ask why it isn't easier... Christ asked if there was an easier way... out of symbolism there may not be an easier way for us either... When we are rejected we are standing side by side of the greatest missionary that ever lived... Remember Him!"
We didn't let this lady get us down though and we went about our day. We had a wonderful lesson with a woman from our ward that is blind and confined to a chair at home. Her Husband is not a member of the church, but he loves having us come and visit her. We were able to sing for her and cheer her up, and it actually cheered us up as well. :)
Later on we went finding in another neighborhood and we only caught one woman home and she was absolutely delightful! She was so sweet and she wanted to know why we went on missions. She loved that we were sisters! We sang for her and she told us we can come back anytime! The miracles didn't stop there. We have been teaching New member lessons to a 12 yr old in our ward and her non-member mother and grandma have been sitting in on the lessons. Her grandmother is Hispanic and does not speak much English. The mother has been translating for her but we promised that we would get her some Spanish pamphlets. At zone meeting we were given 2 of each Spanish pam. just in case. When we went out finding I felt really strongly that I should bring a spanish pamphlet out with us... so I did. We decided to ditch our car and go contact a potential. On our way to see him a man ran us down and asked what we were doing. His name was Roberto and he speaks... SPANISH! He told us that all his life he has wanted to know why there were so many churches when there is only one God.... ! Ah Roberto is awesome~ He also told us that is is ALWAYS happy and yet he feels like there is something missing in his life! We were able to bear testimony to him that his hole can be filled through the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ! He accepted the Spanish pamphlet and gave us his number so he can be taught by Spanish missionaries.It was a very spiritual lesson. After that 3 women came up to us! They kept asking where we are from and we got to introduce ourselves and sing for them! People literally ran to us! So much better than kicking us off while sicking a dog on us! God is good.
And then Sunday.... BEST SUNSET EVER! no words can describe it so I will just sent pictures :)
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