Dear people,
I have had a very interesting week this week and i hope that i have the patience with myself to write it all down so the my readers can understand and enjoy what i am trying to say. First Monday, nothing exciting happened. Tuesday worked hard still nothing to report. Wednesday, We went a saw a less active and finally felt like we were making some progress with him, his son is 10 and hasn't been baptized yet because his dad won't come back to church. We think we are very very close to getting him to come back. Okay i am not going ot go by days, anyways we taught him and his son some things and had a great time with them that evening. We had to cut it short because their son had a baseball game that they invited us to and we went. I think that helped a lot for getting him to come back to church, we were still dressed like missionaries and I have never felt so out of place in my life!! I am used to getting funny looks sometimes in wal-mart or somethings but this was way worse. People were staring at us so hard core and some people we heard asking if we were spies or F.B.I. or something lets just say it was probably the most awkward moment of my mission so far i think. After that we got a call from a man who needed some financial help with his home, he had 2 days before he was going to be evicted. We told him we won't know what we can do but we would be happy to come over and visit with you. We then drove to his home and just talked with him. We asked him and his fiance about their religious background. That question started the most picture perfect lesson i have had in my like as a missionary. It was almost like it was setup like at the MTC when the "fake" investigators you teach know what questions to ask and help you through the lesson just so you know real people aren't like that. Except this couple. His fiance asked us about why we are different then others, our doctrine differences, what the Book of Mormon was, she asked if she could have one, she told us she wanted to read it, she asked about baptism, she asked about the sacrament, she asked when church was and if she could go next Sunday, she wanted to know who Joseph Smith was. She was essentially asking us if she could do everything that we try to get other people to do!! We try to get people to read and pray and come to church and she asked us is we would let her do those things!!!! Her husband was Mormon as a child and i think he really sparked her interest and he was just as excited about it but listened to the answers we gave. I don't think I will every have another perfect experience like that again but i wouldn't complain haha.
We don't know if they will get their finances worked out or not but we hope that they do so that we can continue guiding them to the restored gospel. really I am just supposed to help people gain a testimony of the gospel but compel them or drag them into a testimony. This was the first "perfect lesson" I have taught. We used scripture to help her understand, we prayed at the end, and all we did was have a gospel discussion about what we believe. She was shocked to find out that we were very similar to other religions, the only major differences are the Book of Mormon and our restored authority. I didn't even want to go talk to these people assuming they were just going to use us for our welfare program and get the money they need and leave but I am glad my companion decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that these were good people. She knew her scriptures better then me. She knew the bible and when we showed her how the Bible and the Book or Mormon work together in order to prove gospel truths. She loved that! Also our other Golden Investigator lives literally right behind this couple! we stopped be to see her and she was so sorry she missed church but said she was going to be there no matter what next week and is still reading the Book of Mormon. We are seeing some real success here in Petal and the best part is that I shouldn't be leaving here until August or September :)
Other than those two things this week was very much the same as all the others, but that one experience I have yesterday with that couple makes my whole mission worth it :) I mean the blessings that i can bring to help that family, the joy they will be able to share because i was willing to go out and bring the gospel to them. It makes everything i do worth it. Well today is my p-day as are all the days when i write these updates so I want to go do something fun while i have a chance!
Remember this D&C 62:3 "Nevertheless, ye are ablessed, for the btestimony which ye have borne is crecorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you."
When you are talking to a friend or a stranger they might become that golden investigator and love what the church has to offer but they don't know it. The couple above was forced to become humble and call us but through it found the gospel. If we initiate conversation of religion and bear testimony of what we believe that the angels in heaven rejoice! You are blessed and so is the hearer. Testimony is so much more standing up one Sunday a month and sharing it with people who don't really NEED to hear, it the ones who need to hear it aren't sitting in the congregation.
I have had a very interesting week this week and i hope that i have the patience with myself to write it all down so the my readers can understand and enjoy what i am trying to say. First Monday, nothing exciting happened. Tuesday worked hard still nothing to report. Wednesday, We went a saw a less active and finally felt like we were making some progress with him, his son is 10 and hasn't been baptized yet because his dad won't come back to church. We think we are very very close to getting him to come back. Okay i am not going ot go by days, anyways we taught him and his son some things and had a great time with them that evening. We had to cut it short because their son had a baseball game that they invited us to and we went. I think that helped a lot for getting him to come back to church, we were still dressed like missionaries and I have never felt so out of place in my life!! I am used to getting funny looks sometimes in wal-mart or somethings but this was way worse. People were staring at us so hard core and some people we heard asking if we were spies or F.B.I. or something lets just say it was probably the most awkward moment of my mission so far i think. After that we got a call from a man who needed some financial help with his home, he had 2 days before he was going to be evicted. We told him we won't know what we can do but we would be happy to come over and visit with you. We then drove to his home and just talked with him. We asked him and his fiance about their religious background. That question started the most picture perfect lesson i have had in my like as a missionary. It was almost like it was setup like at the MTC when the "fake" investigators you teach know what questions to ask and help you through the lesson just so you know real people aren't like that. Except this couple. His fiance asked us about why we are different then others, our doctrine differences, what the Book of Mormon was, she asked if she could have one, she told us she wanted to read it, she asked about baptism, she asked about the sacrament, she asked when church was and if she could go next Sunday, she wanted to know who Joseph Smith was. She was essentially asking us if she could do everything that we try to get other people to do!! We try to get people to read and pray and come to church and she asked us is we would let her do those things!!!! Her husband was Mormon as a child and i think he really sparked her interest and he was just as excited about it but listened to the answers we gave. I don't think I will every have another perfect experience like that again but i wouldn't complain haha.
We don't know if they will get their finances worked out or not but we hope that they do so that we can continue guiding them to the restored gospel. really I am just supposed to help people gain a testimony of the gospel but compel them or drag them into a testimony. This was the first "perfect lesson" I have taught. We used scripture to help her understand, we prayed at the end, and all we did was have a gospel discussion about what we believe. She was shocked to find out that we were very similar to other religions, the only major differences are the Book of Mormon and our restored authority. I didn't even want to go talk to these people assuming they were just going to use us for our welfare program and get the money they need and leave but I am glad my companion decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that these were good people. She knew her scriptures better then me. She knew the bible and when we showed her how the Bible and the Book or Mormon work together in order to prove gospel truths. She loved that! Also our other Golden Investigator lives literally right behind this couple! we stopped be to see her and she was so sorry she missed church but said she was going to be there no matter what next week and is still reading the Book of Mormon. We are seeing some real success here in Petal and the best part is that I shouldn't be leaving here until August or September :)
Other than those two things this week was very much the same as all the others, but that one experience I have yesterday with that couple makes my whole mission worth it :) I mean the blessings that i can bring to help that family, the joy they will be able to share because i was willing to go out and bring the gospel to them. It makes everything i do worth it. Well today is my p-day as are all the days when i write these updates so I want to go do something fun while i have a chance!
Remember this D&C 62:3 "Nevertheless, ye are ablessed, for the btestimony which ye have borne is crecorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you."
When you are talking to a friend or a stranger they might become that golden investigator and love what the church has to offer but they don't know it. The couple above was forced to become humble and call us but through it found the gospel. If we initiate conversation of religion and bear testimony of what we believe that the angels in heaven rejoice! You are blessed and so is the hearer. Testimony is so much more standing up one Sunday a month and sharing it with people who don't really NEED to hear, it the ones who need to hear it aren't sitting in the congregation.
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