Week 12- A Week of Change
Pues,
This week has been huge to me. Always, people would say their favorite part of their mission was seeing people change as they began to accept the gospel. Up to this point, there have been small changes, but I wasn't really feeling that anyone was making huge changes in their life. But, we have an investigator, Theresa. She is AMAZING. This is our 4th week with her, but at first she just wanted to contest the things we taught. Didn´t believe, wouldn´t listen. For a week, we were occupied in other appointments and weren´t able to visit her. When we visited her after that week, oh wow. Something had changed. She had changed. We taught about the plan of salvation, and suddenly she opened her heart. Her husband passed away a month ago, and just to see her love for the plan of salvation. Wow.
We had a training with our mission president this week. President Veirs. The first training was a training just for sisters. So, all 30 of the sister missionaries in our mission of 200 missionaries met for a training. Thank goodness! Many of us are new, so it was a gift. The main takeaways are... BOOK OF MORMON. has power. Not because it's a superior book to the Bible. In no way is it superior. But without the Book of Mormon, there is no revelation in our days. There is no prophet of God. there is no Church led by Jesus Christ Himself. there are just a bunch of people who believe they feel the power of God in their hearts, believe falsely in an authority that doesn´t exist. Even writing that just feels so... wrong. A lot of people don´t want to believe in the Book of Mormon. When I´ve stopped to think on that... can I blame them? The Bible is precious. They embrace it and recognize God as an everyday part of their life in a way so foreign to the United States (sadly). So can I fault them to not jumping for joy at 20 year olds testifying that God revealed more of His word through the Book of Mormon? (that was a terribly long and ill constructed sentence.) No, I can´t fault them.
I was thinking today (and yep, it hurt. :) ) about.... that I could never separate who I am from what I believe.
I have been going and going and going and never stopping to ponder. Meditate.
Listen to myself think.
Listen for an answer.
These past 4 weeks (p.s. WHERE did the time go???) have been a flurry of doing what we are supposed to be going. Of learning how to make numbered-goals real people. Of caring so much for someone that we DESIRE their salvation. Mosiah 28:3 kind of desire. Today I felt that. We were teaching the family Lopez. They live.... in poverty. Oh, I love them. I love their two kids, Naum and Silvano. I love both Jose and Cindy. Such humble people. So desirious to know the truth. We finished teaching about the Restauration--about the Church of Jesus Christ being on the earth today--and how God has revealed more of His word.
In that moment, this wasn´t just another lesson, another introduction of the Book of Mormon. Guiltily, I admit that I am imperfect in this regard. It has been easy to slip into a routine of talking, and to forget that for them, this is their FIRST introduction. their FIRST time.
Pues, today with them I realized that we are teaching this not because we left our houses and our lives and are now obligated to teach it. No, it´s deeer than that. It´s because I LOVE Naum and Silvano, and I know that this beautiful family can have so much truth in the Bible, can have so much truth in any other of the millions of churches on the earth, but that Jesus Christ only stands at the head of one. That there is truly only one faith, one baptism. One way they can be together as a family, forever. Only through covenants with God. Only through bautism. Only through covenants in the temple. It just clicked.
We´ve been tearing up the country for the last two days. AKA travelling a lot. To a sister´s training meeting, and to a zone conference. I love our mission president and his wife. Oh, and I was able to see Hermana Tolliver, my MTC companion who is also the mission nurse here in San Pedro Sula. LOVED talking to her! Oh, we laughed at all the bodily issues we´re having. Marveeeeelllllllouus!
I learned the truth this week of President Holland´s words that we want investigators to pray harder. WE need to pray harder. We want them to change. WE need to change. I realized how.... little I've been changing. That if I want to see change in them, I need to do the same.
I love this marvelous opportunity for growth. We are watching people truly come unto Christ. No, we are not perfect in the work, but the work is perfect and will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent.
I love you all. Clara flew to Croatia yesterday! shout out for Sestra Compare! May you enjoy your time with Sestra Jolley! Hopefully companions!
This week has been huge to me. Always, people would say their favorite part of their mission was seeing people change as they began to accept the gospel. Up to this point, there have been small changes, but I wasn't really feeling that anyone was making huge changes in their life. But, we have an investigator, Theresa. She is AMAZING. This is our 4th week with her, but at first she just wanted to contest the things we taught. Didn´t believe, wouldn´t listen. For a week, we were occupied in other appointments and weren´t able to visit her. When we visited her after that week, oh wow. Something had changed. She had changed. We taught about the plan of salvation, and suddenly she opened her heart. Her husband passed away a month ago, and just to see her love for the plan of salvation. Wow.
We had a training with our mission president this week. President Veirs. The first training was a training just for sisters. So, all 30 of the sister missionaries in our mission of 200 missionaries met for a training. Thank goodness! Many of us are new, so it was a gift. The main takeaways are... BOOK OF MORMON. has power. Not because it's a superior book to the Bible. In no way is it superior. But without the Book of Mormon, there is no revelation in our days. There is no prophet of God. there is no Church led by Jesus Christ Himself. there are just a bunch of people who believe they feel the power of God in their hearts, believe falsely in an authority that doesn´t exist. Even writing that just feels so... wrong. A lot of people don´t want to believe in the Book of Mormon. When I´ve stopped to think on that... can I blame them? The Bible is precious. They embrace it and recognize God as an everyday part of their life in a way so foreign to the United States (sadly). So can I fault them to not jumping for joy at 20 year olds testifying that God revealed more of His word through the Book of Mormon? (that was a terribly long and ill constructed sentence.) No, I can´t fault them.
I was thinking today (and yep, it hurt. :) ) about.... that I could never separate who I am from what I believe.
I have been going and going and going and never stopping to ponder. Meditate.
Listen to myself think.
Listen for an answer.
These past 4 weeks (p.s. WHERE did the time go???) have been a flurry of doing what we are supposed to be going. Of learning how to make numbered-goals real people. Of caring so much for someone that we DESIRE their salvation. Mosiah 28:3 kind of desire. Today I felt that. We were teaching the family Lopez. They live.... in poverty. Oh, I love them. I love their two kids, Naum and Silvano. I love both Jose and Cindy. Such humble people. So desirious to know the truth. We finished teaching about the Restauration--about the Church of Jesus Christ being on the earth today--and how God has revealed more of His word.
In that moment, this wasn´t just another lesson, another introduction of the Book of Mormon. Guiltily, I admit that I am imperfect in this regard. It has been easy to slip into a routine of talking, and to forget that for them, this is their FIRST introduction. their FIRST time.
Pues, today with them I realized that we are teaching this not because we left our houses and our lives and are now obligated to teach it. No, it´s deeer than that. It´s because I LOVE Naum and Silvano, and I know that this beautiful family can have so much truth in the Bible, can have so much truth in any other of the millions of churches on the earth, but that Jesus Christ only stands at the head of one. That there is truly only one faith, one baptism. One way they can be together as a family, forever. Only through covenants with God. Only through bautism. Only through covenants in the temple. It just clicked.
We´ve been tearing up the country for the last two days. AKA travelling a lot. To a sister´s training meeting, and to a zone conference. I love our mission president and his wife. Oh, and I was able to see Hermana Tolliver, my MTC companion who is also the mission nurse here in San Pedro Sula. LOVED talking to her! Oh, we laughed at all the bodily issues we´re having. Marveeeeelllllllouus!
I learned the truth this week of President Holland´s words that we want investigators to pray harder. WE need to pray harder. We want them to change. WE need to change. I realized how.... little I've been changing. That if I want to see change in them, I need to do the same.
I love this marvelous opportunity for growth. We are watching people truly come unto Christ. No, we are not perfect in the work, but the work is perfect and will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent.
I love you all. Clara flew to Croatia yesterday! shout out for Sestra Compare! May you enjoy your time with Sestra Jolley! Hopefully companions!
Comments