2/11/2014

I'm not perfect and that's OKAY!

It's been a good week. 

Here are some things I've learned on my mission and especially this week:
1. I'm not perfect and that's OKAY!
2. "Comparison is the thief of joy." Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ don't compare our progress to other's progress so we shouldn't rob ourselves of the happiness we deserve by comparing ourselves to others.
3. Clinging to the iron rod doesn't mean holding really tight, it means random spurts of holding really tight. Because when you cling to something you can't really move your hand along you have to let go in order to cling again a little farther down. That's why we don't want to CLING to the rod (or the word of God) but instead hold fast or keep hold and glide along step by step.
4. Smiling is incredibly important. SO SMILE!
5. I am so glad I don't have to marry a girl and live with one the rest of my life. 

So last Tuesday we went to a New Beginnings and just talked about change - how coming unto Christ changes us. I was able to share how I've been so blessed to see people change completely because they use the Atonement, because they take Christ's love and let it transform them. I know He's done that and DOING that in my life. I just loved it. Made me feel so grateful for Young Women's. And then we went to see one of our referrals that we thought was less active and turns out they're not members! They got themselves a set of scriptures for Christmas and they pray as a family every night and they've been wanting to go to church. LOL WHAT?! can you say AMAZING??? Their little boys are so cute too! So we asked them about us teaching them and helping them learn and then the step dad goes "well could you teach us now?" sadly we had to get home, but we shared a mormon message and then scheduled to come back on Thursday. So we taught the Restoration on Thursday night and it was so good. Mom would repeat and reteach everything we said to the boys and said it like she absolutely believed Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ and that the Book of Mormon is true. It was so great! We are gonna see them again tonight. :)

Then Wednesday we met with Jonna and invited her to come to Stake Conference and she decided to make it a goal. We also met with Jayden that night to plan out his baptism (which is scheduled for this coming saturday). So Friday we met with Jonna again and she told us about this AMAZING spiritual experience she had that day. She woke up and actually got ready and then she was sitting and about to take her meds and the Holy Ghost spoke to her and told her she needed to turn her life around and that God would help her through it but she needed to do our part. She's been through A LOT. And she deals with a lot of struggles daily, but she's been SO AMAZINGLY better for the last five days. She came to stake conference which is the first time she's come to church in a LONG time and she LOVED it! And then I got to go see her yesterday while we were on splits and she told me all about a missionary experience she had just that day. She's so great. We love her. Please pray she can keep things on the uphill.

We are teaching more and more new people each week. On Saturday we met with Ed and he and Betsy opened up a lot about some concerns they have and we were able to really address them and then ALMOST finish the Restoration. ;) (we seem to teach a lot of people who LOVE to talk to us). Ed says he is scared to tell his mom about wanting to convert to Mormonism which is kind of funny for a 55 year old man. But we just reassured him that it would be okay. He was very clear on the fact that he wants to take things slowly so we'll see when he's ready for baptism. 

On Sunday we had a lesson with an inactive young man who doesn't remember ever being baptized but he was and his girlfriend whose not a member and is so nice. But anyway during the whole lesson he was so abrasive and SO SO rude and we definitely had to keep our cool and pray for patience. I felt the Spirit so strongly during the whole lesson though. I testified of every aspect we spoke about, I invited him to have an opened mind and an open heart and through it all I felt the Spirit working through me. But he was still a stinker and just seemed to refuse to listen to us. From what he was saying I think he's read too much anti lit and never actually tried reading the Book of Mormon. Which is what we invited them to do. We are going to meet with them again in two weeks so we'll see how it goes.

Yesterday was really great! Sister Shaver (who serves in Fielding) came down to be with me while our companions went to MLC. And we were able to talk to a few door contacts (none were very promising but we were still able to testify and invite them). And then we went to visit a referral for a less active lady. And we've gone by there before and she said she was busy but that we can come back. So she opens the door and says "why are you here?!" and I said well we just want to get to know as many people as we can and she said "no. no. no. Who sent you??" so then I felt real awkward and she said "I am baptized. I went through the temple. I haven't seen missionaries at my house in 20 years when I fed them dinner and you come by twice in two weeks." SO sister shaver  is like well we don't just teach those who haven't been baptized. And I was like we would just like to share an uplifting message with you. And she said fine! Come in but you're not going to get a baptism out of me. Then she was real nice and got to know us. And then I shared a mormon message called the will of god that's all about trials. So then afterwards she says - "So God forsakes us sometimes? He throws trials our way and then he's not there for us. He had forsaken his first born, chosen son on the cross so why would he not forsake us?" I just sat there and prayed that the Spirit would guide me in how to answer. Sister Shaver tried and then this lady kinda argued with her. and then I was able to find D&C 121:7-8 "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." where God is talking to Joseph Smith while he is in Liberty Jail. And I thought to myself, well yes maybe God does forsake us sometimes and leaves us to endure our trials, but we are still never alone! Christ is there. He NEVER forsakes us. What do y'all think about that?? Am I wrong??? How would you answer that??? I don't know...I felt the Spirit during it, but maybe I preached false doctrine.....#help

We left on a really good note with her. I told her that maybe she felt like we didn't need to be there, but I knew I needed to and that I had felt the Spirit and I thanked her for letting us in and she said no, thank you - I did need you to come over.

And thennnn this morning we got to go to the temple and it was GREAT!!!

Oh also, it was my birthday. Hahaha. Throughout the day I kept forgetting it was my bday. ;) But it was good. I got to open mom and dad's gifts to me and then we went to work. And then the ZLs DLs and Sister Campbell took me out to Wingerz for lunch. YUM! and then we did weekly planning and then we went to dinner and the cute family made me a yummy lemon cake. And then we went to the adult session of stake conference which was special because they invited the youth to come too. And then there were two youth speakers along with the second counselor of the stake presidency and President Reyna of our mission presidency and Elder Fisher of the 5th quorum of the 70. It was SOO good and it was all about missionary work. The Spirit was so strong. And then Elder Fisher pulled us up to bear testimony - it was great. And then Sister Hadfield invited us over for cake. It was so sweet. AND THEN we drove home and there were streamers on the garage door when we opened it up and then a banner in our basement apartment and balloons all over and a card from the Elders. So nice!!

So like I said this week was really good.

I LOVE YOU ALL!! 

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