So I'm transferring! After being here in West Palm Beach for
almost 6 months, I'm heading out! I don't know where I will be going but
Hermana McGrath is TRAINING! This girl is so stinking prepared. I couldn't be
more happy to see her rock this....although I am so sad she is leaving :( I
love Sister McGrath so much.....I can't really explain it. We are just
friends/sisters/best friends/companions. I don't know! The mission screws with
you man....it makes you all soft and gooey. It's a wonderful thing to love
everyone here in Florida so stinking much that you would lay down your life for
them....but also mildly dangerous as many of them would glad take advantage of
that ;) (Just Kidding Mom!!)
As I said, I'm leaving.....right AFTER all the miracles
start hitting us. We have had a really tough transfer with a LOT of knocking
doors, fighting for all we've got for referrals and receiving almost nothing.
But it definitely prepared me to be humble enough and loving enough to receive
the amazing investigators we have now.
Our Miracle: We pray, in front of a map for our area, every
time we go out to knock doors. This last week, we prayed fervently and felt
like we should go to this little tiny area of houses to knock which was
completely untouched. So we drove on over, parked ourselves and knocked on the
very first door we could find. A cute Latina answered the door and we started
talking to her. She was only about 16 so we asked if her parents were home. She
opened the door a little wider to reveal her family sitting at the table.
Without hesitation the parents welcomed us in. We sat down and IMMEDIATELY
clicked with this family. After almost 45 minutes of joking around and laughing
we shared a prayer with them. In the prayer, they asked us to include the
husband's parents who were very sick. We, of course, did and felt the Spirit
very strongly. We called them the next day and the mother, with many tears,
told us that the mother-in-law had passed away. We stopped by the house that
night and found them all SOBBING. We offered what consoling words we could,
tried to explain the Plan of Salvation a little bit, and then went on our way,
trying to figure out how to share this message of hope with them. We realized
the only way we could....would be through LOVE and SERVICE! When we stopped by
the next day, the family were all smiling as we walked in. We began joking
around and making them laugh when some other friends arrived. Of course, they
began to question who we were and why we were there. Louis, the father, stood up for us and explained that we had come in a time of
need and that we were good friends. He understood that we were merely there
because we LOVE this family. When we explained that we had to leave, Louis'
face just FELL. You could tell that this family was feeding off of the peace
that we brought every time we entered their home. The next day, we showed them
"On the Way Home". It's a really touching story about a family that
loses their daughter. As we showed it to them, the Spirit entered so strongly.
We explained that our message came from our hearts and that we wanted nothing
more than to help and to strengthen them. We asked them to pray to know that God wanted this message for them. We will go over tonight to teach
the Plan of Salvation. I AM SO NERVOUS!!!! But so grateful. I know they will
get baptized. They are AMAZING! |
| Transfers! |
I had to say goodbye to Victor today....so hard. Man. I love
him SO MUCH! He explained to us how we had changed his life. In the time we
found him, he had his mother, 3 brothers, a granddaughter and a niece all die. He
was on the run from people who hated him. He was alone. He explained to us how
he had been going through such a hard time...he had lost the desire to live.
Then we showed up. He explained that if it had been anyone older, more
experience, he would have ignored them and stated all was a lie. But because
the Lord sent him two sweet, innocent 18 year olds...he listened and began to
feel peace. He told us very plainly that we had saved his life. He bore his
strong testimony that he KNEW this was the one true church, that he was reading
the Book of Mormon (Even though it gives him terrible headaches because of poor
vision) and that we needed to go on to find other "Victors". He
called us his angels :)
Nancy and Jenny came knocking doors with us and fully
expressed that they felt we were their angels as well. That we had changed
their lives. They felt peace and that their lives made a full 180 turn around.
Nancy explained that her whole life, she felt like something was missing. She
had been searching for YEARS and after she was baptized...she explained that
she felt WHOLE. What was lost was found. Jenny explained that right before her
baptism in another church ...that she hesitated...she felt someone telling her not to do it. But
she ignored it, saying it was the devil and did it anyway. Afterwards, she felt
HORRIBLE. She knew she had done wrong! Before her baptism a month ago....she
says she felt none of that and afterwards...she felt complete peace and joy.
Let's just say this folks: Missionary work is THE LORD'S
WORK. I am the weakest of the weak and am the most natural of natural men....but through
me....these amazing people were able to feel of the love of their Savior and
understand FINALLY who they are. How can anyone doubt their testimony when they
have the opportunity to see this work?? THAT is why it's a commandment to do
missionary work. Yes, it's for your brothers and sisters....but news flash!
Nothing God ever commands us to do only blesses one way. EVERYTHING blesses you
and others equally. When you share a testimony, it grows, fortifies and becomes
KNOWLEDGE. I hope and pray that when I leave my mission....people can say that
Hermana Lake KNEW her Savior; that she KNEW He lives; that she KNEW the gospel was true and that she KNEW
the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was the Savior's church here on
the earth. I love this work. I love my Savior. I LOVE MY GOD!
Hermana Lake
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