#1: I did not tell you - I've been transferred....TO AN
ENGLISH AREA. But, my companion is from Guatemala so we speak Spanish in the
house and to each other. It's super fun.
#2: We are "pink washing" an area. Translated,
there used to only be Elders here and so we are the first sisters to live in
this apartment in 22 years.
#3: EVERYWHERE IS A SURPRISE. We have found hilarious
pictures, drawings, and other little goodies that only Elders would think of.
For example, we found a giant Nerf sword (like the one Jambo and Eli had) with
"THE SWORD OF LABAN" written down the side. Basically, I've never had
so much fun cleaning an apartment.
#4: My companion's
name is Sister Estrada and she is AWESOME. I love her to pieces.
#5: I ate dinner with 2 Jehovah's Witnesses and hugged them.
It was one of the most enlightening and enjoyable experiences I've had with
friends of other religions. One of our
members invited us over to meet with a less-active and she just so happened to
invite her Jehovah Witness friends as well. :)
#6: We had an amazing miracle. We knocked doors this past
week and for about 2 hours and it was, *knock "We are missionaries and
representatives of Jesus Christ. We came to share a prayer with you
today"......"No thanks", *slam. But we kept going and kept
knocking. We had prayed about the area and we KNEW someone was there. Finally,
we knocked this last door and a man came out as we were about to leave a
Restoration pamphlet on the door. He seemed a little standoffish but we were
kind and extended the same invitation to him. He stated he was a preacher and that
he believed our views on Jesus Christ were very different. So, we pried a
little and he told us his beliefs about the Savior. They were the exact same.
Then he brought up polygamy, Book of Mormon, etc. Basically, trying in ANY WAY
to confound us in our words and prove our doctrines incorrect but we stood firm
in our faith and bore testimony of these things, of the truthfulness of the
gospel, and how he could know for himself. We offered to come back and give him
a BoM but he said no. The Spirit was SO strong.
Afterwards, Sister Estrada and I were DUMBFOUNDED at the words that had
come from our mouths.
Often times when people confront us for our beliefs my heart
decides to start break dancing in m chest, my stomach gets a little wobbly, and
I get a little scared. I'm sure many of you have felt similarly. It's scary!
But there are some amazing scriptures that have helped me a lot:
D&C 100: 5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up
your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your
hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; 6 For it shall be given you
in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.
1 John 4: 6-8 "We are of God: he that knoweth God
heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth, and the spirit of error . Beloved, let us love one another: For love is
of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Mosiah 28:3 "Now they were desirous that salvation
should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human
soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure
endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."
PMG 118: "Charity, like faith, leads to action. You
will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of
yourself."
If we go to the source of this miracle, we can realize
something critical for life. “As members of the Church … , I believe that we
ought to go home determined to carry out the responsibility that is upon us,
not merely because these brethren have urged us to do so, but because we have
it in our souls to do it." -David O. McKay
Mosiah 5:2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea,
we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of
their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has
wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more
disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
I started out this week with the goal and thought to get new
investigators, baptismal dates and to get this area progressing. But very, VERY
quickly, I saw that this was not what God wanted for us to do. The moment when
we started giving ourselves to God and going where He needed us to be, we saw
success.
LOOOONG STORY SHORT: As long as we love them, we will
succeed.
I know that this is true and have seen it many, many times.
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Hna Lake
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