Well, I get to stay in my area!
We got the transfer call this morning. So I will be staying in
Ventura and training another new missionary.
I have thoroughly enjoyed serving
with her and am sad to see her go! we have seen many miracles together, she is
close to the spirit and she likes to brag about me, to me, so that's always
nice to hear ;)
I have seen a transformation in her. Her growth in astounding.
Seeing a 19 year old girl take on the aura and power of Christ is quite a
sight. she has taught me a lot. how to truly find joy while serving, how to
stay positive, to turn to the lord first. She is a strong wonderful missionary.
We have an investigator with a baptismal date! Her name in Danni
she is 16 and dating one of the boys in the ward. She’s been coming to church
for 3 months and when we got here we assumed she didn’t want to take lessons
because she wasn’t taking them at the time, "surely the missionaries must
have asked her already, I don't want to be pushy" those are things
that held us back for a bit, but we persisted and met with her she wanted to
take the lessons, we have only have to with her so far but they have been very
good. Her date is set for March 1.
we were trying to get Jessie (an elder lady to church) and we
finally got permission from the care center, but the ward members felt that it
was too risky and too much liability to bring her. She does dialysis and is on fluid
restrictions and if anything happened to her while at church it could be very
bad for her health. she has so much vigor and determination and she really
wants to go. it was hard to cancel our plans for taking her, but we know it was
in her best interest and a loving ward member explained it to us.
Sister draney and I had fasted that day and wow. fasting on the
mission is amazing. there really isn’t anything like it. like you know the
difference between regular Sundays and fast Sundays, well now as a missionary
think of every day feeling like a fast Sunday and then up that for when you
actually are fasting. I am just so thankful for the companionship of the holy
ghost. without it this work would not be possible or go anywhere.
We fasted to have extra help with a lesson for a semi-active
father in the ward. He is going through some hard stuff, we meet with his
family and so we decided we needed to meet with him before transfers. It was
amazing how many of my past struggles were able to help him and address his
needs. As I opened up to him and told him my whole story and the power of Jesus
Christ in saving me from misery, his eyes livened up. He realized her was not
alone. We emphasized scripture study. A man who before was always so vacant and
"not there" was there. he shook our hands and though it was a brief
moment of eye contact his eyes said so much. we could have told him all the
things he wasn’t doing, the things he should be doing, but instead god wanted
us to show him compassion, encourage him and left him, "you have faith in
me," he said as he smiled. "We do, but not as much as the faith your
father in heaven has in you. He believes in you so much he let his son come
down and die for you, because he wants you. he knows you can do it. "
this week we had another less active lesson with Brenda. she is
going to a Baptist church but doesn't feel the spirit there. she says she’s
praying for answers of what to do. We brought an amazing member to the lesson with
us (sis mchenry who fun fact was trained to sing by a romanian opera singer).
sis mcherny pointed out that sometimes no answer IS THE ANSWER. the spirit,
thought a comforter will also warn of wrong paths. When the spirit is absent it
can be logically concluded that something must change in order to get it back.
I have had that unsettling feeling in my stomach that tells me the decision I’m
about to make (or made) is the wrong one. For instance, the summer before going
on my mission I almost signed a contract to live in south Provo. It felt sooooo
wrong. it wasn’t inherently a sin or a bad thing. but it was wrong for me. god
had other plans. luckily I followed the spirit and I found another apartment in
my same singles ward. There bishop Zachrison helped me in my journey to prepare
to go on a mission. He gave me advice I will use for the rest of my life. and I
often tell those I teach about an insight he taught me that changed my
life.
He told me that to find rest in Christ
like Matthew 11:28-30 says we must "learn of him" as we read the
scriptures he will show us what to do and take away our pain. So that’s what I
did I read. I read when I was frustrated. I read when I was sad. I read in
despair and I learned. I came close to my savior. I WANTED to do things the lord’s
way, and as I aligned my will to his, he took my pain away.
I tell this to people all the time. He can do that same thing
for you! but you need to exercise faith, or even simply hope, just read the
book of mormon with the desire for god to help you and he will, because as we
step closer to him he steps closer to us.
In first nephi he quotes Isaiah. paraphrased he says Zion may
say, "God, where are you? why do you forsake us" but God will show
them he hath not forsaken them. He relates it to a mother. can a mother forget
her sucking child? a good mother no. but some might. in response the lord says
1 Nephi 21:15-16
Yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of
Israel. behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."
this I know to be true. God does
not forget us. he is aware of us, and he will lead and guide us in our lives if
we let him. And when we do, miracles occur. Because god works miracles
according to our faith. So act and trust in him, for he is mighty to
save.
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