Well . . . .
General Conference was AWESOME!!! Saturday morning sister barlow and I could hardly wait to get to the chapel. It was like waiting for Christmas! On our way to the chapel as we passed people on the street we kept talking to them (we were inside the car so they couldn't hear us) saying "Come listen to the Prophet!"
Saturday morning we also called everyone we could think of to come. All our investigators, potentials, etc. We had been handing out flyers advertising the conference and hoped to have at least 5 non members there. We called this one guy named Steve that we knocked into a few weeks ago and he said he would be there on Saturday. Also another girl we had been kind of teaching said she would come sunday. We went and NO ONE came. Not even Steve. We were way sad and I just kept thinking how unfair it was that there I was sitting in the chapel being edified while tons of people in the outside world didn't even know that we were listening to a prophet of the Lord. I wanted everyone to be able to listen!
Saturday morning we also called everyone we could think of to come. All our investigators, potentials, etc. We had been handing out flyers advertising the conference and hoped to have at least 5 non members there. We called this one guy named Steve that we knocked into a few weeks ago and he said he would be there on Saturday. Also another girl we had been kind of teaching said she would come sunday. We went and NO ONE came. Not even Steve. We were way sad and I just kept thinking how unfair it was that there I was sitting in the chapel being edified while tons of people in the outside world didn't even know that we were listening to a prophet of the Lord. I wanted everyone to be able to listen!
Saturday came and went and then Sunday we went to the chapel and no non members came. Sister Barlow called Steve and invited him again to come and he said he would be there for the last session. Of course we had little faith and were like okay whatever. We had a really good activity and potluck between sessions with our members which hopefully got them motivated to get more involved with missionary work. Right as we were cleaning up to watch the last session we see this guy walking up to the church. Sister Barlow goes "Is that Steve?!" So he walks in and it was STEVE!!!! The whole branch swarmed him (poor guy) but with a little branch like that it's like being in the desert for 40 years and then when a non member comes it's like WATER!!!!!!!!!!! Yep.
So, Steve came in and sat down and the first speaker was Elder Holland. I was like, crap. Steve is going to get scared away. :( haha no but really all the talks in that session I felt were perfect for someone who didn't know anything about the church! Especially Elder Oaks talk! We were soooooooo happy we had one non member come, even though we had a goal for 5. It was a miracle and I know Heavenly Father knew our desires and that we had done all possible to get people there. Steve hurried and left right after so we're not sure what he thought but we 're hoping to go visit him soon.
So, Steve came in and sat down and the first speaker was Elder Holland. I was like, crap. Steve is going to get scared away. :( haha no but really all the talks in that session I felt were perfect for someone who didn't know anything about the church! Especially Elder Oaks talk! We were soooooooo happy we had one non member come, even though we had a goal for 5. It was a miracle and I know Heavenly Father knew our desires and that we had done all possible to get people there. Steve hurried and left right after so we're not sure what he thought but we 're hoping to go visit him soon.
Also Sunday we followed up with this kid named Samuel Andrade who is Mexican. We had knocked into him a few weeks ago and he told us we could come back. Usually when someone says this and we go back they are never home. BUT we went back and they were all home! All 6 (ish) Mexicans! My thirst for spanish people was quenched! :D We have a rule though that sisters (and elders) can't teach unless there is a third member of the opposite gender with us. We walked into Samuel's house and in the bedroom sat 4 guys. I was like darrrrrn we can't teach but then I asked if there was another girl home and their sister came in so it was okay (tender mercy) Their apartment was really tiny so we went into one of the bedrooms where Samuel, his brother, and 2 friends were. Then the sister came in so we started talking to them. I noticed a baptism certificate on the wall so I asked about it. It was one of the friends that was there (I didn't catch all their names) so we specifically started talking to him. He said he was baptized into the pentocostal church after he decided to change his life. He was involved with drugs, etc before but he changed. We started talking to him about the gospel and gave him a BOM. The thing that is hardest for people to understand is why our church is so different from other churches. The only difference is that we have the PRIESTHOOD. That is also hard to explain to people. We said a closing prayer and were about to leave until this other guy came in. This is when our visit actually started. This guy (must have been a friend) had sooooo many questions and it was a miracle I was able to understand and answer them all in understandable spanish. The gift of tongues is real, I'm telling you! We talked to them and I emphasized that as missionaries our job is not to convert, but to invite people to find out for themselves. This guy I was talking to really liked that so I challenged them all to read the BOM and pray about it. We haven't been able to follow up yet but we're going to see if we can go back tomorrow and see them. This family was legit!!!
We've been praying really hard (sounds like you have been too!) that we can find Spanish speaking people. This past week it seems like they have been popping up like daisies! The Lord is blessing us so much and even though most of them are flakes it's okay because someday we will find the honest seekers of truth. The Lord is really blessing us for our efforts and I remember something another missionary had told me before I came here to Monticello. They said that when you open a new area and train a new missionary, you really have to be satisfied with the little successes. It's true! We aren't seeing any huge miracles but we see little ones every day. Samuel Andrade's family was definitely a little miracle! Also Steve coming to the last session of conference! I need to give Heavenly Father more credit sometimes. We talk to so many people everyday and although I want to teach and baptize them all I realize that we are the angels that are preparing the hearts of the people to recieve the word of God like it talks about the BOM. Most of the people (actually I think all of them) have never even heard of the Mormons. We spent the rest of last week, Thursday and Friday, handing out tons of Mormon.org cards. We walked up and down main street and talked to everyone we could. Now when these people see missionaries again they will recognize them. It makes me happy that Sister Barlow and I could be pioneers and even though some days are so hard I want to quit, Heavenly Father shows us the little miracles or I will say a little prayer and He comforts me and tells me I can do it. I love being a missionary and declaring the gospel to everyone!
Some of the dearest experiences I have are the ones where we are sitting in someone's house and I am able to bear my testimony of the Restoration. After Samuel's house on Sunday we went back to another house and the family let us in. Their name is the Rhode family (I think...) and they are of the religion Bahi (I had never heard of it either) and the wife sat us down and tried to tell us all the false doctrines of the mormon church. I told her that we're not perfect teachers and we may not have a perfect knowledge of the bible but I do know these things:
Joseph Smith restored the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth.
The Book of Mormon was true.
This knowledge can bless our lives immensely!
The Book of Mormon was true.
This knowledge can bless our lives immensely!
I looooooove LOVE bearing my testimony to people. I feel like my testimony gets 1000 times bigger each time I do it. It's crazy how much I have grown when I look back 7 months to when I first started my mission. The progress has been slow but Heavenly Father helps me to see the progress I have made! Talking to random people on the street now is a piece of cake where 7 months ago it was like trying to climb Mt. Everest.
Anyway, este iglesia es la unica iglesia verdadera en todo el mundo! Necesitamos hacer nuestro estudio personal del Libro de Mormon diariamente y orar a Nuestro Padre Celestial en todos de los oportunidades que tenemos. Dar su testimonios frecuentemente.Se que Dios quiere bendicenos TANTO pero necesitamos hacer nuestro parte. Ir a la iglesia los domingos y tomar la santa cena. Vamos a recibir muchas bendiciones si hacemos estas cosas!
Anyway, este iglesia es la unica iglesia verdadera en todo el mundo! Necesitamos hacer nuestro estudio personal del Libro de Mormon diariamente y orar a Nuestro Padre Celestial en todos de los oportunidades que tenemos. Dar su testimonios frecuentemente.Se que Dios quiere bendicenos TANTO pero necesitamos hacer nuestro parte. Ir a la iglesia los domingos y tomar la santa cena. Vamos a recibir muchas bendiciones si hacemos estas cosas!
Mi amor a todo!!
Hermana Richardson
No comments:
Post a Comment