So
you know how one of the big things that kept me from getting married
(which I see now was so I would be unmarried at 21 and able to serve a
mission) was that few of my suitors were of a suitable age?
Yeah, well, yesterday a fifteen year old boy with shaggy hair asked for
my number and last Tuesday the investigator that had come to church
twice but still hasn't read the Book of Mormon told us we were
brainwashed and then when he heard we get transferred asked how he was
supposed to find a wife if we leave. Both sufficiently insulted and
sufficiently grossed out because he's like my dad's age, we got outta
there real quick and will not be going back. Fun stuff, huh?
Bike week proved to be another major test of our
faith, as we somehow got way fewer lessons that usual and only one new
investigator, despite the total of 25+ miles that we ended up biking
this week. 15 of those miles were all in one day. Sister Dailey is
such a trooper. I don't really know how we did it, except that Healthy
habits + Enabling power of the Atonement = Strength and endurance like
I've never seen in myself. When we tracted, only two people accepted
Books of Mormon and guess what. Both had friends that were members of
the church. People with member connections are literally THE ONLY ONES
who will speak to us/be nice to us 80% of the time. YOU DON'T REALIZE
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE YOU HAVE. Speaking of which, do ya'll recall that
Elder Ballard in his last talk committed us all to invite one person
every quarter to take the missionary lessons? That's only one per
season. Only four per year. Easy. So ah, who do ya'll have lined up
for summer? Can't wait to hear. Cause I know ya'll are just dying to
jump on this, ahem, commandment from a prophet of God.
A tracting miracle, we went back to recontact a man
we'd found two days previous who was elderly and probably didn't even
know who we were or what we're about, and when we get there, he's not
available. However, we began talking with the woman who answered the
door, as we've been counseled to do when a potential is not available,
and we eventually discover that she was baptized several years ago,
removed herself from church records when she married a man who wanted
her to study his faith, has since separated from him, and wants to come
back to the church that she knows is true. i.e. the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's us! Holla! It hasn't been easy,
but we're determined to help.
In M-Hall, we finally made contact with the woman
that had a baptism date for May 24 (obviously didn't make it, and then
we didn't see her for three weeks) and I breathed an enormous inner sigh
of relief when I saw her. She looked different. She was busy so we
couldn't stay, but she spoke with us a minute and we learned why creased
scowl was gone from her eyes, why the dark circles were gone, replaced
by a glow of health and color in her cheeks. She'd been reading the
scriptures, she told us. And then pondering them. Sitting outside and
meditating and allowing Heavenly Father to reach her understanding and
fill her with good thoughts - and take away the stress and worry.
Incredible what such a thing can do to your physical appearance. I've
waited my whole life to be able to discern that "light in your
countenance" that people talk about and now I've been able to witness it
twice. Let's all pray her progression continues.
Fun fact: Mormons and Pentecostals are the world's
last advocates for the dignity of women. A Pentecostal minister, one of
the nicest people we've ever encountered tracting, thanked us for being
modestly dressed, and he was like super sincere about it. And while we
as Latter Day Saint girls don't wear long sleeves and skirts in public
24/7 or refuse to cut our hair, that's still one value we have in
common. So someone go tell the ward's Young Women, Aaronic priesthood
and your parents aren't the only ones grateful for your virtuous dress
and appearance! The Pentecostals' teenage sons dig it too!
Father's day yesterday was a strange mix of great
and terrible. It being Fathers day, both sister companionships got
Father's day cards for our district leader Elder Webb. He's also
training, which makes him undeniably a dad now. Church was great, two
powerful talks about member missionary work (do you yet grasp the
importance of this?) and the elders' investigator (on and off for the
last ten years) asked in sunday school if we could talk about
forgiveness. It being a small gathering of six missionaries and him, we
said yeah of course! and jumped into charity and forgiveness in the
manual and scriptures. By the end, he had a peaceful look about him and
told us he resolved to call a family member that day to tell her he's
forgiven her. In the priesthood meeting following, the visiting stake
president committed him to a date to be baptized. Woohoo! I mean,
after that the day went downhill. Worst was we were texting a recent
convert who got mad at us for telling him shopping on the Sabbath isn't
keeping it holy and doesn't connect that when prophets speak it's the
same as God speaking and thinks we put our trust in men because we heed
the prophets. He got really indignant and I got super depressed because
this happens a lot with this guy and Sister Dailey ate away her pain
with a large bag of M&Ms while I laid on the carpet and gave up on
life. We eventually got up, the day went on, and we taught no one, and
both the investigator and returning member who'd asked for priesthood
blessings either were not home or didn't answer the door, I felt like a
failure and apologized to the priesthood holders we'd pulled away from
their families on Father's day for nothing, our most reliable
investigator waved at us as she walked by the door but did not return to
answer it and we spent fifteen awkward minutes standing at the door and
occasionally knocking until we gave up and left in confusion and
defeat. I had to rattle off every encouraging scripture I could think
of as we drove to keep myself from throwing myself into a ditch.
"Peace be unto thy soul, for thine afflictions will
be but a small moment. And if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee
on high. He shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. I have
refined thee - I have chosen thee out of the furnace of affliction. I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed. Let earth and hell
combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot
prevail. Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not. Thou hast
with unwearyingness declared repentance unto this people. I will bless
thee forever." <-- or something along those lines.
Finally found a less active at home, an elderly
friend who was happy to see us. Her husband with Alzheimers/dementia
called Sister Dailey a boy, asked what time we clock out, and if the man
over there was a foreman. He thinks we're construction workers, it's
cool. At the end of our emotionally rough day, we said to heck with
fruit and salad dinners, and made pancakes and chicken strips, no
regrets.
Miracle moment: We got a call one morning from a man
who sounded like someone who'd hit rock bottom. After further
explanation, he revealed he really had. Started telling me, a perfect
stranger, how everyone close to him was deceased or disappeared, how
he'd lost the use of his legs and felt as if he'd lost everything at
once. I asked how he got our contact information. You left a card at
my door, he said. I've been praying with that card next to me every day
and I knew that if I called the number, there would be someone who
would listen. Well, I about fell over. He was right. I assured him
that His Savior would get him through this, and that the message we
missionaries share would show him exactly what he needed to do to find
peace and joy again. The bummer part is, he'd since moved to Ridgeland
so the assistants to the mission president get to teach and baptize him
now. But still. A card we left at a door. What are the chances? The
gospel finds the penitent.
12 Yea,
I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I
will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in
his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we
have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
13 Behold,
how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains
of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because
of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great
reason to rejoice? [Alma 26]
Yeah.
So maybe the AP's will get to finished what we started with this guy.
And maybe none of my investigators will ever show up to church even
when we have four or five of them committed to come the same day. But
our elders may get to baptize the gentlemen that came this week! And
we're helping two formerly active members of the church remember what
that redeeming love feels like. So we'll take both as our reason to
rejoice. Eternal life, here we come.
Don't forget to be a missionary this week! Did I mention your exaltation depends on it? :]
Sincerely,
Sister Valdez
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