Hola familia! and all those who are fortunate enough to read this email! :)
Life as a missionary is just as wonderful as ever. This week we have seen SO MANY miracles... even with two snow days.... yes TWO!
It is crazy to think that two snow days could produce so many miracles but it is true!
We were trying our hardest to talk to everyone that we are teaching and worked really hard with the members to receive the help and transportation we needed.
We had a crazy snow storm hit last Tuesday. Everyone went into complete panic. It was hilarious to see everyone all concerned. It was just one of those normal snows before a good storm in Utah. anyways. Tuesday morning, lightly snowing.. by mid afternoon a good amount, sticking to the streets. We got about three calls from different ward members and things. The sisters were all panicked too and were scared to go out and drive.
Hermana Earl and I finish studies go get in the car and start driving. haha. We even crossed the bridge to go over into Manteo. It was a little bad on the roads but nothing like a good storm in Utah would have produced. just normal snowy roads. We were in teaching a less active member when the call/text came in that we were now 'all cars grounded' so we drove home and started our 'snow day'.
We had a miracle occur on Wednesday. We were stopping in to visit Jackie. Our investigator. We have been having trouble getting into contact with her due to busyness and just life. I'm at the point where I'm like "Hermana earl... we have to drop her. We have been trying and you can only try for so long.". . . so I offer the prayer before we go in and am just like "heavenly father, this is our last time knocking her door and if you need us to visit her than let us know. . if not we are dropping her."
Knock the door, she answers, lets us in. The lesson we had was really wonderful. we basically did a CCE and just talked to her and let her know our standards and things. Then towards the end of the lesson we asked if she had any questions and she was like yes, what do you do for baptism, etc. BAM! We explained baptism and invited her to attend a baptism happening this week in E. City. She said she was going to try to come. So now we are coordinating that. :)
We also had a really good lesson that night with Eduardo and Fernando. First off we helped the Hactmans clean the church and they picked up Eduardo and Fernando to help too. So we helped clean the building. They brought us sloppy joes for dinner, then we had a lesson. We talked about the temple and family history! They committed to attend the temple This Saturday!!! We are working with them to get family names. Eduardo is hoping to do his dad and Fernando wants to do his brother. :) That is the most exciting thing to see is your converts enter the temple! They are SO EXCITED!!!!! =) Hopefully I can get them to send yall pictures or something. :)
Thursday was perfectly fine weather here. But the whole mission was grounded due to snow. So we asked bishop if there was any service we could do and so we cleaned the church library! We basically de-junked the library and are cleaning it. Still in process but it is looking really good. :)
We had a member come pick us up and take us to visit Elaudio. We had a good lesson with him. We felt we should teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as we talked about faith and repentance a lot of questions he had were brought to the surface. He asked about true repentance, etc. We also learned he doesn't know a whole lot of Christ at all. He didn't even know about the bible really. We ended up reading and talking about the 10 commandments and the importance of them. Overall it was a scattered but great lesson. He was very active in participating.
The rest of the week was just the usual attempt to see people until Sunday of course! Church always tends to mix things up.
Fernando had to work this Sunday :( but Eduardo came. and also Frank a member from Peru.
Anyways fast and testimony right. So I tell Eduardo jokingly a little that he should bear his testimony. And he gives me that 'yes, i'm doing it look. Then says that I have to translate it. Oh man... intimidating!
He passes the sacrament for the first time. HILARIOUS! he was so nervous the whole time. But he did great. Come and sits next to me and is like I'm ready. I was like whoa... hold your horses the bishopric member needs to finish theirs. So then we head on up. I translated it really well if I do say so! That's right. ;) Bam. pat on the back. There were a few members in tears. haha.
Then I took the opportunity to bare my testimony because I don't do it often enough. ;) Okay, at least not in sacrament meeting. Then as I am walking down Frank from Peru looks at me and gives me that 'will you translate for me?'... yes. So then I have to walk back up and translate again. So basically I was the hit of sacrament meeting. ;) Okay not really but three testimonies in a row... I think that is a record. haha. =)
Life is good here on the East coast... literally as far as you can get! ;)
I learned a lot this week. I've been reading from our search for happiness and this part really stuck out to me today:
"Through the years I have watched countless missionaries come and go, I have seen extraordinary things happen in their lives and the lives of their families as a result. The work they are called to do is hard and sometimes discouraging. But because they have the assurance that they are on God's errand, they are able to valiantly serve Him. I often suggest to those who want to know if the Church is true that they spend a few hours working with our missionaries. It doesn't take long to learn that no one can do all of the things a missionary does every day without knowing beyond any question that what they are doing is right and true."
I thought that was neat. I am so grateful for all the blessings that I have seen in my life and also in the life of my family as I have served this mission. I hope that those of you who are struggling with your testimony or doubting that you have one to go out with the missionaries in your area. They will show you what kind of work I am currently doing for our Savior. I can testify that missionary work is what moves the gospel forward. It wouldn't happen without the testimony of the Holy Ghost to those we teach. They are looking for that special something that each of us have. All we have to do is open our mouths and share it.
I hope you all have an excellent week this week. I look forward to all the letters and emails to come.
With all my love,
Hermana Gray
No comments:
Post a Comment