This week... Well it's been one of trials. I can't explain the
emotions I
have felt over the week because they have been all over the
place. However,
my lasting impression from the week is gratitude. I
realize, though I always
knew that people are not perfect, we can not
control the things that are
happening around us. But we can control
our attitude and the way we respond
to what is happening. This week I
have really had to do that.
To
start we found an amazing new investigator. Her name is Gigi,
she is 18 and
married to a man in prison. She has had a rough life and
gotten her self into
some addictions. We found her while visiting
Neal. She has been living with
Neal's family since she is all alone
now. The first thing she said to us was.
"What church do you go to?"
We explained. She then replied. "I will be there
on Sunday" and left
with a friend. It was so fast that we weren't able to get
a phone
number or confirm how she was getting to church. So I felt like
we
needed to still work on the street where she lived while I just
prayed
that she would come back. Then as we began to leave I looked up
and
there she was smiling and walking towards us. I basically ran to
her
and got her contact information. We set up a return appointment
for
Saturday and went on our way. It was an amazing experience and to
top
it off Saturday was a great lesson with her as well. She was
still
confident that she would be at church even if she had to walk and
she
also wanted our help to live the word of wisdom. To me she was
a
"golden investigator".
Sunday came and there Gigi was at church
ready and excited to
learn more about what we believe. She loved watching the
deacons pass
the sacrament. But all missionaries fears came true. The Sunday
she of
coarse came was fast and testimony meeting. And yep it was the
kind
even members cringe to hear. This couple got up and shared how
much
they love each other and have been together for 61 years and that
they
went to Hawaii this year. It was the opposite of spiritual, I
am
not even sure God was mentioned. Then the talks to follow were just
as
disrupted. They, while on the stand, called out people, shared
odd
stories and bore everything but a testimony. A little more than
half
way through she walks out saying she has to go to the
bathroom.
However, she never returned. We got a text message after the
meeting
explaining how disconnected she felt, that it was so noisy in
there
and she just couldn't feel the spirit or comfortable. I never have
had
an investigator literally get scared off before like that. It was
so
disheartening. My companion and I struggled to stay positive during
the
rest of church. Then we went to ward council and they each picked
on each
other. There was a lot of contention in the room about who's
doing who's
calling and who's wasting time. Then when we explained
what happened to Gigi
they thought she was just being sensitive. But I
totally agree with her. I
would have been freaked out too.
Don't worry we aren't giving up on
Gigi we are going to
bend the rules and have her go to the singles ward
though she is
married. We talked with the singles ward and hey were super
excited to
fellowship her.
To added to the emotional pains we
were going through and
striving to stay positive and continue working I
crashed. We were
riding home, it was about 9pm and we were going down a hill.
I would
say we were going pretty fast, when I looked up and saw the
light
quickly change to yellow I was so close to the intersection that
it
scared me and I instinctively grabbed the brake. However, I
squeezed
the front brake hard and threw myself over my bike. I landed
head
first and my bike came crashing on me. I lost my shoes, scratched
my
bike and got a few new bruises that are huge. However, the miracle
is
that my helmet is a little big so when I fell it covered my
face
perfectly were I hit. Leaving me with zero scares or pains on my
head.
While my companion was screaming out for me. I jumped up. Grabbed
my
bike and began riding again. A member saw and checked to see if I
was
okay. I reassured him and continued riding. My companion and I
laughed
the entire way home as we talked about how silly I must have
looked
and how crazy our day was.
Though I have what seems to
be a baseball coming out of my
thigh which stings. I am fine. The funny part
is that I have a scar
on my knee from surgery which looks like an elephant.
Sadly from the
accident the road scrapped off one of the "eyes" of my elephant
so now
I really do not have an elephant scary which makes me sad.
:)
The thing is, it's a tender mercy of The Lord that
I
wasn't more injured and that my companion and I can laugh about
the
things that happened. Because the fact of the matter is I can't
change
what happened today no matter how upset I could get over it. I
can't
go back in time. But I can look back at the lessons learned and
smile
because I know that God is still with me and still teaching me.
The
mission is to try us. I will not give up nor allow things out of
my
control to affect my work. I love this gospel too much and being
a
missionary to stop now. Through everything, even though I
haven't
mentioned we still made a record of most lessons taught in the
week
for this area for the last few months. It's been what people like
to
call a dry area. But my companion and I like to say an area ready
to
grow.
The biggest tender mercy though was after all
the
craziness I received an email from my recent convert Emily. She
bore
an amazing testimony that almost brought me to tears. I want to
share
it with you now so you can feel the same spirit. She plans on going
on
her mission next year. She has been a member for about three months
but
it sounds like a lot longer. Below is her own words.
I just would
like to say that I know that this gospel is true it
brings a smile to my face
when I write this, it brings so much joy to
my heart that I think I never
have felt. It is so amazing to have this
gospel, to know that our Heavenly
Father loves us so much that I can't
imagine it, to know that Jesus Christ
loves us so much that he
suffered for us so we once again can be in Heavenly
Father's kingdom.
To also know that the atonement is there for us when we
mess up
because I am not perfect and I need the atonement, to know that we
can
be clean once again we just have to repent and know that the
atonement
is there for us. I know that this gospel blesses lives it has
blessed
my life so much that I am so grateful for everything that
has
happened to me good or bad because I can always learn from it. I
know
that when I am feeling down He will comfort me , when I am worried
He
will give me peace and when I feel lonely He will let me feel His
love.
I would be lost without these feelings of the Holy Ghost, and I
know that I
can always feel theses things when I pray and read the
scriptures it is so
essential to do these things because He has asked
us to do it. I know that
Joseph Smith restored this gospel and with
out him and his curiosity I
wouldn't be able to know what it is like
to have so much love and so much
faith in our Father. I wouldn't give
up this gospel for anything in the world
it means so much to me I love
it so much that I am forever grateful to those
who have influenced my
life because of this gospel. I know that the Church of
Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints is the true church, and that when we meet
every
Sunday as brother and sisters to renew our covenants that we made
with
our Heavenly father we will fill the spirit and have our testimony
and
faith built stronger. And I hope that each of you are blessed
with
these things and if not we can always work towards them with
prayer
and scripture study and I say these things in the name of
Jesus
Christ. Amen.
I am so blessed to have been able to teach
amazing people. I
love all of them and have learned so much from all of them.
I love
this gospel can never deny it's truth.
Love sister
Johnson.
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