AHHHH! I GOT TO MEET WONDERFUL MAYA [Val Gardner’s friend and associate] THIS WEEK!
I also got a voicemail from Annie who is here visiting family!
HOLD ON. PAUSE. HEY MUM. HEY DAD.
I just want to tell you how grateful I am for you. I don't think that I express my gratitude for my amazing parents enough. I love you so much.
Also … school ... ugh! What’s my deadline? I’ll let you know soon. I’m praying LOTS.
My core experience with God this week was an experience at a missionary fireside. Sis P and I had arranged the most wonderful night for our investigator who had committed to be baptized in a couple of weeks. We had a fantastic week of appointments to help her prepare for baptism. We had powerful member presents, and followed up with her each day. She was so ready, and so excited to come to the fireside, and to also bring her mother to the teaching centre to be taught in Chinese on Sunday. Saturday night we got a text from her saying that she didn’t want come or be taught anymore. We went to her home and said a prayer in complete faith that things would change. On Sunday, we fasted for her along with our other baptismal dates.
After church, we met with her and she confirmed that she no longer wanted to learn from us. Sis P and I tried our best to keep our chins up and have faith that the fireside that evening would provide for us the revelation that we had been searching for all day.
As we were traveling on the ferry with our investigators, we met so many wonderful prepared people. There was a man with his back to me, but the Spirit kept prompting me to talk to him. I knew that I had to, and I noticed an American flag on his backpack! I blurted out, “Hey! Are you American?!” He turned around and told me that he was from New Jersey! He said that he had always wondered about our church, and that the only things that he knew about our faith were wonderful and loving people he had associated with. He said he had always wanted to learn more but didn’t take the chance. I got his contact information, and passed along to the correct missionaries.
As we were walking to the chapel, we stopped at the cross walk. There was a young man who caught my eye. I said hello to him, and I observed that he didn’t speak English very well. I was a bit nervous, but I gave myself spontaneous permission to be brave and try my best. I learned that he had just moved here from Taiwan and was living all alone and looking for a church to attend. He told me that he didn’t believe in God, but wanted to come to church! I would never have put the two together, but Heavenly Father had something great in store for him that day. I remembered I had one more Chinese pamphlet left in my bag, and as we were walking, I taught him how to pray to ask God if He was really there, and testified to him how God answers our prayers, and loves us so much. He thanked me again and again, as he said that he felt so alone, and was missing his family, and really wanted to know if God was there. I was so touched that I could share my simple testimony.
We stopped at another light, and Sis P had been talking to another man. I asked his name, and asked him to come to the fireside with us. He hesitantly told us that he was too busy. We asked one more time, and said, “you’re right- why not.”
The fireside was direct revelation of what each of us needed to hear and feel that day. Pres. Hamilton gave a talk about how to receive answers from God, how to pray, and also how we should respond. I know that we often read these verses of scripture, but please ponder about what each phrase means to you, and how, if you have received an answer that this church is true, it has changed your life:
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
What especially stood out to me in the fireside was the importance of helping our investigators recognize that God is answering their prayers, and also ensuring that we are still “on the line” when the Lord gives us revelation. We don’t just call someone, say hello, and then hang up! Or, at least we shouldn’t! The moments after prayer are the most important. I loved how Pres Howes said that the first thing and last things he does every day isn’t pray, but he makes sure that he is dressed, alert and ready to converse with the Lord.
I think that prayer has been a theme for this week. Teaching as Jesus taught was from a lesson that we had with our investigator P.
He explained that in his religion, they have specific times in the day that they are allowed, and commanded to pray. He asked us what we believed when it came to prayer, and what time we were allowed to pray. Of course, I could have immediately answered him, but Sis P and I have been trying to work on inspired questions. We asked him that if he believed that God was a loving father, would he put limits on when and how we could talk to him? Do our loving parents tell us that we can only talk to them during a certain time of day? Of course not! If we need help, they are always there ready to listen and guide us. He looked at us with tears in his eyes, and said, "That is so true. You are right." Such a simple but life changing truth. I am so grateful for the power of prayer.
I especially loved two lessons that happened on the bus. I felt prompted to sit by this man on the bus, and as we started talking, I learned that he once had but lost his belief in God. I discovered the root of why such a drastic change in beliefs had occurred in his life. He choked through a story of when he sat by his friend's bed and asked God to save him but he passed away. I had so much love for this man, and wanted more than anything to help him. I pray that he could feel it as well. I know that I stood in the Saviour's place, and that figuratively, my and the Saviour's arms were around him during that bus ride.
After he got off the bus, I turned and started talking to a young woman. I learned that she had just moved here from Italy and didn't know anyone or even where she was going. I taught her a brief lesson on the plan of salvation and invited her to church. She thanked me again and again for a smiling face I’m so grateful for the ray of light that she was to me as well.
I have to admit that I have been fighting a bit of discouragement after working so hard but then experiencing drop, after drop, after drop of investigators. Sis P just turn to each other and say, “Well then; what’s next?!”
A passage of scripture that has really helped lift my spirits and improve my understanding is found in Ether 2:
22 And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?
23 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.
24 For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.
25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
The phrases that stuck out to me are when the Lord asks the brother of Jared, what he would like Him to do to assist him in this task. I thought to myself, “There isn’t anything that I could ask the Lord to do! I already have been given so much.” Then it occurred to me that I must do absolutely everything that I can -- sanctify myself, and give up every single thing that ever clouds my mind so that there is nothing getting in the way of the blessings to help these people I love so much. I just feel so confused as to why we are meeting so many incredible people, having amazing lessons and fellowship, and then either they drop us, or we lose contact with them.
As instructed by the scriptures, I asked the Lord to prepare these people, to soften their hearts and cause a desire to burn in them to meet with us- whether we have met them yet or not. I then promised the Lord that I would work harder than I ever have, and do everything I could to love people, develop Christ-like attributes, and do everything possible to help them come unto Christ and get to know Him as their Savior. I have unshaken faith in this work, and I never want to get in the way of the miracles that have been promised to us. I have complete faith. I know that the Lord is just refining and teaching Sis P and me right now.
My Saviour is my rock and my Redeemer. I have developed a friendship and trust with Him that will never be broken or shaken. I know that He lives and that He loves us, and that he wants each one of us to be happy and to live with Him again. I know that He feels that way about me, every person I meet on the street, despite the discouraging things that may occur, or life's circumstances.
I love you all to the moon and back.
No comments:
Post a Comment