Before I start about everything that has transpired this
past week I wanted to express to all of you reading this that I am very
grateful for your prayers and support on my behalf. I have been feeling the
added strength I have needed. Thank you.
This past week we have had some very touching and special
experiences where the Lord has put people in our path and has filled this week
with many instances where people have given us service. Experiences I am very
thankful for.
After the 3rd of July celebration when we were on our way
home we ran into this man named Cam. He was batpized a few weeks ago in a huge
church in Texas when he was visiting and it has been amazing to see the Light
of Christ so brightly in his countenance. Well, we met with him on Tuesday with
the English Elders and one of their members to pass him off. It was a very
powerful and wonderful visit where the Spirit was there so strongly. We went
over our purpose, an overview of the Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon.
It couldn't have gone better. He was pumped, we were pumped and then the next
day we got a text from him saying pretty much that he wanted to just stick with
the Bible since he is new to religion and that he was going to start going to the
church where these other guys we had met with right before us went. We
expressed love and wrote him back in text in which we asked him some questions
and everything was by the Spirit. The conclusion was the same. Even though it
didn't turn out the way we had hoped it was still a great experience. We did
ALL that we could and could not do any more. The thing that I love from this
whole experience was to see someone with the Light of Christ so strongly in his
life and someone who had used the Atonement, tasted of the Love of the Savior
and was a better person because of it. It was amazing!
As I mentioned earlier, we have been the recipients of so many acts of service from people. As we
sat down on the curb for a few minutes to figure out what to share with someone
we were meeting with later, this older lady walks out and brings us two ice cold waters....
It was amazing! She said she saw us and thought we looked thirsty. Funny thing
is I have no idea how she saw us because the house she came out of had all the
blinds closed. It was such an uplifting experience and funny
because she brought them out to us the day we were doing a mission wide fast,
so we had to wait till that night to drink them (they tasted fantastic though).
Our friend Jack came by and brought us a ton of food as well which was a nice
surprise and then members last night called us and had us come out front and
gave us milk, rice, eggs and other things. Their name is Ruiz and they are
Peruvian and one of my favorite families here.
The highlight of this week I
would have to say was contacting this 20 year old girl named Maria. We were
walking to Cam's house and saw her walking towards us,. We said hi and kept
walking since we were trying to get to Cam's on time. After walking by we were
thinking, wow, she was nice, we should have talked to her. later that night as
we were walking to another appointment we ran into her again. This time she was
walking next to us. We had a great 10 min talk with her about what we do and
everything. She was pumped and thought it was so awesome. We got her number and
set up a return appointment. That night, SHE texted us saying how awesome what
we do is, that she wants to come out with us and teach people and she starting
talking about her beliefs and it was everything that we believe. Long story
short, we met with her the next day with Sister Wake and Romans and had a
fantastic lesson with her on our purpose; get to know you; invited her to come find
these things out for herself and gave her a Book of Mormon Lesson. She is one
of the MOST sincere people I have met on my mission who loves God and wants to
serve him. It was amazing! At first, to be honest, we thought she was just
interested because of Elder Cathcart and I, but after meeting with her with the
Sisters and getting to know her more, she is pretty legit. It is amazing to be
able to find those people who the Lord has been preparing. I am so excited to
continue to meet with her and see her progress.
On Thursday for Weekly Planning
with the Sisters I had the thought come to mind that we needed to include the
Lord more in the planning sessions and have a return and report accountability
with him in prayer for each individual. So, after praying, talking and planning
out what we were going to do, at the end we prayed, told the Lord everything we
planned on doing and then asked him to confirm if the things were right and if
there was anything else we needed to add to inspire us. Well..... He sure did!
It was amazing to be on our knees united, receiving revelation for our
investigators. Ideas just flooded us and as a result we had an even more
inspired list of things to do for our people. It sure felt good to do that
again. I remember during that Weekly planning session having my heart expand
and being filled with such gratitude that I felt inclined to go off, kneel and
offer prayers of gratitude. That was also when we had received what we needed
to say to Cam and how to say it through text. After this weekly planning
session I was brought to a remembrance that this isn't our work and that it is
the Lords. I think sometimes as missionaries it is so easy to pray for the
Spirit to guide us and help us know what to say, then to plan for individuals
and come up with good things to do, but until we truly remember that we are
doing the Lord's work, I feel that our efforts will only be in the good or better
category and not the best. I had lost track of that for a little bit, but I am
grateful for this experience to help me remember that. If only we all will
remembered that and applied that to every aspect of our lives.
I am grateful
for learning the difference between praying and TRULY praying. I think some
times we treat prayer as a one way conversation where we say all that is on our
mind with how we feel, what we want and need and then jump up and get on with
things not giving it a second thought or even letting the Lord get a word in. I
think we would do well to remember at times that prayer is communication with
the most powerful, perfect, supreme being who only wants the best for us. I am
still learning and trying to remember this concept when I pray. I am not there
yet, but I hope one day I can be humble enough and WISE enough to heed the
counsel the Lord gives me in those prayers with all my heart, might, mind and
strength. I have felt the energizing, soothing, uplifting, and inspiring love
and guidance of our Loving Heavenly Father. I know that "prayer is where
our agency meets God's power"-Mitch Welton and that when we truly pray,
seeking the loving guidance of a perfect being we can then start to become
more effective tools in his hands. It isn't until after we allow him to guide
us with his perfect hands that we will see He has had the plans already prepared
and is using us to create that wonderful masterpiece he intends to create.
It
is my prayer that we seek to learn the language of prayer, to seek His guidance
and then humble ourselves and do those things He reveals to us. I leave
these things with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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