Well, first and
foremost, it hit 50 degrees today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!! :D
It was just like summer! It is the first time I have felt hot in a
long time, haha! It has been very enjoyable and warmer temperatures means
there is more people outside to talk to! Yay! So that has been
really fun for us!
We met with a former
investigator this week named Sally. She said she loved learning about our
church before from the other missionaries she just had to stop because of her
surgeries she had to have on her back. When she would meet with the
missionaries she wouldn't be able to think clearly so she just stopped.
She loves the Book of Mormon and says that it has helped her to understand the
BIble better. She said that at one point in her life she questioned,
"Does God really exist?" because of a baby that had passed away
in her family. She had gotten an answer yes and from that experience
knows that God does exist. She told us that she never really felt a huge
need to go to church because she could worship God anywhere. We started
talking to her about the sacrament. It was really neat because as we
taught her about the importance of the sacrament she had a change of heart and
told us that she needs to go church because she wasn't taking the body and the
blood of Christ. She couldn't go this week but is planning on coming next
week. We are excited to meet with her again. :)
We also met with Ana,
and gave her a Book of Mormon in Romanian! She was super excited. I
guess she was getting teased at work for reading the Book of Mormon and said
now I can read it anywhere and I won't get teased. It kind of reminded me
of how in Lehi's vision of the tree of life there was peer pressure from the
people in the great and spacious building but it we hold fast to the word of
God we will be led safely to the tree of life!
We found out that Elder
Perry will be coming to speak to us on March 21st and we are all preparing by
doing that 40 day fast I told you about. I am very excited!
We had a really neat
lesson at a dinner appointment with a member this week. Sister Clayton is
a convert of a couple of years. At district meeting we were committed to
teach members about the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lesson with them this
week. We decided to do this with Sister Clayton by reading "the
Living Christ" with her. She is from Korea and has been
attending the temple very diligently and trying to read church materials and
just filling her life with good things but has been going through a lot of
trials. As we read it about the part where it quotes Joseph Smith's
testimony of the Savior "He lives!" she began to cry
softly. We all sat silently for a moment and then finished. After,
she said I have never felt that much love for the Savior before. She said
it was even greater than the love she has for her family and she had never felt
that before. It was an amazing moment and something that really stood out
to me was after that experience she naturally went in to talk about sharing the
gospel with others. Feeling love for Jesus Christ and and His love for us
through the Atonement motivate us to share the gospel more than anything
else. That quote in PMG on page 2 about how as we increase our understanding
of the atonement and that will increase our desire to share the gospel, I think
it says "as your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ increases
your desire to share the gospel will increase" or something like
that. I know that is true and have seen that in myself and others like
Sister Clayton.
Also, a funny thing
yesterday, Sister Calderon was having a hard time talking to people. As a
new missionary it can be scary to go up and talk to people on the street.
She said, "I wish people would just come up to us and say 'hey
sisters!" Fast forward about an hour. We are outside getting
out of our car and a lady is walking our way. I told Sister Calderon this
was her chance to overcome her fear. Just then, the lady yelled out,
"hey sisters!" and began waving at us enthusiastically!
She had been to Marsha's baptism in the summer and had met sister before! It
was funny and we both agreed that Heaven Father has a sense of humor and wanted
to give SIster Calderon what she wanted! We are really trying to have at
least 1 of our investigators to progress towards a baptismal date! Thanks
for all the prayers!
Well, the church is
outstandingly true! Love you!
