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| Becca and her new companion Sister McNeely |
been the most changing week of my entire mission. First things first,
I received a package from the missionary stork- training will forever
be top 10 in my gratitude journal. The beauty is real! The baby's name
is Sister McNeely and she is a TROOPER. (From Layton, UT + cute as a
button + never stops smiling + such a good sport about not
understanding Spanish + will be translated soon enough..) Holy smokes.
She went (almost) the entire week without crying and I cry every
second so obviously Heavenly Father knows what He's doing by putting
us together.
Opposition was so apparent in all things this week. It was so
incredibly beautiful to witness the signs that Heavenly Father knows
us, loves us, and is waiting ever so anxiously to bless us. And He
DID. We were led and guided by His spirit to find and teach so many
incredibly prepared people! The Lord is hastening His work, in the
mission field and within each one of us. As we allow Him to take the
initiative, trusting more in him.
✨ 'Teaching the Hispanic Hercules the gospel truth' .. Close your eyes
and picture for just a split second the cartoon version of Hercules.
Now give him long dark locks, Hispanic skin tone, tribal tattoos and
tears streaming down His face as He feels the spirit for the first
time and you have our new investigator Jo. He has been searching
for the gospel of Jesus Christ for a really time and Satan has done
everything in His power to keep us from teaching him. Like, really,
we've had like 5 lessons fall through. But, finally, we got to teach
Him. I had felt really impressed the whole day that we should show him
the Mormon message 'The Hope of God's Light' and as we did, the spirit
enveloped all of us and I have never had a more powerful witness than
seeing a big strong man break down as He feels the love of His Father
in Heaven. That peace that comes from knowing your true worth, surpasses
all understanding.
After 2 long hours of soapboxing in the public square, fairly
distraught, Sister McNeely and I go to search out some english humans who
want the gospel. It's pretty late, so not many apartments are lit but we just start
knocking. A lady names S opens the door. We obviously awoke her, so
she told us to come back the next day. We do, watch the Because of Him video
and no sooner had it ended then she tells us that she knows it is no coincidence.
That she has been searching for God's path and strength as she's been going
through an incredibly hard time. As we read from Alma 7 together, seeking to
understand the Savior's atonement, made just for her, she felt that peace. The
only thing that can truly be understood, amidst a life that doesn't really make sense.
Not to mention Ch who had prayed for a sign from God if his family needed
to go back to church and 'the mormons' knock on His door. Reading 2 Nephi 26:33
with an african american young man who didn't understand Christ's love, being
interrupted by his minister neighbor who only wanted to fight, but feeling the spirit
immediately enter in again as she left and we began again to speak of restored truth.
The peace that surpasseth all understanding.
And then, yesterday, as we are tracting and run into a former member, disillusioned
by things he has read on the internet, and stand there. As he rails on Joseph Smith, on
the brainwashing that we are a part of, yelling at us to "study the bible" as we bear
testimony and walk away. We sat down in the grass, Sister McNeely cried and I cried with
her. But I wasn't discouraged. I was hopeful. I had been buoyed up all week by this peace
that surpasseth all understanding. I have felt the power of His spirit. I have been
privileged to be an instrument in His hand, and the things I don't understand, don't matter.
His peace, His love. The hope of His atonement, grace and mercy surpass all knowledge and all understanding. I'm grateful.
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