Hi family! I love you all so much! I think about you a lot and am so grateful to have a family that is living worthy to be together for time and all eternity! That is such a blessing that we have!
Hi everyone! Wow, this week went by so fast! I think the later on in the transfer you get, the faster it goes. Time flies when you're having fun, or in this case when you're enjoying teaching people about their eternal salvation. :-)
It's been funny this week. Every morning we study separately then study together to plan the lessons we teach for that day. Lately it seems like the lessons we spend the most time planning, we never end up teaching. The appointments fall through or something happens. We were even scheduled to give a talk at the baptism of one of the Elders' investigators. They did not inform us that they moved the baptism an hour earlier. So we got there when they were serving refreshments! Oh well. I guess someone's trying to teach me patience.
The language is coming along ok, but it is hard to keep it going because the majority of teaching we do is in English. Still working on it though. We still switch off every other day the language. That seems to work well.
Our investigators are struggling a little bit but we are doing our best. We pray for them in every prayer and try our best to teach them what they need.
I do think I'm different since I came on the mission. I think you're not doing it right if you go on a mission and come back the same person. Before my mission I thought 15 minutes was more than enough time for daily scripture study. Now we have an hour and it's never enough! I'm always racing at the end, wanting to know as much as possible in the last few minutes. I'm realizing the important things. When I get back from my mission, I'm going to ask the bishop who needs visits and I'm going to go make some friends. There are too many people we've seen on the ward list who we don't recognize, go visit them and they say they haven't had contact from the church for a long time. I'm becoming aware of a lot of things about myself, about the world, about the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ becomes more a part of me every day and I NEVER want to lose that!
It's pretty amazing, I have been seeing the prophecies in the Book of Mormon being fulfilled. For example, the most common thing I've heard when street contacting or knocking doors is that it's the same God. It doesn't matter what church we go to. As long as we worship God then we're good. We knocked a door yesterday and the man was very friendly but he said basically "It is all the same God. Believe your Mormon faith, live your Mormon faith, keep doing what you're doing because it's good. You do your think and I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It's all the same God so it doesn't matter." This morning I read in Mormon which is a prophecy about the last days. Verse 31 says that "there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day." It does matter if you think about it. We read all over the place in the scriptures that we need to be of one heart and one mind. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. In John 10:16, Christ says "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." There are not five hundred folds with one shepherd. There is one fold and one shepherd. There is one way back to our Heavenly Father and that is through Jesus Christ. He has given us the way. He has given us His gospel. And it is a gospel that is open to EVERYONE. All who believe on His name have access to all His blessings (Alma 22:13.) And that's what God wants. He wants everyone to have those blessings.
I know the church is true! It makes more and more sense every day. I sometimes feel bad because I still don't know very much. Especially when talking to people, I blank and don't know what to say a lot of the time. But Heavenly Father understands. Mormon 8:18- "he that saith: Show unto me, or ye shall be smitten- let him beware..." I don't have to be a scriptorian. I just have to have a testimony I can share. I don't have enough knowledge to debate with people which is good because we're not supposed to debate. We only testify and invite and everyone has their agency to accept or reject. We invite people to find out for themselves but we cannot force. That's a great gift that our Heavenly Father has given us- to choose for ourselves. It's just frustrating when you know the blessings that come from choosing the right and you see people you care about choosing otherwise.
I love this gospel! I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who sent His son Jesus Christ so we can have hope. There is a plan for our lives and a purpose for us being here on this earth. Everything happens for a reason and a divine purpose. Even if we don't recognize blessings right off the bat, they're there. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he restored the gospel of Jesus Christ again on the earth and we have a living prophet today. I know the Book of Mormon, like the Bible, is the word of God. I know Heavenly Father loves us perfectly despite our imperfections. If I say no more I want everyone to know that I know. I don't always have the right words. I am FAR from perfect. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is.
Thank you all for your support and friendship. I love you all! Keep smiling and taking each day as a gift!
Hermana Evans
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