This week my dad emailed me and said that faith is interesting in that as you use it you gain more. I have found that to be true this week. The past few weeks have been a little slow. We don't find people in their houses, people don't come to classes/services/activities, etc and at the end of the day we realize that we've taught only 2 lessons after working 8 hours. We keep finding setbacks and seem to take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Which is natural in life sometimes but still a little concerning when you think that someone's eternity is at stake! So my companion and I sat down and thought about what we needed to improve. Obedience? We are good on that. Service? What we live for. Unity in the companionship? We have never been anything other than best friends. Love for the people? So much it breaks our hearts some times. We finally decided that we need to have a little more faith. We decided to only say positive things and not only believe a little bit but believe as much as possible. For example, instead of believing that someone was going to just pray or read, we said that not only they would get baptized but they would invite someone else with them. We took our vision to the extremes.
First, a friend of Amaury asked if he could start learning with us. He has been there for a couple lessons before and then on Friday he came over especially because he knew we would be teaching Amaury. A few days before we had given him a pamphlet about the Restoration. When he came on Friday he happily told us that he had read the entire thing and was able to recount every little detail down to the names of Peter, James, and John. That is a mini miracle in and of itself. Then he said it made perfect sense that we would have a prophet and apostles like Christ and that we actually preach the gospel like he told his apostles to do. We had just happened to invite some elders from another area to help us teach that night about the law of chastity...and they are the elders that work where he lives. The Lord knows what He's doing!
As far as Amaury goes...we did a fast with him on Sunday to help him know if getting baptized is what he needs to do. Monday morning we ran to his house bright and early to be able to finish with him. He said he felt like he was going to die but that he managed to completely do the fast. Later that night we had a family home evening with him and another less active at the bishop’s house. On the way there he told us that he knows that there is something special in the church. That he feels the spirit there and that it is something different and an important difference. The problem is that he is dating someone that is very against him getting baptized and he can’t decide whether to stay with her or get baptized. I told him that the people we love should want to respect the things that mean a lot to us and that maybe he should try explaining it to her again. We hadn’t given the bishop a theme or anything to share. When we walked in he said that he was going to talk a little about the importance of decisions and how free agency works. A message inspired. Afterward, the bishop started talking with them about their lives and we stayed back with his wife (that happens a lot here where the men and women are separate). When we left to go back home they were still talking and the bishop said they ended up talking for another hour after we left. He also feels a special spirit with Amaury and says he thinks he knows that the church is true but now has to make the decision about what he is going to do. I know that he will choose to be baptized and will be a wonderful member on February 1.
Arianys came to church for the 3rd week in a row! When we visited her this week she said that she would like to start reading the scriptures more with her two kids. Her teenage daughter happily accepted and said she had a seminary assignment that they could read together every night. Sometimes people just need a reminder that they are beloved children of God in order to come back to church and stay there. It never stops amazing me how amazing Arianys is and how willing she is to put her trust in the Lord once again and just jump in head first.
A few days ago we decided to put our faith to the test. We have not contacted in a few transfers and are encouraged not to do it right now. However, we have one BIG part of our area where no members live. We don’t think it is very likely we will receive a reference in that area and so we decided to go forth and find whoever was ready. This area is filled with mansions. Literally. To try and get into a house there you need to talk through a security camera and usually it is near impossible (remember where we got chased by dogs? Yeah…that crazy area). Before we left that day I prayed that we would be able to encounter 2 families. We walked for a couple hours knocking and being told no. After every door we just said, “I guess a family doesn’t live there” and kept going. We finally found a really small shack amongst all of these giant houses and knocked and went in. This lady is named Santa and she lives with her son and 2 grandkids (a family). She met with missionaries a long time ago and the only reason she didn’t get baptized is because she didn’t want to get married. She happily informed us that she is single now and accepted a baptismal invitation in the first appointment.
We continued walking and found another house. A young girl came out and then called to her mom. She had also met with missionaries before. We didn’t end up teaching because the woman asked us to come back on Saturday...because she wants her other kids to be home.
When we ask and then act in faith, the Lord responds.
The work continues here in the DR. Everything is going well! It’s not always easy or picture perfect but I am learning and growing a lot and having a lot of fun. Today we were able to eat at Quiznos and go out to icecream (I felt so American). Then we went to the “zoo” with some elders. It was one of the funniest zoo’s I’ve ever seen in my life. It was small and just in the yard of someone. But they had some ostriches, lions, crocodiles, snakes, monkeys (all of which I was really surprised to see). They also had some house cats and yorkies which just about made me die laughing. The animals are just in fenced cages but you can go right up to them and touch them (I held hands with a monkey!) It was fun to do something out of the ordinary and we certainly laughed a lot as we watched the elders act like the 19 year old boys that they are (ex. The elder trying to feed one of the cats to the crocodile or the other one that wanted to pet an ostrich…)
Well everyone, I know that the church is true! I am so glad to be here in this wonderful warm climate sharing the gospel with these funny Dominicans. They crack me up and I sometimes find myself planning excuses to come back. Find a way to exercise your faith this week. You will be amazed at what happens when you do. The Lord loves us!
Hermana Ewell
No comments:
Post a Comment