Story 1 The Tale of the New Beginnings
A few Sundays ago the YW president asked if we would share our testimonies during new beginnings. We obviously said yes and she told us that the theme for this years mutual is “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32). So as missionaries this is what we do every day, by inviting other to come unto Christ. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do because people think that they know everything about him and that is good enough for them. I always want to ask where they got there information because I would love to know everything about Jesus! But as a missionary I am trying to work on not being sarcastic, so I have to refrain for such comments. Anyway so Wednesday came and I got to speak first. And it was then that I realized 2 things. 1st that I started the YW's program 10 years ago!!! How on earth did time fly by so fast!!! And 2nd how grateful I am for the YW's program. I learned so much about who I am and what it is that God expects from me. I know that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father and he truly does know and love me. I am very grateful for all of my YW leaders and especially my mother. I am glad that she pushed me to get my medallion, because now I truly see how much it helped me.
Story 2 The Tale of the Grateful Man
On Saturday we had the privilege to go to a baptism for one of the elders investigators. His name is David and he has been investigation the church for 2 years. But there was something that these 2 elders said that helped him finally want to enter into the waters of baptism. It was such an amazing thing to see this very old man walk down into the fount and when he came back out he just grabbed the elder who baptized him and sobbed into his shoulder saying "Thank You, thank you". He was so excited about what he had just done, and he truly understood what it was that the elders had helped him accomplish. And the next day in Sacrament meeting after he was confirmed a member of the church. He just sat there and cried, he was so over come with joy that he could do nothing but cry. It is just such an amazing thing that we as missionaries have this amazing opportunity to help people to find there savior. It is the single greatest thing that I have had the chance to do in my whole life, and i will be very sad when it ends.
Story 3 The Tale of Divine Intervention
I am sure that I have told you about Victoria and her girls, Destiny 11, Lilly 8, Brianna 6, and Amber 18 months. Well they have not really been progressing for a very long time and we have just kept praying that we would find some way that would help them make so progress forward. Because something inside told us that we had to keep working with them. Well after we had new beginnings we found out the reason why.
So we stop by just like we normally do, knock on the door, and this guy answers with his wife, who is not Victoria. My first thought is " Well they are not going to let us come in." But Victoria tells us to come in, and we start talking. The girls wanted us to read from the book of Mormon with them ( I know so cute right!) And the guy ask what it was that we were reading. So we tell him that it is the Book of Mormon and he gets very excited. Turns out that 17 years ago when he was 16 his daughter needed to have open heart surgery, and 2 elders that he was meeting with gave her a blessing. And she was fine and he knows that it was because of the blessing that the Elders gave to her. So we invite him ( his name is Leo by the way ) and his wife Tammy to come and sit in with us for the lesson. We talk about faith and the restoration, and I had the privilege of saying the first vision . It always brings in such power and the spirit always testifies that it is true. After I finished it got very quite, Leo and Tammy both had tears in there eyes. The kids started to talk but Leo, Tammy and Victoria just sat there in silence. and finally Leo looks at us and says, " Well the one how pointed to the other one.... That must have been God because Jesus is always on his right hand. So Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus." I was so in awe because no one that I have ever worked with has gotten that with out us telling them. It was just such an amazing lesson and both of them accepted Baptism! And the best part of all of this is that Victoria and her girls were very engaged. They were excited that they knew answers and that they could help us. After the lesson we all sang I am a child of God (we have been teaching primary songs to the girls), and Leo was again moved to tears. I am just so blessed that I get to see how the gospel can change peoples live.
Well that was the week. Like I said it has been a very good one! I would not trade my time as a missionary for anything in the world. Well I love y'all so much and I hope that you all have a great week!!!! Remember who you are and what you stand for ;)
Love Sister Chatwin
No comments:
Post a Comment