We feel so blessed right now as missionaries because we were able to teach 13 lessons last week and got 6 new investigators. Yeah, I know... CRAZY! Who would have thought that could happen in Sidney, Montana!?
Okay let's start with where I left off last week.
Last week I talked about T and her parents. She is the 16 year old girl who has a strong testimony and wants to be baptized buy her parents wouldn't let her so she was going to have to wait 2 years for her 18th birthday. Well last week I told you that her Mom came to church and then invited us over for cake later that evening. It was a great visit and even her father who used to be very against the church and against T having any contact with it was very nice and talkative (apparently the first time he has ever been that way when missionaries are over). Well on Monday right after I finished emailing you, I got a phone call from T and she said this:
"GUESS WHAT! My mom talked to my dad last night after you guys left and they sat me down this morning.... I AM GETTING BAPTIZED ON AUGUST 1st!!!!! And my parents both want to start taking the lessons!!"
T is getting baptized this Saturday :) She has been waiting for two, almost three, years and it is finally happening! Sister Miles and I were so happy and right away we had to say a prayer of gratitude for the miracle that Heavenly Father worked on T's behalf. We can't wait to start planning her baptism.
Then Monday night, we taught a different T. Her husband is a less active member and she is not a member. The lesson went really well and she is very sincere and interested. You can tell her husband A really wants this for her and he wants to be active again really bad. Pray for them please!!
Then later in the week we got a call from a member who told us his friend, S, is interested in the gospel. We taught him the first lesson on Saturday. We gave him a tour of the church building and taught him about the sacrament and the restoration. We ended the tour in the baptismal font room where we invited him to be baptized and he accepted the invitation. On our next visit, we will choose a baptism date with him. He is married and his wife and son just moved here to be with him so he asked us to teach his wife too! :)
And lastly, we taught an older man named B. This wasn't his first lesson. He knows the church is true. He hasn't been baptized though because of his smoking addiction. We went over and taught him and his wife yesterday with our ward mission leader, Brother Stueshar. It was a great discussion. B's wife, J, was not interested the first time we went over there, but this time she told us that she wanted to take the lessons as well. B has a lot of doubts. He doesn't think he will ever be able to get baptized because of his addiction. But I felt prompted to put him on date right then. I said, "B... Don't focus on your smoking, focus on the Gospel of Christ. Let's set a date for your baptism so you can focus on that goal, rather than your addiction." He agreed and we asked him to prepare himself to be baptized on August 29. He accepted :)
Our ward mission leader, Brother Stueshar, is amazing. He is kind of like our local mission president because he is just a spiritual giant. He offered to give us a blessing last night and we accepted because we have both been feeling inadequate lately. All we want is to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost so that we are always doing the Lord's will and I had just prayed for that the night before. But we know that we are only human and that we fall short. That is a lot of what we feel lately and we are wondering if we are doing everything the Lord wants us to do in Sidney. So when Brother Stueshar offered a blessing we jumped on it right away. It was one of the best blessings I have ever received. Two things he said were exactly what I needed to hear:
First he said, "You were foreordained before you came to this earth to serve right here in Sidney, Montana at this exact time. You rejoiced with Sister Miles in Heaven because of the work you would accomplish while you were here." I could really feel the spirit when he spoke those words. The most amazing part for me was that if the mission boundaries hadn't realigned I never would have served in Sidney. Every decision made by the mission department and by mission presidents is truly inspired of God.
The other thing he said was "You will have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost just like you requested." I didn't even tell him I prayed for that the night before so I cried because I knew Heavenly Father was speaking to me through him.
Our ward mission leader, Brother Stueshar, is amazing. He is kind of like our local mission president because he is just a spiritual giant. He offered to give us a blessing last night and we accepted because we have both been feeling inadequate lately. All we want is to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost so that we are always doing the Lord's will and I had just prayed for that the night before. But we know that we are only human and that we fall short. That is a lot of what we feel lately and we are wondering if we are doing everything the Lord wants us to do in Sidney. So when Brother Stueshar offered a blessing we jumped on it right away. It was one of the best blessings I have ever received. Two things he said were exactly what I needed to hear:
First he said, "You were foreordained before you came to this earth to serve right here in Sidney, Montana at this exact time. You rejoiced with Sister Miles in Heaven because of the work you would accomplish while you were here." I could really feel the spirit when he spoke those words. The most amazing part for me was that if the mission boundaries hadn't realigned I never would have served in Sidney. Every decision made by the mission department and by mission presidents is truly inspired of God.
The other thing he said was "You will have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost just like you requested." I didn't even tell him I prayed for that the night before so I cried because I knew Heavenly Father was speaking to me through him.
I know that this gospel is true and that it changes people. I just want to leave my testimony at that, because it is that simple. :)
Shout-outs
Mac, thank you so much for the letter! I love and appreciate you so much!
Shout-outs
Mac, thank you so much for the letter! I love and appreciate you so much!
I love you all, have a great week!
sister park
No comments:
Post a Comment