The library was closed yesterday because of Labor Day, so that's why I'm emailing on a Tuesday. And next week is transfers, so I'll be emailing on Tuesday next week too!
So many miracles!! I wish I had time to tell you all about every one of them! I know that Heavenly Father is in charge, and His plans cannot be frustrated. Everything works out in His on way and in His own time. Missionary work doesn't have to be hard and scary. Just be yourself and act like Christ would act! A couple of months ago, Sister Boldrin and I were walking past the little Presbyterian church around the corner from our apartment, and we saw a couple of older women out weeding the flowerbed. Naturally, we asked them if they needed any help, and they paused before they said, "You know what? Just 5 minutes ago we were talking about how we needed to hire someone to pulled the weeds around the Sunday School building. You are an answer to prayer!" One of those women was the pastor's wife, and they live right next to the church. We see them outside a lot, and over time we have been able to establish a great relationship with them. When we stopped by to visit them the other day, we asked a few questions about their beliefs, and then we asked if we could come back and share the things that we believe that mean so much to us. They said, "of course!" Christ loved and served before He taught.
Most of the people I have met out here just don't really know what we're all about. I think about that a lot, especially when we're out knocking on doors. If only they knew what the Book of Mormon is, or who Joseph Smith really was, or that we actually do believe in Jesus Christ before they say they're not interested and shut the door. There are so many misconceptions out there, but once people hear even a bit of truth, their eyes can see so much more clearly! We had an experience with this in the last few weeks. We were walking past the park and saw an older woman with her three granddaughters just leaving. We talked to her briefly and asked if we could come over and have a family home evening with the girls, and she said we could. We went by the next week with the bishop's wife, and it couldn't have gone better! We had a little activity and lesson in the front room with the girls while the Sister Carico talked to their grandmother in the kitchen. She told her all about the Book of Mormon and what our church is all about, and by the end, the woman said she would like us to come back and teach her more. Friendships are so important. If we had just knocked on this woman's door, or the pastor and his wife's door, would they have been as open and willing to listen? Maybe, but more likely not.
This last week I went on exchanges with Sister Maddox, who was in my district in the MTC. I love her!! We had a really good time, and learned a lot from each other. The best part of the day was when we went to see an investigator, and she wasn't home, so we knocked on some of the doors on her street. We knocked on this one door, and a woman answered it and invited us in because it was a hot day. We explained that we were missionaries and that we had a message about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and we asked her if she had some time that we could sit down and share a bit of it. She said yes! (THIS HARDLY EVER HAPPENS) Then we had the BEST restoration lesson ever, pretty much, and she just took it all in. We felt impressed to invite her to be baptized when she came to know that the things we taught her were true, and she quickly said yes. I asked her why she wanted to be baptized and if she had been baptized before, and she said that she hadn't been baptized because she didn't want some random guy to just dunk her under water. She wanted to make sure it was right. We had taught about the priesthood really simply and she said it made a lot of sense. There are a few other beliefs she has that are right in line with what she believes. For example, she doesn't like organized religion because she doesn't want someone else's beliefs or opinions forced on her. We explained the organization of our church and how it is led by a prophet who receives revelation from God, and she liked that too. It was so awesome!! I wish I could just replay it because it went so well. She is so prepared and I can't wait to go back and teach her more!
The Church is so true.
Love,
Sister Myers
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