Wednesday, January 11, 2012 11:24 AM
Don't know what to say, the monkies won't do...
There is NO monkie business around here. I have FELT the work just jump forward and the promises from the Lord come full swing for me. As I have struggled with my health, I really felt that enough was enough. I have to stop thinking of home, and I have to stop thinking about how frustrated I am. I knelt down and I asked the Lord to help me. All this came about from a letter we received from our Zone Leaders. Are you a social, honorable, or sacred missionary? It's not enough to just be an honorable missionary, and I have decided to jump right into working on being a sacred missionary. The blessings are so much more profound. I am not perfect, but I am trying my hardest to do my best and really turn my mission around. Honorable missionary...thinks of home and sometimes uses Zone Conferences and other things to count time, but doesn't let it distract them completely. Sacred missionary...is aware of how much time is left and pushes forward, knowing that there isn't much time left. That hit me so hard...I can't count down, even though I am fully aware of what's going on. And so, I felt that the days were just passing and that I was just trucking along. Still seeing miracles, but only because the Lord is merciful. After I read that, I got down on my knees and repented. I asked Heavenly Father to help me with my health, both mentally, spiritually, and physically. I promised Heavenly Father that I would get up EVERY MORNING at 6:30, no matter how much it hurt, and I would stay awake as long as I could, because I knew that this work was important. The next morning, I got up, and I read even more from the sacred misisonary and decided to talk, to everyone...stop hiding in the corner. And by golly, the Lord is helping me do wonders within my own life!! Mind you, it's only 3 days in, BUT I have gotten up everyday at 6:30 and I have been able to exercise and be careful with my eating. And people on the bus, the Lord is helping me overcome the awkwardness!! It's difficult to carry on conversations when people. don't. care. Punto. But, I just figured, you have to act dumb...and keep asking. It's hard because I feel the "do you honestly think I want to talk to you?" feeling, but you just have to push through...and eventually, they realize that we AREN'T going shove religion on you...we just want to talk and help you recognize the Lord's love for you.
Since then, the week has gone by FABULOUSLY. I've really enjoyed just jumping right in, and just having a constant conversation with Heavenly Father. It's such a blessing to feel the Spirit because I am reminded that the Lord has forgiven me and things are okay. A member mistook something I said last week, the humors are just super different, and became offended. It was a big mess...and I won't have a chance to apologize faccia e faccia, but I have begged the Lord for forgiveness and things should be alright. I was more worried about losing the trust of the members I work with, but then I remember, that the Lord's work will still be done. I am not a person to speak ill-will of people!! That's not right! Anyway, when someone approached me with this concern, I cried! I felt so terrible that it was a complete, and truthfully, misunderstanding. I just hope in the future this person can forgive me...whoever it was...and the encounters in the future won't be awkward. It was a whole "someone heard this through the grapevine" and my leader approached me and down went history. You just have to be careful and sensitive with other cultures, and I have gained a SINCERE testimony of not gossiping...and how harmful it is. Needless to say, even without gossip, you still need to be careful. Trim your T's and dot your I's my friends...
We FINALLY had a lesson with Liz this week!! She is SO brava!! AND FINALLY gaining the courage to talk with her mother. She asked her mom if she could go to church and if she could meet some friends and the church, and her mother was completely okay with it. LIz asked us to change her baptismal date to the 29th of January as to which she WILL invite her mother! What a blessing!! We were so happy and said the date would be fine...without mentioning that one of us wouldn't be here...but that's in the Lord's hands. We have our solid investigators Cecilia and Mauro. WHO ARE SO AMAZING!! I am humbled and excited by their eagerness to learn and question and digest! Mauro is the one who just GOES TO TOWN!!! He was so excited to recite back everything he has learned and he has said, many times, how excited he is to be a Mormon someday...it just makes sense that the Book of Mormon is true...it hasn't been changed!! He is a big, tatooed, mafia, teddy bear and I just love him to death and can't WAIT to see him baptized. His wife Cecilia (Ecuador) is the most energy filled person. She has some...strange ideas...but she is excited to learn and hear the simple truths. She talks about her evangelical family and how she always would laugh when her family would start dancing...and she happily shows us how in our meetings. It's NEVER a dull moment with them. They wanted to come to church this past weekend, but Mauro called us at 8:40 apologetically saying that work was just exhausting and he just can't get up, but he wants to see us today and could we come after church. That call, nonetheless, tells us that they are VERY promising. They keep their commitments, they ask questions, and they are eager to do the right thing. You just gotta love them. Let's see, our other investigators...aren't progressing as fast...but Marlene came to us on Sunday just in tears. She is concerned that she will be alone when Antonietta leaves (the one who introduced the church to her and is going back to Ecuador) and just said that it wasn't right for her to be in church now. We took her aside and comforted her and said that all would be okay. I feel very strongly that we need to pass her to the Sorelle in Genova 2 and get Marlene going in the right ward and just promise her blessings of obedience. I felt prompted to ask her how she felt about being baptized, if she felt scared, and she stopped crying and said "No, I'm not scared. I KNOW I need to get baptized. I want to!" And then she started crying all over, and I'm flabbergasted in the chair with happiness. Mamma mia what blessings! Another, on Monday (when I decided to buckle up) I passed a woman on the bus...an African woman (big smile). And I took a seat behind her. But without thinking, I went and turned around and sat right in front of her and started speaking African with her. Holy Moly am I out of touch and Praise Be that I was able to speak African again!! But we started talking, and she mentioned that she had seen missionaries like us before...and we started talking about God and got on the subject of miracles (another heck yes) and totally taught her the first vision. She immediately gave us her number and asked us to come see her on Saturday. (Napolean...YUSSSS) I just feel so good about how things are going right now and just submerging myself in uplifting talks and spiritual experiences.
The Book of Mormon has become SO delicious to me...one day I was reading and I TRULY felt my soul HUNGERING for more!! I just read and read and read!! It was absolutely beautiful. So the work is going well and I am feeling so much better.Thank you so much for your prayers and your willingness to support me and my brother!! The gospel is true...if you don't know it...get on your knees and ask. When trials come, it is only to better us. I TESTIFY OF THAT!! For those of you who read my brother's email, and the tragedy that occurred with the family, his testimony was shaken a bit and he was disturbed. I want all to know that we must NEVER deny promptings. I know that my brother is a worthy priesthood holder, and the prompting came as he felt inspired...and knowing that inspiration comes from God, he did no wrong. The only thing is, when we are inspired to do something we have to have faith when it doesn't go according to our plans or ideas. Heavenly Father is in control, and we will never know why we are inspired to do somethings...but we will have the comfort and peace that Heavenly Father is always in command. I told my brother that it may have been possible that he was comforting the Spirit of that young boy and that maybe the Spirit didn't understand what was happening to his body...but that all would be well and he would go forth into the Spirit world and continue the work the Lord had him to do. You never know...but you always know that Heavenly Father gives inspiration and loves His children very, very much.
Time is up and until next time...
sorella bowman
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