Hello everyone,
I can not believe that it has already been a month, that is just so crazy to me. I feel like I have just so much to write and I don't know where to begin. P-day always seems to go by so quickly for me, but I love it, each week we go and play sports with some other sisters and Elders in our area. Everything is going well here and the members are amazing and feed us every night. I feel like the lord is continually humbling me with the people that I encounter. We ate dinner with the Bishop in the 1st ward and they were telling us how they found out that their daughter who is engaged and 21 has cancer. They moved up her wedding to last week because they didn't want to wait till after her chemo treatments in case her hair started falling out. The reception is this Saturday and if her has falls out by then the bishop said him and her brothers are going to shave their head which I think is awesome. We also had dinner with the R.S. president in the 12th ward and her husband and her are just amazing and so spiritually strong as well. They have two little daughters, their oldest has cute red hair and has ceresal palsy, but she is just the happiest girl I have seen and tells the funniest jokes. We found out at dinner that their first born was a still born, and just to see how they haven't let these instances shaken their faith in God is so amazing to me. I made me realize quickly that what I think are big and hard trials in my life are so little compared to these people. They are so strong in the gospel and so happy and optimistic. Can I tell you dad the difference it makes to have a ward mission leader that is so involved in the ward and missionaries. You might not think it makes a difference, but in the eyes of a missionary it does. With two wards we have one that has a ward mission leader who is in his 70s and has been on 3 couples missions with his wife and he is just on top of everything. The moment we came in he had lists of people for us to see and when we ask him to do something he does it as quickly as possible. We meet with him weekly to review people we have visited as well as our game plan for the next week. It that ward we feel like there is so much more work going on there, that is where we have 2 investigators as well as just a lot more work with the less actives. In our other ward, our ward mission leader is young and it almost seems like he doesn't care. Whenever we ask if there is anyone he thinks we could see he never knows and when we ask what we can do for the ward, he asks if there is anything he can do. It is frustrating at times because we are working just as hard in this ward, but are just going off lists from previous elders. Side note to mom visiting teaching is important!!!! In this same ward we are going off their ward list and single sisters list and I swear it has not been updated in ages!!!! We have run into so many homes where the women don't live there or they have passed away. A lot of awkward moments, we even went by house where the lady hadn't lived there in 16 years!!! Visiting teaching is important. So basically Dad make sure to work with the missionaries and give them lists of people they can go see, less actives, part member families, whatever you feel is important. Working with the members progresses the work a lot faster than us going out and trying to figure things out.' Overall this week has been amazing for me. So remember that man in our ward who I said was a "dry" Mormon, who I just went up to at church last Sunday and just told him we just wanted to meet with him and get to know him. Well we met with him Tuesday and it was so good, he knows so much about the gospel, I know he is so ready, but there are just a few things holding him back. Well he agreed to take the discussions with us, which I know was all the Lords doings. He told us how he has had missionaries over for the past 20 years at his house but has never sat down with them like we have or taken the discussions. That was just a miracle in itself to me. He told us at the end of the first lesson that the best way he learns is by what we have assigned him(prime investigator right Nathan and Aaron?). He is so there and has read the book of Mormon several times as well as other church books. We meet with him on Thursday and it went well. We talked to him a little about the plan of salvation because of some questions he asked it was geared that way. We are going to teach him the first lesson this week. He says he knows that this is true, but there is just a few things that we talked about that is holding him back which we are going to address. But mainly we need to increase his faith in Christ. Greg who is our other investigator, we taught lesson 2 to on Saturday and it went really well. The bishop in the wared was there because he knows him. He went into detail a little more than we usually do, but he felt like he could handle it because he is an intelligent person. He is still a little hung up on what happens when you get married in the temple and get a divorce(he has been divorced 2). The bishop addressed and I think he is starting to understand. HE also attended church yesterday which was really good. Side note for everyone that teaches lessons. Teach people not lessons! Our gospel principles that the teacher taught the lesson on eternal marriage which I was nervous about. Our class consists of people who are single divorced, members whose spouses aren't active and maybe 2 married people who are the ward mission leaders. The teacher was asking questions about like for people to comment on how a their temple marriage has blessed their life and what not. The whole lesson seemed geared towards married people. I am sure that it wasn't as bad as me and my companions were making it out to seem, but we felt so awkward in their and bad for our investigator because he started giving statistics on divorce rates. I said a few prayers in there and I have faith in the Lord that the Spirit was a good buffer to those people. Tonight we are teaching a former investigator and I am a little nervous. We stopped by their house last week to help do some service to clean up their trailer home and when we were leaving he told us how he invited his neighbor. We have actually met his neighbor and he also was a former investigator who was drunk every time the missionaries came over. And we heard from neighbors around there how he calls in a taxi to bring him beer. We had set up an appointment to meet with him, but had canceled because of certain things we have heard. So it should be interested. I am not scared for my life or anything, I know I will be fine and we are gonna be outside with the other investigators wife who is a less active. I just think it is gonna be a little awkward in the beginning since we canceled on him. I hope that both of them our sober because if we want them to feel of the spirit they need to be. The work is really starting to progress, there is so many things I just want to write about, but don't have enough time. And just so everyone knows I haven't run into Jensa or Elise, I usually forget that I am living in the same city with them. I really feel like I am in a whole different world as a missionary. I see the Lord's hand in my everyday life, I hope all of you take the time at night and ponder about how the Lord has blessed you that day. I was reading in Mosiah this morning about King Benjamin telling his people about the coming of Christ and about the atonement. It is so good, you should read it, chapters 3 and 4 especially. Sorry I wasn't able to tell you everything this week, do know that I have ran into people who talk to us about how we are a cult and what not, some funny stories that I will have to tell you when I get home. Here is my spiritual thought this week, it is a poem that I heard this week, it is really good."I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”
Much Love,
Sister Breanne Metcalf
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