Christmas Week!

This week has been a weird week. It felt so weird talking to my family on the phone but it was great. I loved it but I understand why we only do it twice a year. I am so grateful to be a missionary and be able to focus on what matters the most during this season. I got to see so many Christmas miracles. On Monday a member of the ward gave us a jar full on coins and asked us to find someone who needs it. We gave it to a struggling single mother and she and her children were so speechless and so moved.

Christmas we had dinner at the Emord’s home; the family that we had Thanksgiving dinner with, and then we went over to the Knutti’s and played some games. It was so much fun.

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to do an endowment session at the temple and it was so wonderful. The Spirit is so strong there. There is no other place I’d rather be.

On Thursday we had two lessons and they were great. Erica is such a wonderful person but she struggles with allowing herself to forgive others. A member was able to come to the lesson and share some personal and tender experiences that she has had. It was great for Erica. Peter drank coffee and so he cannot get baptized this week. He is still having a difficult time with keeping commitments. It is really hard for him but a member who came to that lesson was also able to him.

On Friday we visited Mary Rose at the hospital, due to an aneurism. She is having speech and mobility problems as a result. We were able to talk to her and help her. We visited another person in a rehabilitation center on our way back home. He is a neighbor of a family in our ward. He has staph infection. We were able to offer some reassuring words to him. The next day we went over and met his wife and she thanked us and asked us if we could come over again to meet with her and talk to her.

On Sunday two of our investigators dropped us, one of which being Erica. Erica said that she prayed and that she felt that she needed to stay Catholic with her siblings and mother who died. It was so sad but we encouraged her to at least let us continue to teach her more. She said yes but she is not coming to church nor will she be baptized. I know that she will continue to recognize the Spirit as she continues to meet with us.

During my personal study some of the things that I have studied are:

1.       Luke 18:22:

·         Am I willing to give up everything and follow Christ?

·         The First Great Commandment by Elder Holland: “It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me…Did you, like they, think that this work could be killed simply by killing me? Did you, like they, think the cross and the nails and the tomb were the end of it all and each could blissfully go back to being whatever you were before? Children, did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than this?”

·         Mosiah 4:26- the only way to eternal life, forgiveness, is service.

·         Mark 12:41-44- Am I willing to cast Him all that I have?

·         Am I willing to follow Him even when following Him is not the norm?

2.       Christ’s premortal performance:

·         He was willing to step up and say “send me.”

·         He knew that He would be the Savior- meaning that He would die.

·         He had knowledge of the importance of free agency.

I have been trying to be better and giving Him everything. I am still learning to trust Him. It is not the “norm” for me to have to rely on other people, especially when I cannot recognize that He is there. It is really tough for me because I am use to carrying everything on my own shoulders. So I forget that I don’t have too. I can allow myself to let Him take over. It is specifically humbling and so I have to allow myself to be humble and say: “okay, I have tried and I have failed and I have tried and I have failed, I need you.” I know that’s what He is here for, to help me, to build me, and allow me to progress. I just have trouble recognizing it. I am learning to recognize how he speaks to and help me in my life. My ears, eyes, and heart are not quite use to listening or looking for Him in my life.

Sincerely,

Sister Diamond Evans

Moroni 8:26

Learning Experience

This past week has been a learning experience for me. On Monday the Centreville zone had a Christmas message and lunch with our Stake President. President Riggs came as well. It was so great. President Hilton read an excerpt from the book “A Touch of Christmas”. It was the part where an old man struggling financially received gifts for his family by an unknown person and then he, a few years later, saved a little child’s life without the family seeing him. He talked to us about as we continue to serve God, do it with an eye single to the glory of God. Not to our credit, to us, but to Him- it’s His work. He said that God chose me to stand in His place (to say, do, and become what He wants). President Riggs asked us where our heart is. He asked if I am “being” the Lord’s will. Have I received? Am I feeling the condescension of God? He talked a lot about the condescension of God. I could go on and on about that phrase.

Tuesday night we found out that we will not be transferred. On Wednesday we had four lessons! It was great. On Thursday the Aquia Sisters (Sister Patten and Sister King) came with us to do service at a member’s home. It was great to be able to talk to Sister Patten and to see how much we have grown in just a month. It was nice to be able to talk to each other and apologize and laugh. I love her so much. I truly have grown so much and now I can notice how much she has helped me.

On Friday we had a tough lesson. We had a lesson with a person that our bishop received revelation that we should teach. He was very abrasive. He said that we were not Christians: we do not think that Christ is the only way to salvation that we need Joseph Smith; therefore, we are not Christians. He did not allow us to talk at all. I wanted to leave and I told my companion that but she did not want too. She is the senior companion. I just left feeling so defeated and so upset. Argh!

On Sunday we had a lesson with Peter, who is on date for baptism on December 29^th. But it went nowhere. We have taught him many times to read from the Book of Mormon every day and pray about his baptismal date and about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He said that he does not feel like he is ready to be baptized because he does not know enough. We have gone over the baptismal interview questions and he has answered each of them appropriately so we told him that he is definitely ready. But he still feels like he is not ready AND he is not praying about his baptismal date. I feel like we are trying to force him to be baptized because of our mission goal of 480 baptisms this month and we are not there yet. I feel like he is no longer a person but a number that we are trying to force to be ready. If He is not praying then there is something that is stopping him from doing it and we still have not figured it out.

On a more spiritual note I am still studying the talk: “Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King” and this week I pondered on:

My testimony of Jesus Christ; What I have seen, felt, and heard that has testified of Christ; my reasons and experiences that testified of Christ; and what has the Spirit witnessed to me of Jesus Christ. It has been really interesting and powerful of recognize and to go through, especially as it is nearing Christmas.

I look at this world and I know that there had to be a supreme creator. This world is too fascinating for there not to be. I could not be created by science along. There is a meaning to this life. I cannot just “exist”; someone must have created me for a specific purpose. The scripture say that God created me and that Christ was born. I know that the scriptures teach of Christ. I believe in the scriptures. So it must have happened. My parents taught me to believe in Christ. They are older and wiser than I am. They have been through more in their life.

I know that Christ loves me and is fully aware of me. I know that I am a child of God. It has been wonderful to continue to realize that.

This Week's Adventures

This week was a super random week. I did not have any really amazing spiritual experiences that are worthwhile to talk about. We did have a lesson with Erica Urena and put her on date for baptism! We brought a member over to the lesson and the both of them really hit it off. We did not know that Erica lived in Japan for eleven years and our member is from Japan. Centreville 2nd Ward is so wonderful at fellowshipping and loving our investigators. On Thursday we had a great lesson with Von (less-active) at the Belyea’s home again. His heart really is softening up and he is not as combative as he usually is. I cannot wait for the day that he is completely changed into the person that Heavenly Father wants him to be. Friday was the Christmas Conference. It was great. The acts were awesome. I really loved “Mary Did You Know” by Elder Stone. He has a fabulous voice.

President Riggs read to us “Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King” and asked that we study it. I am only on the first sentence: “My fellowmen, it matters so very much how we regard and view Jesus Christ….”I asked myself two questions and have been working on it for the past two days.

1) Why does it matter the way we regard and view Jesus Christ:

· Yesterday we had dinner with a three generation less-active family. I saw what happens when one parent doesn’t view Jesus Christ as an important figure. The rest of their posterity “dwindles in unbelief.” It is so sad to see.

· My knowledge of Jesus Christ brings meaning to my life. If I did not think that Christ is my Savior I would not follow Him nor would I find much of a meaning to life. I would just be existing and not living.

· My knowledge of the Savior gives me hope for the future. As I see how this world is quickly becoming more and more vile and immoral, I rely on the strength of Jesus Christ and how he overcame every adversity that ever struck Him. He was triumphant in the end. I know that in the end everything is going to be okay. If I did not have that knowledge, I would be weighed down in this life. I would not have anything to hope for.

2) Who do I regard and view Jesus Christ as:

· The Son of God. He is the only true, literal son of God. The only person in the world that was born of God. He is both Godly and human.

· The Savior of the world. He came and saved everyone from the Fall of Adam and Eve that brought forth physical death (separation of the boy and the Spirit) and spiritual death (separation of us from the presence of God). Because of the Atonement that He did, I am able to be with God again.

· The example that I should live by. He descended from Heaven so that He could show me the way back. He was perfect and lived righteously. He obeyed God “with exactness.” He did nothing for himself. I want to be that person. I want to strive for the rest of my life being like Him.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to see my final baptism in Fredericksburg. Bella Contreras (the daughter of a less-active that we helped to reactivate) got baptized. I started teaching her the discussions which reactivated her parents. It was so wonderful to see an entire family convert. Her father was able to baptize her! Then we went to the Temple Visitor’s Center with Peter, investigator on date in Centreville. The Walter, previous bishop, family took us. It was great! They are so wonderful at fellowshipping and loving our investigators.

Spiritual beginning of this week and crazy last week

This week has been crazy! On Tuesday we had “Trot About Tuesday” in order to save miles this month because there are a lot of events happening that will be out of our zone. So we biked all day. It was so crazy. President Riggs came to our district meeting: no pressure. But it was great. We talked about our purpose as a missionary and some of us got to bear our testimony to each other. It was so wonderful. Because we biked we got to meet a lot of people that we normally would not see. We met a woman name Latina and we got to have a lesson with her. It was so wonderful. On Wednesday we did service at a woman’s home and I got to wrap gifts! It was so much fun. Then we had a lesson with Peter whose baptismal date has been pushed back another week. He is so great but he struggles with a lot of things. It was great to be able to bear our testimonies to him. On Saturday Peter met us at the church’s Christmas Party and then we had a lesson afterwards about his baptism and then we had another lesson with him on Sunday at a member’s home. He has been improving so much. He is willing to give up bad habits to come to know Heavenly Father even more.

On Monday, Elder Packer of the seventy came to our “Half Mission Conference.” I had the opportunity to meet with him before the conference. I got to bear my testimony to him and then he asked me a few questions about my mission. It was so great. Some things that I learned from the conference and will study are:

1.       Heavenly Father puts us in places that we can grow.

2.       Use the tools that God gives us to become like Christ.

3.       If I focus on the end result I get nothing but if I focus on change I get everything.

4.       Charity is expecting the best of everyone.

5.       Focus of the bigger picture: The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

6.       Success is conversion not baptisms.

7.       Testify of Christ’s love, mercy, and Atonement.

8.       Know how to teach Moroni’s Promise.

9.       This work is too important to not do the little things.

10.   Be obedient with the right attitude.

11.   Do not be the same tomorrow as I was today.

12.   Speak the language of the Spirit.

13.   Look to God for answers/ signals.

14.   The credentials to get into the kingdom of God are baptism and temple endowment.

15.   Testimony is what I know and feel, conversion is what I do and become.

16.   I can learn, I can grow, and I can change.

A spiritual experience that I had yesterday: we went to visit a less-active in the ward and give her some goodies that the Relief Society President wanted us to deliver. When we got to the house, Sister Jeppsen felt like there was someone else that we needed to see. We thought about the people that we knew around there. First, we went to Latina (our investigator’s house) but as we got to the house Sister Jeppsen did not feel right (I do not get promptings very often). So we didn’t go. We drove around again and remembered that there was another less-active that the Relief Society wanted us to give Christmas goodies to. So we went to her house. Her daughter and younger son were home. We gave her the goodies and I felt so strongly that I should ask her if she knew that God loved her. She started crying and said that people tell her that but she doesn’t know it for herself. I was able to testify to her that He does and that she can know for herself. It was so wonderful. I have been in her shoes. I have felt like I was the only person that could hold up my family, that I have to take care of everyone and so I neglect to take care of myself. I am so busy praying for others that I forget to pray for me. I get so prideful thinking I have to take care of everyone that I am doing all of this by myself. I forget that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and angels are right there with me, helping me, lifting me. It was such a great experience to be able to tell her that and to help her put her trust in Christ and know that everything is going to be okay. I never realized how strong my testimony of God and his knowledge of us were until then.

A Learning Experience

This week has been a crazy week! I have been in Centreville for a week and a half now. I am getting into the routine of things now. I love Centreville! It is like a mixture of Mount Vernon and Aquia. It is so cool. On Monday we had a lesson with a recent convert at a member’s home. He is from Pakistan. We talked about missionary work. On Tuesday we had a lesson with a Muslim family. They are so kind and so nice. I love them so much. On Wednesday we had a lesson with a family that was referred to us by members in the ward. They are so golden! They want to get baptized and come to church. I am so excited to keep teaching them. On Thursday we had a lesson with a less-active man at a member’s home. The members took over the lesson (which is good because we haven’t been able to get through to him and they were). He has been getting into a lot of anti-Mormon literature and we do not know how to teach him because he talks about things that I do not know about nor care to know about. These members really helped him. The Spirit was so strong in that lesson! We could see his countenance change and for the first time he said that maybe he is wrong. On Saturday we had a crazy lesson with the Muslim family. We had a member come to the lesson and it was so crazy! He said things that he shouldn’t have said. It was so bad. He basically was almost combative against them. But this wonderful family did not get offended at all. One of them even came to church! She stayed for all of the church hours.  

A spiritual experience that I had: On Thursday we had a lesson with a woman named Priscilla. She is 81 years old and is a widow leaving by herself. We asked a member to come with us to a lesson with her. We started talking to her and then started the Restoration lesson. We got to the part about Joseph Smith and recounted his experience in the grove. Afterwards she told us that she knew that it is true and the Book of Mormon is a testament of Jesus Christ! It was so wonderful.

I am also learning about myself and how much I need to work on! I am so grateful to be a missionary because if I had not come on a mission then I would not have seen all of the strengths and weaknesses that I have. I am so happy to partake of the sacrament each week to be forgiven of my sins and be strengthened by the Spirit. I have been studying about the sacrament and Moroni’s Promise this past week and I have learned a lot. It donned on me today that when we partake of the sacrament each week and are repenting. We will be forgiven. This means that we will have the Spirit with us more fully. I don’t know why that didn’t cross my mind before but it is cool. The Spirit will be able to be part of my life more than it has been!

With studying Mormoni’s Promise I have learned what “real intent” means. At first knowledge I always say that it means that you have to be willing to act on whatever answer you receive. Of course, this is true but it goes even more deep.  The foot note to “real intent” lead me to Moroni 7: 9 which then lead me to James 1:6-7 which continued and lead me to James 5:16. Real intent is not only saying that you are going to act on whatever answer you get but it also means that you will pray fervently. You will pour out your heart and soul.