This week has been a very interesting week. On Monday we had a lesson with Ken. He dropped us. He said that he wants all of this but he doesn’t want to do the things that will allow him to progress in his knowledge. He is not willing to pray, read the scriptures, meet with us, or come to church. He wants to take things slowly. We told him that it is through doing those things that he can know that there is a God and He loves us. But he is not willing to do those things. It was so sad. Because it was New Year’s Eve and we do not proselyte we spent the evening with our zone. We watched Brave and played games and some of us went out to Apple Bee’s for dinner. It was so fun. I got to hang out with Sister Anderson!
On Tuesday we had a great District Meeting about the Book of Mormon and watched Elder Holland’s talk on the subject. It was wonderful and then we tried to find scriptures in the Book of Mormon that answers many questions of the soul. It was fun. We had a wonderful lesson with a less-active, Von, whom we have been teaching. It was so wonderful. He opened up to us that he worries that he will be a hypocrite if he comes back to church. He doesn’t want to come back if he doesn’t know everything. He wants to have knowledge, not just faith in Christ.
On Wednesday we had a lesson with Priscilla. She knitted us a scarf. Mine is red. It is very diva-like. However, she told us that she has no intentions of being baptized. She has already been baptized and feels that the person that baptized her had the authority. We read so many scriptures about it but it just wasn’t going anywhere. We had a lesson with Luis, a recent convert, at Tuitti Fruitti, an ice cream/ yogurt place. Brother Elliott came with us. It was so amazing. Luis really needed Brother Elliott. Brother Elliott was able to bear testimony of the things that Luis is struggling with.
On Thursday we did service for and had a lesson with Mary Rose. It was great. She has a 24-hour caretaker named Victoria who has met with missionaries and gone to church! We then had a lesson with Peter about the Priesthood Authority, tithing, and Restoration.
On Friday I woke-up with a horrible cold and headache. I could barely breathe I was so congested. I took a nap but it didn’t get any better as the day progressed. We went to a Japanese Restaurant with the Nanto’s and we invited Erica (who dropped us). I tried Sushi and Wasabi for the first time. It tasted pretty good. None of our lessons panned out, no one was home.
Saturday we had a lesson in French! Good thing I took three semesters of French so I could understand some of it. Brother Garfield came with us to teach Charles (who is roommates with Terrance). It was fun to have the lesson in Charles native tongue (he is from the Congo and has been in the states for only 2 months). Later on we did splits with Sister Garfield and Sister Heiner. I went with Sister Garfield and had a wonderful experience. The lesson that we were supposed to have fell through. As we were going to the car to do the back up, I had a distinct feeling that we shouldn’t do it. I told Sister Garfield and she asked me if we could go to another member’s home. The member was a family that we were going to start the member revelation question with on Friday but wasn’t home. So I said sure as long as I can ask the question. We went over and they were all home (unusual because there are four teenagers who all have sports or something going on and are NEVER home). Sister Garfield told them the reason that she came over (to let one of the sons know that he is now in her Sunday school class) and it turned into a spiritual moment. She talked about how the new curriculum is like Preach My Gospel and is preparing the youth to go on missions. Sister Egber’s said somberly that she would love for her children to go on missions. Sister Garfield asked the son: “how has reading the scriptures helped you to know that there is a God”? He said that he didn’t know and his mother got to bear her testimony to him. It was so amazing. As Sister Garfield and I got into the car to leave Sister Garfield cried and confided in me that Brother Egber’s is not active at all and he only got baptized because he had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time. She is worried that the children will become less-active once the graduate high school and go on to college. It was wonderful. Sister Jeppsen had her own miracles as well. Then we had a lesson with Ben (a farmer that we have to teach very, very simply). He asked very deep and great questions such as: how are the people who hold the priesthood authorized to hold the priesthood, how was Salt Lake City, Utah chosen to be the headquarters of the church, etc. It was a learning experience for us as well.
On Sunday we had a lesson with Arnold, a recent convert, about the Word of Wisdom which he is struggling with. Church was so good. It was just what I needed. We then had a lesson with the Payne’s who asked us to come over weekly and teach them. They wanted to talk about “How to Be” the theme of this new year. It was perfect because General Conference, Elder Packer of the Seventy, President Riggs, and President Hilton- Stake President all have been talking about how we can “become.” We were able to bear testimony of that. All of our appointments feel through again but we were able to do some member work and we got a referral.
Spiritual Insights for the week:
From Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King:
· The Atonement was avoidable:
1. He did not have to die if He didn’t want to.
2. He could have denied being the son of God.
3. He could have drunk the vinegar and gall/ myrrh to numb the pain.
4. He could have not prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
5. Most of all He could have not spoken up in the Grand Council and let Satan come.
6. But I am grateful that He did, so I can become.
· Drink from our tiny cups:
1. It could be talking about sacrament where we remember the Atonement that Christ performed.
2. Or the sacrifices that we make each day through forsaking our sins and turning our will over to God.
3. Christ gave himself for me.
4. I must repent each week because I am not perfect.
· Prayer:
1. Sometimes I forget that my prayers for the things that I want may not be the best for me.
2. God knows me and He knows what I need. He knows what will make me happy in the long run.
· Program of Progress- Repentance:
1. Christ was perfect; therefore, He never had to repent.
2. Only way to progression is repentance because we are all unclean.
3. To repent is to change our mind about yourself, God, and the world
4. To recognize who God is, who we are, and what the world is.
5. It is through repentance that we can become better.
6. Give our will over to God and let go of sin.
7. It is humbling to say that I cannot do this anymore. I need your help. I give up. Please help me.
8. Christ sacrificed Himself so that I can be the person that God wants me to be.
Mission Statement (Goal for 2013) - I AM Doctrine and Covenants 121:46-46; I DO Doctrine and Covenants 123:11-17; BECAUSE Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21
I am:
· Full of charity
· Faithful
· Virtuous
· Confident
· Receiving support from on High
· Not alone
I do:
· Know the rising generation
· Work had
· Keep the mission rules, even the small ones
· All things that lie in my power and
· I do them cheerfully
Because:
· God is bound by rules
· Blessings come
· Obedience to rules brings blessings
Love,
Sister Diamond Evans
Mosiah 4:27
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