3 September 2013

Letter #3

Date: September 3, 2013, 10:44:11 AM MDT

Hey family! 

It has been another GREAT week!!!! It didn't start off with the same bang as last week, but we have done so much good here I feel, and have had some AMAZING miracles!

Our Bishop is working so hard to set a good example of missionary work for our ward. He invited us over for dinner and his daughter invited a friend, who wanted to know whether or not God was there and listening to our prayers.  She wants to believe it, but some rough experiences have made her doubt it.  It’s often hard for people to understand how God can allow bad things to happen to good people.  I’m sure philosophers and simple peasants have pondered this subject throughout the ages.   But how else would we learn compassion, patience, self-discipline, wisdom, and other Christlike attributes?  I know our Father in Heaven loves all of his children.  If all the people he loves were spared hardships, there wouldn’t be ANY!  But whom would we serve if no one ever experienced grief our trouble?  So many of our challenges come because of our freedom to choose between right and wrong.  And the growth that comes through freedom to CHOOSE is one of the reasons we’re here.  God loves us enough to allow growth through choices and consequences.  Freedom to choose brings collateral damage, which is heart-wrenching.  But ironically, those tough times often introduce people to God and bring new heights of joy.  I am constantly reminded that, while life is good, we are not in Heaven quite yet.  J  I hope this young woman will heal from past hurts and begin praying again.

We had a family home evening with an inactive family and we watched the Restoration video. That has been a GREAT tool for inviting the spirit when we've met with less actives church members! I LOVE that video and I LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ!   How blessed we are in our day to again have it in its entirety.  How are we so lucky to know about that!?!? Brother XXX has a hard time trusting God and making spiritual commitments, but I'm pretty sure I saw him crying during the film, before he left the room.  Maybe we can break through this wall and help him be happier.  His son XXXX and his wife both committed to come to church next Sunday! And we're meeting with them again on Thursday just to keep up their progress!

We met with a new investigator, XXXX, whom we contacted last week completely be accident.  We were trying to find someone else, and then just started knocking on doors. He has no teeth! He is a completely DARLING person, who's been through a lot.  I'm realizing that so many people around here have been through SO MUCH. During the first lesson, we were kind of wondering if we could get him to FOCUS, he likes to talk about all KINDS of things. But the next time we saw him, he had changed SO MUCH! I think it is due to prayer, and he's been reading the Book of Mormon. He LOVED the “plan of salvation” lesson, and he told us he really believes this could be true! But he wants to KNOW, and continue to study. He said that when he met us he was smoking 40 cigarettes a day. But since meeting us, he has gone to 4-5 a day, without us even having to talk to him about the Word of Wisdom (counsel given through modern prophets to safeguard our physical, emotional, and spiritual health by doing specific things). The Spirit just told him that he needed to quit smoking, so he has started! He says that when he prays and thinks about the Book of Mormon he feels a comforting inner peace—like a voice whispering truth. He has never felt that before, but he likes it!!!  We're so happy with his progress.  Please pray for him to quit smoking and to be willing to set a baptismal date. He seems to be afraid of committing and letting us/God/himself down. He was also stressing out and trying to MEMORIZE the scriptures, because for some reason he seemed to think that the baptismal interview would be a quiz of some kind! To reassure him, we went over the baptismal interview questions, so he can see that it's really not like that. He said he'll come to church on Sunday. Pray that he actually will!

We have a family we’re meeting with who believe that they don't need to go to church, even though they are members of it.  They believe that they can somehow stay spiritually strong without reading the scriptures, praying, or attending church—just leaning on old spiritual experiences.  We are trying to help them see what a gift it is to take the sacrament during our worship service, renew our covenants with God, and be just as clean as the day we were baptized.   To join together with others and discuss how to succeed in applying gospel principles to daily problems.  To study prophetic counsel on strengthening and safeguarding families.  To have opportunities to help and serve other people who need us. 

We have had so many sisters come out with us to appointments, including a girl Sarah's age who is putting in her mission papers. The support from church members here has been so great!

On Friday we went out walking and knocking on doors because we had reached our mile allowance for our car. We had little success, which was discouraging. But we kept going, and we found a lady who talked to US for an hour and a half on her porch. Seriously, we only shared one scripture and spent the rest of the time listening. But she mentioned that she couldn't move around very well, and she needed help cleaning, so we volunteered to help her the next day. We got there, and found out that her husband was off work, and he works at the grocery store near us, and BOTH of us had really wanted to talk to him about the gospel. While we cleaned their kitchen, which included a sink full of dishes that had not had attention for many days, we taught them about the restoration of the fullness of the gospel, and gave them both copies of the Book of Mormon.  Opposition hit them SO fast, because she called me and told me that they'd decided not to read it, because they were comfortable with what God had already given them. I couldn't think of anything to do except tell them how I’d come to know it is true and encourage them not to shrug away a blessing God wanted to give them. We're seeing them again tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes. Their names are XXXXXXX and XXXXX. Pray for them!   Isn’t it funny that people are reluctant to receive more blessings form God than they already have?!  Some people are happy with just the Old Testament.  Love THAT, but won’t consider the possibility that the New Testament is also true.  It’s the same with the Book of Mormon, from another tribe of Israel in another hemisphere.  I can’t believe what I would be missing without studying the Book of Mormon and Bible together.  (!!!)  And throughout history, it has always been easier for people to believe in dead prophets than living ones.  We are so blessed to live in a time when God is speaking through a living prophet.  We have many problems specific to our time that need addressing, and God still loves us!  (Pornography and the breakup of the family are just two examples of things people in Biblical times didn’t struggle with as much.)  God never changes.  He has had a pattern from the time of Adam of speaking to our current problems and providing direct guidance.  Sometimes we won’t listen!  But we are so blessed when we do.  It takes courage to test new information, I guess.  But I love God’s promises to answer our questions personally and directly.  He knows what is true, and is happy to give his stamp of approval to things we study and pray about.

We saw XXX, and his wife XXXX, and I don't think he's as atheist as he pretends. He and she both accepted a Book of Mormon and said they would read and pray about it. Would an atheist agree to pray with no argument?  It appears that while it’s difficult for him to believe in God, he WANTS to.  We're seeing them again this week! Pray for them!

I've had 3 more opportunities to teach in Spanish this week, briefly. We have gotten into the habit of carrying Spanish copies of the Book of Mormon around with us! It's so neat to be able to use it a little!  We always refer them to the Spanish missionaries though, so they can be taught more completely.

One less active church member we’ve been visiting, XXXXXXXX, came to church with us on Sunday! And in Relief Society she shared her testimony and said it was so good to be back, and publicly thanked us for helping her get here. She came out to appointments with us yesterday too! We're so happy!

There were actually several people who shared experiences relating to us on Sunday during testimony meeting, including other women from church who’ve gone out with us. It was nice to get some positive feedback! They feel like we’re making a difference, and that made us happy.  :)   

We had an AMAZING experience on Sunday evening. The ward missionary, Sister White, had been praying for a missionary experience and an opportunity to refer someone for us to teach. When she was in the store, a couple stopped her and asked her why she was so happy. They said they could see her glowing. She quickly made a friendship with them, and told them about the church. She and her husband have been fellowshipping them, and they felt comfortable enough to have us over. It was AMAZING. They said they could see light coming from us, and they wanted to know why. We told them about the restoration of the gospel, the Book of Mormon, and modern prophets.  They really loved it! The wife, XXXX, was crying throughout, and couldn't explain why. They both said they felt really good about this. And when we had the husband, XXX, pray, the spirit was SO strong, and he said he had never prayed like that or felt like that before. He sat back, looking amazed, and said "Wow. I understand prayer now. Thank you SO MUCH." It was incredible. And before we even invited them, they wanted to come to church on Sunday. AND they both ordered large-print triple combinations. :) :) :) We're teaching them again tonight!!!

We keep having great experiences where we contact someone in the parking lot or in the gas station, and find out that they are on our list of inactive church members to visit. Coincidence? I think NOT! My testimony that God really knows all of us and loves us has been strengthened SO much, and I really feel it when we are being led. I love it when Sister Zarbock expresses an idea to do something, and I’ve simultaneously just had the same idea! The spirit is amazing!! For example, last night we had an hour left and our appointment had cancelled. We didn't know what to do. But then both of us had the idea to go see XXX (last week’s letter). We went to his street, but we never made it to his house, because we met 3 different people on the sidewalk on the way there, and taught them and made return appointments! So NEAT!

XXX just had a death in the family, and has been SO hard to get a hold of.  Pray that we will know how to help her, please! She is SO great, and she has loved everything so far. She definitely needs the strengthening influence of the gospel in her life right now. 

As for myself, I'm doing great!!! Missionary work is EXHAUSTING, but I love it!!! It is such a joy to see the Spirit working on and through other people. I have been developing so much love for these people, and I really want them to have the blessings of the gospel in their lives! I love being here, and I'm becoming more bold and courageous every day! Keep praying for that, though. I hope all of you are doing well! I miss you, and I love you, and I love hearing from you!

Grandmother & Grandfather: Richard's Farewell mission farewell sounded so fun! I'm sad I missed it, but I'll be there for his homecoming. I will see the XXXXXs tonight, so I will print this off and show it to them!   And I love Sister Zarbock. John is her father. We make a great team, and we've been working really hard!! I love and miss both of you!!!

Dad: You're selling the Missouri house? Sad! But I hope if it's right then everything will go well! You're right, it brings me a lot of joy to see the gospel work in people’s lives. Swiss Days 5K and boating sounded so fun!  And I'm so glad that you had such a good experience inviting that woman to meet the missionaries!  I hope she continues to study with them, and that it makes her happy.  I've been praying for that for you all at home. Way to go!  Thanks for the pictures (I love them) and the prayers!

Mom:   Yes, our complex has a gym, so I've been getting a really good workout every day! I figured if God has us set aside the time to exercise, I should do it as well as I can. :) I loved that list you sent me!! It made me really happy!  Please keep on posting my blog.  I don’t have time to write to everyone I’d like to, but it will let them know what I’m up to.   Thanks for keeping the posts sensitive. :)  I would love if you would mail AND email your letters.  I want to have your words to look at  during the week!   With email, it's all I can do almost to read people’s letters and reply in time, so I want to have your advice and your stories and everything close at hand, does that make sense?

Sarah: You cleaned the fridge and your room in the same week? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?  Haha! Just kidding. :) Check your inbox!

Emily: I started writing in the journal you gave me yesterday.  Thank you for that! Check Sarah’s inbox for your letter!

Hannah: Check Sarah's inbox for your letter!

Ryan: You are a pro for mowing Grandpa Miner's lawn! I miss you bud!

Carter: Mom says you have been especially great at praying for me out here and for my investigators. Thank you so much! How is school?

Ethan: Sounds like you caught some awesome air boating the other day! Sounds so fun!  I love you!

Chloe: How is school? You were so brave boating!

Abby: Are you liking kindergarten?

Well, I’m completely out of time!!!!!   I love all of you!

Love, Elizabeth