We tracted into Amy Bell Tuesday. What a character. She'd been anti-ed. Many times she brought up that she'd studied and gone to school and knew more than we did. She didn't really give us a chance to talk. I'd try to testify so we could leave, but she'd cut me off and disagree with my testimony. It was very frustrating. She had some firm ideas about how women are oppressed in our church, how the secrecy of temples is bad, and that there is no marriage in heaven because that's oppressive. She urged us to see the light and seek truth. Then she asked if she could pray "over" us. We allowed her to. I guess it made her feel better. She told us her house was always open if we wanted to talk. Too bad she just wants to un-convert us. I was frustrated with the situation. It was the first house we knocked that morning, so we had just prayed for the companionship of the Spirit, and I felt it was with us as we approached her door. But as soon as she started talking, the Spirit left. I tried to invite Him back by testifying, but she wouldn't let me. I left her house not knowing whether my frustration or sorrow was greater. It's really sad to see Satan's hold on people and how blinded they can be.
Then we went to go see Melvin. Oh I just love him. We read the REST pamphlet with him and discussed it. As we read the part about the gospel blessing families, he asked about that since he's just going through a divorce. He wondered if it would bless his family if they were going to a different church. We talked about how coming closer to God brings us closer to our families. As we read about the apostacy, Melvin said he never knew that the apostles were all killed and their authority went with them. It was so great that he then recognized the need for a restoration to bring the authority back. He saw that all the other churches didn't have that authority. At one point, he said "Joseph Smith's a prophet, right?" He's so open and accepting. He mentioned how he really likes being able to track the line of authority back to Jesus Christ. He began to call the church "our church". He said he needs to read and pray more to continue learning the truth. It's always great when people commit themselves or realize on their own what they need to do. It's always more effective that way. We saw him again Friday. He had expressed some difficutly understanding the words in the BOM, so we decided to read 1 Nephi 1-2 with him. As we read, I could see his understanding increasing. More amazing than that, he saw and pointed out the parallel between Lehi's and Joseph Smith's experiences. We encouraged him to read more and that the most important part was the Spirit that he felt when he reads, and that understanding the specifics will come in time the more he reads.
Wednesday Sister Latu came here on an exchange with me. YAY! It was so much fun. We spent almost the whole time tracting, but it was great - I got to learn from her tracting techniques, and we had a lot of time to talk about things on our minds and things we've learned so far. I just love her. She is so passionate and so loving. She's really a great strength to me on my mission. I keep telling Pres. that we're going to serve together some time.
We had a lesson with Paul Wednesday about the BOM and how key it is in finding answers and feeling the Spirit. It was great. The Spirit was intense. Sister Latu is really good at inviting the Spirit and helping others feel it. We had Caroline Bullough from the Noblesville ward with us (she's going to put her papers in next month) and she bore sweet testimony of her experience with the BOM. It was great. Thursday night we had another lesson and Sister Lyon came with us. We watched Between Heaven and Earth about temples and talked a bit more about temple work. Paul was excited to realize that he could go do baptisms for the dead just after he was baptized, rather than having to wait a year. He's so excited to learn how to do the family history work and get his family's names ready for temple work. Oh I just love his enthusiasm about everything!
As Sister Latu and I pondered about what to share with the Suzuki family at our dinner appointment, a thought came to me. I came to realize that in the BOM, King Lamoni's father was a member referral. Had the missionaries gone straight there, they would've been killed. But because the missionaries were introduced to him through King Lamoni, the father's heart was softened and he received the message. So, that's what we decided to share with them. It's amazing how missionary work doesn't change very much over the centuries. :)
Friday we met with Charlotte again. We asked her what she was looking for in a new church, and she talked about feeling the Spirit and how she didn't like all the stomping and yelling and shouting and didn't feel like that was really the Spirit. We talked about the blessing of feeling the Spirit and how we feel it. We shared 2 Nephi 31:12 with her and talked about how the Spirit can be with us always after baptism. As we continued to talk, she continued to skim through the verses. She told us it was a good book and that she was going to keep it with her always. We asked her why, and she said she really liked what she was reading and it made her feel good. Wow. Even though the house was hectic, she felt the Spirit in a few short verses. We extended an invitation to be baptized, but because of the chaos, and her being short on time, she didn't give us an answer. Darn it. We'll get her next time. :) On the way out she told us that she was thinking about us the other day and that she'd missed us. We told her we'd come over any time she wanted and talk with her more. I don't know if she quite knows what she's stumbled upon here, but I have great hopes for her and her family as we continue to meet with them. They're so open, and they do feel the Spirit. It's always nice when they know how to feel and recognize it before we get there.
We also saw Hector Friday. He didn't have much time, and he hadn't read, so we read 1 Nephi 3 with him. I was surprised that he remembered a lot of what happened in the first 2 chapters even though it'd been almost a month since we read it. We asked him if he knew why we wanted him to read it, and he said so that he would know more of what God wants him to do. We invited him to read every day, even if it was just a few verses, so that the Spirit could be with him more. He agreed to do that, and he suggested that he'd read the next 3 chapters before next week. Sweet. We asked him about his aunt who took his first copy of the BOM, and he said she's reading it and she likes it. She's sick with cancer right now, so I'm not sure if she's up to visitors. But we'll try to see if we can go see her and begin teaching her. That'd be awesome.
We met with Paul Koeske again Friday. We began talking about the Plan of Salvation. It wasn't as "magic" as was our other lesson, but it was still good. I love that he discusses things with us. He makes it less of a lecture and more of an equal discussion, though he does give more time to us to teach and explain. I wish all investigators were like that. It's so much more productive when it's clear that we are there to teach, but that discussion is a key element in that teaching. He disagreed about our view of the Fall being necessary, but he was willing to lay that aside and look at the larger picture rather than getting hung up on that aspect. We talked a lot about agency and how that affects God's will being accomplished, and how it allows for growth. He is so sincere, I love it. He's learned a lot of truths from the Spirit. He told us he was reading in the BOM and praying about it. I don't think he's quite ready to take a leap of faith and accept it all, but he's so open to learning and trying to understand. We left off talking about how the BOM teaches us more about the gospel and how it proves that there are prophets today. He said he had an issue with that, but wants to pick that topic up next time. He's so willing to learn! He's so open to hearing our views and putting it to the test. I just love meeting with him. It must be something about the name "Paul". :) He's not quite as golden as Paul Hodge, but he's still pretty awesome.
Saturday we got to volunteer at the special olympics. We kept score, handed out awards, and cheered them on in their softball games. It was so fun. For a moment, I felt like a normal person again - minus the fact that I was still in a skirt. :)
Yesterday was stake conference. Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. of the 70 was here. He's here for a mission tour, so we have zone conference with him tomorrow. He's really neat. The meeting was really good. Paul Hodge and Melvin were both there. I don't have my notes with me, so I can't remember exactly what I learned from it, but I do recall somone emphasizing to trust in the Lord and He will bless us. I know, it sounds pretty generic, but it's what I needed to hear that day.
Well, I'm off to go have an American Gladiators style Nerf dart war. :) It was so much fun last week!
sister smurf
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