Quite often as people hear the Gospel and desire to repent, there are obstacles and stumbling blocks thrown in their path. I hear from the missionaries all the time about how cars break down on the way to church, someone breaking an arm so they can’t keep their appointments, etc. This brief comment from a missionary telling me about their week seemed to express it quite well.
“It's a bit crazy with illness right now. One of our investigator's daughter is in the hospital with pneumonia, another's girlfriend over dosed on some pills. One member broke her leg very badly skiing and now her father has passed away. Another member is in the hospital recovering from open heart surgery following a heart attack, and another one is hospitalized due to a blood clot in her leg and a bleeding ulcer. That sounds terrible but they all should recover. Opposition in all things I guess.”
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Miracles
My missionaries talk often about miracles. They see the hand of the Lord working among His children such as the following I received in my weekly emails. I fully believe that the greatest miracle we ever see is the changing of a human heart to righteousness.
There was an investigator we met with our ward mission leader 3 weeks ago who had been way interested in our message. When we met back with her she slammed the door and said it was a bad time. That was not the most exciting return appointment for a golden investigator. We continued to call her to no avail. This past Sunday as we were walking we felt that we should knock on a few doors on this street. We found a man who was in need of the gospel. Later we took a member with us to meet with him. The member invited him to come to church and he accepted. As we were doing service at the same apartments where our formerly talked about 'Golden Investigator' lived she was sitting outside. We went over to talk to her. She hung up the phone saying, 'here they are now, the missionaries are here.' Unsure as to what to expect we said hello and she said, ‘you won't believe it’, we asked, ‘what?’ She responded, ‘I am coming to church. You guys are teaching my boyfriend’ This past Sunday they both made it to church.”
There are so many account of things that just “seem to happen,” they cannot be passed off as coincidence. The Lord of the vineyard works right alongside His servants. (Jacob 5:72)
There was an investigator we met with our ward mission leader 3 weeks ago who had been way interested in our message. When we met back with her she slammed the door and said it was a bad time. That was not the most exciting return appointment for a golden investigator. We continued to call her to no avail. This past Sunday as we were walking we felt that we should knock on a few doors on this street. We found a man who was in need of the gospel. Later we took a member with us to meet with him. The member invited him to come to church and he accepted. As we were doing service at the same apartments where our formerly talked about 'Golden Investigator' lived she was sitting outside. We went over to talk to her. She hung up the phone saying, 'here they are now, the missionaries are here.' Unsure as to what to expect we said hello and she said, ‘you won't believe it’, we asked, ‘what?’ She responded, ‘I am coming to church. You guys are teaching my boyfriend’ This past Sunday they both made it to church.”
There are so many account of things that just “seem to happen,” they cannot be passed off as coincidence. The Lord of the vineyard works right alongside His servants. (Jacob 5:72)
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Transfers
Transfers happen every six weeks. Those who have completed their missions go home, new missionaries (we call them "goldens" in this mission, not "greenies") come in. It starts a domino process. I have learned that some will be happy and some will not. Here are two letters I received after the transfer last week:
Missionary #1 "I am so, so ecstatic to get to serve with my companion for another six weeks. And so is the ward! When we told everyone in Relief Society during the “Good News Minute,” everyone cheered! Ha ha, it’s flattering, but not why I wanted to stay. I sincerely and genuinely love this area and all these people. I’ve resolved within myself to make this my best transfer yet."
Missionary #2 "Staying in _____ for another transfer is really going to help me with this. I was hoping to move to another area after my fourth transfer here, but I am reminded of "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" or I'll stay where you want me to stay, DEAR Lord. It's God's will. Not mine. I'm the type where I get antsy after several months, and like change. But that's my will. Not God's."
Missionary #1 "I am so, so ecstatic to get to serve with my companion for another six weeks. And so is the ward! When we told everyone in Relief Society during the “Good News Minute,” everyone cheered! Ha ha, it’s flattering, but not why I wanted to stay. I sincerely and genuinely love this area and all these people. I’ve resolved within myself to make this my best transfer yet."
Missionary #2 "Staying in _____ for another transfer is really going to help me with this. I was hoping to move to another area after my fourth transfer here, but I am reminded of "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" or I'll stay where you want me to stay, DEAR Lord. It's God's will. Not mine. I'm the type where I get antsy after several months, and like change. But that's my will. Not God's."
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