This week has been so incredible! There were several times where we had smail "coincidences" that just let me know that God was there helping us in the work. One of those times was on Saturday when we were doing a street display in the town centre. I approached this young man sitting on a bench named Sean that was just sitting there drinking some soda. He said he had already been approached by a missionary and that he had taken a card but said he didn't have time. I asked him if he had time right now and he said he did. I told him I was a missionary and he said that there couldn't be a God because God wouldn't allow so much evil and suffering in the world. Coincidentally, just that morning i had studied day 10 of the Book of Mormon challenge, which asks "Why does God allow evil and suffering to happen?". I explained that we are given opposition in this life to help us to learn and to grow. He then said that if he were God he would give us challenges to help us learn until we became eventually perfect. That is exactly what the plan of salvation is! I bore my testimony that God has a plan for us and that he loves each one of us. I asked if he wanted to meet and he suggested that we meet the following week in the same place. I know that God provided the right circumstances for me to meet that man and help him understand God's plan for him.
Another amazing thing that happened this week is we were calling by people in this area by our flat when we met this woman. She was walking home so we talked with her while she walked. We got to her house and she had to go inside so we said goodbye. Sister Viteri then said that we should knock on this door that was one of this woman's neighbours. A man opened the door and just said "The Mormons are here!" and invited us in. It turns out that they are members and they thought we knew that before we knocked. Nope! We talked with them for a solid hour or so. They were baptized when they were younger but had since stopped going. We talked with them about why they stopped going and had a good conversation about our relationship with God. We are going to work with the more to help them return to church!
It has been fun to get to know my new companion. She is from Argentina so she has been helping me improve my Spanish (I actually only know about 3 words: hola, adios, and si). She gave me a drink called mate that they have in argentina a lot. I think it must be an acquired taste. She also has a lot of good ideas about improving the work in Stockport that we have been applying over the past week. It always helps to have a new perspective!
Additional from letter to mom: I've been thinking a lot about the power of the mind this week. Last week in zone conference, Elder Moreira spoke about how repentance is changing your beliefs. Literally changing your thoughts to be what the Lord would want you to think. Earlier this week I was very discouraged because Andrea, the woman who was baptized only 2 weeks ago, informed us that she is no longer coming to church. I remember thinking "Why did the Lord lead us to her and help us feel good about baptizing her if this was going to happen?". I let myself think that for a couple of days but then i was reading in in 2 Nephi 2 and in verse 2 it talks about how all things, even our trials, will be for our gain. I decided to change my thoughts about the whole situation and believe that this will work together for my good. Although I still feel sad for her, I truly do believe that all things, even our trials, will work together for our good.
No comments:
Post a Comment