Family History is the Key
I can't even begin to explain this week. It was truly amazing. Not every minute or day, but the experiences we have had could hold me for transfers. I have had the opportunity to see so many miracles this week as we use the doctrine of family history to bless the lives of others.
Monday: "Respond to Promptings for Blessings" This was Pday, which was all fine and dandy. That night, we visited Ermilisa though and she was struggling with her addiction to smoking. You can't be baptized if you don't live the word of wisdom, and she knows this. I felt prompted from the moment I sat on her couch that we needed to ask the elders to give her a blessing of health. I eventually acted on that and it changed everything. She has been so much better since then and really understands the priesthood now. I am so grateful for the priesthood, the authority of God, and the blessings we receive through it.
Tuesday: "Family History Part One" We took one of my favorite (not that I have favorites :) older members out to lessons with us. Sister Roswold is so great and super sassy. I love that because I love to be sassy right back. For some reason members like that down here? Fine by me! Anyways, we took her to Ermilisa and then to another investigator who is about 70 something. We felt impressed to share with this women the doctrine of family history. Our mission has basically created a whole discussion on this subject with our own pamphlet and everything. During the discussion Sister Wood felt the impression to say that the reason they were led to her was because her husband wants to be with her forever and he knows that can only happen through temples and the priesthood. That was powerful. This women got emotional about her husband minutes later and didn't recognize why. I can't wait to go back.
Wednesday: "An Ermilisa Kind of Day" We spent a LOT of time over there. More than we should of. But, we did service for her, had a lesson, did some of her family history, it was great. We also weren't going to see her for a good while anyways. We shared family history with her too, and she is just so excited to go to the temple to do baptisms. I wish so badly we could go with her. She still thinks she can take us with her on a road trip to Birmingham... sad day.
Thursday: "It's All About God's Love" We shared a lesson with our eternigator, Dianna Roberts. She is so cool. Like in every way. She still wears pants to church though...awkward. But, I led a lesson (can you believe that?) on the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Somehow, it ended up being super central on God's love. I think that is just how I interpret that lesson. The whole restoration is a sign and example of how much He loves us. She even at the end was like "that was a really good lesson" (as any eternigator should know. (I was one, it's fine)). Later that night, we went to a less active women's home, Sister Robertson. She said she really connected with us over other missionaries. I know it is because of how much love we feel Heavenly Father has for her. And that is what we talked about with her. Everything we end up saying in her home just feels so inspired and right. She even said she would come to Ermilisa's baptism and the ward social we inspired to occur.
Friday: "Coordination Day" I feel like we did a lot of planning and coordinating this day. We had ward coordination, which was super handy. Our bishopric felt inspired to reassign home and visiting teaching to benefit our less active members. That was definitely inspiration. We planned the rest of our weekly planning (we never finish on Thursday anymore). Then we planned a lesson to teach and invited a member who was recently reactivated. We also went to the bishop's house and talked with his family about missionary work and whatnot. Good day.
Saturday: "One Good Thing is All It Takes" Here's the whammy. I am just going to copy and paste what I told my mission president. On Saturday, October 17th, 2015 we visited a less active women, Sister Knight, who we usually visit once a week. Generally our lessons with her are not as productive as we would like them to be. This time, we prayerfully found an approach that would help us stay in control of the lesson. We discussed the restoration with her using the pamphlet and going on the spirit to find scriptures to discuss. At the end, she somehow started talking about her first husband and her children. She mentioned how she had already had a child when she married him and how he took that child in as his own. This husband was murdered later and all of the children they raised together were dead now. As she was talking about this, I began to have thoughts about how she still wore her wedding ring and talked about her husband. She must really love him still I thought. I wonder if she has ever thought about going to the temple and being sealed with him. Then I figured that we had shared that so many times this week and that maybe my mind was just trying to justify a personal opportunity to say something profound like Sister Wood already has twice this week. But, the Spirit would not stop letting me think about it, so I asked Sister Knight if she still loved that husband. She said yes, and before she could continue, words just started flying out of me. I (or more properly, the Spirit) told her that her husband was waiting for her to be sealed to him for eternity and that he really loved her. I also said that he has been cheering her on through all the hard trials she has been going through just as he had in this life. She just stared deep into my eyes. I could feel his love for her so strongly in that moment. She knew it was true and started crying. How could I know to say that she said. My answer seemed obvious, it was the Spirit. We began to tell her that we can and will help her to get to the temple to be sealed with him for time and eternity. That was a real game changer for her. She is now motivated more than ever to come to church and prepare to enter the temple.
I know that it is because I finally learned to act on a prompting no matter how hard it may be to bud in that the Lord trusted me with that sacred message. I am so grateful for such a powerful and spiritual opportunity.
Sunday: "I'm Proud of You" So, we totally made it sound like President was not coming to our sacrament meeting, which our elders happened to be speaking in. Their faces when he walked in were priceless. They gave great talks though, so it was fine. Afterwards, president asked if he could just interview us then instead of on Tuesday. I am so glad he did. We each got about half an hour (double the normal). I needed that interview. He said that Sister Wood and I are the finest missionaries in the mission. I couldn't believe it, but I needed to hear it. We work so hard and get so critical of ourselves, but we do everything we are supposed to. He thought our planners were the most gorgeous things haha. I got to role play with him the family history lesson. That was intimidating, but the spirit helped me and he felt it. I can't count the times he said I am proud of you. When he asked how long I had been out, I obviously said 6 weeks and he was blown away. I don't want to say this boasting, just to emphasize how badly I needed to hear these things. I know that I am in the right mission at the right time, called to serve who I need to and with the right people. On Tuesday we will be teaching with Sister Smith, president's wife, and going to dinner with them and the elders afterwards. I am so excited!
Overall, this week has been powerful. I am really adjusting and I hope that I get the opportunity to train soon. I just want to help every missionary I can to experience the joy I have felt. Thank you all for your love and support. I hope all is well in your homes. I think about you all often.
