Monday, February 27, 2012

01-16-2012

So many great stories this week.

Started off with zone conference, amazing. Talked about how we better
never judge a person by the cover or doubt because of the way they
look or what they are doing that they can change. We also talked a lot
about if who ever we are teaching isn't progressing or keeping
commitments then we have to have the faith to set them aside into the
Lord's hands so He can work with them a little more and prepare them
the way He needs to so they will be ready.
We set a new goal to find a new family to teach everyday, cause they
say 1/10 families will be baptized that we teach. So WE HAVE BEEN
SEARCHING. But it's good, this week we like cleaned house with
investigators and really thought and prayed about who was progressing
and not then we knocked doors hard core to find new families.
A couple great, funny and touching things happened this week. We are
knocking doors in this apartment complex and they are 4 really close
doors that are all facing each other. While we were knocking on the
first doors these two little girls started giggling behind us and just
sat on the ground right by us. So after the person closed the door we
waved then went to the next door and they did the same thing. They
followed us like that for a couple of doors. Then, we went to the next
little set of door and we knocked the first one, then turned around
and they were knocking on ALL the doors at the same time. We just
looked at each other and were praying the doors wouldn't open, and
none of them did. So we pretended to leave and said bye to the girls,
then we went to the next set and after we knocked the first door they
ran around the corner and knocked ALL of them again. One lady opened
so we walked over to her door and started talking to her, then like 30
seconds later ALL the doors opened at the same time. One lady looked
out and was super mad and slammed the door. They other door was a
little girl and the next one was another lady that was mad. Holy cow
we though. We ended up re knocking the doors and talking to them and
they we all SO rude. One lady was like I don't want nothing to do with
the Mormon church cause they are all two faced like my mother in law
and ex husband. That made me super sad.
Then one night we were riding our bikes home and there were these two
guys in front of us and I got a super sick feeling, it was so weird.
So we just went on the grass around them then they yelled, hey, are
you guys missionaries.... so my companion stopped, then I turned
around and he was like I'm just wondering if you have a doctrine and
covenants. I said I only had one in Spanish, but he was like I'll take
it. Then, he was like, do you know where Jo Smith comes from, New
York, in the witch triangle with the spirit knockers... he was going
on and on. He was like I read the book of Mormon before and I was just
laughing so hard hearing all those stories about Joseph Smith (he
obviously didn't read it). Then he was like, you know you guys should
try reading the Muslim bible, cause my grandma is Mormon but I just
think you guys don't know any other religions that's why your Mormon.
Then he continued to say how when he finally decided to stop doing
heroine and meth he said to God "Who am I to you" then God said back,
"You're my son." I told him that was really good cause he is God's
son. Then he said, and that temple place you guys have, it's all good
and stuff until you go in the secret room I had a dream about.... He
said, the secret room is a huge casino where everybody goes and
gambles. By this point in the conversation he had pulled out a little
something something from his pocket, rolled it up and smoked it up
right in front of us. We were like well, we gotta go but if you want a
d&c go to temple square. Then he said, oh they already kicked me out
of there. Great. Great uplifting conversation for sure.
BUT we have had some amazing experiences. Like last night. We were
riding our bikes to an appointment and we passed this guy walking on
the sidewalk. I got the strongest impression to talk to him... but I
kept riding cause I was already sort of past him. I was just praying
for another chance to talk to him. So I jumped off my bike and put it
on a pole and my comp was like what are you doing, I was like we gotta
go talk to that guy. She started to lock the bikes and I was like no,
we don't have time. So we ran over out of the alley we were in and he
had already walked by. So we just yelled to him, Buenas noches! He
turned around and was like what the heck? But then we just started
walking with him, and asking him about who God was to him. He was
like, I know I'm God's son, but I am really far away from Him right
now. And it's impossible to change my life, I came here from Mexico
and had a job, but now there are now jobs so all I can do for money is
sell drugs. I walk down the street and people know who I am and need
their drugs. I hate what I'm doing, it makes me feel so bad that I am
giving these people the drugs that are killing them but I don't have
any other choice, I have to eat and I've tried being homeless and
asking for money but you can't do that in the winter time. It's just
impossible for me to change my life, even though I know what I'm doing
is like the worst thing I can do. He proceeded to take off his
backpack and show us all his goods inside. His name was Carlos. So I
just wrote my testimony of the atonement in the front of a book of
Mormon to him and told him, I know you think you can't change your
life and there is no way out, but if you read this book I promise you
will you find a way out and God will open another door for you. It was
so crazy cause lots of people we've talked to just have the darkest
scummy eyes, but his weren't dark, they were just lost. I don't know
how to explain it. He looked at the book for a long time and said, you
know the missionaries have passed by my house a lot but have never
stopped and talked to me. But I like to read, so I will for sure read
this book. We left and went to our appointment. All day we didn't have
the cell phone with us cause the other sisters had it, we get home and
they were like, okay, who the heck is Carlos? He called and left a
message that said, Hey missionaries, it's Carlos calling, I just
wanted to thank you for our conversation tonight and stopping to talk
to me. It really gave me a lot of hope and made me feel really good.
It was just amazing, cause who knows, maybe Carlos won't be baptized
next month but maybe he will. Maybe he will keep selling drugs or
maybe he will be an Alma the Younger and completely change his life
around. I don't know majority of the outcomes of the people we talk
to, but I do know that everywhere we go we are guided. If we are close
to the spirit we will be where we need to be to touch the lives of
those who are around us. Probably one of my favorite experiences thus
far.
Then our dear sweet lady Beverly we are teaching from Honduras. She is
a single mom and really really wants to get baptized, she even said,
sisters, I know it's my time. You guys knocked on my door a while ago
and I was rude to you and didn't even want to talk. But as soon as I
shut the door I knew you were sent from God and I knew it was my time
to change my life. But she doesn't want to get baptized with out her 2
sons who are 11 and 13. The only problem is that they are never there
in the lessons! They are always running around, jumping all over,
starting fires with their library cards (like they did last night).
Anyway, we were like Beverly can we ask your sons what they want and
if they want anything to do with the church? So we sat them down and
were like so what do you guys think about church they said they liked
it. But the younger one was like, but I don't want to be baptized till
I'm 20, we asked why and he was like I don't know cause I'll just be
older.... Then we found out he was scared to get baptized cause he
thought we did it in church during sacrament meeting while everyone
was watching! We told him he could have as few people there as he
wanted. Then we asked them the baptismal questions and they knew
every single answer. They were whipping out all these bible stories,
and said that the word of wisdom is no drugs, smoking, coffee and
beer. They knew EVERYTHING. We were so surprised cause we were pretty
sure they have never paid attention! Anyway, then he was like, well if
I can have who every I want then I want to be baptized this Monday.
Then his brother was like and I want to be baptized Tuesday so I can
miss school! Then we talked them into being baptized on Saturday with
their mom and they said okay. She is so precious cause she told them
how they can serve missions and have the priesthood so that when she's
sick they can give her blessings. Wow, the spirit was so strong. She
even had a dream about the tree of life, not sure if I talked about
that last week, but she was asking us about what her dream meant and I
showed her a picture of the tree of life and she just smiled huge and
was like yeah, that was my dream!!! Crazy. Miracles of the Lord are
everywhere.
We also found this other guy Antonio washing his car. We went back
another day and were talking to him about the church and he was like
you know, on Jesus's birthday when we pray to the virgin Guadalupe I
hate it. I hate praying to her. I want to change my life, I'm sick of
living the way I do, but I know if I pray to her my life is not going
to change. It was amazing to hear how he has been prepared by the
Lord.
There is always so much more to say and so little time!! But I do want
to say, remember how you sent me those clothes. PERFECT TIMING. Sister
Winn dropped is off late Friday night and Saturday morning an Elder
called and was like hey sisters I am just wondering if you have any
extra clothes cause a family called us last night that just got out of
the homeless shelter and they really want to go to church and be
taught the gospel but don't have any clothes. So I gave the clothes to
them. It was the most perfect timing in the world. Thank you so much
for the letters as well. It was delightful. I will try my very very
very best today to write all of you back but writing letters is
seriously so hard and so little time! I will write you soon though.
I just want you all to know that I love you dearly. The gospel is
true, don't ever be afraid to share it! But most important to show the
example of Jesus Christ by the way we live and by the way we show our
non judgemental love to everybody. Cause the gospel can change anyone,
where ever they are, only if they have the desire to change. As soon
as someone and anyone decides to turn to God he comes running to save
their soul.

That's all I got for today. The snow is great. I love you all!!

Love Sister Marshall

No comments:

Post a Comment