Toledo endured a pretty big snow storm. It began early Sunday while we were having ward correlation. We now get to be at the church at 7:00 AM so we can meet with the ward mission leader before PEC at 7:30. By the time we left PEC there was a good layer of snow everywhere and not a snowplow in sight. We all stood at the doors and waited as people one by one trudged through the snow into the church. We did our best to keep the steps clear but the snow kept piling up. We had to postpone church till 9:15 since noone had really arrived yet, but by then we had a good turnout. We (all of the missionaries in our ward) were worried that our investigators wouldn't make it in the snow but we didn't have a bad turnout.
Our surprise was when Brian Patterson walked up to the door. He's a member but hasn't been to church since before he was 12 (he's 38 now) but he fit right in, suit and all. All of Priesthood leaders were gathered around with us at the back doors and everyone was asking who that was. Nobody knew and then we saw him and got excited. He walked in, brushed the snow off his feet and said, "it's just been too long." He loved it and will be back next week. It's neat how it's just as exciting to see someone come back that hasn't been in a long time as it is to see a non-member come for their first visit.
This week we've also been able to teach a few of the active families in the ward. We developed a lesson helping them do missionary work that we adapted from the teachings in Preach My Gospel. It's been a neat opportunity to get them excited and have some goals to work towards.
After District Meeting this week I talked with our Zone Leader about how we could obtain more referrals. I've kindof lost faith in obtaining them because everybody always says… "I've already asked everyone and they've all said no." I've now got lots more motivation to keep at it and better ways to do it because it really is the most effective way to find people to be strong members of the church. I see the success coming already.
Yesterday I went on Exchanges with the other sisters in our district. I went to the Holland/Maumee area and taught with Sister Willes. We had a neat experience teaching a woman named Alicia. She is the sister of Angie--someone else they are teaching as well. They have been teaching for less than a week and when they met her she wanted to know what was making Angie so happy but didn't really have a desire to change some of her habits (smoking, coffee, etc.) that her sister had. They had taught her the plan of salvation and left a booklet for her to read. We went back the next day planning to read 2 Nephi 2 to review it with her. When we got there she said, "I know we were going to read 2 Nephi 2, but…I already read it. I have some questions." She proceeded to ask amazing questions and said she also read the pamphlet they had left 4 times. As we discussed she shared that she had no more desire to do anything bad and pretty much changed her whole attitude about everything. She said as she smoked she didn't even want to. Instead of watching her favorite TV show with her husband she made him turn it off and listen to the things she was learning. She was so surprised that even her desires had changed since she had been reading the scriptures and learning about the gospel. We shared Mosiah 5:2 with her an explained how the spirit changes our desire so that we won't even want to do evil anymore. It was so neat to see the change in her even after only a few days.
I'm constantly amazed how the basic teachings of the gospel can make such a big difference in people's lives. It truly is a message of happiness—the way to be cut free from the things of the world that bind us down. I love being able to see the difference that comes from living the gospel. My mom included my favorite scripture in her letter this week of a talk she wrote—Mosiah 2:41. It summarizes clearly the blessings that come from living the teachings of Christ-both temporally and spiritually We each have a divine spirit that knows what we must do to attain true happiness. As children of God, we cannot do otherwise and be happy.
I know that this church is Christ's church and we have His gospel to lead us to attain that happiness. Study the scriptures, feast on their words and apply the teachings in your lives. From that you will find what your soul thirsts for.
Love,
Sister Salisbury
No comments:
Post a Comment