This week was kinda crazy. We had a short exchange one of
the mornings this week and so i got to go out and contact a bunch with one of
my STLs. Stake conference was this week. They talked a lot about member
missionary work and doing family history work which was awesome. I was on
family search the other day and the new thing they have to add pictures and
stories is so cool! I was reading about our relative Abraham Washburn and how
he knew Joseph Smith pretty well and all of the other cool things he did. You
guys should really check it out because there is a lot of stuff already on
there about our relatives. Also on Wednesday it was my year mark! I can't
believe it, 2/3 of the way done. Everyone says the last part of your mission
flies by and I believe it. I'm grateful to have 6 months left on my mission
though because I have been learning a ton and still have work to do.
My comp and I have been trying to get back in the swing of
things after being sick and so we have been trying to really talk to more
people. But it seems like satan doesn't like us or something because we ran
into a ton of rude people. A bunch of people we talked to would be really nice
but the second we brought up our church they would suddenly end the
conversation and usually yell some bible scripture at us as we were going away.
This one guy started yelling at us saying that we believed in the devil and
that we followed the wrong Jesus. Then we were giving service for this member's
daughter-in-law. She started asking me questions like "why did you want to
come on a mission?" and stuff and I was like sweet, missionary moments- and
I didn't have to be the one to bring it up! But every answer I gave wasn't
right. I said that the gospel changed my life and has brought me a lot of
happiness and that's why I wanted to come on a mission. She was like "well
since you said you grew up in the church, it couldn't have really changed your
life, you just don't know anything else." And so on and so forth. I was
like "what the heck woman, we are cleaning your house!" But ya she
kept telling me that i didn't need to worry about being saved that I didn't
need to do all of these "works" because I can just call on the name
of Jesus and I'll be fine. It was kinda annoying. The whole point of life is
doing good works, following Christ's example of obedience to God's commandments
so that when we stand before God at the last day to be judged we will be like
Him.
That night I was lying in bed thinking about what had
happened. Part of me was like "Heavenly Father why do I keep going out
everyday and talking to people and they just reject what we say." I was
thinking about it and about Elder Holland's talk in conference about defending
what we believe and how the path of discipleship is never easy. I thought about
how ultimately every time I share what I believe I don't regret it. Ya its sad
that people don't care or think we are wrong, and it can hurt sometimes to
share something so amazing and important to you and have people just brush it
aside or yell in your face. But there are people out there, and I know
there are people here in our 5 block area of Cypress, that need to hear this.
They need to feel the hope that the atonement brings, they need to feel peace
through the holy ghost, the need to know that there is a better way to live
that will help them avoid misery and sorrow and will eventually lead them back
to Heavenly Father. So all these annoying people are worth it to find those who
are prepared. My comp and I started working even harder after all this happened
which I am really happy about because it could have been so much easier to
slack off or assume people we see probably aren't interested or will just want
to bash with us. But we are going to keep trying our best so that we can find
people to teach. In stake conference one of the speakers talked about how the
Lord already knows who is ready for the gospel and so in sharing it we can't
mess up. If we just open our mouths and talk to people, those that are ready to
hear will want to know more. We don't have to have a flawless delivery or say
just the right thing so convincingly. We just have to open our mouths and the
Lord will help us out. I love the gospel. It just makes so much sense. I love
that God loves us so much and that Jesus Christ showed us the way to live and
died for us to make the plan of salvation possible. We taught a family in our
ward the plan of salvation this week and it reminded me how lucky we are to
understand god's plan for us and to have an eternal perspective. Life can be
hard but the gospel makes it all worth it. I know that the Lord is in His work
and that as we do what He asks He will always keep His promises to us.
Love you all! Have a good week!
-Sister Washburn
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