Monday, December 21, 2015

A week full of miracles

Well, I made it! My new address is 710 S Lasalle Street Apt R Durham, NC 27705. My trainer is Sister Workman and she is wonderful! I am learning so much from her. She is super cheerful and very good at explaining things. This is her first time training so it is a learning experience for both of us. We get along really well and she is a great example to me of the kind of missionary I want to be. 

This area and ward are amazing! People here are SO open to talking about Jesus, which is very different than back home :) The ward has a lot of Duke students, so lots of young families. They are all so missionary oriented and always happy to help! We have had dinner a member's homes at least 3 times and often have members come with us to teach lessons. PLEASE go out with missionaries if you can (especially if they need someone because of gender)! It is so helpful!

 We have a couple of incredible investigators who I claim no responsibility for, they were golden before I arrived. One of them, A, ordered a Bible online from lds.org. When Sister Workman and her previous companion went to deliver it, they asked her why she had ordered one. She said it was because she wants to become Mormon!!! Her aunt is a member and she has seen the blessings that come and she wants that in her own life. She keeps her commitments and she just came to church yesterday. She is in the process of turning her life around and making the changes she needs to be baptized. She is going to be moving soon, which is great because her living situation is not that great. I am so glad for her! Unfortunately the place she is moving to is out of our boundaries :(

We found another incredible investigator, C,  on Friday. Sister Workman and her previous companion had put a #ASaviorIsBorn card on her door with their phone number, and she actually called them! That never happens! We taught her the Restoration and halfway through she called her husband in to listen to us too! She told us she had met with missionaries years ago and actually still has the Book of Mormon they gave her {which was a miracle because we had run out. Apparently we give too many away :)} and is very interested to learn more about Christ and our church. She has a very strong belief in God and His words. Near the end of the lesson, Sister Workman told them that we had an invitation for them and turned to me. I knew what that meant: I got to ask them to be baptized. That was one of the most stressful moments so far. First lesson with these people, in the field for less than a week and I am inviting them to be baptized. Well, C said yes! We may have to work on her understanding of baptism a bit though. She said she had been baptized into a church (presumably Baptist) but had spent so long "full of devilry" that she should probably get baptized again :) It was an incredible experience to be able to invite someone to take that essential step to come closer to Christ and have them accept! I know that the Lord prepares people to hear His gospel and will place them in our path if we do what He has asked us to do. 

This past week has strengthened my testimony of bearing testimony. Everyone always says that your testimony comes in the bearing of it. It is so true! I have found that as I testify of the things I believe to be true that I come to know with more certainty that what I am saying is true. I had the opportunity to recite part of Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision as we taught the Restoration. As I spoke, I felt the power of his words and knew without a doubt that it actually happened and that God and Jesus Christ actually appeared to him and spoke to him. I am so grateful for this chance I have to bear my witness of this gospel and its truthfulness. 

My invitation for this week (mission habits come quickly :) ) is to bear your testimony. In church, to a friend, on FB, however you can. I promise that as you tell someone about the things you know that the Spirit will witness to you that what you say you know is true. 

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