Gosh there is so much...
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| Our friend Jesus in English class haha check out what he wrote. |
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| Out to Letharby's Giant Icecream to celebrate Hermana Hanson and Thomas' 6 months as a missionary. |
Saturday -
I thought it was going to be an ordinary day, I don't know why but I wasn't expecting anything super mind blowing, I need to get over that. NO DAY IS ORDINARY - miracles are everywhere!
We went to visit this family that we're working with. Angelica, the mom and then Ezmerelda and Angel (a boy) her kids, then her nices, Cynthia and Mari.
They've had all three big lessons, now were just working on keeping commitments and stuff. So we decided to watch "Como hallar fe in cristo" how to find faith in Christ, the video by the church.
It took us like 20 minutes, some moved couches and a bowl of grapes, to get the video started but once we did, the Spirit was so strong.
Get this though.. Angelica stops the movie like 5 minutes in and says..in spanish obviously.
"Can we pause this? I'm tired but I don't want to fall asleep so can we pause every few minutes and talk about what we're learning?"
We were like.. umm SIIIIIIIII (yes!)
She made all of the kids say how they felt about Jesus and what he did. She made sure they weren't giggly (which has been a problem in the past).
We paused the movie probably 3 times (it's about 40 minutes long) to talk.
During one of the pauses Angelica was like.. "I didn't really like you guys when I first met you (talking to us the missionaries) .. that's why I lied to you about what my name was.. but then I realized that if I rejected you, I was rejecting God. You've brought a great Spirit into our home, built our faith, and now you're like part of the family..."
It was so cool! Spanish people tend to go on.. and on.. so then she talked about how her kids need positive influences and stuff.
After the movie, the Spirit was so strong. I think really visually realizing what Christ did for them was huge.
But get this.. I was really feelin' it.. Like I have come to love these people and I want them to know of the joy of the Gospel so bad.. so I just straight up started to testify.. I was like..
We are representatives of Jesus Christ, our purpose is to help you come to the knowledge that Christ is your Savior, and then act on that knowledge and follow his example... and some other stuff that I can't remember.. I was getting cloudy up top, though!
Hermana Thomas challenged them all to baptism and we found out that the nieces are leaving to go back to Frezno and they're just in Sac for the summer.. so we were bummed a little.. but Angelica said she wants to be baptized.. and Angel (her son), Ezmerelda still wants to be sure before she commits to anything so we're working on helping her understand the Book of Mormon and prayer.
At the end we all knelt for family prayer and Angelica made her husband come in from the other room (he'd gotten home from work while we were watching the movie) and pray with us. It was incredible.
After we left, Hermana Thomas and I were like woahhhh. That was incredible! and she told me that when I was testifying.. my Spanish was perfect.. like I conjugated everything perfectly. I don't really remember everything I said, but I guess I'll take her word for it!
Gosh I love this Gospel so much. I'm so grateful for an opportunity to share it with the world. To bring God's children home. What a blessing. I struggle sometimes with the patience it takes but I'm working on it.. I want them to be baptized and know that God loves them SO BAD but it takes time for people to come to that knowledge on their own. Which is our goal. For our investigators to develop testimonies of their own, and be truly converted to changing their lives for the better.
OKAY the Ya way or No way story...
So we're going to a member's home (and almost always when I say home.. I mean apartment) for dinner, and she lives in the definition of SKETCHY complex.
We're walking toward the front gate and their are 3 HUGE african american men just chillin. Me, being the person I am just smiled at them while my comp was freaking out haha.
Then one guy goes.. "You can only come in here in the name of Ya Way.."
Recognizing the reference to Steven Colbert, I responded, "Ya Way or No way!"
I have no idea if that was sac-religious or what exactly that meant, but they thought it was hilarious.
That's another thing I've realized, most people are nice, if you just smile. The scariest looking people respect the missionaries. So I say hi to everyone, I mean I use good judgement ... but yeah, it never hurts to smile and say hello (:
Phil 4: 11-13 all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us. Mitch sent me this scritpure when I was in the MTC and since then, I've found SO MANY repitiions of that phrase in the Book of Mormon. It's so true. That's why it's said over and over again.
Tenga un buen dia y recuerden que les amo muchisismo!
Hermana Skidmore
