April 2: Blessings bloom

I look back on the last year and some and realize I have never learned so much so fast. This rate of improvement I would have never achieved if I had not been deliberately battling pride along the way. Humility, obedience, charity… they now mean something to be because I have worked desperately hard to make them apart of me.

A few weeks ago, a gothic looking teen came to church and we discovered he was not a member. He had been coming to church off and on for years now, but the missionaries just have never been able to get a schedule with him. For some reason, he just let us teach him and surprisingly, he really liked it. After the first lesson, he prayed that the gospel would keep coming into his life. That next lesson, he was happily surprised that coffee was forbidden by God. The truth rings true to anyone who cares about such a tune.

Elder Acob is having a hard time with sign language. I feel bad because I end up teaching most the lesson. We just taught Kathy's daughter, Kaye, last night for the first time. Kathy was so happy. She kept saying that he was so happy and loves her daughter so much. Her daughter being a 13year-old teenager was just embarrassed. I can relate to such because I was an ungrateful kid at that age. We are not sure what will happen to them, because Kathy is separated from her husband, and thus can attend the student ward, but there are no young women so Kaye will have no friends her age at church I am not sure how that will work.

Also last Sunday, a member, Che, brought her sister, Shayne, to church who asked many questions. We set a time with her and taught her last night (yes, yesterday was a great day). She just got back from the Middle East where she could not attend church and is not here looking for a job. I really felt bad at first because we arrive a little late. I could see on Che's face that look, "This is only my sister, don't blow it." So that was some added encouragement. We taught a really sincere lesson about the Restoration which answered many of Shayne's questions, then Che bore her testimony about searching for the true church and finding it. The spirit was so strong; it made me so happy that I could be there to see two sisters helping each other find the way. It is about families and will always be about families.

There is another family we recently met who is open to the truth, but just so confused that they almost become closed to it. Last week while planning, we were thinking about how we can help them understand the Apostasy and Restoration, and we thought to make a little allegory. So it may sound funny, but we compared the gospel to her best dish in cooking. She said pasta. So with this extraordinary pasta, she made a franchise, but so many imperfect copies appeared, it destroyed her business and she took the rights away from everyone. So took a bit longer than we thought, and after which, we invited them to church and they accepted. Somehow, our pathetic allegory worked. She connected and the family came to church. Church was amazing. The bishopric spoke on missionary work, family prayer, family home evening, and family scripture study. And they already knew some of the members. They are so excited to come to church again, but unfortunately, the father and kids will go to the province for a few months. So earlier today, we visited them and wrote a letter to give to the missionaries over there. Ever since church, they have been so excited to see us and hear the gospel.

Have I told you that I love my mission? The Lord is just so good to us. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for you also. My personal study of the gospel has become more meaningful. There is just so much to learn and never enough time.