It sounds like everyone is doing well. Thanks for the package, even if it didn't have the Elder Wand inside :) I attached a photo of what was included. I think I got everything because the package was full and all of the presents were wrapped. Thanks for the hair cutter especially! :) We'll see if I can walk around with some crazy hair before I get good...
Well, we had a pretty good week and we found a lot of new people to teach.
On Thursday we had a special experience, the first time dedicating a house. A sister in the ward called the bishop and asked him if we could go over and dedicate her house for her. She explained to us that she has been living in that house for many, many years and that she has always felt safe there but for some reason about two weeks ago she felt uncomfortable and a bit fearful as she was trying to go to bed. We had a good talk with her and we explained that dedicating the house is good but the family also needed to make it a holy place. She lives with two of her grandchildren in the house and she has told us that her grandsons play a lot of video games and watch a lot of movies that maybe aren't so good. We told her that it would be good to make sure that they are doing their best to keep the spirit present by keeping those bad things away. We said the prayer and it went very well. The sister's adult daughter was also their with her non-member boyfriend which was cool. We also talked with the sister about her son who has really fallen away from the church. She is so concerned for him. We can't give much counsel as missionaries on these things but we can tell her what we know. And we do know that like Alma and his rebelling son, the Lord hears the prayers of a crying parent. The Lord blesses those who strive and struggle for the benefit of others. Although it is up to the person to choose in the end, I know that by diligent prayer and fasting miracles can be wrought in the lives of those we love. She felt that we didn't just come to give the dedicatory prayer but also to cheer her up and to help her move forward concerning her son.
On Friday we were in a section of the city that is far from our house and we just could not find anyone. There are like ten people that we could have visited but not-a-one-of-um could talk. We felt like we should search out a reference that we had received earlier that week. Unfortunately, the reference wasn't very close to where we were either (we were going to eat lunch with a sister in that area so we were trying to find people close as we were going to eat in about an hour and a half) but we took a bus out to the further-away-area to find them. We found the house without any trouble and although it appeared as if no one was home, we knocked. A little boy came to the window and then he went and got his mom. She is a less active member that wants to return to the gospel and her husband (who was at work) is a nonmember. We had a great discussion on our Father in Heaven and that we are Children of God. She really enjoyed it and expressed her joy in feeling the spirit again. She said she would love to attend church this week but for some reason she wasn't there. We are going to meet with them again this week.
Oh, and after lunch that day we got to see a bit of the good'ol American Football again (oh how I will miss the Turkey Bowl this year. Maybe I'll organize our own down here in Los Mochis). We watched the game of a young man in the ward for about 30 minutes then we headed to our next appointment with the Quesney family (the mom is the only member and her daughters and husband aren't members quite yet).
We had a great lesson with the Quesney family (we met with them three times last week. One, so Elder Alvarez could get to know them. Two, so the Bishop could get to know them. And three, this day). We showed them the 20 minute Restoration video from the church. It was very powerful and the spirit was really strong. We bore our testimonies that it is true and that the brother could know it too if he would do the same thing as us, read, ponder,and pray. He has seen many, many missionaries in the past and he has turned a lot of them down because he felt like they skipped to the subject of baptism too quickly. We must still try to listen to the spirit to extend the invitation. He definitely felt something during this video and he knows what he needs to do. He is the only thing that can stop him. We are going to follow up with him this next week.
We also had a great Sunday and we were able to teach an active/less-active family. We ate with them, the Valenzuela Albestrain family and they bought me a cake for my birthday which was really good! :P We were going to share the first discussion with them to review the basic and important beliefs that we have and it transformed into the lesson they needed, to keep the Sabbath Day holy by going to church. We gave a plethora of examples and analogies of why we even go to church, how it helps us, and how it strengthens our families. They were very content afterwards and said that they have a new desire to attend.
Thanks for the birthday wishes and for all of the support. I feel very blessed our here in Mexico to have the family and friends that I have. And I know that because I have been given much, I too, must give. I want to give the work all of my heart, might, mind, and strength out here amongst the Lamanites and I know that I will go where he wants me to go as I do such.
I know that I am very blessed to have all that I have and I can't wait to join you all in two years, but I am loving the "crowning point of my life" here in Mexico while I have it. I love you all.
Elder Tanner Clement
No comments:
Post a Comment