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Hello everyone,
So last Monday, we had a lesson with a
lady, J, in her 70's that grew up Baptist. We taught and testified
about the plan of salvation with a lot of emphasis on the atonement and
how that can truly bless her life. The spirit was so strong, both my
companion and I could feel it really intensely, I think she felt it too
but wouldn't admit to it. We both felt that the lesson was very much
lead by the Holy Spirit but a few days later we found out that she
didn't want to meet with us anymore. Perhaps she did feel the spirit and
she was scared that she would have to quit smoking and change her
life. That's the thing about teaching the gospel is that when people end
up actually accepting it, that means that they have to change their
life and "put off the natural man and become a Saint through the
atonement of Christ" (Mosiah 3:19). More often than not that change is
uncomfortable, and requires them to stretch more than they ever have in
their entire life. Imagine you had only been going on walks all your
life then you enter the gym and are expected to rebuild all of your
muscles and when you begin the muscles themselves must break down before
they grow and surpass what they were to begin with. Generally, you are
pretty sore for awhile at first then you become stronger and
things become easier to bare. The journey into the gospel and entering
that gate is very similar in a spiritual sense.
On Thursday, we helped
one of the more recent members of the branch with the new family search
website and doing family history. That was a neat experience, and
teaching others about genealogy makes me want to try more when I return
to do more of my own. When you help someone who is newer to the church
and getting family history started can be slow at first but so wonderful
at the same time to help them see how easy it is to submit names to the
temple to get work done for their own family is really quite
spectacular.
Saturday was interesting, we met with a guy named B, he
proclaims himself to be an atheist and we were explaining that there are
things in this world that you cannot see but you know they exist and
comparing that to our relationship with Heavenly Father and how we can
know for ourselves that He is there if we try to pray and see. Needless
to say it felt a little like teaching Korihor, but he was at least
polite to us while talking to us. We also tried this guy named S who
used to meet with missionaries and go to church and almost got baptized
but when he met someone in the branch who said that he smoked even
after being baptized then S walked away because he thought that was
hypocritical. S had quit smoking and was going to be baptized
several years ago but then didn't. We tried to tell him that people
aren't perfect and that is why we have the atonement of Christ to help
us improve and become better but it didn't seem to get through. Funny
thing about S is that even though he smokes again you can still feel
the spirit in him and around him despite the fact he smokes. Other than
what I've mentioned, we just keep working on finding those who are
prepared and capable to help the branch reach it's potential once they
enter that journey of enduring to the end with the proper tools of the
spirit and scriptures and everything else. I hope everyone has had a
wonderful week! I know that Heavenly Father cares and watches over each
of His children, He loves each of us so much that is why He sent His
Only Begotten son in the flesh, even Jesus the Christ to pay the price
for each of us to return to his presence in everlasting happiness.
-Sister Gifford
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