Just hacking blackberry bushes 3 times my size over here. You should see my battle wounds. Plus I got to use a machete for the first time ever. #proudmoment But between all this machete hacking .. I was talking to this guy who has been meeting with missionaries since 2001. And after a while I just asked him what has made him keep meeting with these 19 year old kids for so long.. And he thought about it for a moment and told me I ask really tough questions.. (Yeah yeah...I get that a lot, but they aren't really tough just the type that make you really think.) I asked him what his favorite thing to learn about so far was and he said the fact that we are a church of constant
improvement. Always working to progress and become better. How every member he had met from this church so far is always striving to improve. Yes. That is the whole purpose of life actually and why we are here. One of the elders who was also doing the blackberry hacking ends up telling us his entire conversion story (really similar to Jack's actually) which you know I am all over that stuff. I love hearing about how people found the truth. Might just be my favorite pass time. And it just made me really think how much power comes from members and their example and how that is way better than the contact from missionaries. But WAY harder. Like I have been way bad at that my whole mission. Why burden someone with that when I can do it myself? So We decided we need all the divine help we can get. So we are fasting for a specific family in our ward. Someone who Heavenly Father knows has friends that are ready to meet with the missionaries. And then tell them we got their name as an answer and really work with them to help push them out of their comfort zone and into the miracle zone and feel the same joy we get to feel by bringing one soul unto him. In the mean time I want to make sure we are doing everything in our power to work our little tails off as well...
On my split in Münster (I know I got to go back to my roots. It was so great.) Sister Rowe was showing me how they put this list of questions of the soul in the front of every Book of Mormon they give out and testify how the Book of Mormon really does answer these questions that people have been needing the answer to their whole life. So that was kinda on my mind as Sister Parker and I set out to adventure contact in a place we never really go... And the first person we talk to has a book called: how to find salvation. Woah. Deep stuff right? Wrong. It was the most watered down doctrine I had ever seen. Basically like a YouTube how-to for dummies or something.. But we talked to him about how if he really wants to find the answers to his questions-why am I here? What is my purpose? Why do bad things happen in the world? Why do I need God? What do I need to do to gain salvation?- He should get his answer from God. He is the source of truth. And he can read a book that comes from God and pray about it and feel secure that those are the right answers to his questions. He just ate that right up. We ended up giving him to the elders to teach (which happens a lot. Those lucky ducks.) and he is so prepared it amazes me! Even came to church two days later and brought a friend. It really was such a testimony builder to me that people really and truly are looking for the answers to these questions and we have the answers! The hope and security that comes through really knowing. Truly knowing that I am a daughter of God and that I am here for a specific purpose. I am a child of God. And so my needs are great. If I but learn to do his will, I'll live with him someday. Ah. Sometimes I really take that for granted. I forget that people don't know that.
So as Sister Parker and I are talking we are just having all sorts of ah-ha clicky moments about the plan of God and how it really brings us so much hope in every way, shape, and form. And how everybody has a different 'favorite part' of the plan, but how they all need it. And we made a goal to talk to 100 Germans in the next four days. Specifically about the plan of God. They need this knowledge. I can't wait to be the one to share it with them. It's like giving someone free candy. We are going to feel like Santa Claus for a week. Except even better. 100 more people are going to feel just a little closer to finding the truth this week. Finding that satisfaction and purpose. The same feeling I have everyday. Eep.
Lead me. Guide me. Walk beside me. Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do, to live with him someday.
xoxoxox
s. heywood
