Hello! As you can see, I have been away from you for 6 months now. It is kinda weird to think about, because in some ways it seems like I've only been gone a few weeks, but in other ways, I feel like I have been on my mission forever! But it is all good. I love being out here and working in the WA-TAC (Washington Tacoma Mission). Life is so good!
This week was actually pretty hard. We hit a lot of stumbling blocks. But it was also good, because we are not giving up, and I have learned a lot this week about relying on the Lord.
First, there is Katherine and Arthur. The have been scheduled for baptism a few times in the past few months, and something always gets in the way. They are supposed to get baptized this Sunday, but they are still not able to get married for some legal reason I do not fully understand. Also, Katherine went out of town for a week to visit her son, and it is the first time Katherine and Arthur have been apart for more than 12 hours in the past 10+ years. This stressed Arthur out really bad, which drove him to regress in his effort to quit smoking. Like, a lot. He rolls his own cigarettes, and he went from 1-2 per day to about a million (I am not very familiar with weights of tobacco). It is so sad, because they are such an amazing couple, and they are so committed to reading the Book of Mormon and prayer, and they really want to get married and baptized, and it breaks my heart. But, do not worry. We are going to push their baptism back to April 10th, visit them every day for support, and pray like none other that whatever their it is that is stopping them from getting married gets resolved. So, be watching for a baptism April 10th, because I have the faith that it is going to happen.
Then, there was Patty. We actually dropped Patty a few weeks ago because she was not progressing, and we felt like she met with us just because we are nice people and she is lonely, not because she is actually interested in learning about the gospel. But, we felt inspired that we really needed to go visit Patty again yesterday, and so we did. Well, her live in boyfriend (cohabitating is rampant here) was there, and he is a piece of work, to put it kindly. We were just trying to share an Easter message and Invite patty to church, when Carey (they boyfriend) freaked out. Let me draw you a picture here. Carey is probably about 60 years old and has no teeth. He was sitting in an easy chair in sweatpants and rainbow suspenders and a too-small t-shirt. He wasn't saying anything, in fact, I didn't think he even registered that we were there, until all of a sudden he exploded, dropping F-bombs and yelling about the only word of God is the 10 commandments, and the 10 commandments are all you need in life, and all other religion is just what people want to make you do. Patty then got mad at him for yelling at us, and pointed out that he does not follow all of the 10 commandments (hence he is the live-in boyfriend). They argued back and forth until Patty said she had a headache and couldn't take it anymore, and Carey said he doesn't get headaches because he lives the 10 commandments. At that point, we just decided to leave because the Spirit was totally gone. As we were leaving, Patty hugged us and said "Thanks for visiting me. I was feeling like no one cared about me today, and then you showed up". Long story short, if I have go through a toothless guy swearing at me to be in instrument in God's hands and show one of His children His love for them, that's okay with me.
There was something really cool that happened this week though. We met a guy named Alden while we were street contacting. We asked him if he had ever heard of the Book of Mormon before, and it turns out he has read about 1/4 of it, but he didn't even know what it was. He basically just found one and it peaked his interest, but he moved before he could finish reading it. We taught him the first lesson in a park (which was once an insane asylum, but now has the most beautiful view of a hidden little lake), and he loved it. He said he felt really at peace while we were teaching him, and he wants to get baptized. It was a real miracle for us.
Also, this week was Easter, so honestly nothing could be that bad. That sounds like wishful thinking, but it is actually my testimony of the Atonement. Christ went through everything we go through, and he can take away our griefs, heartaches, pains, sicknesses, guilt, and anything else that isn't right in our lives. With His love and help, things may be bad, but they are never permanently bad, and we never have to go through anything alone, because He knows us perfectly, and lived, died, and lives again for us. I would like to summarize my feelings with two scriptures:
Alma 7: 11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death , that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their...
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
Romans 8: 35 and 37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation , or distress, or persecution , or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
I love you all, but more importantly, you Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ love you.
Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Lemon
This week was actually pretty hard. We hit a lot of stumbling blocks. But it was also good, because we are not giving up, and I have learned a lot this week about relying on the Lord.
First, there is Katherine and Arthur. The have been scheduled for baptism a few times in the past few months, and something always gets in the way. They are supposed to get baptized this Sunday, but they are still not able to get married for some legal reason I do not fully understand. Also, Katherine went out of town for a week to visit her son, and it is the first time Katherine and Arthur have been apart for more than 12 hours in the past 10+ years. This stressed Arthur out really bad, which drove him to regress in his effort to quit smoking. Like, a lot. He rolls his own cigarettes, and he went from 1-2 per day to about a million (I am not very familiar with weights of tobacco). It is so sad, because they are such an amazing couple, and they are so committed to reading the Book of Mormon and prayer, and they really want to get married and baptized, and it breaks my heart. But, do not worry. We are going to push their baptism back to April 10th, visit them every day for support, and pray like none other that whatever their it is that is stopping them from getting married gets resolved. So, be watching for a baptism April 10th, because I have the faith that it is going to happen.
Then, there was Patty. We actually dropped Patty a few weeks ago because she was not progressing, and we felt like she met with us just because we are nice people and she is lonely, not because she is actually interested in learning about the gospel. But, we felt inspired that we really needed to go visit Patty again yesterday, and so we did. Well, her live in boyfriend (cohabitating is rampant here) was there, and he is a piece of work, to put it kindly. We were just trying to share an Easter message and Invite patty to church, when Carey (they boyfriend) freaked out. Let me draw you a picture here. Carey is probably about 60 years old and has no teeth. He was sitting in an easy chair in sweatpants and rainbow suspenders and a too-small t-shirt. He wasn't saying anything, in fact, I didn't think he even registered that we were there, until all of a sudden he exploded, dropping F-bombs and yelling about the only word of God is the 10 commandments, and the 10 commandments are all you need in life, and all other religion is just what people want to make you do. Patty then got mad at him for yelling at us, and pointed out that he does not follow all of the 10 commandments (hence he is the live-in boyfriend). They argued back and forth until Patty said she had a headache and couldn't take it anymore, and Carey said he doesn't get headaches because he lives the 10 commandments. At that point, we just decided to leave because the Spirit was totally gone. As we were leaving, Patty hugged us and said "Thanks for visiting me. I was feeling like no one cared about me today, and then you showed up". Long story short, if I have go through a toothless guy swearing at me to be in instrument in God's hands and show one of His children His love for them, that's okay with me.
There was something really cool that happened this week though. We met a guy named Alden while we were street contacting. We asked him if he had ever heard of the Book of Mormon before, and it turns out he has read about 1/4 of it, but he didn't even know what it was. He basically just found one and it peaked his interest, but he moved before he could finish reading it. We taught him the first lesson in a park (which was once an insane asylum, but now has the most beautiful view of a hidden little lake), and he loved it. He said he felt really at peace while we were teaching him, and he wants to get baptized. It was a real miracle for us.
Also, this week was Easter, so honestly nothing could be that bad. That sounds like wishful thinking, but it is actually my testimony of the Atonement. Christ went through everything we go through, and he can take away our griefs, heartaches, pains, sicknesses, guilt, and anything else that isn't right in our lives. With His love and help, things may be bad, but they are never permanently bad, and we never have to go through anything alone, because He knows us perfectly, and lived, died, and lives again for us. I would like to summarize my feelings with two scriptures:
Alma 7: 11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death , that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their...
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
Romans 8: 35 and 37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation , or distress, or persecution , or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
I love you all, but more importantly, you Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ love you.
Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Lemon
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