Dear Family,
This has been a service week, and let me tell you I am burnt out. Ha! Ever since Sister Christensen and I were put together we have been struggling to get the ward to let us into their homes so we can provide service. Then all of a sudden we had people asking for a lot of help. We felt like we couldn't say no and were actually pretty excited about helping. Almost everyday this week we have been helping someone. It has been great, but whenever you take significant chunks out of your proselyting time we realize how much we love the actual missionary work of teaching and finding. I know that the Lord has blessed us to because by some miracle we were able to reach our goal of 21 lessons taught. We worked hard for that but I also know that it only happened because the Lord was blessing us.
Wednesday was a crazy day full of lessons. My favorite was with Melissa, a less active in our Family ward. she has not come to church in a very long time but she always lets us come in even though we feel like we don't ever get very far. Wednesday we stopped by and started teaching the restoration. we didn't get very far before she completely opened up and started talking to us about some deep concerns she had about her family. We had a really good conversation and we know that the spirit was helping us to address her needs, even though the promptings that we were having were very basic. We knew she needed to read and to pray and come to church. But also she needed to recognizee the blessings and the help that the Lord has given her specifically. I think that gratitude is a way to develop our faith in Christ that is often over looked. When we recognize our blessings we realize that we are not left alone and defenseless, and yet in my prayers at least I easily forget how the lord has blessed me.
Actually we had a training about that yesterday in District meeting. We need to recognize the miracles that happen even when we are going through hard times. Our district leader Elder Goulding had us think of the worst thing that happened that week and then think of the blessings that came from that. Well I knew immediately the worst thing that had happened. On Thursday we had a lesson with out recent convert and her returning less active husband. It has been a rocky little while because we have been trying to focus on how to help the husband. He is stressed and confused and does not have a testimony of the restored gospel. As we were having our lesson, we kept getting side tracked by his questions and his doubts. We were just running around in circles. I knew we weren't going about it the right way but nothing else was coming. Then his mom made a comment that just made him super frustrated and he shouted a bit and then walked out of the house. Is was awkward and heartbreaking. I really care about this family but am lost on how to help the husband because he is not ready to change. Yesterday as we were looking for the blessings I figured out the miracle that came from that disaster lesson. Suddenly, Sister Christensen and i knew exactly what direction we need to take to help the family. we need to focus on our recent convert and help strengthen her. When I'm writing this I don't want it to sound like we are just giving up on her husband, but before we struggled to even figure out what to say to him, it was a total stupor of thought. After that lesson both sister Christensen and I felt like our answer was not to worry about him, He is not ready yet and that the Lord will take care of him. I need to focus in his wife, who really does need that spiritual nourishment. It was not a fun lesson, but I'm grateful for the answer that I got to prayer.
Oh! we also had a lesson with our 1 investigator in the YSA ward. We were worried about her because we didn't have a lot of contact with her the past couple of weeks. But we had a wonderful lesson with her and she is progressing! She even recognized the difference between meeting with us and not seeing us. Really it isn't us- its the message that we are sharing. I am so excited for her! Yeah!
On Saturday we had a first lesson with a Laotian family. Oh GOSH! The Spanish sisters that we live with contacted a family from Laos and they don't speak a lot of English but their son just died and were interested in learning more. We got the referral and they were able to find someone in the stake that speaks Laotian. we scheduled an appointment and came in with our interpreter, brother Elton. As we sat down I realized how completely unprepared I was... They really didn't speak a lot of English at all, and I surprisingly enough don't speak any Laotian. They have a Buddhist background and I realized very quickly that I have no idea how to teach someone who does not have a christian foundation. Crazy!! Anyway-despite the struggling and floundering I think we had a good lesson. We talked about the saviors power to heal. Of course they didn't know who the savior was or really who God is, but they did understand that the message that we are sharing is a message of comfort and peace. Not matter anyone personal background those are principles that everyone needs and wants in their life. Pray for me- this is going to be an experience.
Well I love you, I hope everything is going well.
Love,
Sister Allred
p.s. I got my package yesterday of Envelopes! it was great. I thought it was pretty funny and I loved them. Thanks!
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