Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Who died and gave me a name tag?

Dear Family,
 
This week I have had the overwhelming desire to get under my covers and hide.  If I stay still enough then I maybe everyone will solve their own problems and I could get a nice nap in the mean time. Just bacause I have a name tag does not mean I know anything.  Okay- I little background.  We have had a great week.  Lots of fun and lots of lessons.  Its just more lessons means more people.  People stress me out.  But its been a great week.
 
So starting from the beginning- Wednesday we had a lesson with an investigator named Mr Yu.  He is a 77 year old Chinese man. I may have said this before but for a man who doesn't speak English he talks a lot.  Or last lesson with him Sister Campbell prayed that we would see opportunities to speak and I thought that was very appropriate.  Anyway we brought a poster with the steps of the gospel and scripture references.  He really liked it excepts he thought repentance should be before faith.  On Saturday when we called to ask him to church he asked if we had any colored pictures.  I had no idea what he was talking about so we said we would talk to him a bit more about it on Sunday, which of course we forgot to do.  Well we had a lesson with him again yesterday and he had made his own poster with steps of the gospel (I did notice that he had conveniently listed repentance before faith on his poster.)  Anyway he had found pictures representing each step and pasted them on.  He said that because he had pictures his was " rather more beautiful" then ours.   Thanks Mr Yu.  Thanks.  Anyway he was so excited because that day before his lesson he had been at the senior center and taught 5 seniors about faith in Jesus Christ using his poster.  It was pretty adorable.  I'm not sure about his commitment level but at least he used book of Mormon scriptures on his poster.  I'm happy with that. 
 
Thursday we had a lesson with Alex and Maria.  I love them to pieces but they stress me out.  Mostly because I love them to pieces.  On the plus side- they made us a pancake breakfast!
 
We also had another lesson with Eduardo and that went really well.  I told him how excited I was that he had come to church on Sunday but sad because I didn't have a chance to say hi to him.  He said that I am always talking to people-  okay that's true.  Anyway I asked if next Sunday we would stay long enough for us to say hello to him.  He said he would but then on Sunday I'm pretty sure he left before the closing song because there is no way someone can move that fast!  At least he came to church.  Our ward mission leader is catching on because he was walking out side with his baby at the end of sacrament meeting and tried to walk around Eduardo's car.  Brother Zachirson just isn't as fast as a  Dodge Durango. 
 
We had another great lesson with another of our investigators, we just recently picked up.  He is really ready and just feels like he wants to learn a bit more before making any commitments and change his life.  The thing is- he is planning on getting baptized!  I'm so excited about that.  He is really wanting some clear direction in his life, and I know that the gospel can give it to him.  (On a side note- I would like to mention that this man is gorgeous enough to be a model and I think it is very funny of Heavenly Father that we started teaching him exactly when I started to embrace the sister missionary frump.  Very funny Heavenly Father.  Very Funny.) 
 
Sunday was very stressful.  None of our really progressing investigators came to church!  Why?  I don't know why- or at least I didn't know why when I was sitting in sacrament meeting.  The only investigator who came was Mr. Yu, and I'm pretty sure he was afraid we were going to take him hostage because church just never seemed to end.  Anyway I was sitting in Sacrament felling stressed and concerned and remembering how on my mission, church used to be a place of revelation for me.  I missed that time.  Then I remembered that those were the times that we didn't have any investigators.  I did have the thought "Maybe I don't want any investigators anymore."  Then I realized what I thought and almost slapped myself.  I am so grateful for the people that we have to teach and worry about.  I am grateful that the lord is blessing us with people and that those people are opening up to us about their concerns.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  The fact that I am meeting all of these people is just making me grow so much and I never knew I could love strangers so completely. 
 
On Saturday I got to opportunity to go to the temple because someone from my last area was going through the temple. I never taught this guy before but he wanted to have people around him and so he invited some of the missionaries he knew.  I don;t know how he got permission to let me go but he did and I was so grateful.  It was wonderful seeing him progress in the gospel, and in his faith.  While I was in the temple I just had this calm feeling that everything would be alright with those I was thinking of.  I just can't forget that the Lord has been taking care of these people a lot longer then I have and he knows what they need. 
 
Anyway I'm glad to hear about all of the adventures of going to Utah.  Take lots of pictures so that I can see them later.  Tell everyone that I love them. 
 
Love Sister Allred

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