Week 29: Big Changes can Occur!

Sister Rodda and Elle. Elle says, "I love her so much".

I first have to start off by saying I have a very good looking brother and if you haven't seen his Sweat Hearts Dace photos you might want to look, that is all I am going to say about that. Also if you need any fashion advice Nick Jackson is the one you should be asking, and Katie can make you very authentic coupons and badges so if you need something professionally done. She’s your girl!

 I am doing great! Just the stresses of being a missionary get to me sometimes. Except I love being a missionary and being able to wake up with a purpose every single day. I decided I can sleep on the plane and so I better be working stinking hard. I can't believe how fast the weeks are going by, I mean we just had transfers and now the next transfer is only in two weeks! WHAT!! Missionary time is super different from the normal everyday life time.

This week has been super different and if something was going to go wrong it did. Except I believe one good thing has to come out of a bad thing. So this week we had the chance to go and contact a referral. They were former's (Former Investigators) and our Ward Mission Leader asked if we had met them or gone to see them. We told him no and so he said we needed to meet them. That is what we set out to do. We knocked on the door and the wife answered and we introduced our self's. She turned around and said, "Honey should I let them in?" There was a pause for a second and he said in return, "Sure." So we walked in and the apartment smelled of Cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. But we sat down and talked to them for a while to get to know them. Then he told us that the reason they had dropped the Sisters before was because they can’t afford to pay 10% of their income to the church. The fact this is the problem is awesome, because if they need the blessings and the help then they need to pay their tithing. Also the money doesn't go to the "Church" it goes to the Lord.  He is the one who provides the money for us anyways, and if we didn't have the money we wouldn't be able to afford a house and a car, need I say more. At the end I was trying to set up a time to come back and he said, "I don't want to learn and I don't want to join your church." He made that quite clear. So we told him we don't want to teach him at all. All we want to do is come over and get to know them, just be friends (by the way Missionaries make the worst friends, He doesn't need to know that yet).  When we told him this he said, "Okay." So now we get to go back and just talk and hear his stories. When we left the smell of cigarettes had soaked all the way to our garments and our car smelt like it for days. Although I stunk and we weren't going to be able to go back to teach them I realized I left that place feeling more at home and happier then I have for a while!

When we were at a former's house he had been
 working on this for over an hour and just got it

I love being able to work in those types of situations because that is where the biggest change can occur and they accept you for who you are and what you are doing and don't slam the door in your face, but take a second and ask, "Do I want you to come in?" But when they take that second to ask "Do I want you to come in?" the spirit is able to work and soften their heart, and they let you in or come back. They don't know why they did but they do it!  Now I know we aren't going back to teach, but the fact they are letting us come back to get to know them shows Heavenly Father does have a bigger plan for all of us and we just have to take the chance on that 19 year old that you have never met before. Who knows they may have that exact thing that you have been looking for, or may be able to answer that question because no one else could. The only reason that we as missionaries are able to do that is because we are NOT the teacher but the spirit is and when you do all you can to provide an environment the spirit can be in and you bear testimony there is no way on this earth they could not feel it!!!

So that is my one good thing that came out of this week. But it is exactly what I needed, and my Heavenly Father provided it!  It’s awesome to think someone knows me better then I know myself and can provide me with experience that will either help me grow or just make it one of the best days ever! 

But I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week! Don't forget that there is always one thing that is good that can come out of any day or any situation!