Hey everyone! How are y'all doing??
This week was great!! I love the area I'm in so much now and I love my companion. She will probably be getting transferred in a couple weeks and I'm terrified! I'll probably take over the area with a new companion which is going to be hard. But I'm up to the challenge :)
So this week we saw L... again. We had a lesson scheduled for Thursday but when we were on the way over she called and told us she was feeling really sick and was having some heart trouble. Sister Latu was talking to her and she was super bold. She asked L... if she would like a priesthood blessing. I looked at Sister Latu like, "What? Are you crazy?? We met this girl last week, we haven't even taught her about the priesthood. Shes gonna think we are being too pushy!"
To my surprise, L... accepted and we told her we'd be there in 15 minutes. So we got a couple priesthood holders to come with us and we quickly arrived at her apartment. We came in and told her a little bit about what a priesthood blessing is and how it is administered. The whole time we were talking, her son K... was running around yelling at the top of his lungs. He's kind of a handful :)
Then the priesthood holders anointed her head with oil and gave her a blessing. K... stopped running and screaming, and the room was so peaceful and filled with the spirit. After we opened our eyes, K... was sitting in his mom's lap and he had brought her the Book of Mormon we gave her last week (Hmmm I wonder what that means :). It was a really spiritual experience for me and I hope L... felt it too.
The next day we texted her and she told us that she was feeling way better and she went back to work. We are planning on seeing her sometime later this week.
Then last night. It was the most rewarding night of my mission. So we have been visiting this family since the first week I've been here and have gotten really close with them. I've sent a couple pictures with the kids, M... and K.... They were the kids in the picture from last week.
Anyways, their mom, LL , has a lot of issues with anxiety, depression, OCD, etc. She also had an eating disorder in high school and college. Shes a perfectionist and always feels like shes falling short. Needless to say, I've been able to offer her some advice through the gospel and also through things I've learned from my own eating disorder/anxiety experience.
LL's boyfriend, R..., (father of K...) lives with them and he is not a member of the church. LL has been less active in church for like 10-15 years.
When we first went to their home about 2 months ago, we encouraged LL and the kids to come to church. R... wanted nothing to do with us and stayed in his room while we taught LL and the kids.
So LL, M..., and K... started coming to church the week after we went there and now haven't missed church for over a month.
It has been amazing to witness the change in them. Especially LL. She still struggles but she is doing so much better.
Every time we go back, R... gets a little more involved in the lesson. The next time we went, he stayed in the kitchen as we taught LL and kids in living room. The time after that he came and sat by us but stayed quiet. Then last night he actually participated in the lesson! We asked him about his beliefs in God and heaven and prayer and he opened up to us. He told us he believes in God but doesn't see why he should participate in organized religion.
We basically just bore our testimonies to him about why religion is important to us and how it has blessed our lives. We challenged their family to pray together at least three times this week. Then we left.
About an hour later we got a text from LL. She said, "We just said our first real family prayer. R... cried. Thank you so much for everything."
And its moments like those that make all the sucky, difficult, and frustrating moments worth it.
I am actually helping people change their lives! I thought my whole mission would consist of me knocking on doors, teaching people one lesson, and getting no where. But now I have seen firsthand what the gospel can do for families.
LL is talking about getting married and going to the temple. She wants R... to get baptized so bad, but it has to be him that makes that decision. He is definitely getting closer though.
I have such a strong testimony of the importance of keeping the commandments. I know that by doing the things Heavenly Father wants us to do, we will be blessed. However, I also know that if we slip up, it is never too late to start fresh. Repentance is such a powerful principle. It is never too late to start living the gospel.
Man I love this work. I love the gospel. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I love all of you! I feel so grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve the Lord.
Until next time,
Sister Park
No comments:
Post a Comment