Happy anniversary to Whitney and Richard tomorrow!!! Woot woot!
This
week had a lot of rough moments in it and everything seems to be
falling apart but I know we only get broken down so that God can build
us up stronger than before. There's a lot happening right now and I am
just stressed about what's going to happen within the next few weeks but
I am trying to trust that it is all in God's hands and He will take
care of things. Among everything yesterday Charlene told us that she
won't be coming back to church. That hurt. She explained to us why but I
don't understand. There are many reasons. I'm the one that's been here a
part of everything from the beginning and she said I did my part and
that her baptism was a blessing, but she also said I pushed her and she
has distanced herself from the church. She said she would like us to
still come over and read scriptures with her but that she doesn't want
to go back to church. It sounds like one of the main reasons is that
there are only two other black people there and she's like "and now
there's two." Well how do you expect us to get more if none of them
come?! I was calm with her and she just smiled and hugged me because I
think she could see I was about to fall apart. It didn't help that I was
about to fall apart before we got to her house and with that I just
couldn't take it. When we got in the car to leave Sister Wood asked if I
wanted to kind of catch my breath and just cool off for a second but
that is the last thing I wanted because I knew I'd break down so we just
went right on ahead to the next person. When you put your whole heart
into something you tend to get hurt. I know the mission is worth it
though, and I can tell you there has been much prayer and will be much
more in Charlene's behalf... I'm praying President Hester (the branch
president) can try talking to her and understanding her, because I am so
worried. I've been a part of four baptisms on my mission and only one
is still going to church. She knows it's true, but I still believe the
others do too but they're not doing anything anymore. That breaks my
heart because if we can't help people stay converted and always be
strengthening their testimonies and work towards being together with
their families forever in the Celestial kingdom, then why were they
baptized? I hope and pray we can help everyone in this area, but
Charlene especially quickly before I do leave this area.
With
everyone we've been seeing trials have just been heaped upon them. Not
little ones either. Sister Wood and other missionaries joke about how we
think our tags say "therapist" on it but it's because we really do get
so close to everyone we meet and they just open up about their whole
lives to us. And everyone is going through trials so we have our own,
then everybody else's. It gets a little hard. But it seems like this
week had more than others so I now understand what Sister Wood meant
yesterday when she said "when it rains it pours." Yeah, got that right. I
have a firm testimony though that God will build us up stronger now
that we've been broken down a little. Time to let that faith really
fight as it's put to the test.
This week did
have some really good moments though, we had fun. We had our Zone
Training Meeting on Thursday and it was one of the funnest ones I've
been to. We always do a "get to know you" game when new missionaries are
added to the zone and they usually repeat the same games/questions so
they've gotten boring but they were fun this time--we all wrote down
answers to questions they had written on the board about us, rolled up
our paper and stuck it in a balloon, mixed them up, and then a
missionary would pop the balloon they got, read the answers, and we
would have to guess the missionary. It was fun! Then we played the game
where you blindfold someone and they have two people telling them where
to go but that have to follow the right voice so they don't get led
astray. We played this with the Bells the other week but the
missionaries who set this one up did it how I wanted to-it was legit! We
were in a bigger church building and they set up the whole gym with
chairs, tables, benches, etc and two of the missionaries had us all tie
ties around our eyes and then one was the good guy and the other was the
bad guy. Luckily I followed the good voice, haha. It was so fun. At one
point I was supposed to be walking up these stairs and not being able
to see, I hit into them and I did it pretty hard and I just could not
keep my balance so the elder reached out and barely grabbed my finger
tips (I guess since he's not supposed to hold hands with a sister, haha)
and led me up the stairs. Hahaha. It was so fun. I can only imagine
what we looked like. Climbing over benches and crawling under
tables--and I did it all in a skirt! That takes skill. :) At the end
they told us when in doubt, choose the right! CTR. Turns out the entire
course was set up so me and the people who followed the right voice with
me, we were always turning right. Clever. :)
We
also got to see Joey this week and that was the biggest miracle of all!
It was great. Elizabeth was in her room asleep and Edgar was gone to
the store so we got to talk to JUST JOEY! I've been waiting for that for
so long, to actually TEACH him! And we did. We taught him about the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and it went very well, the Spirit was there.
Towards the end Elizabeth woke up and Edgar came home but at least we
got a little bit of time. We called him Saturday night and talked to him
and he said we always brighten his day, so that was good.
We've
also been teaching a woman named Paula and I just admire her so much.
She can't read but wanted a Book of Mormon sooo badly. We've been
reading it to her. We invited her to be baptized on April 11th
and she accepted, yay! We might have to take things slower with her
because I don't think she understands much about the Bible or anything
so we'll go slower if we need to. She got remarried to a man named Bill,
who is the father of our other investigator, Brenda. Brenda is one of
the ones going through a ton of trials right now. Yesterday President
Hester and Brother Henderson came with us to give her a blessing (she
fell and broke her tailbone on Thanksgiving last year and broke some
lower vertebrae as well and has been basically bedridden since) and it
was really cool. The blessing told her to listen and study the things
that we teach her and she will be so blessed. After they left Brenda
said we always show up at the perfect time--when her days are the worst
we come and she told us we're both a light to her. I really, really like
Brenda. And everyone we are working with and teaching. Still just
praying everything works out how it's supposed to. I'm grateful for
technology and the ability we will have to stay in touch, also through
letters. Every one of God's children is so amazing and I am just so
grateful to be able to truly gain a testimony of that and see what He
sees. I'm grateful for the privilege to be out her serving full-time.
It's amazing to me how it feels to be reunited with those you get so
close to--this week we have exchanges and I get to go back to Albany for
a day, the place where I started my mission. :) I feel like I'm going
home because Sister Ward is going to take me to see some of the people I
grew to love so much and I can't wait. I know the reunion we'll all
have when we get to Heaven will be like this but a million times better!
On earth, we're just passing through. We're just meeting the people
we're going to Heaven with. So smile!!! It is a great time to be alive!
:)
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know
it's true. I know it's been restored in its fulness, and I know it's
the only thing that brings true happiness. Being a member of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the greatest blessing. "I know
it, I live it, I love it." :)
Have a blessed week!!!
Love,
Sister Applegate
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