More Miracles!!
My week was really great! We were able to meet with all of our investigators this week.
So Alyssa and Lance! They're that young married couple who are really searching for truth. So we met with them on Tuesday and Friday this week. On Tuesday we taught them the Restoration, and that was the best lesson I have ever taught so far on my mission. I think a big part of that is because I have been studying the restoration a lot, because so many people are so doubtful! I'll admit that I was once doubtful about it myself! But the best way to really gain a testimony about things is to study them! And study the right sources too! If you have ever dove into the anti-Mormon websites, you will notice that everything that they say attacks the character of church authorities, rather than the doctrine of Christ. There is absolutely nothing unsound about the Christ's doctrine. It radiates truth! Anyways, I loved teaching that lesson! My testimony on the restoration of Christ's church has been solidified, and it brings me so much peace to know that this really is Christ's church! I've also been reading "Our Search For Happiness," which is an awesome book written by M. Russel Ballard that talks all about the church and it's teachings. He puts it all in simple terms, so that those who aren't members can gain a true understanding of why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have such a deep desire to share their religious beliefs. I would recommend that book to anyone and everyone! I love it. So we taught them the restoration and they loved it! They asked so many questions that I was able to answer with scriptures I had read from 2 Nephi that morning. I was reading one in 2 Nephi 27 (I think), and as I was reading it she said "I like this book!" YAY! I think we underestimate the power that the Book of Mormon has sometimes. It really does answer the "questions of the soul" as some people like to call them, and when people read it, they just know. It just resonates with them, and they just know that what it is teaching is true! So that was a great lesson. We were at their house for THREE AND A HALF HOURS. But the spirit was so strong! At the end of the lesson, we invited Lance to say the closing prayer, and it was awesome. It's really cool to hear people pray who don't know how to. It was a little choppy, and he was pretty nervous, but we told him to pray from his heart and he definitely did.
So we also taught Alyssa and Lance on Friday this week. This lesson didn't go quite as smoothly, but they still really enjoyed what we were teaching them. We taught more about the Plan of Salvation, and talked a lot about God. Lance was asking a lot of difficult questions, so I decided to flip it around and ask him "what is your perception of God?" His answer was that God is in everything, and controls the earth, but I'm not so sure that he believes that God is a man. Next, we asked Alyssa and she said that she believes that God is the energy of the earth. It was interesting, but then she turned to me and asked me "What do you believe about God?" It definitely took me off guard, and made me pretty nervous at first, but then I remembered in my patriarchal blessing a line that said something like "Your testimony of Heavenly Father's love for his children will be the key to open the hearts of your investigators and those that you come in contact with." So that's what I did. I talked about how he loves us so much that he sent his son so that there would be sure way for us to make it back to him. I talked about how he has a perfect plan for each one of us and how he wants so badly to pour his blessings down on us, but he can't do that when we put up walls of guilt and shame when we sin. And then I started talking about how sometimes people do really terrible things to us, and we aren't always sure why, but that when these things happen we can turn to our loving father in Heaven and he will heal us and eventually Lance and Alyssa were crying. It was amazing. And I know that the spirit touched them that night. We continued talking about Heavenly Father, and I really think we helped them to realize that he really is there, even though they may not always see it. He really is there. This lesson lasted about as long as the other one, and Alyssa said the closing prayer and hugged us before we left. The spirit was on fire in there! I can picture their whole family getting baptized and being sealed and I am so excited for that day!! I am so thankful for the way the Lord prepares people to receive the restored gospel! It's so amazing!! I LOVE IT.
I want to tell you about our lesson with Emmanuel. So if you read the letter I sent to Samantha, you would know that we were told we would have to give up Emmanuel to the YSA elders. We were sooo sad! BUT mission president told us we don't have to if Emmanuel doesn't want to be taught by them! He said "As long as he's getting taught, it's all good. And it sounds like you sisters really connect with him, so it might be best if you teach him." So we went to Brother Karimu's house to teach him on Saturday, and Emmanuel brought a friend!! His friend is just as excited to learn as Emmanuel! His name is Kennet. So he came in the middle of things, because this was our third lesson with Emmanuel, but it still went really well! Emmanuel actually turned to Kennet at some points during the lesson to better explain things that Sister Hatch and I had taught him in the past. We were teaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which goes over faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. When we were talking to Kennet, he said flat out: "I want to be baptized into this church." WHAT?! So uhh... That happened!! Miracles! Every day! And Emmanuel is going to pray about whether or not he should be baptized, because he is still pretty hesitant. As we were reading some verses from the book of Mormon, Emmanuel and Kennet were sharing a highlighter and marking every verse we read! They just loved it all! So cool. Sooo yeah! We got a new investigator and it was a complete surprise! I love it! Missionary work is kind of funny, because we rarely find people to teach the ways we expect. I think the Lord saw how hard we were working this week, and decided to reward us with a surprise investigator at the end of the week. Those little miracles make everything worth it!
Love,
Sista Robinson
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