Happy to report that my
arms/injuries are doing much better! I'm now out of the brace and ace
bandage and my knees are almost completely healed (a little red and some
scabs, but nothing compared to what it was a few weeks ago). I'm just
working on stretching my arm/wrist so that one day I will be able to
rotate it all around...which I have yet to be able to do without
pain....*sigh* as my Doctor said today, "Your body will heal when
it heals, and it doesn't care what you say about it!" haha funny stuff
This week has been a good one! Sister Snyder is an
amazing missionary and I am truly blessed to have her as my companion.
She works hard, is aware of her surroundings and the people around her
and - she loves to do service!
Our missionary handbook says that we
should look for worthwhile opportunities to serve members, nonmembers,
and those in our community once a week. And this is the first transfer
that I've really been able to do that! Now, we mostly weed gardens but
hey! It's a skill/activity that I've come to actually enjoy. Hopefully
that sticks when I come home from my mission, and I'll actually grow
fruits and vegetables like I want to :) And I hear that the family has a
little garden in the backyard where our deck used to be...looks like
I'll get to continue using my weeding skills after all!
Our missionary handbook says that we
should look for worthwhile opportunities to serve members, nonmembers,
and those in our community once a week. And this is the first transfer
that I've really been able to do that! Now, we mostly weed gardens but
hey! It's a skill/activity that I've come to actually enjoy. Hopefully
that sticks when I come home from my mission, and I'll actually grow
fruits and vegetables like I want to :) And I hear that the family has a
little garden in the backyard where our deck used to be...looks like
I'll get to continue using my weeding skills after all!
While it has been good, it's been emotionally
draining. Especially over the weekend - but I feel like we've come out
on top because we are on the Lord's side. On Thursday we received a call
from one of our less-active members that we had been working with. She
had many questions and concerns, most of which were coming from
anti-mormon websites that her mother directed her too. Try as we might
to testify to her and encourage her to pray and look back at her past
experiences, her mind was already set when she called us. However, we
set an appointment for the next day hoping that we could have some time
to pray and study to know exactly what Heavenly Father wanted us to say
to her. Well, after studies we both were in a stupor of thought as to
what to do and then she called and canceled on us. She then told us
that she wants nothing more to do with the church, doesn't want to see
us anymore and that she thinks the whole religion is a hoax. We just
testified to her of what we knew to be true, encouraged her to pray and
told her that we (and heavenly father) were saddened by her decision but
respected her agency. And that was the last of that.
The whole experience really shook me, and quite frankly made me a little
angry - to think that people could be so bent on destroying a people
who really only are trying to follow Christ. But then, as I've reflected
back it has just become a testimony to me of how true the church is,
because of how hard Satan is working to destroy it. I feel so blessed to
have the testimony that I have, and to have had this experience.
Then, the next day we have a lesson with our
investigator, Mxxxxx, who is going to be baptized on the 11th of August. The lesson was on tithing. He already knew most of it because we had the lesson on it in
Gospel Principles just a week or so before that. Everything seemed fine
in the lesson - we had it at a members house, they bore great and
sincere testimony about tithing and how even though it's hard and
requires a lot of faith it has blessed their lives, and Markus agreed. However, about 30 minutes after we left he texted
us. He wanted to know what happens to us
if we don't pay it, we were shocked. Mxxxxx has one of the most
solid testimonies that I have seen in someone that I teach, and we just
couldn't believe it. However, we called him and talked about it
and he seemed at peace. He knew that it would be a
struggle, and that it would take a lot of faith (especially the first
time) but that if he prayed and trusted the Lord, it all would be
alright. So we were feeling pretty good. Then the next day, when we
asked him to confirm a time for his baptism he wouldn't because he said
he still needed to think about some things. He's facing a lot of
opposition from his family and he feels like when he gets baptized, he
is going to loose everything. We sent him some scriptures to help and
encouraged him, and we are going to be seeing him tonight and so
hopefully we can really follow the Spirit and be able to know how best
to help him, and if he's truly ready to be baptized this weekend. We
know that he is, but the decision is up to him :) As our ward mission
leader said, "don't let the fear of temporal things stop you from doing
eternal things. The temporal things we can take care of, but if you
forfeit spiritual blessings the only person who can help is you"
Well, that's all from Harbor City this week! My love to you all!!
Sister Hensley
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| This is me learning a bit of sign language from a couple of Elders on a mission to the deaf. |
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