Marzo 23

So last Friday was our Mission Tour where Elder Pearson of the Seventy and his wife came and spoke. SUPER GOOD. No. WONDERFUL. I actually heard him in the MTC and I loved his insight there and have referred back to those notes, and this time he got to speak for a lot longer and the Spirit was very present and thus I was able to learn MUCH more than otherwise. I love that--how He can "open the eyes of our understanding" and help us really understand if we'll only make the decision to be meek and open and humble and faithful... :)

Last week we were able to teach 2 new investigators, D and L. The lesson was very good and they were both touched--that was very evident. D is about our age or a little older with 2 little girls (one whom she lives with) and L is her grandma who is living with her temporarily until she moves back to Kansas. L's daughter, D's mom, is a New World Revival-ist that isn't our biggest fan. I'm pretty sure she tries to tear down every wall we build with them. She's been to Israel a bunch of times for movies her church does; she says she was healed over there from chronic pancreatitis, and she's a very strong-willed outspoken person. So we'll see how everything pans out.

On Saturday Sis D and I gave a tour to 3 non-member men, all married and in their 30's, part of the same congregation, very religious, coming in to ... I'm not totally sure. Just check it out I guess.
THAT was an interesting tour. There's so much to tell about it that I almost don't even want to start. 2 of them were at least a little open at first and then started asking more questions--phrased in a way that wasn't just trying to get an answer out of us but actually interested as to what we believed on the subjects. Then they started asking more questions and I pulled out the Book of Mormon and read them some passages in answer to different things, etc. and it was good and Sis D and I could tell they were feeling something. Then at last, the one guy that wouldn't make eye contact with us or whose body language indicated anything but interest spoke up at the end and goes off about how he can recognize counterfeit money and he can recognize scripture.... and the things I read out of the Book of Mormon were NOT SCRIPTURE and everything's a hoax ..... right then, Spirit GONE. This awful feeling crept over us, and it was like a light switch that he switched in the other two and the one who had been most open at the beginning went on this spree of quoting Bible scriptures (and their references) that he thought proved us wrong, eventually ending by saying that either we're right or they're right and if they're right, we're going to the lake of fire and brimstone and will be the ones who say, "Lord, Lord! We've baptized in your name, etc etc." and whom Jesus says (in Revelations), "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." and how it says in the Bible that man has never seen the face of God so Joseph Smith's a fraud and all this.... It was just so interesting how the Spirit was totally there for most of it and then once that switch was flipped.... BAM. They KNEW they felt something. They KNEW the things we were telling them made sense (they were taught them before they came to earth, after all, and it was sounding familiar....) and I think..... well, I think a LOT of things about that experience. It was funny how we could have combated their arguments with a myriad of truths straight from their own Bible, but at that point it would have been fruitless. J encouraged me to leave the Book of Mormon aside for a while and just read the Bible so that I could see the difference and climb out of my ignorance or something like this and I just thought, "I can't. I just can't. I could never 'leave the Book of Mormon aside for a while' because it's TRUE!!!!!!" so I just said, "Okay! And in return, I encourage you to read it. All the way through. and then take Moroni's challenge...." They departed a bit heated. I think it bugged them that we kept smiling throughout their rampage and said a friendly goodbye still.... I KNOW they walked out of our doors entirely more affected than they expected. I guarantee you that they all have thought about the things we discussed a lot since then and I hope that they'll eventually soften their hearts enough to see the truth. "Tis hard to kick against the pricks...." ;) I'll be honest, though, it took a little toll on me. I had to go downstairs and play the piano to get the Spirit back. It was crazy for me to see people feel the Holy Ghost like that and then shove back against it so hard.... while instilling fear in me that I'd go to that lake of fire and brimstone.... And God NEVER works by fear..... so yeah. The next morning I read "Safety For the Soul" by Elder Holland and it is the PERFECT talk for J..... Y'all should watch it after you read this email. ;) It's one of my favorites. Watching it is better than reading it. btw

Well, other than that we finally heard from H again!! We were afraid he was in trouble up in Minnesota (his whole family's in a mess) but he's back now and we taught him again yesterday. So good. And we're seeing S today and SP tomorrow! Last week was kind of a drought with all of them.... But we found S and C and possibly M.... People are so interesting...so different.... yet so the same.....

This week has also been a challenging one emotionally and mentally and Spiritually. For many reasons. At this time in my mission more than any other as of yet I feel my rough corners and edges being chipped and sawed off to become smooth and I learn MUCH more about being truly Christlike and patient when it is NOT easy on a very regular and consistent basis.

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. Sorry there weren't that many. I'm trying to take more. I have no idea where my batteries and charger went and it's driving me crazy. I really hope it's not in JC..... Dang. Probably is........

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!!