Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Expect Miracles


Ok. HUGE miracle. So there was this man I met my first transfer here in Liverpool and we ended up teaching him about the restoration right on the spot. After the lesson he told us that he felt we were a sign from God. He accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and gave us his contact info before he had to leave. I have called him on multiple occasions hoping he would pick up and he never did. One of the last times I called, maybe around two months ago, I left a message on his voicemail. Last week he finally called back! He is willing to meet with us and learn more! Never give up on investigators! I have learned this week that miracles happen when we have the faith to expect them.
This week was full of pre-Christmas celebrations:
On Friday, we had Christmas training at the mission home with part of our zone. We had a big feast prepared by wonderful Sister Preston, performed skits, watched Ephraim rescue, and had a white elephant gift exchange. So much fun! We also got our Christmas packages afterwards. I had quite the stack of packages.. Thank you family! Thank you Sister Wutzke too :)

Saturday we went to watch the play A Christmas Carol that the members in the Liverpool stake have put together. It was fantastic. President Preston came and we were able to get permission to stay for the whole thing. We didn't get home until after 11pm. I was surprised that I was so awake Sunday.
Sunday we watched the Christmas Devotional at the church.
So excited for Christmas!
While traveling on the train to get to our Christmas training, I met this young man that was a student at the Liverpool Uni and was leaving to go home to the Ukraine for Christmas. I asked him about his journey home and he told me that he had a 2 hour flight to Germany and had a 9 hour layover before his next flight. I asked him what he planned on doing while he waited and he told me he was going to drink and read a book. Perfect segway into the Restoration and the Word of Wisdom. I explained that we stay away from alcohol because we can't feel the promptings, comfort, and guidance from the Spirit if we partake of certain substances. He said it made sense and if he understood it a bit more he would probably live it. (Woah!) I got his info and sent it to the mission office for it to be passed on to the Ukraine mission. He will be baptized on day. I know it. His mom too because she is ''very religious''.
A girl in the ward got set apart for her mission to Temple Square this weekend. She had 20 plus members/ family at her setting apart and all 4 of the Sister missionaries in the ward stood in as well. It was weird thinking that only 7 months ago I was in her very position. Nervous, excited, sad to be saying goodbye. I know Sister Andre will do great.
Sacrifice brings blessings
An Elder trio in our district only had one tea appointment this whole week. The Sisters are fed pretty often and Sister Loh and I had already two and one more scheduled for Sunday. Sister Loh and I gave up our Sunday tea appointment so that they could have another one this week. Then after church on Sunday we were talking to a member and he asked ''do you have a tea appointment today?.'' We told him we didn't and he invited us over to have tea with his family. Sacrifice truly does bring blessings :) Heavenly Father takes care of His missionaries.
C Minor still doesn't feel prepared enough for baptism. We have tried our best to encourage him and express our confidence in him but we have reached a point where we just can't push him any farther. We respect his agency and we hope he will feel ready to be baptized in the future. He wants to be baptized, and that is huge progress since 4 months ago he wanted nothing to do with religion and considered himself and atheist. The time just isn't right for him right now.
A lot of our Chinese investigators are leaving or have already left the country for holiday. One of the only downsides to teaching Uni students.
Last week we set up a appointment with this Uni student I met on an exchange. He arrived at the building we planned to meet up at and he had invited two friends to join us-- Great! But they are all Muslim-- Not so great.. We weren't expecting to teach three of them and when ever you met with people from a Muslim background it takes a lot of mental preparation. They asked us a lot of questions such as the typical ''how do you know Jesus is the Son of God?'' We tried our best to answer but they were too skeptical about our responses. The least I could do was bear testimony that I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he is our Savior. One of them mentioned how he didn't think it was fair that someone would have to die for us. That comment sparked an inspired thought in my head that I have futher pondered the rest of the week:
 If our Heavenly Father could have, He would have gave His life for us. Since He is God with a perfected and resurrected body, He cannot die anymore. He, however, has a plan for all of us to be able to return back to live with Him again. That plan required a Savior that could die for us and who could stand in our place and pay the price for our sins. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, willingly came to this world to die for us so that we could return to live with our Father in Heaven. He inherited from his mortal mother Mary the ability to die and from his Heavenly Father he inherited the ability to take up his life again. Because of the Atonement, we will all overcome physical death and through the Atonement we can also over come spiritual death. God's plan is perfect.
 I hope we will all gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Atonement. I am grateful that my Savior, Jesus Christ, died for me. He did it beacause he loves me. He loves us all:
''Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends'' (John 15:13).
Love you all!    
Sister Jordan
                                            MIssion Home at Christmas




                                               Shloer It Up:)

                                                    Christmas Training Feast

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