At our zone meeting last Tuesday, 2 Elders in my district gave us a training on how to ask questions and use the Book of Mormon in our finding which was perfect because I have always wondered what I could do to improve my street contacting. Sister Merrill and I applied the training that day and we saw many miracles and teaching opportunities-- we had 4 lessons on the spot that day! That was one of the highest numbers of on the spot lessons we have had in a while. Now we know how to be more effecting in our finding but now we need to find a way to turn these on the spot lessons into return appointments. That is something that is a bit more difficult here in the Man YSA.
We finally received Stephanie's friend as an official referral this week! After a lesson with Stephanie one night, she walked us to her friend's house. Now that we have the address, we have called by the friend's home a couple of times but she hasn't been home yet. We will keep praying that we can contact her soon.
On Thursday we saw huge miracles with Heavenly Father placing our investigators or people we have previously met in our path again. About a month ago, Sister Merrill and I met this Chinese girl named Wu on the street. She was going through a rough time and asked us how Jesus Christ could help her. We taught her how to pray and gave her a pamphlet. She did not give us her number or address and so we have had to way to get in contact with her but she has always been on our minds and we have always hoped to run into her again. Thursday evening while street contacting Sister Merrill had a feeling we would run into Wu and about 2 minutes later we did. Woah! She told us she has prayed and felt peace :) She still didn't give us her number but if Heavenly Father can place her in our path a second time why not a third? We also ran into our investigator Santhi that night and she set up a time to see us which is a big deal because she hasn't answered any of our calls or messages.
That appointment with Santhi ended up being her dropping us.. Santhi is currently catholic and it is hard for her to accept the Godhead and not the trinity. On the bright side, I am grateful she actually did it in person. Most people just stop answering our calls and text messages. I am also grateful we had one last lesson with her because we were able to bear testimony and invite her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and what we have already shared. I know she will come to know the truth for herself in the near future.
We had a great lesson with our investigator, Tian, this week. We taught him the restoration and he surprised us with how much he knows about the Bible. He thought Joseph Smith's experience was magical because God and Jesus Christ appeared to him and answered his prayer. Tian is so great! He accepted to be baptised next month.
This week I said goodbye to my recent convert from Liverpool, Yan Ling. She had moved up to Manchester to work in the hopes of getting a VISA but it hasn't worked out and she will be leaving to go back to China this coming up weekend. Yan Ling is the epitome of a kingdom builder. She made food packages for the 21 missionaries in the Manchester area and printed her testimony and conversion story in English and Chinese for each companionship. She is brilliant. I will miss her. I know she will do a great work in China when it is open to the gospel one day.
We had 3 nonmembers at church yesterday, all the fruits of the consecrated finding efforts on Saturday. We are meeting with two of them today.
I love serving here in the Manchester YSA. The missionaries here are seeing great success with inviting those we teach to be baptized and many of them have accepted the invitation. We will all hopefully see 6 baptisms by the end of this transfer. They want the YSA membership to double by December and we are going to help make it happen!
This week I learned, or rather had an experience when I was able to understand how much Heavenly Father respects our individual agency. I know He has great things in store for me but He will never force these things on me but rather would have it be a choice for me. An instance of this is how He allowed serving a mission be my choice and not something I felt obligated to do because He told me straight out in my patriarchal blessing. This may work for others but He knows me and knew I would come to the decision myself. I am grateful for the ability to make my own choices and I am grateful that Heavenly Father treasures and respects our agency.
Agency is a gift given to us and it is a gift we can give back to Heavenly Father as we strive to be humble and do His will rather than ours. Friends and family, the choice is yours! I hope all of you will choose your Savior and God's plan. This is where true happiness lies.
Love you all!
Sister Jordan
No comments:
Post a Comment