Rise to the Occassion

A trip the walk in clinic, 2 to the GP, and 2 trips to the hospital later, my poor companion, Sister Lee has severe stomach pains that just don't seem to go away :( She is going to need to be flat bound until they figure out what is going on. Not so much good news for me.. Yesterday we went on splits with the members if we are going to be able to keep that up. I might have to go back and forth between my area and Kendall, where the nearest Sisters are to continue to be out working. 

It has been a crazy week and the week approaching will probably be a crazy week too. I never would have thought my mission is ending the way it is with my companion in and out of the GP and hospital. I feel stuck in between two places; I want to take care of my companion and I want to go out and work. The hardest part is I want to go out and work WITH my companion. As they say though, ''you can't have your cake and eat it too.'' 

Despite the craziness we were still able see our investigators this week:

We are finally getting some where with Jun's concern about Joseph Smith! She has been confused for a very long time about Joseph Smith and we have been explaining over and over again how he translated the Book of Mormon and did not write it. I am not sure what exactly we said that made her have an Aha moment but she finally understands why Joesph Smith is so important. We are looking forward to committing her to be baptized on a specific date. We know she has had a past witness from the Spirit that these things are true and now she is finally starting to resolve her own concerns. 

Demi and Sharon, our Nigerian investigators, are doing great! They both have kept their commitment to read the Book of Mormon. We met with Demi on her own this weekend because Sharon was sick. It worked out perfectly and it is definitely much easier to teach one person rather than two at the same time since their needs and concerns seem to be so different. We finished teaching Demi the restoration and she believes it is possible for God to appear to Joseph Smith. We invited her to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet and invited her to be baptized. She responded to the latter that she has already been baptized. It is always a bit awkward explaining to people that they need to be baptized by the proper authority. We assured her that our message is true and she will need to pray to know for herself and with an answer will better be able to accept or reject the invitation to be baptized.

A new investigator from this week is Suraj. He is also Nigerian and is from a Muslim family. I taught him while on splits at the Perry's this weekend and watched the DVD To This End Was I Born. It was perfect for him. The Spirit in the room was practically tangible after the film ended. I asked him what he thought and he said this movie made him change the way he viewed Christianity. We explained that he change of heart he was feeling was the Spirit of God helping him to learn about Jesus Christ. He gave such a sincere prayer. 

So this week I went on exchange with Sister Fromgren from Norway in Carlise, the closest you can get to the Scottish border. It was a short 24 hour exchange and yep, my very last one! We found one new investigator on exchange named Mark. He is so prepared! He has made a lot of changes in his life that he knows is because of prayer and God's help. My exchange goal was to invite someone to be baptized and so I invited him on the spot to be baptized. He said he would once he comes to know these things are true.

Looking back on this week, we only really did maybe 2 hours total of finding (not including travel contacting) and yet we were still able to find new investigators. Not just any new investigators but GOLDEN investigators. Diana is one of them. We street contacted her at the Uni and she is a miracle find. Diana is from Latvia and she told us God is a big part of her life. We taught her on the spot very briefly about the restoration. She told us she had been pondering a spiritual question in her heart that morning and looked up to the heavens and said ''thank you!'' She is so humble and adorable. She actually lives in Preston and commutes to school. She told us she would message us her schedule and usually this means ''I'm not actually interested'' but the next day she actually messaged us and asked if we could meet her the next day! Miracles are real. Sister Lee taught her over exchange. Turns out she doesn't really understand who God is and didn't know He had a body. Yeah... thank goodness they taught to her needs about the Godhead. I called her last night and followed up with her prayers. She said she has been praying and the way she is now praying makes her feel like she has been set free. Wow. She just keeps getting more and more incredible. 

The thing I learned this week is how as we grow stronger and stronger our challenges must too become more difficult to allow us to continue to grow; I feel like I am at my best and have been working my hardest and yet the trials and challenges just do not seem to be getting any easier. Looking back on this week I stand all amazed at all the work Sister Lee and I have been able to do despite her severe stomach pains. There is no other explanation I can find except to say it was the enabling power of the Atonement carrying us through the week. Like an Apostle has once said ''we must not ask to have tasks equal to our power put the power equal to meet our tasks.'' We must rise to the occasion and always seek to learn and grow.

I am grateful that Sister Lee has been able to fight through the pain as long as she could. Now it is time for her to rest and hopefully re cooperate while we wait to hear from the medical professionals what is wrong.

I am not sure what will happen this week but I am going to choose to put my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father that He will take care of me and my companion and our investigators. Things are out of my hands and in His.

Please keep Sister Lee in your prayers!

Love,
Sister Jordan