I pretty much just love being a missionary.
I love the people here so much. Wenatchee is like my home! We had some really interesting lessons this past week, very few that were actually planned but they were all really neat. This week we have finally been getting set appointments. Unfortunately, the majority of them fell through but we were still able to meet some neat people.
I got food poisoning on Friday, but that particular day we had offered to take the other Spanish sister's mini missionary because they had a meeting all day. I didn't want her to stay in with us all day, I wanted to be able to take her out so that she could experience missionary work and so I got a blessing a couple hours before she came over. I remember reading in Alma recently about Zeezrom. He's a pretty rotten guy, until he comes to the knowledge of the Savior and becomes converted. At one point, he gets really really sick, and he asks Alma and Amuleck to come to him and bless him. I love this passage because in the blessing Alma says, "May he be healed according to his faith." and in the next verse, Zeezrom LEAPS to his feet. I can't say that i was able to leap to my feet after the blessing that I received, but I was able to go out and work the rest of the night. I got reprimanded for not staying in at least for a little while longer but I honestly felt worse to stay in then I did to get out and work. I wasn't the best missionary that day, but I know that the Lord consecrates our actions for our good.
Highlights
Maxine - darling older lady on the bench waiting for the bus. We almost didn't stop but then figured we had nothing to lose and started talking to her. She had the sweetest testimony of Christ. We gave her a plan of Salvation pamphlet, as well as a Book of Mormon and she got so excited to have more little books to read! It was eye opening for me at the very end. We were talking about how when two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst of us and she got so excited and she said, "Oh oh!! He's right here with us!! You know, I bet Satan didn't want you to stop and talk to me but guess who got the last laugh? Ha ha ha!" She was so sweet! Unfortunately her bus came right then and cut our lesson short but it was such a neat interaction, one that reminded me how important it is to talk to EVERYONE. Because when we don't, Satan is getting that last laugh, as silly as it sounds, that is what he wants! He wants us to walk past those on either side of us, those that we judge may not need it but in reality are our brothers and sisters. And who are we to judge that they won't want what we have?
Millie - sweet older lady who was sitting outside smoking. we began talking about Jesus and she has such an incredibly strong testimony, she is just the sweetest thing! We talked to her for a while honestly, before she had to go cook dinner for her husband but before she went in I pulled out the "Because He Lives" video pass along card. "Can we leave you with a card? It has our number and a picture of Jesus!" Her eyebrows raised and she gave us a look that said, "A picture of Jesus? Why did you even ask!" We talked a little bit about the picture, where Christ is holding little kids and she is just the sweetest, so excited about Jesus. Finally, she shooed us away but just before, she gave each of us a big hug and said, "You girls are just so beautiful. I love you!" It made our day!
Elisar - He is honestly my favorite. He was passed from the elders to us because he's right inside of our border and he is awesome. He loves loves loves the Bible. We've tried to teach the Restoration the last couple of times but he's fixated on the Book of Mormon and has been struggling with the validity of it. We'll be teaching and he raises his hand and says, "Tengo una pregunta. En la Biblia..." and then we all turn to the Bible or scramble to find a scripture in the Book of Mormon. He talks crazy fast as well, but I am so grateful that I have studied so much in the Book of Mormon because there are always answers to his questions IN that book. We've gone by twice this week, with two different return missionaries, Jordan and Stefano. Jordan just got back two or three weeks ago from El Salvador and he is loving coming out with us. There came a point in the lesson where Elisar wanted proof of Joseph Smith in the Bible. I had no idea, but Jordan turned to us where we were sitting, looking at each other like - i have no idea, and said "Reaffirm why we have the Book of Mormon!" After a couple of minutes, we turned to 2 Nephi where it prophecies about the Restoration. That night, we assigned him 2 Nephi 28 and 29. I knew that it was pretty much laying it down, those are the chapters that discuss the Apostasy and Restoration and then the Lord speaks about why we have a Book of Mormon. It was really funny, because that next lesson he wanted to read those chapters, (well parts of them) out loud. When he got to chapter 29 he gets to the verse where it says, "y ellos dicen: ¡Una Biblia! ¡Una Biblia! ¡Tenemos una Biblia, y no puede haber más Biblia!" (A Bible, a Bible, we have a Bible and we have no need for anything more.) He reads it, in a very theatrical way I may add, and then at this point he stops, takes off his glasses and looks at us down his nose. "Who gave me this chapter?" Grinning, I raise my hand and he laughs because this chapter perfectly addresses his concerns. He's definitely an odd one to teach because he thinks in ways that cause us to address things we usually wouldn't immediately. For example, typically we don't use chapter 29 right off the bat to give a solid lashing to concerning those that struggle with the existence of a second book. But with him it was exactly what was needed. At the end of that lesson, we told him that we have certain lessons that we teach, it's a program and that most of his questions will be answered, IF he lets us teach the lessons! We've decided to meet with them every day this week, and Tuesday and Thursday Elisar gets to have a study of the Book of Mormon and the Bible with us, along with all of his crazy questions.
All in all, this week was awesome. There are bumps, sicknesses, rejections, heat, so many things that Satan may knock into our paths to make us lose, but we have to remember that Satan cannot get the last laugh! During Zone Training Meeting we had a discussion on the importance of being bold. We have to be willing to get out of our comfort zone so that our Heavenly Father can trust us with things that others are not willing to do, and in doing so we become His instruments, working miracles for others. How often have we heard stories of someone bringing to pass a miracle for someone else? They were only able to do so because of their willingness to get out and work, to do the things that others wont do, to be what others aren't willing to become. I encourage each of you this week to be aware of ways that you can be a miracle or a Godsend to others around you.
Alma 37:6-7
"6...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."
Les quiero!
Sister Jaycie Baird
Washington Yakima Mission
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