Salaam Khubid!!
Impressed with my Persian skills? You should be. Haha. Jokes. I am super bad at Farsi and only pretend to know it. I convinced some Sisters at Zone Conference that I knew it but that was easy. Too easy. :)
This week was long and humbling. We had Zone Conference this week which is always super inspiring and great but always messes up the schedule. We had to move our weekly planning around and we ended up splitting it into two days. Woof. I hate to say it but I hate weekly planning. Don't get me wrong, I know how important planning is and it really is necessary but I hate sitting inside all day. It makes me feel lazy and its hard to get back to work. I feel best when we can just get outside and work and three days of sitting and planning are not my favorite.
Zone Conference was great and I loved it. We learned a ton and gained inspiration for our investigators. One of my favorite parts of missionary work is role plays because it is a time to receive revelation for investigators needs and how we can help them progress. We did a lot of role plays and I gained so much insight into how my investigators feel and what THEY need to feel and what THEY need to hear not what I think they need. It was wonderful and such a great time. I had the opportunity to share my talents and sing at this Zone Conference. I love getting the chance to use what God has given me. I neglected it before my mission and want to make up for lost time. :)
Side note: I am working on my Christ-like love for people. It is tried and tested heavily every time we come to the library to do emails. I just get sick of getting kicked off the computer so that people can play Farmville and watch Jeopardy Season 7 highlights on YouTube. I realize now more and more that the Internet is a MASSIVE waste of time. So much time just thrown away....so sad. So frustrating...okay. I'm over it. Moving on!
Despite a lack luster effort on our part we saw some sweet miracles this week. On Monday on our way home from an appointment I talked to a guy on the subway named Abey. He was super interested and asked if we had time right then and there to teach him. So we got off the train, walked up the street and sat down in a coffee shop and taught him. He said that he believed we were sent from God and that what we said was true. He accepted a return appointment and a Book of Mormon and we were so excited. He bombed his appointment and has no phone and we have no way to contact him......harrumph. I guess God just knew that we were going to be lazy that week and so he rebuked and chastened us in advance. I feel very much like the Nephites in that I am so quick to forget the many blessings of God and to take them for granted. Pride Cycled.
Tuesday and Wednesday we were a lazy due in part to planning for so long and the rest is just us being complacent. They were bad days.
Thursday was Zone Conference and it was super inspiring and we felt really good after but it took most of the day and all that spiritual fire was doused by the humidity and more weekly planning on Friday.
Friday night we got rebuked hard core by the Spirit and vowed to do better. Saturday was a real test of our strength. We got rejected again and again. The whole day was just bad.
But unfazed by the hail and storm of the adversary we soldiered through to Sunday, were 100% Obedient and got 100% blessed. We were walking down the street heading to drop by an old investigator and some guy waiting to turn at the light just started honking. I am pretty used to this and even better at ignoring it. He persisted and just waited at the light until we looked over. I made eye contact with the driver (waving frantically to get my attention) and when he knew he had my attention he pointed at me and pointed at the side of the road and then pulled over. Needless to say, Elder MacMillan and I were a little nervous about what was about to go down but we walked over anyway. He got out of his car and asked, "Are you with the Church?!" We said yes and he said something to the affect of, "Oh good. I want to go to church and stay on the path to God. Can we meet sometime and you can teach me more?" We were in shock. Usually we pull teeth to get numbers but this guy handed us his business card and asked when we would be calling. Supa sweet. We are calling him tonight and so I guess you'll hear about it next week. :)
I am about out of time so I will finish with a funny story and some quotes.
Yesterday in Sacrament the 1st Counselor got up to conduct the meeting and he is really...dry. He is kinda awkward and irreverent and just says weird stuff. We love him. Anyway. He gets up, tells a super lame joke about fathers day and gets basically no response, maybe a pity laugh or two and then the congregation goes silent. Right then this adorable little Filipino boy erupts into hysterical laughter. The timing was PERFECT and the entire congregation bursts up too. It was great. I'm giggling just writing it. Now everyone thinks I'm crazy....oh well.
Here are a couple good quotes that have helped Elder MacMillan and I in our quest to be better missionaries.
"If you are called upon to lay down your lives: Die like men. Should you have to walk right into danger and even the jaws of death: Fear no evil. Jesus Christ has died for you." -Joseph Smith
"External service is useless where there is no devotion of heart and life"-Whoever wrote the Bible dictionary
"Elder. Are you even thinking about Jesus right now?" Jared. Our Ward Mission Leader.
I'll save some for next week. :)
I love you all and want you to know that this church is true. Christ died for you and he will always welcome you with open arms when you turn to him.
Remember. The kingdom of God or nothing.
Love,
Elder Smit
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