21/03/16
Well another week has gone by! It was full of ups and downs, but mostly ups. My companion and I witnessed many miracles this week.
The first miracle happened after we found ourselves lost trying to find a lunch appointment. We went through alley after alley, through small tunnels (filled with rats and small crocodiles I'm not kidding), we were completely lost. There are small little communities within the city and it is difficult to navigate them. Our phone had died and it was so hot – over 90 degrees + humidity = heat like you have to experience. We were both like, “Seriously?”. But then something amazing happened. Out of no where showed up an old investigator that we had found on the street but had never been able to find his house. He was so excited to see us! We were able to figure out where he lives and he helped us find our lunch appointment!
We took Samira to the Stake Relief Society celebration and she loved it! It was so sweet to see how everyone just welcomed her right in. I love them each so much. She and her husband get to church before us now each week – what? It’s so cute.
We baptized a man named Ismael this week – he is so elite. He has been investigating the church for a while and was so prepared for baptism. He already knows everything about the church – he just needed to make his covenants. My companion and I are so happy because it seems like the ward is getting to be more excited about missionary work now. We’ve been able to receive references and a lot more help this week.
My comp and I got a little sick this week but the ward was so sweet to bring us some things we needed and they called to check up on us. We were nervous too because we had made 33 new investigators this week but no one said that they could come to church. And then when we got sick we couldn’t follow up with them. But the Lord just gave us so many miracles. 5 of the new investigators just showed up on their own to church! And a mom of one of the new investigators came as well which really was a miracle as she had refused to have anything to do with us before. But yesterday she just randomly decided to come to church to see what it was all about. I was able to speak to her for a little bit and she asked me for a copy of the story that I had read about the lady that thought her neighbor didn’t know how to wash her clothes (It’s a Mormon message about the dirty windows). I was super excited that she had liked my talk and I gave her a copy of the Liahona that I had used.
We also had the mission council this week with all of the zone leaders and it was my comp’s first one! She was excited. We received awesome trainings from the President and Sister Castro that we are going to give to the sister missionaries this week.
In closing, here’s a quote from the story I used in my talk this week. President Monson said,
Said the Savior, "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in my brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Or, to paraphrase, why beholdest thou what you think is dirty laundry at your neighbor's house but considerest not the soiled window in your own house? There's really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: "Judge not."
I love each of you so much! Have a wonderful week!
Sister Arbuckle
Well another week has gone by! It was full of ups and downs, but mostly ups. My companion and I witnessed many miracles this week.
The first miracle happened after we found ourselves lost trying to find a lunch appointment. We went through alley after alley, through small tunnels (filled with rats and small crocodiles I'm not kidding), we were completely lost. There are small little communities within the city and it is difficult to navigate them. Our phone had died and it was so hot – over 90 degrees + humidity = heat like you have to experience. We were both like, “Seriously?”. But then something amazing happened. Out of no where showed up an old investigator that we had found on the street but had never been able to find his house. He was so excited to see us! We were able to figure out where he lives and he helped us find our lunch appointment!
We took Samira to the Stake Relief Society celebration and she loved it! It was so sweet to see how everyone just welcomed her right in. I love them each so much. She and her husband get to church before us now each week – what? It’s so cute.
We baptized a man named Ismael this week – he is so elite. He has been investigating the church for a while and was so prepared for baptism. He already knows everything about the church – he just needed to make his covenants. My companion and I are so happy because it seems like the ward is getting to be more excited about missionary work now. We’ve been able to receive references and a lot more help this week.
My comp and I got a little sick this week but the ward was so sweet to bring us some things we needed and they called to check up on us. We were nervous too because we had made 33 new investigators this week but no one said that they could come to church. And then when we got sick we couldn’t follow up with them. But the Lord just gave us so many miracles. 5 of the new investigators just showed up on their own to church! And a mom of one of the new investigators came as well which really was a miracle as she had refused to have anything to do with us before. But yesterday she just randomly decided to come to church to see what it was all about. I was able to speak to her for a little bit and she asked me for a copy of the story that I had read about the lady that thought her neighbor didn’t know how to wash her clothes (It’s a Mormon message about the dirty windows). I was super excited that she had liked my talk and I gave her a copy of the Liahona that I had used.
We also had the mission council this week with all of the zone leaders and it was my comp’s first one! She was excited. We received awesome trainings from the President and Sister Castro that we are going to give to the sister missionaries this week.
In closing, here’s a quote from the story I used in my talk this week. President Monson said,
Said the Savior, "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in my brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Or, to paraphrase, why beholdest thou what you think is dirty laundry at your neighbor's house but considerest not the soiled window in your own house? There's really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: "Judge not."
I love each of you so much! Have a wonderful week!
Sister Arbuckle