Villawood
week #13
Hey yous!
I just realized I have the lamest subject titles ever. Villawood Week
13...seriously? Well it keeps me organized and I'm sure my mum comes up with
something way cooler when she puts it on the blog. Am I right or am I right?
But hope this letter finds everyone healthy, happy and awesome! It’s been a
great week full of miracles. So lets highlight a few of them shall we?
(We've had electrical issues in our flat (don't worry more opportunities to spread the gospel) but our broken stove and oven has led to Tim Tam slams for dinner. No shame.)
Tuesday:
Two big island feeds in a row.. this is my life haha I should of known we'd get
fed at every teaching appointment. But the Mataia's were so great. This is the
part member Samoan family where Dad is super strong AOG (Assembly of God) and
won't let his wife go to church or any of the kids to be baptized, even though
they all have rock solid testimonies of the restored gospel. We shared the
"Because of Him" Mormon message (still obsessed... its like my
favorite movie/song that I could watch/listen to over and over and over again
and still be in love with) and he even teared up. It was a monumental lesson
with him that really changed and softened his heart.
Wednesday:
We did some gardening for this sweet potential investigator from Chile and then
were on suicide watch the rest of the day with an investigator Sharon. She is
59 but looks about 80+, she has Parkinson’s, morbid depression and heaps of
other health issues. No family, no friends and would be categorized as your stereotypical
"cat lady." We know she is not progressing because she still is
trying to comprehend God's love but we are her only friends and we were
spending most the day talking to her (see Friday and then Sunday for the follow-up
with her). But love the Lakisoe family. Samoan less active family but haven't
met nonmember husband yet. Did a cute studying the scripture lessons where we
cut out the letters to spell scriptures and hid them for them to find (search),
and then arrange them to spell the word (ponder) and eventually ask us for some
help and hints (pray).
Thursday:
Ok, if there were a GOLDEN investigator it would be Diane. She was formerly
taught and she wants to be baptized. Not under a man made denomination though,
just as a Christian. We were easily able to overcome her Book of Mormon
concerns (I love you Ezekiel!) and explain how our church is not man made and
how our baptismal covenant is to purely take on the name of Christ. She loved
it! We see her again tomorrow.
Friday:
We found an amazing potential that I would classify as a miracle. We were going
to try one miracle potential in our 15 minutest prior to an appointment. Sis
Pagnin picked a street and their was only one potential on it name. He was
"not interested" and visited quite recently. So we debated. But I
felt something looking down that driveway of their duplex. So we went and no
one was home but conveniently someone was at the top at the mailbox. Awkward
right? So we pull out a card to give them to make it less awkward (embrace the
awkwardness and find miracles, also my life story haha) and turns out she is
curious to know what the Mormons are all about especially as her daughter up in
Queensland is looking into our religion right now. How cool is that? And then
we saw Sharon. She was much happier to have visitors. I truly experienced God's
love on a whole different level and such an increased understanding and
patience. We are NEVER alone.
Saturday:
Crazy Croatian 70-year-old Vera stopped stealing! We will get to the
restoration one day... once we can conquer thou shall not steal haha so totally
progressing right? yeah... maybe not. But we knocked a house that was a referral
from Church Headquarters, they moved at least 7 years ago but the lady there
Diana is interested to hear our message and invited us back for this Wednesday.
Sunday:
Wen came to church all 3 hours. If there was an award for the cutest Vietnamese
lady in the world or for the person that can always make you just smile it is
her! She brought all her pamphlets in Vietnamese, which we were able to
reference to during all the different topics that were being spoke on. Vera
also came to the first hour. Where she again wished the sacrament water was
vodka. Oh Australia, I love you. Not to mention the drunk man dancing along
with all the fake manikin people at the market on the way to church. But the
Part-member Less active family the Nua's are doing great. Really love them and
see so much potential there. Really have established trust and are taking it at
their pace and following the Spirit as closely as we can. And then Lana! Ah.
She is our other new golden investigator! She has two girls, and one of them is
7 with a lot of medical issues and is quite disabled, she can't walk and is
just the cutest thing that warms up your heart. She is super anti Pentecostal
(this church is huge here but she doesn't like how into the gift of tongues
they are, feels bad spirits there, etc) raised catholic, tried Anglican and now
just looking for good truth and knows without a doubt there is a God because if
there wasn't her daughter would not still be alive. Oh and we found the perfect
fellowship for Sharon, a lady in our ward that is also older, could use a
friend herself, a convert that has had a hard life but has so much faith and
positivity who ended up having Parkinson’s herself and we didn't even know it.
They hit it off like a house on fire :)
So
following up on my challenge for yous to notice more miracles I hope I was able
to highlight a few of the many miracles and tender mercies I have been able to
see this week. More than anything this week I just know without a doubt that
Jesus Christ is our Savior and redeemer. He died and suffered for each of us,
any negativity in life can find peace and hope through Him. Because of Him
everything is possible and we can find happiness in this life and the life to
come. I have loved going through my old study journals (my small plates) and
see how much closer I have grown to him over the course of my mission so far
and can't wait to continue to grow closer to him the rest of my life as well as
help all my brothers and sisters along the way to do the same. To teach Christ,
we must experience Christ. And I am so blessed to experience Christ and use his
redeeming and enabling power everyday. Love you all! HAVE THE BEST WEEK EVER!
(I am the biggest nerd. Especially for birthdays. I even wrote stuff on their toilet. Rude much? Oh yeah... remember the rude slang just means tacky here haha not being mean :)
Ofa Atu!
Sister Rushing :)
No comments:
Post a Comment