Besides the miracle that we survived to the end of last week, we actually found someone who wanted to listen to us! Two, in fact. The first is Maria the Bulgarian Atheist and the other is Shahood the Syrian Business Man (Don't they sound like awesome comic strip characters?). Both come from Muslim backgrounds, how cool is that? We've only had luck getting rendez-vous's with Maria, but God is truly blessing us for talking to everyone, regardless of what background they come from. Lorena is starting to get the baptism jitters and wants to push her baptismal date back, but the ward is a really great support system and she loves the principles of the gospel. Thank you so much for your prayers, everyone. Even when this work gets really discouraging at times, your support makes it possible.
FACTS I LEARNED:
- Spaniards can't figure out why this translucent white girl is talking to them in their native tongue, so they assume that I must be from Portugal because it's not Spain, but close enough for the people to still know how to speak it. I can't fit anywhere guys. The French think I'm a German and the Spaniards know I'm not from Spain and start spitting Portuguese words out at me. It's an ugly duckling situation, folks.
- My patriotism comes out if an only if someone that's not American starts cracking down on my country. You don't see me pointing out the faults in their government and culture. Simmer down, people. I mean, frick.
- There is a pastry here called "pistol" and it's basically a soft pretzel with chocolate chips and it's a little doughier. And I discovered its existence........
This week, all I want to share is an excerpt from a discourse given by Jeffery R. Holland that was shown to us at our last Zone Conference:
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have the occasion to ask, why is this so hard? Why doesn't it go better? Why can't our success be more rapid? Why aren't more people joining the church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don't people just flock to the font? Why isn't the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
"You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer you my personal feeling. I am concerned that missionary work is not easy because SALVATION IS NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE. Salvation was never easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend a few moments in Gethsemane...to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
"Now, please don't misunderstand. I am not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That should be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries AND investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price...If you wonder if there is an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there was an easier way...When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand TALL and GRATEFUL that the LIVING SON OF THE LIVING GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOUR SORROWS AND AFFLICTIONS."
This week, I was given the occasion to ask these questions. On an exchange, I had to train a 19 year-old Dutch girl who has only been in France for 3 weeks (By the way, I am still learning my way around massive Bordeaux). It was one of the hardest days I have ever experienced. I had taught three lessons that day and asked 20 different people for directions because the map looked like cave writing. BUT I DID IT.
I laid in bed that night feeling as if my chest were going to collapse because my heart was constricted from stress that entire day. And then I remembered what this Apostle said, and I was immediately filled with gratitude. The difficult things thrown my way is God giving me a chance to better understand the Atonement, to spend a few moments trying to understand what my Savior went through. I love this work. I can't fully explain what you go through as a missionary, but it's the best thing I know I can be doing with my life.
Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support me, especially all my family members and the ward in Saratoga Springs who made it fiscally possible for me to come here and put on my big girl pants.
All I can say is: Te amo con todos mi alma. Everything sounds more dramatic and beautiful in Spanish.
Je vous aime (see? not the same.),
Sœur Green
No comments:
Post a Comment