No Trespassing!!
Hey!
This week was awesome! We found and were able to speak to a lot of less actives that we have been trying to find for awhile, which, as a result, led us on some pretty crazy adventures (including getting chased by more dogs)! After this mission I don't think I will ever want a dog, hah!!
Every single person I meet here has a crazy life story of their own, and it is cool just to sit there and listen to everything they have been through. I love it! I sometimes feel like I'm the guy that does "Humans of New York" who goes around meeting all of these people with amazing stories!
We started teaching the lessons to Bobby Smith (the bull rider) who is less active, and his neighbor, Peggy. She is not a member but comes and sits in on the lessons with us so that we can go inside his home. So, we had our first lesson this week, and Peggy started teaching him for us and bearing testimony of what she had read in the pamphlet we gave them about the restoration. My companion and I were just blown away!! It was just so cool to see her bear testimony on something she had just read, which shows how true and powerful this Gospel is. She said that she will do the commitments that we ask Bobby to do, and she looks forward to the other lessons, which is awesome. She even came to church yesterday! I am so excited to continue teaching her and just seeing how much she progresses. This is definitely one of the coolest experience of my mission so far!
This week we were told by our mission president that we could no longer knock on people's doors if there is a "No trespassing" sign, which before we always just ignored. This pretty much eliminates about more than 2/3 of our area, but we have really been trying to find a new way to get in touch with people. We have to get creative, and it has definitely been an interesting but cool experience. Ever since I arrived here, we have really been trying to get members more involved, and just yesterday we had about 10 members come up to us saying they think they know someone who is ready. I really think the "No Trespassing" sign was a blessing in disguise because we're getting the ward members involved.
This week we also ran into a lot of people that did not have anything positive to say about the Church, or what we are doing, and it's hard sometimes not to get too discouraged. We found a scripture this week after one of our encounters with someone that had nothing good to say to us. The scripture said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." (John 15:18). I just finally realized that as hard as it is going to be sometimes to have people tear you down for what you believe, and what you do for our Savior, Jesus Christ, He knows exactly how we feel because He was in our same position and those people hated Him first. It is reassuring to know that our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, know us individually and by names. He knows what I am going through because He went through it at a much higher extent. He loves us, He knows us, and He is there for us. This has changed the entire way my companion and I look at those situations now. I am so thankful to know that someone who has been in our shoes loves us more than we will ever know.
I really truly know this Church is true. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ, atoned for our sins so that we could return and live with Him again. I know that Joseph Smith was a true and living prophet who restored this Gospel back to the earth. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God and is another testament of our Savior's love for us. I know that we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. I know that this Gospel is true, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to share it with other people.
Love you all so much! Thanks for all you do!
Love, Sister Lake
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