January 21, 2013

 

Hola Familia y amigos!

 

.... One evening early this week, we met with B.... and his family. B.....'s wife is a member, and so is his oldest daughter, and B..... has been taking the missionary lessons for years. He is a really good guy, he just hasn't been able to gain his own testimony. We weren't sure what to teach him, since he has already heard all of the lessons multiple times, so we decided to have a lesson about testimonies. We read with their family the story about how Alma the Younger gained a testimony, and emphasized how we each need to gain our own testimonies, and the only way we can do that is through prayer. At that point I felt the Spirit tell me to share how I gained my testimony of prayer-- how after I read it through by myself for the first time, when I was 14, I decided to take Moroni's Promise (Moroni 10:3-5) and pray to recieve a confirmation for myself. I described the experience and how I felt an answer from God which was so strong that from that point on I knew that I could never deny that  know that the Book of Mormon is a true book, and that the words it contans were inspired by God. The Spirit in the room was so strong, and B.... confessed that he knows that he needs to gain a restimony for himself. It was a eally neat experience.

 

We met with our new investigator family on Saturday, but the mom, H........ wasn't able to make it due to her work schedule. We still had a lesson with her kids though, as well as their grandma (nonmenber) and their friend C....... (18 year old less active). We taught them about the Holy Ghost, prayer, and the importance of the Book of Mormon. We gave them each a Book of Mormon, and they were all excited to sart reading it (well, the 9 year old boy not so much). We taught them who the Holy Ghost is, which they were a little confused/skeptical about, but then we asked C...... if he had ever had any experiences with the Holy Ghost, and he proceded to bear a beautiful, simple testimony about the Holy Ghost and how it has helped him in his life although he had not been to church for 5 years. It was inspired that C....... was there because I think that moment where he bore his testimony effected the other kids in a more significant way than anything we said could have. I pray every day that this family will continue to progress--they seem so prepared for the Gospel!

 

I think one of the most amazing things that I have experienced on my mission is seeing how the Spirit prompts my companion and I in the same way. During the last fast and testimony meeting, I felt inspired to share my testimony on the Atonement, using Mosiah 14:3-5. We went up to the front together, and Hermana Chase bore her testimony first--on the Atonement. It was amazing how inline our testmonies were. Then one time we were sharing a spiritual thought with a member and his nonmember wife (she was in the other room, but I know she was listening). I opened up to Ether 12:27, but part way through I felt that they needed to hear about Christ instead-- so I skipped the quote from President Uchtdorf that I always share along with that verse. My companion tied the verse into a testimony about the Atonement, and after we left, she told me that she was glad that I hadn't read the quote because for some reason she felt that it wasn't right to share at the time, although it is an amazing quote. We had both felt the same way. I think that experiences like these have strengthened my confidence to follow the promptings that I recieve from the Spirit--it happens so often that Hermana Chase and I are both prompted to knock on a particular door, or to leave a house we were just about to contact.

 

Mom and Dad--The other day, Hermana Chase said something that I really needed to hear, which I think that you might find it neat as well. She said, "I hope that someday you realize how special you are to have been called to this mission. It takes a strong person to preach the gospel to the world, but it takes a particular strength to preach it among the Saints. Where there is the most righteous, Satan often works the hardest to spread the most evil. Not everyone has a testimony that can stand strong in the face of general authorities who have gone apostate or joined the FLDS church, or in the face of the kind of anti-mormonism that is found here." That made me realize that I am here for a reason, that God has a particular work here for me to do. There is someone here that only I can touch. I pray each morning that I will be filled with the Spirit, that He may direct me to where I need to be and to say the things that He wants me to say.

 

I am so excited to be able to serve the Lord by being a missionary. I feel closer and closer to Him each day.

 

I love you all so much! Have a great week.

 

Love,

Hermana Burner