We taught Mindi this week. She really loved church and she wants to bring her son to church. He went to another church for the first time with his dad and he said he expected it to more plain and simple with some songs and prayers. The church he went to had an awesome stage and lights and loud music, etc. Well, Mindy now feels like she can take her son to the LDS church because it is more along the lines of his thinking. So that was cool. And she began reading the Bible with him for thirty minutes every night before he goes to bed and she taught him about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. So cool! It's like she's already a member just teaching her children and having family scripture study. I don't even think we asked her to do that, which we should have but obviously forgot! She's great. Oh and I found out that she was a hot yoga instructor and she loves it. Sooooo we bonded over that and I told her I want to be an instructor and she said, "Do it!" So there.
We met with a recent convert, Annie, and her daughter, Victoria on Friday. Annie is from Liberia and she came to the states in the 90s because of the civil war. We asked her her whole story and it was SO cool! So back in southern plantation days, the children who were born by the slaves but were biologically children of the white slave owner, were sent to Liberia. The indigenous Liberians and the "transplant" (I'm going to use this term for lack of a better word, sorry if it sounds strange) ones never saw eye to eye because the transplants bascially took over. Eventually it all boiled over and there we have their civil war. There was a man whose job was to pick people out of the crowd of transplants and kill them. Annie was out with her friends, the men could not leave their homes because they were all killed if they did, but the woman were safer, and a man grabbed her by the arm and said, "I'm going to kill you." She said she was praying and asking God to spare her, but if she was killed then she will consent. She was facing death. She said, "I was bascially a dead person walking." Then, the man that is the head killer saw Annie and said, "I know her. Do not kill her." Took her by the arm, lead her away and told her, "Go." And she left. She said she couldn't talk for three hours because she was in so much shock. She was shaking and her family was asking her what had happened and she couldn't respond. Eventually she came to and that's that. Well, later she saw the killer guy and called out to him, he did not turn around, he did not look at her and he did not respond and a voice came to her and said, "He did not save you. I saved you." She said that God saved her that day.
She came to the US and has been here ever since. Two elders met her a while ago and she did not have any interest in becoming Mormon. But they were persistent. Then, in a lesson, one of the Elders asked her to pray right then and there if she needed to be baptized. As she was praying, her phone went off, a construction man started his machine and all sorts of noise, and she finished and said she would be baptized. She said that God's presence was so clear to her, that this is where He needed her to go. She also said that before she even asked God the question, so right as she began praying, that His presence was filling her. It's so cool because she rolls her eyes and laughs when she says she's Mormon. She never thought she would be, but she knows it's true and that's all that matters to her. So we've been working with her and teaching her some lessons and it's really cool. Annie is awesome.
We met with a less active woman this week. I feel like I felt a fraction of what Bishops feel when they learn more about people and their concerns. I could not stop thinking about her and her situation for days. I would just sit there and be lost in thought thinking about her choices, family, life, etc. And I'm concerned over how we can help. It's so strange to me. Anyway, I felt like a Bishop hahaha. (Kind of, I'm sure they think of 300+ people).
Saturday Elder Cook came and spoke to us. It was so good! I now know what they mean when they talk about a "burning in the bosom." I typically know the Spirit is present because of the calmness in my heart and mind, and serenity, but I felt it like a fire on Saturday and that was cool! He spoke to us about inviting people and how we're successful no matter the outcome. But as he was finished he began to say, "As an apostle, I am a speciall witness of Jesus Christ." I feel like he had everyone's undivided attention. The room seemed to go silent. He bore a powerful testimony and then said, "As an apostle I have the privilege to leave a blessing with you." I was expecting a blessing on our work and other things, but instead he said, "Some of you may have family that you worry about. It might be a brother or sister, your parents might be going through a divorce," and the such, "I want to bless you with the understanding that you are where you ought to be. Your mission will bless your family at home and your family in the future. I bless you to understand how supernal your mission is to your life in eternity and to the Lord." SO GOOD! I was sitting next to Sister Andrus and agh! It was so awesome. I might have cried. I did not sob or anything, I actually didn't really realize I cried until I felt a tear on my cheek. It was extremely humble, soft spoken and powerful. The apostles are such humble men of the Lord and it's inspiring because other men would be pompous, loud and arrogant, but they are human, humble and peaceful. It's beautiful.
That was my week, hope all of yours were fantastic,
Love you,
Sister Jocelyn Smith
p.s. He told us a little more about how they call missionaries. He said that the picture comes up and they get different feelings depending on the person. Some they feel that they need to send them to a specific mission president, if they do then that missionary will grow immensely with that specific president. Some they feel they need to be among a certain people, whether it's Filipino, Latins, Southerners ;), etc. Every once in a while they feel that if the missionary is sent to a certain area, they will have a great impact on the church. And rarely, but sometimes, they make a call, and they move on, but feel like they made the wrong call, so they go back and recall that person. Really cool, fun insight, thought y'all would like to know :)
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