Note: If you don't have time to read the whole thing, skip down to Saturday Sunday, it's the best part :)
This has been an amazing week. Full of a lot of ups and downs but the ups are ALWAYS worth the downs. I'll try to do a quick run down of the week and then talk about the miracles :)
Monday: I don't even remember what we did that night and nothing in my planner is checked so I can't remember. Whoops! But I'm sure it was good :)
Tuesday: We did service at an assisted living center. It was awesome. We played hang man with the people there. They loved it :) It is so fun to see how something so simple that we do can bring happiness to others. It made me so much more appreciative of my life and the knowledge I have of the Gospel. We had a lesson with the Becerras. They are an awesome family. I fell in love with the kids as soon as I met them-especially little Angelica :) She is adorable and loves giving us hugs and cuddling up next to us when we come over to teach them. They haven't been to church in a long time, but they want to start coming again. I am so excited to see the change it will bring in their lives. We also had a lesson with the Durans. They are great. It was neat to see that while we at first just chatted with them about worldly things and it didn't really feel very good. But as soon as we began to talk about the Gospel and testify of it's importance the Spirit was there and it felt SO so good.As we testified of the eternal perspective the Gospel gives us, of making good choices that will bring happiness in eternity even if it is harder in the short term the Spirit bore witness to me again that everything we were saying was true. What an amazing blessing that is to be able to speak truth and have the Spirit carry it to their hearts.
Wednesday: In the morning we had met a lot of people that wanted to tell us that the Book of Mormon wasn't true. In particular we met one minister from Mexico. We talked to him for about an hour and he told us a lot of reasons why the Book of Mormon was false doctrine. I've had a lot of these experiences on my mission and none of them have ever affected me the way this one did. I'm not exactly sure why, but since that experience Sister Oler and I have been talking a lot about the Book of Mormon. I'll write more about this in a bit. We also had Family Home Evening with the Thomsons. Mom and Dad, how did you faithfully do FHE with so many kids?! :) There are only 6 of them. It is always so fun and I love being there and teaching them the Gospel, but it is SO chaotic. However, I have seen something so neat there. Every time we do a lesson we sing a primary song. On Wednesday they wanted to sing I am a Child of God. As we sang, the chaos dimmed and it was obvious the Spirit was there. They got quiet and sat reverently and it felt so good. Even though it only lasted for the duration of the song ;) I am so excited to have a family and teach them the Gospel some day. This is great practice for me :)
Thursday: We had district meeting. It was on the Book of Mormon. As I sat there and listened to our training I thought about the encounters we had had the day before. There was a tiny little seed of doubt that had been planted in my mind and I thought a lot about it. I thought about the times that I had received answers to my prayers that the Book of Mormon was true. But I wanted to receive that answer again so I could bear current testimony that I KNEW that this was God's word and that this Church is the only church that has the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel. So from Wednesday morning on I began praying for a reaffirmation that this book was true. We teach as missionaries that EVERYTHING we teach hinges on the truthfulness of one small book. That is a pretty brave claim. So I began to look for answers to my prayers throughout the day. In district meeting we practiced teaching from the first few verses of the Book. I practice taught with elder Walker. I felt the Spirit so strongly as we just discussed the first verse. There are so many truths in that little verse in 1 Nephi chapter 1. At the end of our practice teach I told him about our encounters. He said that he has never, on his whole mission (and he has been out 2 years and a little more) has he met someone who has read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know that it was true who hasn't joined our church. I thought that was pretty awesome. So I put that into the mix of my thoughts for the next several days :)
Friday: We went to a funeral for a man I knew in the Los Alamitos ward my first transfer. It was the most amazing funeral I have ever been to. I felt again the amazing opportunity I have to be a missionary. It is such a short time that we have the mantle of a missionary and I want to take every opportunity to utilize that gift. We then had a sister training leader meeting. That was fun. I was super emotional and felt very inadequate. But the same thing happened that always happens when I feel discouraged. I begin to feel like I'm sinking and I can't do it and I'm not good enough. And then a little voice reminds me that it isn't about me. It is about others. It is about doing for others what Christ would do. And I remember that I need to forget myself and go to work. And then my worries and concerns become less and less as I focus on others. And I know that I can do what God asks me to do. Isn't that amazing?
Saturday: Our tub broke. It wouldn't drain. So we got to shower at the Doings home. They are so so awesome. I love them with my whole heart :) That morning we went to a members home to ask about a referral they had given us. When we got there the boy they told us about was there. So we sat down right there and taught him the first lesson. His name is Abel. And he is only 10. But it was so amazing to teach someone who was so humble and wanted to learn. I am always amazed at how in tune with the Spirit and how intelligent children are. He was so excited to learn about Prophets. My favorite part happened at the end. We challenged him to read the Book of Mormon and promised that he could know it was true. And then he asked is, "Do you know where I could get a Book of Mormon?" I almost cried. We told him that the one I was holding was his. He was so excited to get it. How I love little children :) Later on we had a lesson with Oscar. He is the cutest old Mexican man I know ;)
Sunday: Church was so so good. I love these people here. We then had lunch with the Leomitis. They fed us so much. Haha, no wonder i'm not as skinny as I was when I left home :) Afterwards we went to try to visit some potentials. They weren't home. But just as we were getting into the car a boy walked by-seemingly out of no where. We talked to him. We told him about the restored Gospel and he wanted to know more! So we sat down right there on the curb and taught him the whole first lesson. He loved it. His name is Chris and he is 20. He was so excited to get the Book of Mormon. We invited him to read, ponder, and pray and he said he would. Later that night he texted us to tell us thanks for teaching him about the Book of Mormon :) I am so excited to see him progress. We'll have to pass him off to the singles ward, but I'm over it ;)
And then that night we went to the musical fireside by Yeagi. It was amazing. Over the last few days I had been battling that tiny seed of doubt from that minister. I had read and pondered and prayed a lot. And that night I got an overwhelming answer to my prayer. I felt the Spirit so powerfully as she told of the conversion of her mother, father, her husband and herself. And every single one of them read the whole Book of Mormon and knew without a doubt it was true. As she bore testimony tears came to my eyes as the Spirit gave me the witness that I had desired-another witness that this Book is the word of God. It was amazing. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. We see miracles every day. And my testimony has been strengthened again and again as I go to my Heavenly Father in prayer. He will ALWAYS answer. This really is His true church on the earth. I LOVE that. I want everyone to know about it and to be a part of it and to experience the blessings that I have received from learning these truths. So open your mouths and share the Gospel! It really is the greatest work :)
Okedoke, sorry about the lengthiness of this letter.
Oh-one more thing. I LOVE my companion Sister Oler. She is fabulous. Heavenly Father is so good to me.
Oh-and the plumber fixed our tub this morning. Hallelujah!
I love you so much! Have a beautiful week!
Love,
Sister Andelin
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