Howdy Family and Friends!
I can't believe it's already the last week of this chapter of the mission! It's weird to think about, but life is going great! This week started off in a most excellent way! I got a little bit of a hair trim, and a little extra portion of my hair shaved off! Haha, don't worry, it's mission appropriate, and actually is a nice little vent for when it's toasty outside (our temperatures this week ranged from 30-95, so, I did get to test it out. :P) So, yeah, missionary excitement! :P
But more exciting was just how excellent this week was! Oh, man! We were able to get out and walk around, and actually talk to people outside, because it wasn't SUPER cold or windy, and actually was really nice a few days! Also, Sister Muaina and I are both feeling a lot better, and we have a lot more energy to put into the work! :)
Something that really stood out in the lessons we had, and while we talked with new people outside was how the Spirit really testifies of truth, and you can feel at peace when you search for truth. One of the adversities (any religion faces, but) we especially face as "the Mormon" missionaries is stereotypes, hearsay, and people preaching against our church in other churches down here. Generally people are respectful, but there are people that see us walking down the sidewalk, and cross the street, or make it a point to let us know where they think we are going after this life. But, there are some truly Chirstlike people here that, even though we don't have the same beliefs speak to us, and we are able to feel uplifted and edified by the Spirit. Jesus said in the New Testament to "Love one another as I have loved you", and in the Book of Mormon that: "Contention is not of me."
It was really refreshing this week that we were able to have some edifying conversations with people, but one conversation that really stood out was some Jehovah Witnesses we spoke with. Usually they are the ones that just avoid eye contact with us, but this man said "We can't take any literature, but we would love to hear a scripture." It was really wonderful to hear, we shared a verse from the Book of Mormon and talked about how rare it was for this (good) conversation to be happening down here in the Bible belt. That was just really edifying, and it was possible because we were both (us missionaries, and the two men we were talking to) searching for truth, instead of fault -- that's how people need to treat each other, always, but especially when you are just meeting them. :)
In addition to the wonderful gift we have of truth in the world, another theme of this week was families. We taught the Plan of Salvation a lot, and the promise of eternal families through the restored priesthood power on the earth today has been an amazing blessing to testify of. We talked about the Family Proclamation to the World, with Krissy this week, and with some of the less-active families we've visited with, and it was really amazing!
Then, everything came together at church (as it usually does lol). We had quite a few of the less active members we have been working with and more investigators than I've ever seen on my mission at church! On top of that our wonderful speakers talked about things that truly endure, and one of the sisters in the ward talked about her conversion, and some of the opposition she faced (While she was explaining that, Krissy leaned over and whispered to me "That's my life she's describing!"), and then how she ended up in Hobbs... and how trusting in the Lord's plan is really what we need to make the highest priority in our lives, no matter how it may not make sense at the time. She testified of eternal families, and the enduring nature of the gospel-- which really testifies even more that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is unchanging and enduring.
Then in Sunday School, we talked about prayer and receiving answers to prayer, and Krissy shared her story about how she had been wondering why she was in Hobbs, and had pretty much given up on religion (not God, but organized religion), and then we (Sister Muaina and I) walked up and started talking to her. She'd grown up in a church that had preached against ours, so she was curious, and she prayed to know if what we were sharing was good. So we came back, and what started out as curiosity, she feels might be one of the reasons she ended up here in Hobbs! It is so amazing to think of... the little events that bring us to the places that we are today. It was really great.
In the last hour of church- Relieve Society- we talked again about the family (pretty neat huh?) and it was so, good! We talked about how we will always face opposition, but it is such a blessing that we have our families, and how it is God's plan to have them endure forever!
It was such an amazing week, and I feel so blessed to be here serving the Lord. Time is going by so fast! But it's good to be learning how to cherish each moment and work every day like it's the last one out here! God is so good, and I know that as much as we allow Him, we will be able to see that goodness in others, because we are all His children, and we need to look for that goodness, that divine nature that is within ourselves, and while we do so, we will be able to see it in others as well. We are all here to help each other, and we need charity, we need to love one another to find peace in this world. I know with all of my heart that Jesus Christ is at the center of helping us to learn this, and only in and through Him can we be able to change, grow, learn, and have a positive impact on those around us.
There is so much to be thankful for!
Make a list this week, of some of those blessings you've received. :)
All my love,
Sister Lagrosa
Pictures:
1- Sister "Kray"-Ray shaved a little section of my head :P
2- Sometimes I study during dinner, and since we don't have a kitchen table, this is what the floor looks like :P
3- One of the cooler days we had :)
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