This week was a hard one. There was a lot of disappointment. We had so many people cancel on us, even members who had agreed to go out with us as our "team ups" would call half an hour before our lessons and cancel. It was a struggle. Plus our proselyting time was cut real short this week since we had so many meetings. On Tuesday we had to take our car in to the shop to get new brake pads, easy enough, right? No. They also decided that we needed new tires and they had to drive them in from another city. Our car was in the shop for 9 hours that day. So that put a big damper on a lot of our plans since our area is so big and the car shop was outside of our area we didn't know what to do. We tried asking members for rides, but most of them don't have very much money and a lot of them don't own cars. Then, e had multi zones on Thursday which lasted from 8:00-4:00, so there goes most of that day too!
I am being negative. I'm sorry! There were also lots of great things that happened this week! We had some really powerful lessons on the Restoration and on repentance this week! And all the meeting were really great, they were just super long so it was hard to get everything done that we needed to!! One of the highlights of my week was on Saturday we went to a birthday party for two 9 year old twins in our ward. Their whole family are recent converts and are so so sweet. The party was pretty crazy! They had the most amazing tacos ever. Ahhh tacos! Plus, we met lots of people who are now potential investigators. They have lots of friends who aren't members and since they are recent converts themselves they make the best fellowshippers.
I am being negative. I'm sorry! There were also lots of great things that happened this week! We had some really powerful lessons on the Restoration and on repentance this week! And all the meeting were really great, they were just super long so it was hard to get everything done that we needed to!! One of the highlights of my week was on Saturday we went to a birthday party for two 9 year old twins in our ward. Their whole family are recent converts and are so so sweet. The party was pretty crazy! They had the most amazing tacos ever. Ahhh tacos! Plus, we met lots of people who are now potential investigators. They have lots of friends who aren't members and since they are recent converts themselves they make the best fellowshippers.
There is a family named the Lopez family that my companions and I are really trying to help. They have a daughter named Kim who is on date to be baptized and a son named Jose who is a recent convert. Jose suffers from schizophrenia and so he sometimes has episodes and really loses control. He also has a word of wisdom problem that we are trying to help him overcome. He is the sweetest guy, but his health issues get in the way! They have no money and Marcos (the dad) won't marry Catalina (the mom), so even though she wants to be baptized, she can't be right now. It is so sad. We are trying to get them to as many church activities as possible, along with church, obviously! Their family has so much potential, but they are just stuck. We are trying to think of things that we could do for them for Christmas. Do you guys have any ideas? I would love to hear about them.
Also, I am losing one of my moms. Hermana Graham is getting transferred to a new area for her last 3 weeks in the mission. She is going to be companions with a girl who was serving in Mexico but then got sent home for medical reasons and is now coming back out. I am so sad to be losing her, but I know she will be great in Lake Elsinore (I think that's how you spell it). I will still be here with Hermana Castrillon for the remainder of this transfer and most likely the next one too, since all new missionaries go through a 12 week training their first three months!
I was reading in Alma 24 this week and I was thinking about how the Lamanites were able to lay down their weapons of war so that they wouldn't offend God, even though it seemed like they needed to fight! I was thinking, "what are some weapons that I am holding on to"? Those would be my weapons of rebellion. I know I have some. Things that I do or think or say that I know I probably shouldn't, but it's hard to give them up. I realized that is sinning! By holding on to these things that seem innocent enough, or justifiable, I am sinning. Things like pride, or fear of man rather than God. I need to lay down my weapons of rebellion and trust completely in the Lord so that He can lead me and guide me to do exactly as he wants me to! I love in Alma 24:19 it says "And thus we see that when these Lamaites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace." I need to bury my weapons of rebellion for peace with the Lord! Oh the abhorrence of sin!
I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, emails and for reading my blog (if any one does). I would love to get letters and packages too! Send me things!! Here is my address:
I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, emails and for reading my blog (if any one does). I would love to get letters and packages too! Send me things!! Here is my address:
6506 Doolittle Ave #502
Riverside, CA
92503
Con Amor,
Hermana Rutherford