Well, let me tell you about this week. It has gone by so fast I can barely keep up...maybe t's because I "ride" faster on car than on bike ;-) haha anyway, we didn't have a car for 3 days because...well long story. But before I came to this area, something had happened to the oil pan, and toyota needed to fix it. So the elders, gave us rides to our appts. When one cancelled, they asked if we would come to an appoint with them or go home. We decided to go. I said, "Well let's go, there is a reason we are going and we just have to find out what it is."
The girl's name is Maria, and she is 17. She was supposed to be getting baptized on sunday. They always meet at the park because her guardians don't like the church. Anyway, we were waiting for like an hour at the park, and she never showed up. The elders got texts from her saying she just wanted to run away and she wanted to stop everything. So we said prayer and decided to go to her apt. when she came out, she just looked so sad and alone. she started crying. I threw my backpack down and I gave her a hug. She clung and didn't let go. (I said hello to her once a church and that was the extent of our meeting.) Anway, We got her to meet us at the park.
When we all got to the park, all 5 of us just sat there, as she cried. I gave her a hug, and we tried to comfort her. We were with her for about 2 hours. As I sat there...I thought to myself, "God please tell me what she needs to hear so she knows you love her." We sat there, then I told her to look at me, and I told her....who knows what I told her, but she started bawling and hugged me. I just remember feeling this great love for her, and that God gave me the words that she needed to hear. I realized many things during this cita. I felt so blessed to be an instrument in the Lord's hands and that I was able understand my role for that moment specifically. The elders didn't say much...I don't think many guys know what to do when a girl was crying, but what they did say, was with the spirit, and that too was what she needed to hear.
I told her that though she may feel alone, Christ didn't suffer on the cross or at Gethsemane for nothing. He went through everything so that WE didn't have to go through it alone. I learned that God works in mysterious ways and that his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I'm in a car...and it gets taken away to go get fixed haha we would have used bikes...but I didn't have my black stallion...and our area is so HUGE that we couldn't walk. I guess we could...anwyay you know what I mean. BUT there was a reason we didn't have a car, and that was because God needed s elsewhere. If those elders could have hugged her, I'm sure they would have. She was going through something so hard and horrible. I didn't have to know all the details, I didn't even have to know anyhing about her, because God knew her and he would tell me as long as I was willing to listen. I asked her if she still wanted to get baptized on sunday or if she wanted to push it back. She said she wanted to get baptized in the end. I read Isa. 41 :10,13 to her and she said she could do it and she wanted to.
She said that the gospel had changed her life and she finally found what she was looking for. She read the BOM and said her prayers. Those that do that, progress. Those that don't take action in their lives, don't just stay the same, they go backwards. If we don't nourish the testimony we have, it WILL slowly go away and we begin to question. If we nourish it, it will grow. She is growing hers. She has a powerful testimonyt already. After we left, the elders thanked us for coming, but the truth is, it was all God. At first I was like yeah I'm glad I was there...which I was, but we wouldn't have been there if God didn't put us there. God is all knowing, and when our lives are in accordance to what we SHOULD be doing, we will be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.
I wish I could tell you the whole story, but I'm running out of time. On Sunday she did get baptized and it was the most spiritual event to happen on my mission. She asked me to give the talk on the Spirit, with I did...but through tears. I had to give the talk after the elder sang "Where can I turn for peace." I mean honestly, don't make me give a talk after that song! lol but I did it, and she was crying, but they were tears of joy. It was a very powerful meeting. There wasn't one person in that room that would not have been able to feel it. We went back with her to the font, and as we went into the bathroom she smiled and said, "It's a new beginning." This is what a mission is about. The people. I love my mission. I love being a part of something monumental.
Just remember, if we ALMOST keep the commandment, we ALMOST get the blessing.
I love Alma 26:3 (especially after Maria) and ver 37.
LOVE is my motive.
The picture is with Maria :-)
I love you all!
I'm still playing the piano in RS ha.
Okay I have to go but I love you all. The church is true!
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