This has been another great week! First of all I would like to thank every English teacher I ever had for all the bits of grammar knowledge I never thought I would use. Hermana Martinez and I are helping to teach English as a second language for our service, and I love being so prepared to answer questions. It is awesome knowing English, but also having the experience of learning Spanish as a second language. It helps me relate to all of the women who are struggling with various aspects of English. I am realizing more and more how the knowledge and experiences that I have gained, in school, life, and on my mission, give me an increased capacity to serve others! Remember that you have unique talents and abilities that you can use to bless the lives of others!
Yesterday we had 2 investigators come to church for the first time! One of them, Miguel, was actually a former investigator. We dropped him because he never read the Book of Mormon or came to church, no matter how hard we tried. We were shocked when we saw him waiting for sacrament meeting to start. He told us that he (finally) read the introduction to the Book of Mormon, and he realized that he needed to come and see what he thought about the church. Seeing him at church was a huge miracle this week!
As a missionary, church is an entirely different experience. The hour right before sacrament meeting is the most stressful time of the week, because we are trying to contact investigators, make sure they have rides, talk with members as they come and make sure that our investigators have someone to sit with. During sacrament meeting yesterday it was so hard to focus because I was so busy thinking about what my investigators must be thinking and hoping that they are having a good experience. The members are so critical during this time. We were thrilled to see plenty of members talking to Miguel before sacrament meeting. Unfortunately, when we talked to Miguel after church, he said that he was disappointed to see someone sleeping behind the pulpit. Oof. It made me think of Alma 39:11. As members of the church (especially missionaries!) we have such a huge responsibility to represent the church well. Every member has made a covenant to take upon themselves the name of Christ, so we are all his representatives.
Yesterday a member took the sacrament for the first time in a while, and with tears in their eyes they spoke about how strongly they felt the spirit, and how much more they appreciated the gospel after losing it and finding it again. That was a powerful experience for me, and it made me remember how special and sacred the sacrament truly is.
Oh remember remember... remember your baptismal covenants and who you represent!
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