Wow, my heart is filled with so much love and gratitude. Our Father in Heaven blessed us and the work in Fairborn this week. I have never felt so guided by the spirit until this week. I reflect back on this past week and my heart can't express the gratitude I have towards this work and my Savior. I feel so grateful to be serving with Sister Harris. She has strengthened me in SO many ways. I am so humbled and I KNOW without a shadow of doubt that it was revelation from Heavenly Father to put us together.
We had this feeling to go to find a former this week and when we got there we contacted into a less active member that hasn't been to church in three years and that the ward doesn't know. She told us how the Book of Mormon has helped her to come closer to God and she knows it's true. We asked her what was keeping her from going to church. She explained that her husband is a nonmember and that she goes to church with him. We opened to the introduction of the Book of Mormon (that she's never read before) and testified that if she knows it's true that she also will know that The Church of Jesus Christ is the Lords kingdom once again on the earth today. We then testified the importance of church attendance and the sacrament. I KNOW it was inspired to visit that address. I know that God sent us to Laura to touch her heart and help her to recognize and remember the truth she knows.
We contacted into a lot of people who had taken missionary discussions before over a year ago. It was incredible to feel so inspired to go to certain doors and find people who have been taught before by missionaries. One of my favorite things was when a lady let us in and we taught the restoration since she didn't remember it from her previous discussions. Sister Harris asked her after we read the introduction what it would mean to gain the divine witness that the Book of Mormon was true. She said "it would become a truth to me. It would be something special to me." I loved that, it touched my heart. I know that God has sent us to her.
One of greatest miracles we experienced was with a woman named J Last week we were on someone else's porch and we yelled at this kid. So we took down his address and info. We show up for a lesson--he had to rescheduled. Showed up the next day and he wasn't there. But J (his dad's girlfriend) was. We shared a little of our message on her doorstep. And even extended baptism on the doorstep. It is very rare to extend baptism on the doorstep, but both Sister Harris and I felt prompted to. Eventually we were invited inside. There we were able to teach her the Restoration. It was a fantastic lesson--she was very accepting of our message. An awesome thing about it was when we entered her home her dogs were so loud, but through the course of our lesson they silenced. We testified of Gods love for her and tears welled up in her eyes. The next day we went by and she wasn't home. But the day after we walked up to her house and she drove into the driveway. Heavenly timing. A friend of her's just had a family member pass away. We were able to teach the Plan of Salvation which was beautiful. She would really like to attend church before setting a baptismal date.
We went and saw T this week again, which was inspired to go at the time we went at. We shared with him the Mormon message "New Years: Look not behind thee". He said that he is going through some rough stuff and that was exactly what he needed to hear. Sister Harris opened to Alma 7:11&12 and testified that Christ is there for Him and knows how to succor him. He said that the scripture touched his heart and that it made him feel peaceful. With tears filling in his eyes he said, "you know what's weird, you guys always come when I need it." We testified that God is aware of him and that we are very guided as missionaries. I testify that there is power behind the Book of Mormon and that God is aware of us ALL.
M and her daughter C have received all the lessons so the other day we decided to go through the baptismal interview questions with them. It was beautiful to see them answer the questions and bare their testimonies. M has changed so much since I first met her and I have seen her heart change. She just needs to make it to church two more times and then she will be able to be baptized.
B had his baptismal interview this week and he so excited to be baptized! When we went over the questions with him, we asked him to bare his testimony. It was the most beautiful, pure, piercing testimony I've EVER heard from a child. It touched my heart and strengthened my testimony. I can't express how excited I am to watch him enter the waters of baptism and make that special covenant with God. He tried on the jumpsuit for the baptism and my heart was filled with gratitude and love. This boy is a chose son of God with such a pure testimony and he is taking the steps now to come closer to God. He has been a huge example to me and I feel so humbled to be able to watch him make this special covenant with God.
My heart is filled with so much love and gratitude for this work. This work has changed me and I am so grateful for it. I'm not the person I was before I left. Through the atonement of the Savior, I've changed. It's hard to express the gratitude I have in my heart at this time. I feel so humbled to serve the Lord in this part of His vineyard. I know this is the Lords work. I know that I was called to the Ohio Columbus Mission for a reason. I know that this is exactly where I need to be at this time in my life and I know that the atonement is REAL. I've seen the Lords hand in this work this week more than ever. This gospel is true and it will bless ALL lives.
"I will work HARDER for the Lords work than my own, for I am His. I will always OBEY, for I am His. I will always OBEY, for I am His. I will LOVE with the purest charity, for they are His. I will LIFT up my voice with unwavering FAITH that He will guide me. I will wear His name EMBLAZONED on my soul, for I am His. I will fear NO evil for He is with me, my CONSTANT companion. I will walk with PURPOSE, pray with ZEAL, and teach with LOVE, for this work is HIS. I will be HUMBLE, for the Lord is my STRENGTH. Because I am weak, I need Him just as much as them, FOR WE ARE HIS."
XOXO,
Sister Detamore
Bringing a YW from our ward to a lesson with us
A sweet lady in our ward made us these cute bracelets.
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