GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!! I´ve been preparing myself for WEEKS!! I´m going with questions I have about the gospel, missionary work, my investigadores, my life, etc. Because as a GA said last week as he came to visit us, ¨The Doctrina and Convenios and even the Book of Mormon is made up from profets having questions and then receiving answers!¨ Revelation is answers to questions. It really hit me and I want to be prepared for General Conference - to recieve needed revelation. I´m SOOO excited!!!!! :)
I LOVED what Dad wrote me about last week, ¨I still struggle with the challenge of not being bold enough because I fear that I might offend. However, as I observe General Authorities - they are past fear. They are so turned in to what the Lord wants through the Spirit that they have no fear of what others will think. Their whole purpose is to be obedient to the Spirit and to serve the Lord.¨ I thought a LOT about that statement and how it applies to me as a missionary. I am a called representative of my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ - I am called to have that same boldness, without fear, with humility, and with faith! I have been trying to use it as best as I can. Presidente Detlefsen has challenged us to challenge everyone to baptism during the first lesson... and I have spoken and explained and testified and casi challenged every single one! It was a real struggle at first because I felt like I was asking a lot for not having their trust or not having explained everything... but as I´ve followed my leaders and learned from the example of the apostles and profetas of today, I have seen the importance of challenging to baptism. This is a saving ordinance! This is their happiness and salvation as of right now! This is the ONLY puerta to open the kingdom of God! I love teaching about baptism!
Oscar showed me his journal that I asked him to write about his baptism... it said that he was very grateful to the missionaries Hermana Tingey and Olsen and that he felt so much peace and joy during his baptism. And that he recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands (because Oscar really understands the apostacy and sacerdocio (priesthood) and is a CAPO!), and how he feels great! He looks HAPPY! I feel SOOO grateful to have helped and now I am DYING to find MORE precious souls of our Father! We have been struggling to find people who are ready to progress right now, but we just keep on keeping on!
We´ve been going through the Area Book and passing by a lot of older investigadores to see if they are ready to enter the waters of baptism. We are also trying to ask for more references and to work with the members. I´ve been going through Predicad Mi Evangelio for all of the ideas inside of it, like Historia Familiar and everything. I´m trying to think of what I can go with that. Any other ideas about how to find new investigadores?
I had an interesting experience the other day. Hermana Olsen and I were testifying to each other about the importance of this work and we were fired up as we left the house to start the day. The first contact we talked to FREAKED out and said, ¨There is NO such things as religion, God is not what we think He is, He is a LIE! There is just a Great Spirit in the trees and my grandchildren, but NOTHING ELSE! Religion is horrible....Men are corrupted and after this world ends there is nothing left... when you are my age, you will always remember what I say that God is lies and you will always remember me!¨ It was incredible because the crazy, firery Hermana Tingey did not argue. I just felt the love of God for this woman. I knew that she had been through hard times and for that, she lost her faith. I just told her that God loved her. As we walked on, the Hermana Olsen and I talked about how much we would have loved to testified to her more, if she would have allowed it, of the love of God, of His plan for us, etc. I think I will remember her when I´m her age. I hope I look back on my life and see the love of God in EVERYTHING that happened in my life and say, ¨She was wrong... God is love!¨ And I hope she will one day feel of that love!
In contrast, we also talked to a man who said, ¨Wow, I never knew that the Mormons were so nice! You believe in God? Really?¨ He said we were, ¨Encantadoras¨ (A really sweet word in spanish) and that he´d loved to come to church with his wife, as long as his wife was up for it. It´s amazing how the Lord prepares and helps his children when they choose to follow Him.
Oh yeah, PRAY FOR NELLY!!!! She is struggling with reading the Book of Mormon and doesn´t want to give up her Saints!!! But we feel like she is GOLDEN!!! She just needs to read and pray and she´ll be in the aguas del bautismo in no time!
Oh this is really really random, but I´d love to know the list of the people who visited Wilford Woodruff (right?) in the temple and wanted their temple work done. (Such as the founding fathers, Jane Austen, etc.)
I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!!!! My testimony has been strengthened and my love for the people and for the work of the Lord has too. This work is SOOO IMPORTANT! It´s for ALL of us! The members are the REAL missionaries! the missionaries are just supposed to be the teachers, the preachers of the word of God. Give references to the missionaries! EVERY person who is NOT a member is a REFERENCE!!!!! If we truly love them, we will help give them the truth and help lead them to the straight and narrow way of the Lord.
Animo y adelante! Pray for my investigadores (Neli and Jose Luis especially) and for the members of Barrio Centro to give us references!
Love,
Hermana Tingey
P.S. Ben, tell your class to be excited!!!!!! They are coming to the mission at a GREAT time!!! WOOHOO! The field is white and ready to harvest!
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