August 25, 2014
All is well
It is finally starting to cool down here, I am definitely grateful for that. It feels like October today honestly. I can't wait for fall in Russia! I hear that everything just turns golden :)
During district meeting this week our district leader, Elder Wall, gave some really great advice in regard to investigators and their overwhelming questions. But what I really loved about what he said was that it related to me, too. He said that there is a difference between questions and doubts.
Questions have to do with our understanding, but doubts have to do with our faith. There will always be questions, and we can't always answer them... We just have to move on when we can't answer some questions. But doubts on the otherhand... need to be solved. Why? Well, if faith leads to action, then doubt leads to...? The opposite. Doubts keep us from acting. I have been working on casting out doubts and fears this week, because I know that nothing good ever came from worrying.
Know when I expect miracles the most? When all of our plans fall through. Because then I know that Heavenly Father has a different plan for us. And we should expect miracles from it. Whether it be to find a new investigator, or to learn an important lesson about talking to all of God's children. One miracle we saw this week was when all of our plans for the afternoon fell through, and we ended up coming home with 2 numbers from men. Why is that a miracle? It's a rule that we're not allowed to talk to men or approach them first. Which means that both of these people spoke to us first! One of them asked if we were passing out literature. We showed him the Book of Mormon and he said, "Another testament of Jesus Christ?! I have to have this!" We called this man later on during the week to see if we could meet with him and he said that he's already read halfway through the Book of Mormon... yeah we definitely are hoping to meet with him soon haha :)
On Friday this week we have another zone conference with President Bennett. I know that we are going to get a throwdown by him most likely. But that's okay :) I love a little chastisement, it brings so much motivation. We still have 100 baptisms that we need to get to this year, we've had about 50 or so, but the thought of 100... wow. My faith is not yet perfect, and we could definitely use some prayers out here in Russia to reach that goal. But we believe in a God of miracles, so I plan to see that happening here. The most comforting knowledge to me is knowing that the work is ACCELERATING, and when things accelerate they gradually speed up. So we CAN see 100 more baptisms by the end of the year.
Yesterday I had a very spiritual experience. I would say that my most spiritual experiences happen when I am in my normal surroundings and nothing really wonderful happens but I feel something that doesn't match up with my surroundings or circumstances. I just finished telling an 18 year old girl how much I loved her tinkerbell green dress... Sometimes after the people I am sitting next to on the bus get up and leave, disinterested in my nametag and a message about their Savior, I feel a wave of approval wash over me. Not my own approval, but from my Heavenly Father. It's such a simple and soft feeling, but it pierces my heart. When we are rejected with people we can have peace, because I know that IT (the Gospel) is true. I am not running around telling lies. I know that this message is true, and if I am rejected, I should still be confident! Not because I am confident in myself, but because I am confident in this message and I know what a wonderful gift it is. And if you don't think of the gospel as a gift, I would invite you to think again :) Through the grace and mercy and LOVE of your Heavenly Father, the gospel has somehow been brought into your life. The gospel has been presented before you, and the message is true. Whether you like it or not, it's right, it's pure, it is true. The gospel will always be true, make sure that you are being true to your God who gave you this gift.
Hugs and love,
Sister Brooklyn Wilson
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