What a week, what a week! So
we've been tracting for quite a bit for the past couple weeks and we found
someone named Thomas last week who was busy at the moment so we set up a return
appointment for this Wednesday. We took
Antoinette with us! (returning less active) Thomas is a champ. He's been through so much in his life! He is almost completely blind except for
limited vision in his left eye due to detached retinas and is also on dialysis
which he does from home. We sit down
with him and basically the first thing he asks us is if our church baptizes
because he is wanting to be baptized and has never been. We're just like, Yes,
yes we can definitely help you with that one, that's why we are here!!! This
guy is so prepared. So we taught the
Restoration with the help of Antoinette's wonderful testimony of the Book of
Mormon. We set it up so he could listen
to it on his phone. Just as we were
finishing the lesson his friend (more than friend probably) Jamie comes down
the stairs, she had been asleep. Jamie is 100% blind. She suffered a shot to her head when she was
just 12-years-old which also left her with some mental disabilities. She is very sweet though and wants to learn! We set up a time to come back.
We also finally had
dinner with the Collins family! I was so
excited for Sister Hogge to get to know them. They made us a feast! Steak, crab cakes, fried
shrimp, potatoes, salad, and bread. Just your normal Wednesday
night dinner. I just love them!
Update on Victorie and
Robert. Well we basically gave them the
do or die this week. It was harder than
I thought. S. Hogge and I were both in
tears. We told them that if they aren't
going to keep any of the commitments we leave them or come to church then we
just can't meet with them very often any more. I think Robert mostly took pity
on us and said he was going to come to church. They're also buying us robes
from Walmart because S.Hogge complimented Victorie on hers, hahaha
Unfortunately he
called us Sunday to tell us he wasn't coming because he had hurt his leg.
We got to do a lot of
service this week, which is probably one of my favorite things! We volunteer at the food bank once a week and
this week we started volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity restore. It was really fun and a great way to meet
people! So much better than tracting. People are so much more receptive when you are
serving them than knocking down their door. The woman we will be working with every week
there also seems interested so you never know!
We met with Thomas and
Jamie again on Saturday. We took Bro.
Phillips. When we got there Thomas was
on the phone and asked us if it would be alright if his friend came too! We readily agreed to that one. Her name is Lorraine and is also so prepared! Lorraine has 100% of her sight haha so she is
a good friend of Thomas and takes him places he needs to go. She was raised Roman Catholic, but doesn't
attend a church right now. We taught the
Restoration again and committed them all to come to church and you know what?
THEY DID! I have never ever taught
somebody one time and have them come to church that Sunday. It was awesome! They were a little late but made it just in
time for the sacrament. The subject of
sacrament meeting was about missionary work which made me a little nervous, but
the talks were amazing and perfect for them! Lorraine absolutely loved it and said how much
better it is than Catholic mass haha Jamie kept saying what a beautiful church
it was which I though was interesting because she had no idea what it looked
like.
It was a lesson of
faith, which S. Hogge pointed out to me this morning. This lady has to have so much more faith than
the rest of us. True, all of us have to
live blinded in some ways. We don't
actually see Heavenly Father. We didn't
see Christ when he walked the Earth. I've
never seen Joseph Smith or even an angel. "We walk by faith, not by
sight.” This woman has to rely on the
arms of others to guide her along, not knowing beforehand where she is going or
who was going to be there. Because of
her faith, she knew that it was a beautiful building she can 'see' with her
spirit and feel that it is right.
"Faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay
with us by birthright. It is, as the
scriptures say, ‘substance … , the evidence of things not seen.’ Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light
is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is
a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and
hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle of power, important not
only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be
saved through faith on His name. The
future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice." - Elder. Neil A. Andersen
Love ya'll!
Sister Dearden
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