This week was so spiritually enriching and wonderful. This week, I have have felt the blessings so strongly of serving the Lord as a full time missionary, in so many beautiful ways, and so strongly I could feel His love for me, and approval at what I am striving to do to serve Him. It was as very fulfilling week of service and love.
We will start with the Easter Choir that I am in- I am coming to find out that it is a bigger deal than I originally thought. So many people are coming to these performances that are all over the Santiago West mission, it's the choir and multiple videos of Christ's life and resurrection, and we are doing so many advertisements for it, from inviting thousands through Facebook to passing out invitations in the streets to humongous, professional posters all over the place...its huge, what it is that we are doing! I am loving it!
And this week, we had the first two performances, in Replubica, bustling city of college students and young families, and Ochagavia, a little ghetto but full of humble people who love Christ and acknowledging his life. And the spirit was just crazy strong, we sing (pardon me, the titles are in Spanish, I cant remember what they're called in English, but you all have google translate and I don't) Honor Loor y Gloria, Hoy Con Humildad Te Pido, En un Lejano Cerro Fue, Cristo El Redentor Murio,Sublime Salvador, El Amor del Salvador, and a handful of solos. AAAH I just love singing in a choir again! And in SPANISH! I just want to sing in Spanish for the rest of my life, I think Ill stick with that ambition. But seriously, the show is amazing. I'm hoping I can somehow get someone to take a video so I can send it, it's amazing. It is a lot of time, a lot of bus travel and I have found myself very tired this week from the practices and performances all on top of my normal missionary duties, but I am so, so very blessed to be a part of this. To be an instrument in His hands in yet another way. And that is what I am here to do.
In other news, we had some awesome spiritual experiences this week in teaching. One investigator, Erika, had some doubts about modern day prophets, and it was the Monday after conference that we visited with her, so we pulled up President Monson's talk on love and watched it with her, inviting her to have a question in her heart and to see if it is answered in his message. At the end of his talk, she answered honestly that it was only halfway answered, but that she felt that she knew him. She said "He has a face that I feel like I know, a face that I feel like I can trust." I wanted so badly to say "ITS BECAUSE YOU KNEW HIM IN THE PREMORTAL EXISTENCE AND HE LOVES YOOOOOOOU" But I have learned to control my enthusiasm in such moments and calmly testified of his love and power. It was wonderful. We can always rely on the prophet to testify of, well, modern day prophets.
I saw Hermana Mittelsteadt, my companion from my first four weeks in the CCM, this week during one of the choir practices- she had a meeting with her zone in the same chapel and we chatted for a bit. She informed me that she had a dream this week that I will get called to train this next change, and that I should start preparing now because it was obviously a revelation. I doubt it, but its nice to hear that she is dreaming of me ;)
Something more that I want to share- due to the many practices that we had this week for the choir, I wasn't able to study every morning, because the most effective time to practice without interfering with working in our sectors is in the morning, but it means not studying. And I realized just how important my study time is! Not just in preparing to teach, but in enriching my own testimony. I only got to study twice this week, but the time was precious and well used, and overall, it made me appreciate my study time more.
One of those two days of studying, during comp study, Hermana Marquez and I were discussing an inactive family that we are visiting, who have been to the temple, had important callings, all that jazz, and we were sharing scriptures that we found in Alma 34 (we both found the same scripture for them separately, that's how you know you've got some rad unity flowing in your companionship) and trying to figure out how we can use these scriptures and try and help them realize how important it is to endure to the end. Because the Doctrine of Christ does not end after baptism and receiving the holy ghost, it extends to temple covenants and staying faithful to the VERY END. At one point, Hna. Marquez was thinking out loud and said something along the lines of "The Lord will end up having to say No, you cannot enter into my kingdom."
And in that moment, I was overcome with some love and sadness for these members who KNOW what it is that they need to do and are not doing it. I pray often to feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for the people we teach, and in that moment, i was feeling the love, but more strongly, I was feeling such sadness. My comp was feeling it as well, and we stared at each other a moment and we started crying a little bit. It was so strong! I hate to be a downer, but through that experience, I can testify of many things.
God loves us.
He is sad when we don't do what we promise to do.
He sends other people to help us.
I-as well as all missionaries- am responsible for the souls of the people in my sector.
When I try, I can be an instrument in his hands.
It was a wonderful week. The church is true and I know without a doubt that God loves us. And don't you forget it!
Hermana Harkins
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