It was a busy week of uplifting service in the work of the Lord, with a little downfall on Saturday as I caught the bug that's going around and we were confined to the pension with nothing but a runny nose and scratchy throat, mint tea, water crackers, and the Conference Ensign. Better believe I'm sick of mint tea and water crackers. But not the Ensign, pretty much loving that ;) But whatever! We press forward (Saints with steadfast faith in Christ)! And in spite of the illnesses, we had some amazing experiences this week.
One of those was with Lucas, a ten year old boy in an inactive family that we are helping. We are working on helping them read the Book of Mormon together as a family, and with the missionaries before, Lucas was apparently a challenge. A challenge to grasp his attention and make the Gospel something that he wants to learn about. So Hermana Marquez sat and thought it out...what did WE want to do when we were ten years old?
Play games. Duh ;)
So we made a little list of questions of what went down in the first three chapters of First Nephi and played the Chilean version of hot potato with his favorite stuffed animal and had the family try and answer all the questions. And then we had cookies afterward. Por su puesto! The whole time, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves and they could answer ALL the questions! Even the one about Laman being compared to a river and not a valley. I was totally impressed. And it just goes to show that sometimes you have to change the way you teach according to who you are teaching, but that's ok because you can truly help someone LOVE the gospel and want to do more and learn more. Better believe Lucas is totally stoked for next weeks Family Home Evening :) this being the child that the other missionaries wrote as "difficult to teach".
Also this week, we had an experience that really strengthened my testimony of the power of hymns. Luis is a recent convert, 83 years old, and is very sick. He only has one lung and, because of that, he has a very hard time breathing. It's been hard for years now, but it is starting to get worse. This week we visited him and felt that the only thing that we could do was sing hymns. In addition to his breathing problem, he also has the bug that's going around (he didn't get it from me, I promise!), so he was just miserable and practically crying.
So we started with a prayer, and then Hna. Marquez and I listened for those still, small promptings and chose 4 hymns to sing for him- I Believe in Christ, Lead Kindly Light, The Lord is My Light, and I need Thee Every Hour. The spirit was so strong, and as we finished the last hymn, there was such a feeling of peace and warm love. I know...the words seem so general and hollow, but I have learned in my mission that sometimes, there just aren't words to describe the spirit, and that's ok. Sometimes, we feel the spirit so strongly, and the whole experience is just so celestial, that there literally are no words to describe it all.
What I can say is that we all felt how much our Heavenly Father loves Luis. And because we felt it, we could testify of it. And it was all beautiful.
A cool thought from our Zone Meeting from this week- we are focusing so much on reactivation and getting the members to come to church. We are getting into the really cold days, and there is always a decline in assistance in the cold days. So we are all just working our little tails off to GET THESE PEOPLE TO THE CHAPEL!
But Elder Zuñiga, my zone leader, said something very touching. He said "When people come to church and partake of the Sacrament, they are obtaining eternal life."
BOM.
I think that sometimes, especially as missionaries, we get all caught up in our goals and helping people make and keep covenants...I hate to say the word "numbers", but sometimes we even get caught up in that. In goals and numbers. And that's ok, because behind every number is a person, but it was so good to be reminded of the bigger picture of it all. To be reminded that we are helping our brothers and sisters come to church not just because its a commandment and it will make us happy and to partake of the Sacrament and so many other good reasons...but truly because, when we come to church, we are obtaining eternal life.
I just love that :)
Side note! I started reading the Bible this last Monday, and I'm in chapter 25 of Matthew and chapter 16 of Genesis. Slow but steady, folks :) I'm determined to finish it all before I come home! Also, I'm at President Monson's talk on Love in the Sunday morning session of Conference in the Ensign- let's just say its all so golden. Like the little emoticon with a rainbow falling out of his mouth. I particularly loved THE WHOLE Priesthood session. Aaaaah the church is just so true!
We will close with a quote by the beloved Elder Uchtdorf- "The more we learn about Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all- they are merely interruptions- temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful."
I just love the gospel. And I have found such happiness and JOY in serving the Lord! I am JOYFUL to be here and be bold and do what we DO as representatives as Christ. And, as we heard numerous times this last conference, you do not need to be a missionary to be a rep. of Christ because when we were baptized, WE ALL TOOK UPON OURSELVES THE NAME OF CHRIST AND THAT MEANS BIG RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S ALL JUST SO WORTH IT AND IT'S ALL JUST SO JOYFUL!!!!!!
Exclamation Point :)
Hermana Harkins
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