This past week was an
interesting one. I wasn't feeling very good, so I had a hard time
getting going, but we still saw some miracles! We met with a handful of
less-actives that have been hard to meet with in the past. I love when
we catch people right at the right time -- when they're home and in a
good mood! There's a really cool story about one sister in particular.
As some background, a few weeks ago, Sister Stewart and I were praying
about where we should go to find someone to teach. As an answer, Sister
Stewart got the image of a yellow house in the middle of a field in the
country. It was then our journey to find this yellow house! We searched
and searched, but we never found it! We eventually forgot about the
yellow house. Then, on Saturday, we went to go see a less-active sister
that apparently had been uninterested in visits in the past. But we went
anyway. We caught her and her husband as they were leaving and she was
just the most lovely person! She said we could call her to come back
another time. We were pleased with that. Then, we turned to leave and I
was busy writing in my planner looking down when Sister Stewart suddenly
says, "That's the yellow house." I stopped in my tracks and looked over
and, oh my goodness. A yellow house. In the middle of a field. In the
country. Woaahhh! The spirit whispered to her that that was the yellow
house! Ahaha! Amazing! Now, to make matters more interesting, in ward
counsel yesterday, we found out apparently that this sister has been
difficult to reach for a very long time and that her nonmember husband
apparently slammed the door in previous Elders' faces, telling them to
never come back. And we just happened to catch them both, and the
husband was rather neutral and kind and he waved to us as they left. AND
it was the yellow house. Perhaps it was time for us to find this
less-active sister! The Lord works in mysterious ways, and in His time.
We never know! We're going to call her today to try and see her soon.
On
Saturday, we went on splits with our Sister Training Leaders. They each
took one of us and we divided up in our area to go finding and to
whatever appointments we had in the 2 hour block we were with them. I
went with Sister Richardson, and I was initially not looking forward to
it because I was completely unprepared to go finding because I had not
been feeling well this week. It was a struggle just to get out of the
car to walk, let alone go knock on random strangers' doors! But, that's
when you just pray with all your might for help... and I learned SO much
from Sister Richardson! She is fearless. She declares the gospel with
vigor and might and a strong testimony that you know that she knows that
it's true. I learned so much from her example! She taught me ways to
prepare for finding, such as preparing scriptures and questions to ask
people the night before. What I really learned from that all is to be
prepared. If we are prepared, no matter the outcome, we can go forth
with confidence and know that Heavenly Father will have our back. But,
if we go, like I did, completely unprepared, we'll stand there at a door
step and go, "uh uh.." and just barely quote the first vision correctly
(I did, indeed, get to quote the first vision on a door step that day
-- for the very first time on my mission by memory!). I resolved from
that moment forward to always be prepared for all things. Granted, like I
said, I haven't been feeling well, so my unpreparedness was not the
result of laziness and such, but what a good principle to live by -- to
be prepared always that we even have a back up and reserve fund to draw
from when the moment comes that we need to be prepared! President Monson
says, “When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is
past.” Wonderful counsel.
I have gained a
testimony of using the scriptures to teach powerfully! We taught our
FAVOOORRIITEE semi-less-active couple, the Roxstrom's last night and we
had an incredible discussion. We felt prompted to share the story of
Abraham and Isaac about obedience and sacrifice. Bro Roxstrom is still
very much young in the gospel, so he did not know the story. As I told
the story, you could tell that it was really hitting him to his core
(and he's not an emotional guy -- he's a hard-working farmer that works
sun-up to sun-down) and he said it was powerful. He said he doesn't know
if he could have done what Abraham did. We are all asked to sacrifice
things in our lives, but the blessings of being obedient far out-weight
anything we could possibly get by our own efforts. The spirit was thick
in the room as I testified that this is true -- that I felt as Abraham
has before; to finally get what (I thought) I wanted, only to be asked
to put it all on the altar and to go serve a mission. The sacrifice was
great and I deemed in painful. But, the blessings from being obedient
(even if it took me 7 years) have FAR surpassed anything I could have
possible imagined for not only me, but my family. I cannot even begin to
list all of the blessings I have seen so far, physically and
spiritually, from serving this mission, and I'm only 4 months in. Who is
to say what blessing will come by month 16? It blows my mind how much
the Lord wants to bless us, if we will but be obedient. After sharing
this will Bro Roxstrom, I asked him what is something that would be hard
for him to sacrifice, but he knows he would be blessed. After thinking
about it, he said, "Reading the scriptures." Ah, how the spirit can
teach others far more than our words can. We helped him see that his
real sacrifice was time. If he would sacrifice the time for him to read
his scriptures, he would see rich blessings. And so he said he would do
just that. I love helping others DISCOVER the gospel, rather than just
telling them, "Read your scriptures."
"The
study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a
study of behavior will improve behavior. . . . That is why we stress so
forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel." [“Little
Children,” Ensign, November 1986, 17]
What do
we all need to sacrifice in order for the Lord to bless us more
abundantly, and in turn, become who He wants us to become? Is it our
pride? Our time? Is it a substance? A behavior? An addiction?
"Just
as the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is at the center of the plan
of salvation, we followers of Christ must make our own sacrifices to
prepare for the destiny that plan provides for us." --Elder Dallin H.
Oaks
Love you all!
-Sister E
Sister Juliann Marie Eldridge
Washington Federal Way Mission
23175 224th PI SE Ste E
Maple Valley, WA 98038
United States
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