December 16, 2014
Dear Family and Friends,
This week has been interesting... and kind of difficult. Just when
your area and investigators are progressing and the sister training
leaders call and ask to go on exchanges and you have to put everything
on hold. On the bright side we taught a less active and we finally got
into her house which none of the missionaries have ever done. We were
able to talk to her about the Book of Mormon and her daughter was so
excited to hear about it. Her 11 year old daughter had been reading it.
The mom is very difficult to work with because she has just accepted her
husband is catholic and she is comfortable with the lifestyle she is
living. She is denying herself so many blessings and it is really sad to
see someone willingly choose these things.
It reminds me of a story I just read. It's in either this month's ensign or last months. It is a story about how this man has all these worldly credentials and recognition and he gets to the next life and is being taken to his mansion... and pretty much it is a shack... he asks why he gets this crappy house and the gate keeper answers that he had already been received his reward and is it fair that he be paid twice??
It reminds me of a story I just read. It's in either this month's ensign or last months. It is a story about how this man has all these worldly credentials and recognition and he gets to the next life and is being taken to his mansion... and pretty much it is a shack... he asks why he gets this crappy house and the gate keeper answers that he had already been received his reward and is it fair that he be paid twice??
People are
denying themselves of so much good just because they are comfortable
with who they are and they don't want to do anything hard. On the other
hand I have seen people on the opposite end of the spectrum who are
doing so much more than is required of them. I gained such a respect for
these wonderful people. This week was really rough for both me and my
companion but we made it through. We were sitting in sacrament and I had
to give a talk in the spanish branch for the first time on my mission. I
still get really nervous and it doesn't help that I am speaking another
language.
Anyways I was sitting on the stand and I was so frustrated our investigators didn't come to church again and started evaluating what I did wrong and if I was even capable of doing the things the Lord has required of me. Just then I looked up and saw the family of our investigators walk in (mexican standard time... mexican parties don't start until 2 hours after it was supposed to start) I got this big grin on my face and recognized this as a tender mercy. I instantly forgot about myself and realized that we brought this family to church... we have given them the greatest gift that they will ever receive... the gospel. They are struggling to have a happy family and marriage and If we can get them all baptized and get the husband to stop drinking we will have worked miracles. I have already seen how happy they are every time we go to visit them. They are my favorite investigators here in Memphis (along with the Velazco family) and I want nothing more than to help their family.
Anyways I was sitting on the stand and I was so frustrated our investigators didn't come to church again and started evaluating what I did wrong and if I was even capable of doing the things the Lord has required of me. Just then I looked up and saw the family of our investigators walk in (mexican standard time... mexican parties don't start until 2 hours after it was supposed to start) I got this big grin on my face and recognized this as a tender mercy. I instantly forgot about myself and realized that we brought this family to church... we have given them the greatest gift that they will ever receive... the gospel. They are struggling to have a happy family and marriage and If we can get them all baptized and get the husband to stop drinking we will have worked miracles. I have already seen how happy they are every time we go to visit them. They are my favorite investigators here in Memphis (along with the Velazco family) and I want nothing more than to help their family.
I love this work and I know that there is no where in
the world I would rather be. I know that the Lord puts people in our
paths and puts us in others paths to make a difference... like my mom
always said... leave things better than the way you found it... that is
fully what I plan on doing before I leave Memphis. Memphis used to be a
dead zone and we almost had to have president take us out of Memphis
because we were having no success. I was and still am determined to
leave Memphis better than I found it... I am going to baptize these two
wonderful families. I have learned to love them so much and I want
nothing more than to help bring them closer to Christ and share with
them the greatest gift they will ever receive.
Love,
~Hermana Larissa Johnson