Our mission's theme this month has been "Real Growth". We've been aiming for personal growth of course as missionaries (spiritually, in our teaching skills, testimony...), but we've also wanted to see that real growth in our investigators and the people we're serving. Until now, I honestly didn't think I was growing that much. I mean yes, now I can survive in a foreign country, speak the language, get around ok, but as for real, lasting growth that would actually help other people, I wasn't sure. This week however, I've seen and felt the fruits of real growth in my life, and especially in the lives of the people we're teaching. It's so neat! I'm ok now after getting sick, walang problema ngayon, but I'm actually really really grateful for that experience because it put everything in perspective and made me realize how much I have to be grateful for in this life and on the mission. I could list a bunch of real growth about me, but who wants to know about that? Not me, so I won't bore you with it:) Instead I want to talk about one of our investigators, Brother Raymond.
Raymond is the son of Sister Anicia, our recent convert. If you remember, I talked about them a couple months ago, how Sister Anicia's husband died, but she's still strong in her testimony and the gospel. She's is absolutely amazing and so pure and genuine. If only ya'll could meet her and feel of her spirit:) But we've been teaching Raymond for about a month now. He's 23 and has a 3 year old son. When we first started teaching him it seemed like he wasn't super interested- he was just kind of listening because we asked him to and reading just because Anicia reads too. But over the last couple weeks, he's been growing so much. There's a different light in his eyes and whenever he shares about what he's learned in the Book of Mormon or from church, I feel the spirit. I can't explain and we don't know what happened, but what I do know is that the Atontement is real and that Heavenly Father loves all His children. I've realized that before in my mission, I was too fast to 'drop' people- if they didn't read in the Book of Mormon, or come to church that first Sunday, we would stop teaching them. But President Clark said something that struck me to the core- He said we may be their only shot at salvation in this life right now. Of course they'll have time in the spirit world, but we've met them at this time in this place for a reason, and that is to help them reach eternal life. It put everything in perspective, and so let me tell you, I will not give up on anyone so fast again. It takes time. Everything does. So we just need to be patient and wait because this is salvation and eternal life at stake:)
Hope you all have a great week and love you all! Sorry I don't have time to email everyone personally this week! We're a little busy! Love you!!
Sister Allen