Hello everyone!!
How are you?? I can't speak English very well anymore, so I hope ya'll appreciate the effort it takes me to email haha sa English haha! Also, just an update, before, we had 2 hours to email and do reports, but now we only have one. I'll do my best to reply to everyone, but if I don't reply to you personally, don't be offended, I still love you;)
Anyways, this week was one of the fastest weeks I've ever had. As in. It's also probably my last week in this area (I've been here for almost 8 months), and it was a good one to go out on, I'm realizing more and more what this work is really about. It's not just about adventure, or baptism numbers, but it's the work of God. In Moses 1:39, He says "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." That is God's purpose and joy, and as missionaries AND members, that is ours' as well. When we say we are doing missionary work, and mention member missionary work, sometimes we only think of baptism, or growing the church, or think that to have success, it means they got baptized. While that is the goal as missionaries, (because baptism is an essential ordinance of salvation),our true purpose of as a missionary is to "Bring others unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the End." So that's our purpose, to BRING SOULS UNTO CHRIST. Before I didn't really understand that, but this week, several of our investigators mentioned that because of the church and the missionary lessons, they've come closer to Christ and have come to know more about our Heavenly Father and His commandments. That makes me so happy, and I'm so grateful for their efforts and for their love and desire to follow Christ. I would give everything, and actually I'm trying to give it all, for them to just endure to the end, to enter the temple and receive eternal life. I love them all so so much. I know I'm not a perfect missionary, but I know at least one thing: I love them and I love Heavenly Father and our Savior.
I also want to tell you about one of our investigators, Annalynne. About a month ago, her and her friend Roselyn, accidentally came to our chapel when they actually meant to go to the Jehovah Witness's church. They stayed for Sacrament Meeting anyways, and loved it. They felt something different they said and didn't want to leave. One of the members asked if they were interested in the missionary lessons, and they said yes. So we've been teaching them since then, and so much has changed in Annalynne's life now. She says she doesn't know why, but that her and her husband don't fight anymore like they used to, that she just feels happy and peaceful all the time, even when things are hard. They are one of the poorest families I've met, but even though it's a sacrifice, she's come to church every Sunday and is always GLOWING with happiness and peace. As we sit there in sacrament meeting and classes, I like watching the faces of our investigators and recent converts, especially Annaylynne. There's always such a look of peace and wonder and hope as she listens to the speakers and to the lessons, and it makes me realize just how special the gospel is. Especially yesterday, we talked about temples in Relief Society and the spirit was so strong. Annalynne and her husband aren't married, and she has a lot of things she'll need to clear up before she can be baptized, and so it'll be a long process, but that's ok. That's not the point. We're safe here in the church. We know the truth. We have the COMPLETE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, with prophets and apostles that receive revelation from Him in our day. Maybe I just never realized how blessed I've been to grow up in the church and only now do I really appreciate all our doctrines, but I'm grateful for our investigators and for the things I learn from them as they learn more about the gospel.
This truly is a marvelous work and a wonder:)
I love you all and I hope ya'll have a great week! Keep the spirit with you everyday- one day without is a precious day of progress and light lost, not to mention one of peace and happiness.
Take care and mahal ko kayo,
Sister Allen :)
How are you?? I can't speak English very well anymore, so I hope ya'll appreciate the effort it takes me to email haha sa English haha! Also, just an update, before, we had 2 hours to email and do reports, but now we only have one. I'll do my best to reply to everyone, but if I don't reply to you personally, don't be offended, I still love you;)
Anyways, this week was one of the fastest weeks I've ever had. As in. It's also probably my last week in this area (I've been here for almost 8 months), and it was a good one to go out on, I'm realizing more and more what this work is really about. It's not just about adventure, or baptism numbers, but it's the work of God. In Moses 1:39, He says "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." That is God's purpose and joy, and as missionaries AND members, that is ours' as well. When we say we are doing missionary work, and mention member missionary work, sometimes we only think of baptism, or growing the church, or think that to have success, it means they got baptized. While that is the goal as missionaries, (because baptism is an essential ordinance of salvation),our true purpose of as a missionary is to "Bring others unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the End." So that's our purpose, to BRING SOULS UNTO CHRIST. Before I didn't really understand that, but this week, several of our investigators mentioned that because of the church and the missionary lessons, they've come closer to Christ and have come to know more about our Heavenly Father and His commandments. That makes me so happy, and I'm so grateful for their efforts and for their love and desire to follow Christ. I would give everything, and actually I'm trying to give it all, for them to just endure to the end, to enter the temple and receive eternal life. I love them all so so much. I know I'm not a perfect missionary, but I know at least one thing: I love them and I love Heavenly Father and our Savior.
I also want to tell you about one of our investigators, Annalynne. About a month ago, her and her friend Roselyn, accidentally came to our chapel when they actually meant to go to the Jehovah Witness's church. They stayed for Sacrament Meeting anyways, and loved it. They felt something different they said and didn't want to leave. One of the members asked if they were interested in the missionary lessons, and they said yes. So we've been teaching them since then, and so much has changed in Annalynne's life now. She says she doesn't know why, but that her and her husband don't fight anymore like they used to, that she just feels happy and peaceful all the time, even when things are hard. They are one of the poorest families I've met, but even though it's a sacrifice, she's come to church every Sunday and is always GLOWING with happiness and peace. As we sit there in sacrament meeting and classes, I like watching the faces of our investigators and recent converts, especially Annaylynne. There's always such a look of peace and wonder and hope as she listens to the speakers and to the lessons, and it makes me realize just how special the gospel is. Especially yesterday, we talked about temples in Relief Society and the spirit was so strong. Annalynne and her husband aren't married, and she has a lot of things she'll need to clear up before she can be baptized, and so it'll be a long process, but that's ok. That's not the point. We're safe here in the church. We know the truth. We have the COMPLETE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, with prophets and apostles that receive revelation from Him in our day. Maybe I just never realized how blessed I've been to grow up in the church and only now do I really appreciate all our doctrines, but I'm grateful for our investigators and for the things I learn from them as they learn more about the gospel.
This truly is a marvelous work and a wonder:)
I love you all and I hope ya'll have a great week! Keep the spirit with you everyday- one day without is a precious day of progress and light lost, not to mention one of peace and happiness.
Take care and mahal ko kayo,
Sister Allen :)