Day 96-Highways and the Holy Ghost-07-02-06
Church today was pretty good. None of our investigators came, though, so that was a little depressing. I talked to Sister H. before church. She said that she called S. to invite her to church, but could not get a hold of her. Oh, well…there is always next week. Plus, we are going to try to get some of our investigators to come to the ward’s annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast. It’s this Tuesday at 8:00am. (I don’t know why everything in this ward is so early.) Elder D. and I joked that we’ll try to get N. to go with us. Let’s show a potential J-Dub how the Latter-day Saints celebrate freedom. At this point, though, I’m not sure it’s the best approach.
I bore my testimony in church today. I said how thankful I am to be a member of this church. I am thankful for all of the members and all that they do for the missionaries. No matter where you are in the world, the members are the same great examples of what they believe.
Sister H. then got up and bore her testimony. She said that when she was driving home one evening on the highway, she looked at the cars going the opposite direction. Traffic had come to a standstill on the other side. A huge multi-car wreck had tied up traffic to the point that no one was progressing.
She passed it by and kept going. As she got further and further away, she could see the cars on the other side of the highway zipping along. She wanted to tell them that they should not go that way. They should get off right now, because they would eventually catch up with the rest of the traffic that was stuck and not going anywhere.
How often do we know, because of our knowledge of the gospel, what is waiting for us after this life? How often do we see people taking a wrong path, going the wrong direction? And we know where they will end up. On the road of life, there are many places to turn around, get off and get on the right path. By the same token, we can do this in our lives. Heavenly Father gives us many opportunities and chances to change. Like Sister H. wanted to do, we should want to tell people that we meet to turn around, get off, don’t go down that road. We know what is at the end and it is not what you think. We can be a force for good. Maybe they will get off the wrong path. Maybe they won’t. The point is to never give up hope. Trust in Heavenly Father. Always look for ways to help your spirit brothers and sisters go in the right direction.
Also, today, Elder D. and I taught the Gospel Principles class. That’s the great thing about being a missionary. Before I went on my mission, there’s no way I would have felt comfortable giving a lesson like that without a few weeks notice. Today, though, the teacher wasn’t there. The family is moving to Reston and needed to finish packing. They were not able to find a substitute, so Elder D. and I just got up and started to teach from Preach My Gospel. Our lesson was on the Holy Ghost.
It the Gospel Principles class sat a woman and her daughter. (There were other people, but this story isn’t about them.) This story is about Sister A. and her daughter N. Sister A. and her family are from Ghana. They are recent converts to the church. (Sister A’s other child, D. is the young man who went with Elder B. and me to teach W on day 32).
Sister A’s daughter, N, spoke last month in Fast and Testimony meeting. (Day 68) That was the first time I had ever heard her speak. I should explain. It was a miracle. In Jan. of 2006, N. fell down the stairs in their home. She’s about 22. Something happened when she fell that affected her ability to talk. When Elder B. and I went to pick up D. and take him to W’s house with us, I met N. for the first time. She has the most brilliant blue eyes of anyone I have ever met. If eyes are the window to the soul, then N’s are stained glass. All she could do was look. It was bewitching. Leaving D’s house, all I could think about was N’s affliction. She fell down the stairs and lost her ability to talk. Bam! Just like that. It was very humbling. It helped me realize all of the blessings I have that I take for granted.
That is why in the June testimony meeting when N. got up to bear her testimony, I didn’t know what to expect. She said that she could now talk because her voice just returned to her one day. She said how thankful she was for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She was thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is still amazing to me that someone who was dumb for 5 months could all of a sudden get their voice back overnight. N. and her family have been so kind to the Elders. They offer to feed us as well as offer their home for teaching opportunities. But, the greatest gift I have gotten from that family was to hear N. speak in church. N’s story ties into another story that Sister A told in G.P. today about the influence of the Holy Ghost.
This was back in May. N. still did not have her voice back at this point. Before Sister A. joined the church, she used to watch televangelists as a part of her Sunday routine. Old habits die hard and so last May she was watching a show when a toll free number came up telling people to call if they knew of someone who needed a prayer. Sister A called and asked them to pray for her daughter that she would get her voice back.
The woman on the other end of the phone asked Sister A, “Are you a Christian?” She replied, “Yes, I’m a Mormon.” (Now I doubt that very many, if any LDS call in to those places, so I can only imagine the surprise by the phone person upon hearing this information). She then asked Sister A., “Have you always been a Mormon?.” “No. I was Pentecostal,” said Sister A, “but I became a Mormon when I learned that God had called a prophet and apostles on the earth today to lead and guide the followers of Christ.
Sister A. was told by the televangelist that she should not be a Mormon. “Join a church that relies on the Bible as the word of God”, said the woman. Sister A told her that the Mormons do believe that the Bible is the word of God and “shame on you for telling me that I should not be a member of this church. The Mormon church understands the doctrines of Christ better than any other Christian church I have been to. I know this because the Holy Ghost told me these things are true. The Holy Ghost is with me where ever I go and I can feel him the strongest in the Mormon church. “
I’m so thankful for Sister A and her family and all of the members of the Herndon ward.
Tomorrow is Monday. President B. is back home. We get to meet our new Mission President tomorrow. President W. It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait.
I bore my testimony in church today. I said how thankful I am to be a member of this church. I am thankful for all of the members and all that they do for the missionaries. No matter where you are in the world, the members are the same great examples of what they believe.
Sister H. then got up and bore her testimony. She said that when she was driving home one evening on the highway, she looked at the cars going the opposite direction. Traffic had come to a standstill on the other side. A huge multi-car wreck had tied up traffic to the point that no one was progressing.
She passed it by and kept going. As she got further and further away, she could see the cars on the other side of the highway zipping along. She wanted to tell them that they should not go that way. They should get off right now, because they would eventually catch up with the rest of the traffic that was stuck and not going anywhere.
How often do we know, because of our knowledge of the gospel, what is waiting for us after this life? How often do we see people taking a wrong path, going the wrong direction? And we know where they will end up. On the road of life, there are many places to turn around, get off and get on the right path. By the same token, we can do this in our lives. Heavenly Father gives us many opportunities and chances to change. Like Sister H. wanted to do, we should want to tell people that we meet to turn around, get off, don’t go down that road. We know what is at the end and it is not what you think. We can be a force for good. Maybe they will get off the wrong path. Maybe they won’t. The point is to never give up hope. Trust in Heavenly Father. Always look for ways to help your spirit brothers and sisters go in the right direction.
Also, today, Elder D. and I taught the Gospel Principles class. That’s the great thing about being a missionary. Before I went on my mission, there’s no way I would have felt comfortable giving a lesson like that without a few weeks notice. Today, though, the teacher wasn’t there. The family is moving to Reston and needed to finish packing. They were not able to find a substitute, so Elder D. and I just got up and started to teach from Preach My Gospel. Our lesson was on the Holy Ghost.
It the Gospel Principles class sat a woman and her daughter. (There were other people, but this story isn’t about them.) This story is about Sister A. and her daughter N. Sister A. and her family are from Ghana. They are recent converts to the church. (Sister A’s other child, D. is the young man who went with Elder B. and me to teach W on day 32).
Sister A’s daughter, N, spoke last month in Fast and Testimony meeting. (Day 68) That was the first time I had ever heard her speak. I should explain. It was a miracle. In Jan. of 2006, N. fell down the stairs in their home. She’s about 22. Something happened when she fell that affected her ability to talk. When Elder B. and I went to pick up D. and take him to W’s house with us, I met N. for the first time. She has the most brilliant blue eyes of anyone I have ever met. If eyes are the window to the soul, then N’s are stained glass. All she could do was look. It was bewitching. Leaving D’s house, all I could think about was N’s affliction. She fell down the stairs and lost her ability to talk. Bam! Just like that. It was very humbling. It helped me realize all of the blessings I have that I take for granted.
That is why in the June testimony meeting when N. got up to bear her testimony, I didn’t know what to expect. She said that she could now talk because her voice just returned to her one day. She said how thankful she was for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She was thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is still amazing to me that someone who was dumb for 5 months could all of a sudden get their voice back overnight. N. and her family have been so kind to the Elders. They offer to feed us as well as offer their home for teaching opportunities. But, the greatest gift I have gotten from that family was to hear N. speak in church. N’s story ties into another story that Sister A told in G.P. today about the influence of the Holy Ghost.
This was back in May. N. still did not have her voice back at this point. Before Sister A. joined the church, she used to watch televangelists as a part of her Sunday routine. Old habits die hard and so last May she was watching a show when a toll free number came up telling people to call if they knew of someone who needed a prayer. Sister A called and asked them to pray for her daughter that she would get her voice back.
The woman on the other end of the phone asked Sister A, “Are you a Christian?” She replied, “Yes, I’m a Mormon.” (Now I doubt that very many, if any LDS call in to those places, so I can only imagine the surprise by the phone person upon hearing this information). She then asked Sister A., “Have you always been a Mormon?.” “No. I was Pentecostal,” said Sister A, “but I became a Mormon when I learned that God had called a prophet and apostles on the earth today to lead and guide the followers of Christ.
Sister A. was told by the televangelist that she should not be a Mormon. “Join a church that relies on the Bible as the word of God”, said the woman. Sister A told her that the Mormons do believe that the Bible is the word of God and “shame on you for telling me that I should not be a member of this church. The Mormon church understands the doctrines of Christ better than any other Christian church I have been to. I know this because the Holy Ghost told me these things are true. The Holy Ghost is with me where ever I go and I can feel him the strongest in the Mormon church. “
I’m so thankful for Sister A and her family and all of the members of the Herndon ward.
Tomorrow is Monday. President B. is back home. We get to meet our new Mission President tomorrow. President W. It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait.
posted by Garden Anywhere Box | 6:31 AM
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