How is everyone's life on earth going?
Last Tuesday was a fun day we went back to the ice rink but did bumper cars on the ice which was fun. Then after that we played mini golf. Me and Elder Savage tied at the end of all the holes, but Elder Savage wanted to break the tie so he made us play again. Well I was bored and didnt wanna play again, and I don't think Elder Killian and Elder Savage did either. We just wanted to get food. So our second round I ended up hitting my ball too hard and losing it....and I ended up losing Elder stockwells ball as well.
Tuesday night something cool happened. Our bishop called us and gave us the number of a man named Bryan. This guy walked into the church building Tuesday night and met our bishop and asked for a book of mormon. We texted him, and he ended up calling us later in the week. He is awesome!! On the phone he told us "I'm not really sure what I'm doing, do people like self-convert". He's told us he just feels like he needed something more in his life, and he's felt drawn to our church. Also he explained to us that he went to a church as a teenager, but he had some concerns with the idea of original sin and how he's little daughter is a sinner...over the phone we started sharing some of Moroni 8 where it talked about how little children are alive in Christ. He then told us he didn't get the idea of heaven and hell, if God loves us how can good people who didn't accept Jesus Christ be sent to hell. So we explained part of the plan of salvation and kingdoms of glory. He then expressed that he never understood the idea of the trinity and how they are all the same being, and he understands we believe they are three separate beings. AWESOME. He already had beliefs that line up with what we teach before he was even taught. He actually lives in Golden Colorado, but is up here working on the base till the end of September. So his wife comes up with his two daughters every weekend, and he asked us for advice with how to bring us up to his wife and invite her to come to church with him on Sunday. We told him what to expect on Sunday, then we started telling him the idea of eternal families that we thought he could bring up with his wife. That was a super awesome experience.
On Wednesday we had apartment inspections. Some senior missionaries came over and inspected everything, and we did pretty good. But there was a dart board in our apartment, that sometimes I use when I'm bored. Well it got confiscated due to wall damage, and danger, and distraction :(. Hahaha but I'll be fine I'll just have to find a different activity to do while listening to conference talks.
On Thursday we met with Mei again. We brought brother Galloway, our ward mission leader, with us. This is the nicest lady. She expressed to us how when we come over she feels good, and then said we are like angels, while she started flapping her hands so we understood what she was saying. She said if anyone else knocked on her door, she wouldn't answer and she would call her husband and be afraid, but to us she answers the door and invites us in because of the way she feels when she's with us. Super awesome!! Brother Galloway on Sunday shared how coming with us was a great experience. He explained that having missionaries in people's homes brings them a light and knowledge that as members we take for granted. He said that seeing thinks click in Meis mind was one of the coolest things to see.
On Friday we did exchanges and I was with Elder Savage all day. Saturday night Elder Savage and Stockwells ward organized an "open house" thing where people could come and get a tour of the church. So we were invited and they had booths set up in the gym with "plan of salvation", "restoration", "gospel of Jesus Christ". So we stood there and answered questions for people and taught it was super awesome. Toward the end everyone had left except a member and his fiance who isn't a member. We went with them to the Priesthood room where someone was set up to teach about temples. We watched part of a film called "Between Earth and Heaven", I would recommend it to anyone if you have time. The spirit in that room was so strong. At one point Elder Holland spoke and said something along the lines of "heaven would not be heaven to me, without my wife...and my children". Temples make eternal families possible. I can't imagine a heaven with out my mom....and my dad. It wouldn't be heaven to me. Because of temples I am sealed to them and to my family, for eternity.
Sunday was a good day. Bryan and his wife and two daughters came to church. Also our ward had a "linger longer" thing set up after church. We have church at 1 so we had a pot luck and ate dinner on the gym after church. This whole idea was set up two weeks ago in ward council, and it just so happened to fall on the day that Bryan and his family came to church!! (was it a coincidence or did the Holy Ghost guide us during ward council two weeks ago for this specific reason??) So they stayed and ate and got fellowshipped by the ward and made friends with members it was great!! After church we did normal missionary work. This one family we've tried to contact multiple times and haven't gotten texts back, and nobody has answered the door. We were feeling ready to drop them, but I decided we should stop by this last time and if they don't answer we'll drop them and follow up in a couple months. Well it was definitely a prompting from the Holy Ghost to go stop by their house because they answered and we have an appointment set up for Wednesday!!
This whole week the spirit has been impressing on me how lucky I am to have the knowledge I have. Bryan has spent his life with concerns about church, and I've never had those concerns because of what I have been taught and have come to know. I take for granted the feeling of peace and warmth, the Holy Ghost that Mei tells us she feels each time we come over. I know that families don't end when this life ends. I can be with my precious family forever...that knowledge alone is one of the greatest things I have ever been taught. I can't express in words the peace I feel knowing that. Everything I know about this gospel is precious. This gospel brings me hope when things hard, it gives me strength and ability to endure. It gives me clarity and peace in knowing what will come after this life. I have the Gift of the Holy Ghost which can be my constant companion, as long as I am worthy. I am so blessed to know what I know. And I do know it, I have a testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel. I know that it will bless the life of everybody if they accept it. Don't be afraid to share what you know, it is important for people to know.
P. S. Transfer day is Wednesday. Me and Elder Killian are both staying here in the same area. Elder Stockwell and Elder Savage are both leaving so their area is being swept. Also a new missionary is coming to that area, which is good because then I won't be the youngest in the district haha.
Spiritual thought: I read in 3 Nephi 17 a couple days ago. This chapter is awesome. Christ has come and visited in the nephites in the America's after his resurrection. Christ is about to leave but he sees everyone is in tears, and don't want him to go. He decideds to stay and heal all their sick. He healed every single person brought forth unto him. He kneels down and prays for them, and the prayer is so amazing that it couldn't be written. After the prayer he stands and tells everyone to stand. This part stuck out to me. He tells them "blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full" and the next verse says that as he said those words "he wept". He was so happy that his brothers and sisters were faithful. So happy that it apparently brought him to tears, he wept. He loved those nephites so much that he stayed longer than he planned just to bless them. And he loved them so much that seeing their faithfulness brought him joy, so much joy that he wept. He loved every single one of those 2,500 nephites that were there. And I know he loves you the same way. It may be hard to imagine that he personally cares about and loves every single human ever born. But I know that he does. And he will take the time to help each one of his brothers and sisters. He has been there to help me. I know that my Savior loves me. I know it must bring him so much joy to see one of us return to him. He loves you more than you can imagine.
Fun stuff:
-the Golds (the senior couple in our district) messaged us and asked us for ideas for games to play with a big group for their YSA FHE. I suggested spin the bottle. Sister gold just sent a laughing face...
-we taught a nice lady named Jasmine, but we were sitting on her porch and the mixture of the sun, and the warmth of the Holy Ghost caused me to be drenched in sweat. When I shook her hand to say bye I think it made wet squish sound
-I got a tub of popcorn from my Familia on Friday. Elder Killian doesn't like popcorn so I had it all to myself...but it was gone on 3 days
-Mei told us the first time she prayed to God was when her daughter was having issues with her visa when coming to America. "only God could convince an American"
-while tracting one day, at two houses someone looked at us through a window after we knocked on their door. We both waved...and they walked away from the door and pretended they weren't home...
Pictures: bumper car things, really pretty painting of the Fort Collins temple they have hanging up in the church building, deliciousness
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