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| Hermana C giving a tour at MOBAT! |
Guess where I was just at? The Zoo! Didn't we come to San Diego once before? We totally did. Did we come to the Zoo or to Sea World? I forget. But! Random, every night we can see the fireworks from the mobat. And, at the zoo today there were those little things with pictures making up people's names, and there was one for both Jennifer and Aidan--right by each other. What are the odds? Tell Jenn thanks SO much for the chimigangas! Ha! She's so incredibly nice. It was awesome to see them. Suuper random. Oh, and tell Staci and the family thank you uuuuuuuuuber mucho for the package. I am seriously overwhelmed by all the love and support I have. It is unreal. I thank you all fromt he bottom of my heart!
But hi! How is everyone doing? I hope so well! I've been thinking of you all, and I hope and pray something I say can help you individually.
This week.. wow. Yo SE que la mano del senor esta en este obra. De verdad. I've been excited to share this story. Okay, so Hermana has had a name of a less active woman in our ward keep coming to her mind these past few weeks. Did I mention that I did splits last Thursday with another sister, sister Poulsen? Okay, so basically Hermana story and I planned and then Hermana Poulsen and I went to my area and did our plans. We didn't make concrete plans--which was so so strange--it was more like a few names and a couples hours to visit whomever whenever. So Sister Poulsen and I start going and I was flustered, trying to read the maps, direct the way, stressed and somewhat embarassed for my lack of organization slash knowledge of what to do, where to go, how to do it. (I need to rely on the Lord more. I'm so working on it!) So basically, it's pouring rain, and I have no idea how to get to our area. We get on the freeway, it's closed, so we take some random routes and then the name of that one less active lady stuck out in my mind. So I directed the way to her house; when we got there I checked out our ward rescue list (that has the info of the ordinances received/not received for everyone on record) and turns out this lady is basically a do not visit because she's less receptive. But we went anyway. She wasn't home. I started walking back to the car, but Sister Poulsen was like, "wait, shouldn't we knock these doors?" Knocking doors isn't really something President encourages us to do for long periods of finding time, but Sister Poyulsen explained it's something she and her comp are doing to make good use of their time--so if someone's not home it's not a complete waste of our time for having driven there. So we knock the doors on both side. The second door opened and a friendly girl answered. We started talking and she then said she was on her way out (she was really just out the door, we barely caught her!). Long story short, she was trying to get rid of us, saying she was in a "limbo" (basically not interested), but then I randomly shared this experience I had of being in a limbo awhile back, and she was totally still; she said, "Wait, keep going. I'm interested." So we got her number, blah blah, and made a return appt. Hermana and I went back, threw down with the new stuff president taught us, and then made another appt. Our second cita Christian (this awesome gal) invited a friend. When we asked about her reading, she showed us PAGES of notes she'd taken as she'd read through it, and questions she had, etc etc. WHAT! Okay. She asked to hear our conversion stories and basically---there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Christian's friend, Mari, said she was in a really hard place in her life and that she needed this. She said, "I know I need to open the book." Ah. It was unbelievable. They know it's true. It was one of the most powerful lessons I've had yet. This is the happiness of the work. Hermana and I went home on a cloud that night. The miracle of it all is really how it just turned out so perfectly.. hermana had been thinking of the less active member for weeks! If we'd gone anyyy other time than when I was on splits with sister poulsen,w e wouldnt' have knocked those doors, we wouldn't have found Christian. not only that, but we found out on Sunday that the less active woman we were initially going to see lives on EAST moss, when my poor, inexperienced navigational skills directed us to moss-- no east. See all the miracles and little details that went into finding Christian? We had an entire day like that yesterday, too. It sounds little and maybe not important, but when every prayer is directed to people specifically or to specifically finding people, when stuff like that happens, we KNOW it's no coincidence. No es casualidad! Tengo un testimono FUERTE de este!
I had a valuable experience on Sunday. We were visiting a less active, and she was talking about how it's just too hard to read, too hard to come to church, too hard to do this and that. I get irritated when people say stuff like that but then complain about how hectic life is; do they not realize that the answer to their problems--the solution!!--is the very thing that is "too hard" to put first? My goodness. Anyway, as I was about to say something too bold, hermana story said, "Well just take it a little at a time!" Which is EXACTLY what that person needed to hear. I realized that that's how I am: I'm an all or nothin kinda gal. When I say I'm going to put God first, you'd better believe I'lll try. When I don't understand a law or a rule or a commandment, I'm going to do everything in my power to see if it's right. I'm all for telling people to stop drinking, smoking, and breaking the law of chastity RIGHT NOW, when some people just need to hear they can do it a ittle at a time. (Like the script, prove me NOW herewith and see if I will pour down ell these blessings.. it's almost like a dare. Try me! See if i'll make your life a THOUSAND times bette!) Hermana and I were marvelling at this-- how God placed us together for a wise reason. He's so smart. It was valuable for me to come to understnad myself a little better, and to see the wisdom in god's organization and order. His plan is so perfect!
Also, another valuable lesson I've learned this week is seeing the long term results of missionarywork. If it's done correctly, it works right and it lasts. There were two SUUUPER disobedient missionaries who taught a family a few years ago; because they were funny and hung out with them and stuff, the dad started to like them and got baptized. But now they're all inactive, the dad is anti, and won't allow his wife or children to go to church. I mean, what? So it was immediate success for those elders in getting a few more "baptisms", but now we have a less active family and two sons that cannot enjoy the blesings of baptism. There is such wisdom in our rules. We obey them, we have the respect of our investigators and the power of the spirit and our authority to invite others to come unto Christ.
Sorry this is so long!
I am so grateful to be here. All is well. I am happy. This is the best work. Last week during a lesson I had this realization--all day every day (well, six hours of the day :) ) I get to go to people's houses, sit on their couches, and talk to them about how to improve their lives by following the example of Jesus Christ. What? This is such an individual work! It is personal and it is done according to each person's needs--because that's how our Heavenly Father works! It's unbelievable. In that instant I was so grateful, and I will continue to be forever grateful for this time to be a small part in our Father's work.
Se que esto es la iglesia verdadera y que Dios tiene un plan por TODOS sus hijos--individualmente.
Hasta luego, queridos. Les amo!
hermana Christensen
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| San Diego Sunset! |
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