This week has been so long it
seems. A lot happened! The beginning was hard. We were left trying to
fight off the temptation to be discouraged, and Sister Ng was battling
her own sickness. Everyone seemed to pit their appointments and didn't
even really seem to care. We have people like Ford who want to get
baptized, but can't because of other circumstances. We had both people
with desire and people without, but no one seemed to be able or willing,
or both, to get baptized next month. We dropped quite a few
investigators this week that we had a lot of hope in, but we saw the
real them this week. We were trying so hard to achieve our balanced key
indicators and at that rate, we didn't know how it was going to happen.
In one day (Wed) we seemed to sift through everyone that we had to
work with for the entire week - and they all cancelled. We wanted to
work so hard, but we had no idea where to start. We wanted to meet our
goal, but it was looking impossible.
Silly natural (wo)man me. Nothing is impossible
with the Lord on our side! You would think that eventually I would
remember that...
2 days after giving Ford a baptismal date, we found out that he had to go to church for 3 months straight, not missing a single Sunday,
before he could get baptized. We had no idea how we were going to
break this to him. We taught him the next day, but we just couldn't
tell him. I prayed so hard during that lesson for help. I knew that we
needed to tell him, but I just couldn't do it. I talked to Sister Ng
and Sister Dao (the member helping us) and we all agreed that we felt
constrained to not tell him. We physically couldn't do it. Not because
we didn't want to, but because the Spirit was telling us we shouldn't.
Yes, people were surprised that we didn't tell him, but we know what we
felt, and there's no disputing it.
We were hoping that maybe his mom would get baptized too. He told
us a lot about how he was inviting her to church and to read the Book of
Mormon. He even taught her how to pray. And he brought a friend to a
lesson too! We have great hopes that he will someday become a great
missionary. He has a great desire to serve the Lord, to share what he
knows, and even to go to the temple. So that was our hope - that his
efforts would pay off and that he would not have to wait 3 months.
Yesterday we met with him again. It seemed urgent that we needed to do
it, but couldn't do it. We ran to get some pamphlets that we forgot
and on the way back to the classroom we were teaching in, the Zone
Leaders asked us when his birthday was - it is next month. He turns 16
next month. He only has to go to church for 1 month before, not 3! The
Elders said "Did you pray or something?". Our reply "You have no
idea!" we were so excited! It truly was an answered prayer, and I am so
glad that we followed the Spirit's guidance! Just one of the miracles
we experienced this week. He's getting baptized on the 17th and, he has a
goal to finish the Book of Mormon by the 30th. He's awesome!
By Saturday
night we were good on our Key Indicators except for 2 people at church
and 2 daters.(For key indicators you need 10 member/recent convert/less
active lessons total, 2 new investigators, 2 investigators at Sacrament
meeting, and 2 people with baptismal dates.)
We had no one else to give dates to. Literally no one. Well, I
told Heavenly Father that I did all I could, and that we literally could
do nothing else. It was our last chance to get balanced this month,
and we had no idea how we were going to do it. We worked so hard
leading up to Sunday,
and now it was time to have faith and trust the Lord. I was trying so
hard not to doubt or be afraid of not meeting our goal. So we left it
all to the Lord. We laid it all on the table, we gave our all, then we
went to the Lord and asked Him to please help us. As I was praying I
thought of someone we had met at District conference - a friend of a
less active. We called him a few weeks ago but he was busy with tests
and school so he said to call him back later. We hadn't yet, so I
picked up the phone and called him. He said he was really willing to
come to church and to learn, but his friend, the LA had to take him
because he didn't have his own car.
So we called the Less Active friend. He was surprised that
his friend was even a little interested, but willing to take him - if he
had time. He had a concert that he needed to do something for that
same day.
Sunday
came, and Ford came to church and that's all we saw. I was starting to
feel discouraged again, but I retained trust in the Lord. As the
sacrament portion was starting, I looked out into the foyer and saw the
Less Active friend peeking in. I was so excited! God answered our
prayers and all our hard work did pay off. Somehow, these two numbers
that usually take more planning pulled out in the very end. That is
something that is only possible through the hand of the Lord. And the
best part - after sacrament meeting was over, they asked where they go
next. They stayed the entire 3 hours and we got to teach him a little
after - and he accepted a date for the 30th! He was nervous because he
said he's not a quick learner, but we explained to him and promised him
that the Lord would help him just like he helped us to learn Thai. He
was soo willing to pray, and was so thankful that we would give him a
Book of Mormon. His first prayer ever was a prayer of gratitude and
thanks for the way he felt at church and for us inviting him and giving
him a Book of Mormon. I felt the Spirit so strong during that heartfelt
and simple prayer, and it reminded me that prayer is truly a way for us
to express gratitude and thanks and to communicate with our Father in
Heaven.
I am so thankful for the outpouring of blessings and
love He has granted Sister Ng and I. I know that His hand is so much
in this work and I couldn't ask for anything more! As missionaries, we
do face extreme difficulties and hardships. Feeling discouraged is
something we face very often, but like Preach My Gospel tells us, if we
allow ourselves to feel discouraged, our faith will weaken and our
expectations will decrease. Our desire to work will deflate and what
will be left of us then? The biggest thing I learned this week is about
agency, or the gift from God to be able to choose for ourselves. I
know that our investigators use their agency and sometimes not in the
way we want them to. They have their agency, and I have mine. I will
continue to choose to be happy and to work no matter what. Them using
their agency shouldn't affect the way I use mine. And if I let myself
get down and choose not to work after people don't show up for their
appointments, then how am I any better than them? I've promised the Lord
that I will dedicate all my time, efforts, and talents to serving Him.
What they do with their time is their business - what I do with mine is
the Lord's.
I love you all and don't forget that God loves you!
Love,
Sister Norrell
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