Stories from Ruth # 60

 

This week was wild. Sorry I didn't write last week it was wild too. Basically this week was meetings meetings, meetings. On Monday we had zone conference, then on Tuesday we had planned a lot of appointments because we forgot it was preparation day, on Saturday we had interviews with President Checketts, and then on Sunday the church did a huge remembrance day celebration. Now like those who do not know, like I didn't two years ago, remembrance day is a time to remember all those who died in WW1. They lay wreaths at memorials, everyone wears poppies from the first of November until the eleventh and the poppy has to be at 11 o'clock because at 11 in the morning of November 11th they have a two minute silence for that was when the armistice was and the war was over. Crazy week, I would not say too much work was done but we did have some cool miracles.

First one was Jade. He is looking for a better life when we stopped him and he wanted to know more.

We dropped a Book of Mormon at his house with a note that said to read Mosiah 4 which he did, and he loved it. It touched his heart. We taught him and sent him a scripture to read daily. He liked it and even one day sent the scripture to a friend of his. The day before we were supposed to meet him in person someone told him that the Book of Mormon was not true and was evil. She told him that we were lying to him. However, he had already read the Book and felt the spirit and the power it contained. The next day when he saw us he told us and we explained to him about the restoration and how even Christ was rejected by the pharisees although he was their messiah. It is the same with Christians and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, those who are unwilling to repent and change their ways will never become the disciples of Christ despite the multitude of various commandments they keep and tote their righteousness like a badge mimicking the pharisees. Even members are prone to such thoughts and are unwilling to submit their wills to God and sacrifice all that they have and are unlike Abraham but resemble to rich young man. Well Jade was touched by the lesson and by the vision Joseph Smith had of God and his Son Jesus Christ and is reading the Book of Mormon daily and praying to know the truth. 

I also met this member named Akhtar when I was in Watford. He referred his friend to us and taught with us for a while. Well he is in my ward here, and I felt impressed that we needed to teach his two little girls. Well on Sunday he comes up and tells us that he wants us to teach his girls! Bless!
Also on Monday night we had a lesson with Stephen. His wife is a member and so are all of his children. While teaching Stephen he mentioned bout how people react when they hear that they are Mormons and I felt prompted to tell him that that was how the pharisees reacted to Christ. Even a few minutes later he was pondering over it and the spirit permeated the room he said that it really resonated with him. He agreed to read the Book of Mormon daily and to pray about it daily. I also told him that I wanted the whole family to work towards going to the temple and to start by having family prayers and scripture study which he really liked and even said that it would bring the spirit more into his home.

I know that this church is true. I am grateful for this time that I have to go out and to declare the word of God, that he lives and he speaks to us today through a prophet and through personal revelation. This is the only true and living church upon the earth and everyday I am more grateful for it.
The scripture that has struck me a lot lately is: 

3 Nephi 18:15 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by

the devil, and ye be led away captive by him.
16 "And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you."

We have to watch and pray always. We must be valiant, vigilant, and diligent in the work of the Lord and if we trust in him, keep his commandments, and submit our wills unto that of the father, we will be like him and able to live with him again.

Oh Tender Mercy! I felt prompted to knock on this lady's door, even though she was Hindu. She was from gouderati (don't know how to spell it but it is in India) and I told her I lived with Indians and loved their food. Well we gave her a "family proclamation to the world" since she did not speak much English and she said she had to go. We went to the next door and talked to this funny old English man named Bernard when the Indian woman popped her head out of the door and asked if I liked Indian sweets. The answer was of course yes, and she came out and gave us a bunch of Indian sweets including fresh baked ones! We might bring her cookies someday but she made our day!