Hello there!
So this week we had some great adventures.
Monday we played basketball and four-square after emailing and grocery shopping. I had never played four square before and it was fun to learn something new! During playing basketball the other missionaries helped me learn the rules hahaha. I had just been running and shooting and blocking but there is actually a lot more to it! I am looking forward to learning even more :) This is a lot like life. I used to not want to play because I felt like I wasn't very good and I would look dumb. I thought it was fun but I wished I could just play by myself or with other people that were bad at it too. I admit I still like to play with others that are at my level (which is very loooowwww) but I realized that I'll never get better if I don't try! I can't be negative about it or compare myself to others because I just haven't happened to have training or sufficient opportunities to progress in it. But I can't sit on the side and expect to get better at it. I have to get in there and be positive even though I might be skill-less compared to others.
We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and Elder Lundstrom gave a training that I absolutely loved. He talked about the "4 C's of Unhappiness." Here they are.
If you would like to be completely unhappy, do the following...
1. Compare
2. Complain
3. Compete
4. Criticize
We have started to teach a family consisting of a mom and dad and two sons. They were formerly taught by Elders before Sisters came in to this area. We have been visiting them and Isabel, the mom, has truly come to feel of the peace that the Book of Mormon brings into her life. But her dad is a Pastor at another church and they attend that church every Sunday. On the teaching record it said that they had come to church before a couple of times and I was wondering why they were able to come then and not now. Sister Montgomery was upfront with her when Isabel asked, "If I get baptized would I have to keep going to your church after that?" She told her boldly but lovingly that she has to understand that this is Christ's only Church with all of His doctrine and His ordinances vital for our Salvation. When it comes right down to it, it is all about our eternal salvation.
We taught Janet a couple of times this week and we went over the doctrine for some of the things that we do. We wrote down some applications and rooted them back to doctrine using the scriptures. She understood I think, but it just hasn't sunk in yet that she has to have faith and act on all that she is learning. Again, when it all comes down to it, we are talking about our eternal salvation.
We taught a woman named June who the Sisters had met before I got here, she hadn't read the pamphlet or from the Book of Mormon. She said that she let us in because she felt bad for us that we were far away from home. She said that she is willing to listen but that she is Catholic.
We met another woman on Saturday who said she was from Eagle Pass and we had an immediate connection. She said that we could come back Sunday so we returned yesterday (Sunday) and taught her and her husband. They ended up preferring Spanish so we switched half way through the lesson to Spanish. It was so cool to realize that we were speaking a different language but that we could all understand each other! It was one of those light bulb/mini mind blowing experiences that cause a hypothetical smile to spread across my heart. :) My thoughts went back to the MTC for a moment when Sister Montgomery and I were teaching in Spanish on our third day there. Seeing how we have progressed in teaching and in speaking the language was a testimony to me that God can change us, he can make us better than we could become on our own. The husband, Jerry, was so interested in what we had to say that he was literally on the edge of his seat. But the wife said she would die Catholic and raise her kids that way. Jerry said that he grew up going to Christian churches with his friends in Eagle Pass and that he was studying the Bible. We offered to give him a Book of Mormon but his wife cut in. We also asked him to say the prayer at the end and again his wife cut in saying that he doesn't like to pray, but at the same time that she said that he said yes. She turned and looked at him. He stood up ready to pray and so I stood up with him so he didn't feel alone (Its a custom with many families here to stand and pray, or to stand and hold hands to pray). He began to pray and his wife and son stood up too, along with my companion. His prayer was actually rather long for a first lesson with an investigator who has agreed to pray. Most of his prayer was asking for us Sisters to be blessed. I know that he felt the Spirit while we were there. Some people are more prepared than others to recognize truth. What makes the difference? Is it stubbornness? Traditions? Comfort or convenience? It varies with each individual and I don't know exactly each person's reason for pushing away or refusing to accept truth. But I do know that it takes a humble person to be able to recognize that something they are doing isn't right. It takes faith. It takes some guts. And it takes hope as well.
Change may be difficult, but with Christ it is possible. He is the only way.
I know that our hearts can change. I know that the Fall was imperative and vital to our spiritual progression. How could we know the good if we didn't know the bad? How could we know great joy if we weren't familiar with great sorrow? I know that through Christ we can overcome physical and spiritual death. Because he suffered the greatest pain and sorrow, I imagine that he has the greatest capacity to experience true joy.
What makes Him happy? When we apply the offering/gift that he has given us by REPENTING. When we choose to stop being stubborn and accept his suffering and allow him to change our hearts that we might not have any more desire to do evil.
My knowledge and understanding are so little. But I know that it is of worth to Him. That I am of worth to Him. He values me even though I have so little to give. He strengthens me in my weaknesses. He has asked me to let others know that this is true for them as well. He expects us to invite others to use His Atonement as well as he suffered it for ALL.
I love you dearly.
Keep the Faith. Hold to the Rod. Stand Steadfast.
Hermana Hopkins
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