This was a long one.
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| Me on the ferry. Again... |
Zone meeting was probably my favorite part of the week. I always love seeking inspiration and inviting other missionaries -- who don't typically get opportunities to instruct -- to give instruction at zone meeting. After zone meeting, we went with the Mukilteo elders out to South Whidbey Island to help find potentials -- something we do about once a transfer to remind the sisters there that they're not forgotten. We met up briefly at Dairy Queen to talk with the sisters about where they felt inspired to send us in their area. This time, however, Sister Ah-Chong requested that we all pray together for opportunities to find and teach. The street that Elder Haupu and I tracted was not enormous, but we ended up spending about two and a half hours there because nearly everyone was home! What a miracle! We found several promising potentials for the sisters and even kept a detailed tracting record so they could follow up with others who had said to "come back". Isn't it neat what happens when you and those with whom you work receive and follow inspiration?
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Tim and Robert, a couple of guys who served in the Fresno
mission together and moved into our ward for work.
Swell fellas. |
We met a few interesting people on Saturday. One talked with us about government conspiracies and his experience meeting a "
nephilim" and another spent quite a while talking with us about our beliefs before telling us we needed to read the Bible more (which, admittedly, is true). It is true that I question the things that I believe and preach frequently. But I find it difficult to compromise my values and my testimony based on experiences that I have with unique and misguided teenagers or angry born-again Christian folks. These people, though children of God and striving to do what is right, are imperfect. Why prioritize their doctrines over that which I have received from God? As I partook of the sacrament yesterday, I was reminded that I do what I do because I know it is completely right and I know it is eternally true and I know it will bring to anyone who participates the peace and refuge from the burdens of mortality they sincerely seek. We had the opportunity yesterday to give several blessings, one of which was to a member of the ward who was wrestling with the decision to talk with the bishop about some mistakes he had made. I'll just say I love the Atonement and I love the priesthood.
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Alayna Hudson, who reports for the Paris mission on the
same day as Christian. However, she'll be speaking French. |
Amid all of the happenings of this week, we did find two new investigators, but it turns out one lives in Marysville, so we handed him off. As well, our investigator Bonnie is doing fine. She raised a ton of concerns about how she doesn't believe in God and how answers to her prayers are actually self-produced and not divine. Then we invited her to pray at the end of our lesson, and she talked with Heavenly Father about her real concerns. She knows Heavenly Father is there because she feels Him, but she is afraid of upsetting her parents, who are stout Buddhists in Korea. After her prayer, we confirmed that this is the root of her concern, and that the other worries she brought up are ploys to avoid the main issue she faces. That is, that her parents will disown her and bring her back to Korea if she is baptized.
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| Christian--last hugs with Mom and Margo |
I can't believe Christian reports this week. Well, Elder Martin, officially. I miss that guy!
I love y'all!
Elder Martin
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