Almost a Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well this has been an interesting week. I honestly don't remember most of what happened...it all just went by so fast. o.o However, I'll do my best. =)

To answer your question. My companion is awesome. She's from Mexico City. She speaks some English and tries really hard to practice. She loves working and gets frustrated when things don't work out but it learning patience. ;)

This Sunday, everyone forgot that they were going to give a talk and their subject on which they were supposed to talk...bummer. Good thing none of our investigators came to church yesterday. =P 

On Monday, we spent the day doing service....we later read in the our manual missional that we should try not to not plan activities on P-days (oops) however, it was a very fruitful project. We helped a less-active in the ward clean up his...well yard. 

 

We knew he had a lot to take care of in his life and wanted to help him, however, he refused to open up to us. We started out all casual-like talking to him and his family and about the things that he's done, where's he been, and such and then the Spirit guided us into a conversation about him talking to the bishop and getting his life back into order.  As most people who had a lot to clean up in their lives, he was not excited about the idea, knowing that it was what he was supposed to do. At the very least, we left him considering it.
 

Yesterday, we went back to visit him and to see how everything was going, we ended up talking about the moment when we had opened our mission calls (he's an ex-missionary). I, of course, had the most dramatic story. ;P It was cool to hear his story and to listen to him. Once again, the Spirit led us into a conversation about him making everything right. (I know it was the Spirit because I don't remember how we got onto the topic or how we led into it). It was a great lesson. 

 

We talked a lot about repentance and the progress required by the Lord to be made clean and it amazed us how familiar his situation seemed. I've never been where he is but I knew exactly how he felt and still feels. The compassion I felt for this man surprised me. I was able to testify of every step of the progress that we talked about, the power of the Lord to cleanse and make one clean, the strength that our Heavenly Father gives to His children to help them overcome temptations and the promised blessing that await him if he were to gather sufficient courage to talk with the bishop. 

 

Not only did it cause me to feel compassion for this brother but also gratitude for all that the Lord did for me and still does for me to make me clean and to help me become little by the little more like Him. The brother made the decision to talk to the bishop and we have a date to work with as a goal for him and he's agreed to let the elders give him a blessing to help him got there. He's absolutely terrified but well decided. 

 

I'm so grateful for the authority given to us as missionaries to call God's children to repentance and the power of the Holy Ghost to awake the desire within them to do so.