As a missionary, it's a test of our faith--maybe a couple days pass and no one really seems to want to listen to our message (and if they listen they aren't making progress) and it's hard to see that there are people who will accept. But we show our Faith in doing everything we can every single day, so when we do meet that person we are ready.
Malia and Kepuel our investigators (Brother and Sister who are in High school) have truly been prepared by the Lord, even though it wasn't evident at first. Sister Langi and her companion before me started teaching these two at the end of last year and there wasn't much progress. At last, a lady in the ward started fellowshipping them and they started coming to church every week...but they still had some questions and progression was slow. These past several weeks though Sister Langi and I have seen some great changes in them. We have literally seen their hearts change. They are Baptized on TUESDAY as part of ward conference week and I am absolutely thrilled. They told us on Saturday how they want to serve missions and get married in the temple and how their desires to read the scriptures have grown stronger. I love these two SO much! It's moments like these when your heart swells with gratitude and you can't stop smiling. And you keep working harder!
Tiola, another investigator, who's in middle school (she's in Liahona and takes seminary but isn't baptized) but she is getting baptized on SATURDAY! We committed her to baptism a while ago and she was excited but then something changed and we didn't know what it was but she started acting weird and didn't want to get baptized or come to church and it broke our heart. But then last week we went to go see if we could have another lesson with her. Sister Langi asked her if she wanted us to keep teaching her and she said she did and so I asked her what she liked best about the things we'd taught her and she said baptism and that she can be baptized. I asked her more about the importance of baptism and why she wanted to be baptized and she shared the sweetest little testimony. On Sunday, she showed up with the young women in the ward and one of our recent converts and they were are smiling and laughing. It filled my heart with so much love to know that she felt welcomed.
Two big things I've learned this week:
1) Fellowships make a HUGE difference--investigators need to feel welcomed.
2) As we trust God and keep moving forward, miracles happen. "Sio pe kiate au i he fakakaukau kotoa pe; oua 'e tala'a 'oua e manavahe" (Look unto me in every thought; doubt not fear not)
Don't get discouraged, the Lord knows what he's doing!
OFA LAHI ATU!!!
Sister Reid
Question this week: How would you help an investigator with a Word of Wisdom problem? "I've prayed and read my scriptures and try to stop smoking but I can't...what do I do?" What questions could you ask him, what scriptures could you share? What addiction recovery program could you set up?
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