I've decided that I've been sent on a listening mission. I listen to people all day long and I'm not kidding. We visit a lot of people and mostly we just sit and listen to their lives and ask questions about how they are doing. People really open up to missionaries. It's pretty incredible. I don't get to teach investigators and members as much as I thought I would. I mostly just listen to people and try to help them the best I can. I'm okay with that though. People around here have really fun stories.
Here are three experiences from this week:
1) The less active Korean member from last week: So as it turns out, she doesn't like Mormons a whole lot. She was baptized a member and sealed to her husband, but she doesn't want to be a member of the church. She asked us to visit her and we went over to her house and listened to her nag about the church for like an hour. She didn't even ask us what our names where. Me and my companion think she's a little crazy. I guess she can stay Jehovah's Witness if she want's. She's just giving up eternal life and eternal happiness. Her choice. Only so much we can do.
2) There is a less active family that is almost active again. They are really cool but the dad in the family (who is not a member) has stage four prostate cancer. I might have mentioned them last week. I don't remember. Anyway, the son who is about six years old said the closing prayer. In his prayer, after saying the basic things, he paused for a minute and said, "and please help my daddy to live longer...". I have never felt my heart break for someone that I don't know very well. I almost started bawling right there because I felt so helplessl.
3) We were knocking yesterday and we started walking up to this lady's door and she comes out and says "Come in, come in, I've been waiting for you." We went inside super confused and apparently every time she is going through a hard time in her life the missionaries come. Her husband sells drugs, and she doesn't affiliate herself with him. The cops are after him, and her husband is after her. The cops follow her thinking that they will eventually catch him if they follow her. It's a hard situation. She can't come to church because of people who don't want her to go (and there are big consequences from those people if she does go). And the same thing happens with the missionaries. It's really hard, but we listened to her for a long time and cried with her. Then we told her how much the Savior loves her and how much we love her and will help her with whatever she needs. It's a hard situation but I'm sure the Lord will extend every bit of mercy to her he possibly can.
4) BAPTISM! We showed a young mother our church and she loved it. When we got to the chapel I sat down and thought of a scripture that I had read that morning. It was about the Savior's atonement. It's 2 Nephi 25:13. I opened to it and bore one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever given on the Savior's atonement because I have been needing to rely so much on it lately. I was prompted to then invite her to be baptized and I did and she said yes! So her and her 9 year old daughter will be baptized on October 24th. Keep them in your prayers :)
I'm having fun, and I'm trying to keep busy so I don't think about home too much. I love getting emails and letters from everyone, family and friends. It's been such a blessing to be able to rely on the letters to make my day better. I love the people here, and I have been so blessed as I've been out here. Keep me in your prayers, you have no idea how much they lift me when I can't lift myself. I'm sorry if my replies are shorter than what you want but I only have so much time. I love you all.
Love, Jess
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