FAMILY!!!
Tuesday & Wednesday- Tuesday was a very sad day. A sister that I came out with from Honduras, Sister Gudiel got sick and she flew home to Honduras today. President has no tolerance at all for when the sisters get sick. I am so so blessed that President Gillette was the mission president when I needed to go home for surgery because I think I would have been sent home and not been able to come back for 6 months with President Poulsen. 3 weeks ago 2 sisters went home, now Sister Gudiel, another one on Wednesday, and another sister in my class is going home next week! It is crazy and so sad; but when sisters are sick, it not only hinders the work for them, but also for their companions and it isn't worth it. Anyway it has been crazy; one right after the other!
Thursday- Wow!! Relief Society was INCREDIBLE!!! We had 3 professional women golfers come and speak to us. There names are Lorette Maritz, Reeve Nield, and Cecilie Lundgreen. They are all members and from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Norway. Not only are they professional athletes (and very successful), but they started eyes4zimbabwe and they travel the world giving firesides, and giving and doing humanitarian service EVERYWHERE they go. If you get a chance look them up at eyes4zimbabwe.org <http://eyes4zimbabwe.org> . They spoke all about following the Spirit with “exactness”. There are way too many stories to share, but all of them said they would not be “who” they are, the “friends” they are, or be able to “do what they do” now if they didn't follow the spirit with EXACTNESS. The way the spirit guides them was incredible and so inspiring. I cannot describe how wonderful they are, and how much the 3 of them are doing for people all over the world. You will just have to read about them!
It made me reflect and think really hard about when I receive spiritual impressions. Do I act RIGHT AWAY or do I second guess and wonder “why” I should do something? They talked about how sometimes, they get woken up with a prompting at 2:30 in the morning! So, they help whoever they need to, or do whatever they need to do, and then go back to bed! They talked about how they don't even wear a watch because they don't care if they are late to anything! If they are on the Lord's errand, then they will be in the right place when they need to be. I was amazed and and I want my faith and my confidence in myself and in God to be that strong.
Oh, and I saw Christie Funk!! We had dinner with her and she is the sweetest and funnest! It was SO good to see her! Mom tell her thank you so much and that I love her!
Friday- Today we got a text from Sister Nakayama that Dunstan from Sri Lanka wanted us to call him. Long story short; Dunstan was being taught by Sister Lotoa while she was training me; so we taught Dunstan together for 2 transfers. Well, she continued to teach him after transfers, but never passed on his information after she went home. Well, I called him on Friday and he wants to be baptized in JUNE!!! Seriously it made me so happy! He was never that receptive when I taught him with Sister Lotoa; but that was a year ago and now he is SO excited! :)
The Humanitarian Center was pretty quiet today so we had a lot of time to be on chat and take inbound calls. We found 4 new investigators that are very excited to learn more and we have appointments to teach them this week! YAYY!!! We also were able to teach 9 lessons to some other investigators, and a couple lessons to recent converts and less-actives. T
It was the best...we were on fire!!
Sunday- Today we fasted for our investigators so that we could reach the baptism goals we set this transfer. Sacrament meeting was really good. So many sisters bore their testimonies and because there are always sooo many that want to get up, they tell us our testimonies have to be very very brief. Well it was already a little over time and Sister Agurcia from Honduras goes up and starts telling a story and in the story she says, "You know, Hispanics talk ALOT"! After a couple more minutes she finally finished, and a polynesian, Sister Tupou literally stomped up after her and started by saying, "I want to double testify to what Sister Agurcia said that, “Hispanics talk alot!" Everyone was DYING laughing! Our mission presidency couldn’t stop laughing because Sis. Agurcia IS hispanic!
But today was amazing. Benson came to the square with the elders that are teaching him. We talked with the elders and tried to think of what we could teach Benson that he hasn’t been taught 100 times! We decided to focus the entire lesson on Jesus Christ. We took him around the New Testament paintings that go through the whole life of Jesus Christ and we talked a lot about “who” Christ was and “why” he did the things he did. Then we went to the Christus (and the Spirit was very strong), and we finished by watching “The Testaments”. I was a little hestitant and worried because it’s a pretty long movie, but I have NEVER felt the Spirit that strong before. I think that was the strongest I have felt the Spirit on my mission, honestly. The movie ended and Sister Cano and I bore our testimonies specifically on Jesus Christ and the elders did too. We were all crying kind of speechless. The elders asked Benson to say the closing prayer, and he didn't want to say it because he was a trying to let everything sink in and said, "I will let Sister Marsh say it". So I said the closing prayer and cried the whole time. The lesson was so powerful and touched all of us a lot. As the movie depicts the story of Jacob and Korihor, my testimony of the Atonement grew. I couldn't help but think of how Jacob was feeling, that he could not go back and be forgiven of the things he had done and that he wasn't good enough for the Atonement; but the Atonement is for EVERYONE. No matter what mistakes we have done in the past, we are always good enough for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and we can come back always. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want all of their children back with them in the end, and no matter how far away we feel, we can return and be blessed and cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What a blessing that is, if we will just humble ourselves and use that powerful gift!
I love this gospel and I am sooo happy that I have the opportunity to serve a mission!
The church is true.
Sister Mindy Marsh
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