20 May 2012

Last Thursday it was cold and rainy in the evening, and I was supposed to go to Relief Society, but found it hard to go out in the dark and drive myself over in the rain.  I fought with myself, and then I thought, “This is how many older sisters feel.  I’ve got to set a good example for them.  Besides, I had had a chance to talk with Claire, who said she was coming to Relief Society, so I wanted to be there and try to get a chance to talk with her privately and ask her why she had gone to another church, after telling us that she felt so good about the LDS.  So I went.

And the Lord provided the perfect opportunity!  I was sitting with her alone for a moment, and thought, “This is my chance!”  So you know me, I just came right out and asked her!  I took a moment to remind her of the feelings she had expressed, and how she said, “Oooo, I’m getting goose bumps!” when she talked about how the Lord must have led her here to this church.  I told her that it was the Holy Ghost telling her that it was true, and I said, “Why then, would you go to another church?”

“Well,” she said, “I did some research to find out about the church, and I came across the bit about not drinking, or having coffee, and having to pay tithing.  I don’t think I want to give up those.”

“But Claire, you haven’t heard the whole story yet!  You haven’t heard the why yet.  When you learn that, you will understand how we can do that.  But don’t make up your mind yet about an important question like this until you’ve heard the missionaries explain, OK?”

On Friday the cute sisters came over.  We had District Meeting; then Brother James came, and we had Missionary Correlation Meeting.  During the district meeting, the sisters were teaching us from Preach My Gospel about how to prepare the investigators to be taught.  It means that you sort of set the stage before you teach a lesson by saying things like, “We will be teaching you how to make changes in your life so that you will want to follow Jesus and be baptized…” (There are about 10 points)  These make it easier later to challenge them to baptism,  or to other things, because the air has been cleared, and they know up front what to expect from us, and what we will expect from them. 

Then, the best part is, we are trying to learn how to follow the Spirit’s promptings by asking inspired questions, listening with discernment, teaching principles that will address their concerns, and inviting them to act on these principles.   

Sister Salanoa had prepared the lesson she wanted to teach us.  But our concerns, or questions, caused her to divert her lesson a little bit to meet our needs, thus demonstrating her topic.  We are trying to learn to follow the Spirit’s promptings and “teach people, not lessons.”

So the sisters stayed a while on Friday after the meeting.  It was just a little bit awkward because I didn’t know they were going to stay, or what their plans were.  So I let them help me a little bit to hang out my sheets and make up our bed for the Bakers, who were coming on Saturday for a two-night stay with us.  (We had invited them down to speak in a Young Adult Fireside.  You met the Bakers, remember? on Google+) 

I decided that the sisters must have just decided to do their study time here, because at one time I had told them that this is not our home, but a missionary flat, and that they were as welcome as we are to make use of it.  So they stayed for lunch and then went out to do their visits from here.  I love these sisters (I’m trying not to call them “girls”), and love to have them around, much like my own daughters.  It’s so fun to be senior missionaries!  It feels like we’re in the midst of the greatest movement in the world, even if it is moving a bit slowly.

So, the Bakers came (I love those two!) on Saturday and went with us to an activity for the youth, which turned out all right, and then they spoke in the fireside on Sunday night.  We loved having them here, but there wasn’t much time to enjoy them.  We had to let them spend the afternoon at the Tobiassen’s, where they had lunch while we went to two teaching appointments, who both fizzled out on us.  “Ah well, nevermind…”

The Bansoys came to church!  We even had a young man who could greet them at the door in Tagalog when they arrived!  We have an appointment to teach them again tonight, although we still have not received the Books of Mormon in Tagalog that we ordered some time ago!  We will go ahead, hoping that they understand English well enough.  The Sacrament Meeting was nice, but some of the speakers were hard to understand, being young Aaronic Priesthood holders, and it is hard to hear anyway, sitting in the back, but nevermind, (an Australian expression for “oh, well…) it will all come out in the end.  We hope!

We had a wonderful experience in my Sunday School class, where I practiced what the Sisters had taught.  Claire came to church too, so she was in there, plus one of the members over whom we have worried and worked.  (The Bansoys went home after Sacrament Meeting.)  So we started out, and the Spirit directed us as I asked questions, and Claire seemed to understand.  She asked some more really good questions, so I thought, “Teach people, not lessons,” and pushed aside the lesson and addressed the questions being asked.  When Claire asked “Why are there so many churches anyway?  Why don’t they all just teach the Truth?”  I asked Sister Salanoah to explain the apostasy, and Sister Myers to explain the Joseph Smith story.  Then we tied it all in with the Sacrament Meeting theme, which had been on the restoration of the Priesthood.  As each person spoke, you could feel the Spirit giving him/her the words.  The Sisters explained it so beautifully that Claire said with great wonderment, “Oh. . . now I see!”

 After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that it was really a matter of what we want out of life.  Do we want to follow the Savior or not?  Do we want to accept what He offers or reject it?

Claire was really getting into it, but the member sister wasn’t.  She was not looking up at me, and I had the impression that she was worried that she would spill her guts and lose control if I asked her anything.  So I finally said kind of gently, “I think Sister….is struggling with the same question right now in her life, right?”

And then it actually happened.  What she feared.  She kind of broke loose the dam that was threatening, and let all her feelings come rushing out.  She was sort of yelling, sort of crying.   She said that she just felt so overwhelmed with all that there was to do on a Sunday morning.  She didn’t use that word, but I think that is what she meant.  She is tired after working all week, and by the time Sunday comes, she doesn’t want to worry about getting up and pushing all her kids to get to church by 9:00.  She said that by the time they all get to church, screaming and fighting, she wonders, “Why am I doing this?”

It’s a familiar story?  Yes, you recognize it.  I told her about my experience, and shutting myself in the bathroom and saying, “You do it!  I’m tired of being the one!  I’m just plain tired!”

Then Elder A. bore his testimony, and we all cried together!  Then the non-member put her arms around the member, and they went to Relief Society together.  It was like a miracle!  A totally beautiful feeling!

I feel like a child, learning the Gospel all over again!  The principles are so beautiful, and so personal.

Sunday night we were surprised when a young man whom we had met in the grocery store came to the fireside.  That made 4 people who came to church, if you count Claire.  (She’s really the Sisters’ investigator, but we have seen her more than they have, so I counted her.)  Our goal for the week was 2!  The Lord really answers prayers, especially when you set specific goals!!

I hope some of my grandchildren read this.  I know it’s hard to read when it’s so long.  I’m sorry.