Hello Family,
Another
week gone and more wonderful miracles and teaching and learning. This
transfer is coming to a close in the next two weeks and my stomach is in
knots every time I think about it because my companion will be going home
and I have no idea who will be my next companion, or if they'll have me
train or what...there are gonna be a lot of changes and so many
possibilities of what could happen. We have all started placing our best
bets! But really....I just can't think about it cause it makes me so
nervous! Excited and scared to see what happens after I send my trainer
back to Canada!
This week I seemed to keep having opportunities to be
bold. I am just getting more matter-of-fact with people and it's kind of
cool...and a little nerve racking because I just don't want to offend
anybody! But I am truly realizing the power and authority of my calling
as a missionary for the Lord! So one of our investigators has been
through lots of missionaries and his wife is a member of the church and
he has been learning. I have been teaching him since I got here and he
just hasn't been progressing in his commitment to be baptized. He set a
date a while ago for November 3rd but just doesn't come to church
because he is heavily involved in his gospel choir at his church, which
is at the same time as ours. We've had weekly lessons with him and he
came to a musical fireside we had and we got him to church once....but
nothing seemed to be affecting him. I'm not gonna lie, he's pretty
confident and a little prideful and it seemed he was more into being the
center of attention and feeling really needed as the go-to at his
church, rather than following the path that he had told us he felt was
right and needed to follow. The last time I saw him after a musical
fireside I sang at, and hearing his comments about the whole thing
(including that I had a very good voice but it sounded better on
CD...HA! And that the MOTAB was more him and his style because it was
mature) I just thought, "Wow....he needs to be humbled." So I started
praying for him and for the Lord to humble him so that he would know
this was the path he needed to take. To be humbled enough to give up
performing in his choir to come to church. Well, Sister Tanner and I
shared with him the story from the Book of Mormon about King Lamoni's
father in Alma 22. After he has been taught the gospel he asks Ammon
what he needs to do to know God and to have eternal life. He says if he
could know Him he would give up his entire Kingdom! He prays and tells
God if He will make himself known that he will repent and give up ALL of
his sins....so incredible. So we shared that story and asked what he
was willing to give. His reply was anything....so I had these thoughts
going through my mind and I thought, "Oh I don't know if I should say
what I think I should say right now...it might offend him..." and I was
sitting there stirring over it while my companion was testifying and I
thought, "OK if she breaks again to let me talk I'll say it." But she
didn't, she closed and we were about to pray so I thought, "OK I guess I
shouldn't say it." But then the wife looked at me and said, "You
started to talk but then you stopped and I feel like you want to say
something...I'm not sure why you didn't but if you would, I'd like to
know what you wanted to say." I said, "Did I start talking? (because I
hadn't) Well I was thinking something but wasn't sure if I should say
it. But this was my thought in listening to you....bottom line is, you
have told us you feel in your gut that this is right and you should keep
to this path and you have made a commitment to be baptized on November
3rd. If you want to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, then you have to GO to The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints!" He took that surprisingly well. I said, "I hope that
you don't mind that I shared that." He said, "I hoped you would." I
then got even a little more bold...he told us at the beginning of the
lesson that he had three distinct dreams that he wrote down...he shared one
with us and told us the words the Lord said to him in a dream (and we
learned when we first met him that he feels the Lord communicates to him
in dreams and through music). He said something like, "You have given
much to your country and your family and others, and now it is time to
humble yourself and follow me." Say what?! So I told him, "you want to
know something cool Tony? I have been praying for the Lord to humble you
in a way that you would understand and know that this is the path you
should take, and now we've come here and you've told us that the Lord
told you in a dream to be humble and follow Him! He spoke to you in a
way you are familiar with and would understand and prayers have been
answered! It makes me soooo happy! Because I can see that the Lord loves
you and is working with you on this! Isn't that amazing?!" He was
smiling and laughing to himself. His countenance was brighter. He told
us that he had one more commitment with his choir (and that was last
Sunday) and he said after that I know where I am gonna be. I asked,
"Where?" He said, "Where you guys are!" = ) It was so cool and I felt
the Lord's love for him and my love for him grew...and I was struggling
with that...we thought he just wasn't ready and we might have to let him
go...but the Lord showed us he truly is ready! We saw him at our ward
Luau this weekend and he was so happy. I pray He continues to be and
doesn't let the things that don't matter get in the way of the things
that do!
That's all the time I have to share today but I thought
it was pretty cool...my companion keeps telling everyone about it and
I'm like, "oh stop it...it wasn't me...that was definitely the spirit at
work!"
I got to go to the San Diego Zoo last week and it was
tons of fun....fun to go to public places and see people who love you
right away because they know you are a missionary and come and say hi
like they've known you...and then to see the opposite...the people that
see the name tag and totally avoid us..ha ha...gotta love being a
missionary!
I want to invite you to read Alma 22 and ask yourself
the question: "What would I give to know God?" We can always come closer
to Him. Life is so much happier when we are too!
Lots of love! Miss you all!
Sister Riggs
