We do, however, have on investigator named Lucero who has some promise. She’s 25 and lives alone with her little 4 year-old son. She actually was the one who found us, as we were teaching her neighbor and asked if she could listen too. She turned out to be a lot more interested then her neighbor, and since then we have taught 3 or 4 really spiritual lessons. Lucero seems to be really lonely and is having a really hard time since her boyfriend left her. She also has told us how she feels really disconnected from God and feels really guilty for some of the things she has done in her life. We shared with her the plan of salvation, and how Christ’s infinite atonement is the central part of God’s plan. We told her how it doesn’t matter what trials we are passing through, how much pain we feel, or what things we have done wrong, Christ’s open arms are always extended towards us and his atoning sacrifice will always help lift us up. She seemed to be really touched by our words and couldn’t take her eyes off of the picture of the Savior that was on the pamphlet that we gave her. After a little silence, I asked her she felt. Holding back the tears she looked up and said, “Like there is hope.” The spirit was so strong and I knew at that moment she was feeling the love of Christ. Since that lesson I have kept thinking about the words Lucero replied. One of the biggest feelings that the gospel brings to our lives, it is hope. Hope for something more, hope for a better life, hope for new beginnings, etc. I’m so grateful for this gospel and the hope that it brings to my life.
Another cool person we came across this week was a kid named Cristofer. We had taught Cristofer’s mom the week before and on Thursday we had our return visit scheduled with her. In the first lesson she hadn’t really shown any interest and reluctantly accepted a return visit, so I was really hesitant to go back and teach her again. However I felt like we needed to go, so we went. She ended up not being there, but we found her 15 year-old son, Cristofer. He agreed to listen to our message and was really interested in it. He knew a lot about Jesus and the Bible and loved the idea of modern day prophets. He agreed to think and pray about what we taught him to see if it’s true. He looks like he might have some potential.
Sunday night I had a pretty cool experience. As we were heading back to our room at the end of the day, I was feeling a little bit down due to our slow progress we’d had during the week but even more just due to all the “bad” in the world. Sunday nights are always a little rough tp be out an the streets because of all the parties, drunk people, etc, but this Sunday seemed to be extra crazy. I was walking and just wishing that I could stand up on a wall like a prophet and teach to everyone the good word. When we got back to the room, to help boost my spirits I randomly opened up the Book of Mormon. Interestingly, I opened right up to Alma 29, and started reading:
1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.
4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.
Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?
I totally felt like this was speaking to me. It gave me some comfort to know that a missionary and prophet in the Book of Mormon had had some of the same feeling and desires that I was feeling at that moment. But Alma also teaches some important doctrine here to missionaries. Although sometimes we want to be that angel with a trumpet “declaring repentance” to all the ends of the earth, “changing the lives of all” we need to remember that the Lord has given each one of his children the gift of agency to choose evil or to choose good. We have to remember that he is a just God, and will force no man to heaven. We just have to do our part in the stewardship that the Lord has given us as missionaries, and invite others to come to repentance. If we do that, the Lord will always be content with us. I love the Book of Mormon and am grateful that I was able to receive that counsel from it on Sunday.
Que tengan una semana fantastica! Los amo!!
Avanza Su Verdad
Elder Bailey
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