This week was a very humbling week for me! Not in a bad way
though! Last Sunday we set lots of lesson appointments and throughout the week
we had lots of people not show up! It was disappointing to say the least but
that's okay! The Lord provides you with the opportunity to fill the time with
missionary activities. I learned a lot about how to fill an hour you weren't
planning on having!
Tuesday: we met with James and he is so awesome! We are
really focusing on helping him to see God's hand in his life and to be able to
recognize blessings. It's not the easiest but it's really been awesome to help
him recognize things that he is grateful for! We also had interviews with our
mission president and his wife on Tuesday. That was really special. I went into
interviews with a lot of concerns and came out with a lot of answers. It was
super spiritual so I won't share too much BUT I will share a little. While I
have been on my mission I have recognized how completely inadequate I am. I
have had every weakness I have made very clear to me and it has been a
struggle. The biggest thing I have been concerned about is, I am not a great
teacher. This is really difficult as a missionary because our job is to teach.
I talked to President Loveland about that in interviews and he gave me a
blessing. I don't know how, but I know that through Christ and the enabling
power of His Atonement, by the end of my mission I will be a good teacher. It
was a really neat experience.
Wednesday: On Wednesday I went on exchanges! I went to
Ingram Mill Ward and was with Sister Ferrell in that area. We spent the day
visiting less actives in their ward and it was really fun to get to explore a
family ward area and see what that was like! We had dinner with the bishop's
family and THEY HAD CHILDREN! I got to play with them and we became buddies. I
loved it! I don't see a lot of kids in the YSA ward. Sister Ferrell was super awesome!
I am trying really hard to learn how to ask "inspired questions"
which are just questions that you think would help your investigator recieve
answers to their questions or testify of things that your teaching. It's a
really good tool to be able to use and I get so nervous that I don't ask
questions, I just talk! Sister Ferrell helped me a lot with that. She made me
play a game where she had a concern that I needed to address but I could only
ask questions to 1) Figure out what it was and 2) Try to help resolve it. It
was HARD. I ended up being able to do it and now I have noticed that I am
better able to ask questions to my investigators! It was a neat learning
opportunity!
Thursday: On Thursday we did the table! It actually was
bearable this week! It was great! We also had a lesson with our investigator,
Samuel. Samuel is the one who accepted a baptismal invitation before I got here
and set a date during General Conference. He is so awesome! He has a really
solid testimony and he just really wants to progress and increase his
dedication. He is so awesome!
Friday: Friday was the day that tested me the most. I told
you guys about our investigator, Alec. He is the one who came to church on his
own and started meeting with us and accepted a baptismal date in his second
lesson, he is so awesome. Friday we were scheduled to meet with him and when we
met him at the Institute Sister Sanders and I both had the weirdest feeling. We
kind of joked about it on our way to meet with him. When we got there we could
tell something wasn't right. Not in a way that made me feel like I was in
danger but something was wrong. We sat down and asked him how his day had been
and he got teary and told us it had been a rough day. We asked him why. This
was his response "About 30 minutes ago my family found out that I am
getting baptized on the 22nd. Since then my grandpa and all of my uncles have
called and told me that I am no longer welcome in their homes and I am no
longer a part of their family. My mom called me and started preaching from the
Bible about how wrong my decision was and when I told her that the Book of
Mormon was another testament of Jesus Christ I heard her gasp on the other end
of the phone. Most of my family now hates me. It's been a rough day." We
had a long conversation about that and I honestly, didn't know how to respond.
We testified a lot of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Sister Sanders looked at
him and said "Alec, we are so happy you're here and you haven't changed
your mind because we know that this is what God wants for you, but, that's
really hard. What made you continue moving forward with this?" He paused
for a minute and then through tears said "For a split second I thought
about turning my key in the ignition and going home. Shooting you two a text
that said I wasn't interested in meeting anymore and telling my family I had
changed my mind. But then I remembered how good I feel about this. I feel so
happy and so much light and I know this is what is right for me." Needless
to say it was an emotional lesson. We taught the Word of Wisdom, Alec is a manager
at a brewery that requires him to taste alcohol in order to be able to sell it.
We asked him to live it and he said he had already told his boss that he
wouldn't be able to taste alcohol anymore. It was a great lesson. It was very
humbling to me that this man would be willing to lose his whole family and risk
losing his job because he wants to come closer to Christ. I'm honored to be a
part of his conversion.
Saturday: Saturday was slow, we did a lot of weekly planning
and a lot of knocking doors. Some weren't home, Most weren't interested. It was
a long day. I did however, see the blessings that come from trying your best to
be obedient. We were somehow able to make it through the whole day! That sounds
silly but some days, that's the best blessing you could ask for! Sister Sanders
is always great at making long days fun, which also helps them seem just a
little shorter.
Sunday: Yesterday was fast Sunday. I LOVE fast Sunday! We
ended up having a lot of investigators come yesterday which was really neat.
The whole meeting was very focused on Jesus Christ. About ten minutes before
the end of the meeting, Alec stood up. He walked up to the front and told his
story. It was amazing. He talked about how hard it has been but how great it's
been . He talked about the light he has seen enter his life as he has come to
know Christ. He got a little emotional when he talked about his family
disowning him but then he said "But I know it's okay, because now I have
two Sisters who text me to make sure I'm doing okay and who send me scriptures,
somehow, at the exact moment I need them during the day. I know that even
though I am losing my blood family, I am gaining a family by joining this
church." There were a lot of tears from him, Sister Sanders and I and the
congregation. Alec came up and talked to us later, turns out he was also
demoted from his job this week. Turns out the brewery isn't interested in
having a manager who can't sample alcohol.I told him how sorry I was that he
was going through so much and he said he saw it as a blessing! He has been a
huge example to me of optimism.
Overall this week has been a really wonderful learning
experience for me. I have learned that every trial is a blessing. I have
learned that I need to be more willing and happy to make sacrifices that will
lead me closer to Christ. I have learned that without God, Christ and the
Spirit, I am nothing. I have learned that with them, I can do anything they ask
me to. I have learned that the worth of EVERY SOUL truly is great in the sight
of God. All of his children are special to him and all of them deserve to be
treated that way. I have learned that I am a child of God, I am also important
to him. I have had my testimony strengthened that he truly does hear my prayers
and he is aware of my needs. I know that Christ loves and carries us through
any trials we may be facing and that if we will just endure and continue acting
in faith and doing what is asked of us, we will see blessings. What a blessed
life I have! What a wonderful opportunity I have to be here! I just want to
talk to everybody and tell them how much Christ loves them and that he wants to
bless them and he wants to know them. He, who created the world, loves us and
is mindful of each of us! Jesus Christ loves you all. I love you all. Thank you
so much for your prayers and your support. I feel your prayers carrying me and
protecting me everyday. I appreciate you all so much! <3
~Sister Lloyd
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