This week has been crazy but filled with miracles! On the Square, for our investigators! It's just been really amazing to witness.
Saturday our investigator from Hawaii asked us to call him, because he wanted to share an experience with us. He was on the north shore of the island and wanted to see his friend as it was her birthday and had a feeling that he should go to the temple, he wanted to and then doubt started entering his mind as to if she would actually be there and if it would just be weird if he went because he isn't a member, etc. but he followed the prompting and just went anyway! He got there, and there she was! She told him that is was so crazy that he was here as she had just put his name in the temple! and it was perfect because they actually needed someone to take photos for them as well! After all that he went back to his car and opened the Book of Mormon, he has his finger on a scripture and it said;
"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever. And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them." - Moroni 10:7-8
And felt like it was a massive pa'i (slap/hit) across the face! God telling him exactly what he needed to do next, we had asked him to pray about baptism and he didn't feel like he was receiving his answer until all of this happened, we asked him what he feels like he has to do next and he said he called the missionaries and they will meet this week and talk more about baptism. He is now praying to know that he should be baptized on October 10th! Such a huge miracle, it was so amazing. He was so excited to share it with us and it was just so precious. We are really excited for him and for everything he is doing in coming closer to the Savior.
We have been able to get in contact with a lot of our investigators this week, which is a miracle in itself, all thanks to the promptings of the Spirit! They are doing well, coming closer and closer to receiving the restored gospel for themselves each and every day!
Yesterday we had an amazing tour, it was the flag pole at 6pm and we have 3 guests from Germany... we were trying to get a German Sister to take it (who had walked past) because it would have been better for them to understand the gospel in German, but the German Sisters were having a meeting, and the guest spoke English so we took them! It was a couple and a single man, both traveling around and seeing the sights. The single man was very open and full of awe at what we do as missionaries. Saying that in Germany young people like us would not give up so much to go out and serve God, he was just in love with the whole concept. We then got talking about tithing and he just loved everything we had to say! We offered him to meet with missionaries in Germany and that we could get the German Sister that he met to call/email him to teach him more and he was so excited! On the referral card he wrote "I love your religion". This might not seem like a miracle to you, but if you know Germans. THIS IS A HUGE MIRACLE! He is so excited to learn more, he really just loves everything we had to tell him. We were so excited that we went into their meeting to give the Sister the referral and I will never forget the look of joy/surprise/shock/relief everything! on her face. This Sister takes so many German tours and has had a hard time because they just aren't willing to learn more, so this just meant the world to her. We could have easily taught him ourselves because his English is great! But it's not for us, and we knew that this sister needed to teach him.
This is the Lords work, not ours, and something we (Sister Bulaoat and I) have been talking a lot about lately, is that if the Savior himself came to Temple Square and introduced us to his brother or sister, and asked us to take them around and teach them the gospel, how would that change the way we took that tour or handled a referral given by Him?... We would make sure the very best was given to not only His brothers and sisters, but they are our brothers and sisters too!
In the end, it has got absolutely nothing to do with us, we are just the tools in the hands of the Lord. No one at the end of a piano concert says "Great Job Piano!" but rather they applaud the pianist for the skill of using such an instrument.
This truly is His work and I get that more than ever because of my mission and it can and must be applied to everything we do in the church. Missionary work, Visiting and Home teaching, teaching lessons in church, giving a talk in sacrament, everything! Just because we can't see the Savior, doesn't mean He doesn't know! Because He is always here with us and I know that He is the one that sends people to Temple Square, the one that places missionaries in their path. He is in the details!
At the beginning of this transfer I set a goal to have in my heart the children's primary song "If The Savior Stood Beside Me" to remind me of my love for the Savior and His love for me and it give me an added measure of diligence and care tot he word of the Lord as the song goes.
"If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? Would I think of His commandments, and try harder to be true? Would I follow His example? Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say? Would my words be true and kind if He was never far away? Would I try to share the gospel? Would I speak more reverently if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?
He is always near me, though I do not see Him there, And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care. So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me."
I am so grateful especially for the 3rd verse, to know that He is always near me, even if I can't see him. We're all trying to become like the Savior and all though we slip and make mistakes, it's okay because He has got our backs! a friend emailed me this week with a quote sent to him saying "If God’s gotten you this far, don’t expect him to drop you now.” This has given me a lot of comfort as well with the quote my Mum sent me saying "It is impossible to fail when you do your best when you are on the Lords errand" - President. Russell M. Nelson.
I love this work, I love my mission and I know it never ends, and my path of discipleship has just really begun! The next chapters are unknown but exciting! It's time to make my book of life really special, filling it with so many wonderful experiences!
Love, Sister Ryan.
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