Flemingsburg Kentucky, oh what a joyous sound. Not gonna lie, this week was weird. The people here are just so funky, it's great. So much to say but so little time. But I can hear the applause from here for my improved time managing, thank you, thank you. Let's see.
So I got low key offended for the first time on my mission this week. That was great. It wasn't even like an outright thing, but the intention was definitely intended and it made me upset lol We met with this guy David and towards the end he started asking like why we don't have more people in our church and why we don't have preachers standing on every corner and it made me so mad, because I was like dude, what the crap do you think we are doing out here? I literally left the only home I know, my family and everybody I love and care about, and literally put my entire life on hold to talk to people like you who pretty much just told me that I am out here for nothing. He like totally invalidated us as missionaries and told us that we were wasting our time and pretty much told us that like we weren't enough. And it made me so mad. But like really though, there is no use even trying to teach anymore once you have anger in your heart because then you are just talking out of contention and not love and the spirit can't communicate in contention and I was just so over it so we left shortly after. And like I felt like total trash after I left and was so pissed and felt bad about myself and like a waste of space but like, this is something we teach our investigators like seriously every lesson. Satan works so fricken hard on everyone. It's like the more righteous you are being, the more he is going to try to stop you. So like all these bad thoughts I was having about wasting my time and not being enough and blah blah were all from satan. He knows I am out here being a servant for Jesus Christ and he already knows who the winning team is going to be, but he hates losing and so he will do everything he can to stop us as saints of God.
Ya'll, I wrote a killer talk this week for Zone Conference that I'll tell you about next week, but I love the concept so much.
OH another cool thing. So like ok, not gonna lie, I literally didn't have conviction about Joseph Smith and the First Vision until last week. Like some people assume missionaries go out knowing everything and being perfect believers but that's a literal joke. So we were on exchanges last week, which just means like we switch companions and areas and everything for 24 hours with our sister training leaders. Essentially it is just a sleepover mission style. But I guess we aren't allowed to call it a sleepover so we call them povers lol So I was with Sister Westbrook and we were doing comp study in the morning and roleplaying teaching the restoration in 5 minutes and she was going first. And she was teaching me the first vision, and as she was reading Josephs description of the first vision, like the spirit was so amazingly strong and I literally felt like a warm burning sensation in my chest over my heart and I had never felt that before in my entire life and I knew that that was the spirit confirming to me that that actually happened in the grove, that Joseph was a true prophet and man called of God, and that all the things he did in restoring the church are all real things.
Idk, it was a cool experience. We see so may miracles every single day and the grace that is apparent in missionary work is insane. Like if we do our best and do ALL we can do, God will bless us with success. He has people He has prepared and know they need His gospel, and it is just so cool to see how he puts us in their paths. God is real and this gospel is true. I do not believe that the church is true. WHAT OMG BUT CARSON YOU ARE ON A MISSION YOURE SUCH A JACK MISSIONARY no, calm down.
There is a definite difference between the gospel and the church. I've met several people who do not come to church anymore because of something that happened at church and they got offended. Like it's a real thing. The people in this church are imperfect people. The culture that surrounds the church is not doctrine. That's the thing. Christs gospel and doctrine are totally perfect and true. But all of us in the church and the culture that surrounds it is not. That is something that a lot of people forget. Too many times I have seen people that think they are both the same thing. But they aren't.
Like think about it, why do you think the first three lessons taught to investigators is The Restoration, The Plan of Salvation, and the Gospel of Christ? Because those are the most essential things in this gospel and in this life. The next three lessons are Law of Chastity, Word of Wisdom, and Laws and Ordinances, all very important things as well. I can't tell you the number of times as missionaries where we have said a prayer in a way that wasn't textbook praying or sit around with people who are smoking a cigarette or literally so many things. These humble people in Flemingsburg honestly don't have very much. Most of them live in trailers and have been to jail several times and can barely afford gas money. But all of them know what really matters, and that is a relationship with their Heavenly Father. I feel like when we have more than we could ever need, we get so caught up in the stupid little things, like if this person has a tattoo or you saw this person smoking or this person wearing this or doing that. That is the imperfect church that is speaking, not the true doctrine of Christ.
I'm totally rambling now and you all probably think I'm crazy, but yeah. God is real and this gospel is true. I KNOW my savior lives and that He knows what each and every one of us is going through and that He is always there to help, we just have to reach out and take His hand and He will guide us. I love ya'll and hope Roseville is as bomb as I remember it.
-Sister Peardon
No comments:
Post a Comment