Hello family.
I just read the email from my Mission President, a lot of changes are going to be taking place in our mission, and now...I'm a little stumped as to what I should write...my mind is full.
A lot went on this week. We had zone training meeting, and almost everyone gave training in one way or another. One of our traveling assistants was there and talked a bit about raising the bar and the vision for our mission. One of the things that struck me was that he said "where is the urgency in what we are doing?" If we really feel the way we express, shouldn't we be pushing a little more and running instead of moseying along? It really hit me about what I could be showing a little more urgency with. Ya gotta walk the walk if you're gonna talk the talk.
Also this week Sister Rodriguez and I were invited to participate in mutual for our Spanish Branch, talking about missions and how to gain our own testimony or how we decided to serve a mission, ya know, that kind of stuff. We got some good feedback from the Branch President and Young Men's President in Branch Counsel afterwards. Both of their 17-year-old daughters were there and said that it impacted them. I really do love teaching.
Also a couple of weeks back we met a women in the ward. She had had several challenges and at this point didn't have her children with her. As she went to get her scriptures out of her room I looked at Sister Rodriguez and said "we have to help her more." Sister Rodriguez looked at me and said "como?" alluding to the fact that we couldn't get involved in stuff. I turned back to her and said we can help her, the gospel can bless her family through her as she lives it. She's looking for a job now, and the branch has gotten involved to help her out. We're also going to be trying to teach her parents tonight. She didn't have a copy of the Book of Mormon before, but since we gave her one, she has been reading all the time. It's the only way to make it she said.
Another family we've been working with has been pretty difficult. For extenuating circumstances, neither will be able to be baptized until May, and with it so far out, it's been difficult to help them progress. They do the reading and things, but things don't change. The Gospel is suppose to change people. It's been a struggle all transfer to know what to do to help them actually make progress, and actually to even feel the spirit in their home. Well, we had a lesson with them last Saturday, and something was different. I couldn't put my finger on it. We watched the Restoration video, and afterwards the husband basically shared his testimony about how Joseph Smith was prepared to be the prophet and we talked about keys and authority. It was actually really good. We also challenged the 12-year-old daughter who is less-active to do the Elder Bednar Book of Mormon Challenge...in a week. She is a READER. Think Jubilee. Then multpile...by SIX. So I challenged her to read it all in a week. She's accepted and has until Sunday night, she even stated thinking about a topic to study. It'll be changing for her.
On Thursday and Friday, we were in Danika's words "grounded" to the house. Sister Rodriguez had not been feeling well for a few days and Thursday it knocked her out (Oh, and she broke her finger playing volleyball last Monday, we've had to stop and get ice at gas stations and Subway a few times this week). So anyways, both of those knocked her down. So while she slept it off, I went through our binder full of baptism records with their teaching records attached. That was some mission lingo I guess, basically all of the notes missionaries made while teaching investigators who got baptized and are on our ward records. I went through it. Page by page, three times. And, out of maybe 50+ members who got baptized since 2005, about 5-8 are active still. Whhhaaaat? It really ripped my heart out a little sitting there reading record after record of baptism success, only to look up information and realize that not even a year later, they were not active or had gone back to their church. It was more difficult going through that binder than going through the area book where so many
people were almost baptized but something came up. These were people who had made it to baptism, and then lost something.
Please Help the Missionaries find these people and bring them back.
After that, a few days later I was reading in 1 Nephi about Lehi's vision and read in verses 25-28 of Chapter 9:
"And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed...And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost."
I never want the people that I come in contact with to fall away. It's like President Hinckley said, it is no use to teach and baptize only to have people fall away from the church.
I want to assist the Lord in converting people forever, not just a year of two. I want to learn to be a missionary forever, not just for a year or two. Because it's suppose to change everything.
On Saturday, while stopped at a stop sign, I looked over towards a cemetery and saw and elderly women walking. Something about her struck me and made me look twice, but the feeling was already gone. About four minutes later, as we were driving away I told Sister Rodriguez we needed to go back to the cemetery. As we pulled in, Sister Rodriguez wasn't sure. "Hermana, why are we here?" she said. "We need to look for those who are living, not those who are dead." Just come with me, I told her giving her a "humor me" look. We got out, and were walking for a little bit, not really sure what we were looking for. I gave up and we started to head back to our car, but as we got there, we saw a man rearranging flowers by a grave plot a little ways away. We both stopped and looked at each other. We decided to go over and talk to him. In Spanish, he explained to us that the next day would mark one year since the passing of his wife.He cried as he told us how alone he was and had no one since she left. Her grave was covered with many many flowers and scripture bricks. We explained that we had a message about God's plan for us and how he would be able to see his wife again, and how how his family could be together forever. We exchanged phone numbers and made plans to contact him again, leaving him with the Plan of Salvation Pamphlet. As we walked back to the car, I looked at my companion and said back to her, "could you humor me?" Elder Bednar told us in Stake Conference that "God prepares points of intersection for his children." I believe it.
Yesterday in church I was playing prelude music before Relief Society started. The Sister who usually plays the piano came in and got excited, sitting down next to me and softly humming the hymns I was playing. She then asked if I could play the hymns for Relief Society. I got nervous and responded by saying that I didn't really know those hymns, and was sure that she could play them much better than I could, no matter how good my sight reading has gotten here. She said that even if I could only play right hand it would be good, because it would be so nice to have someone else who could play the piano instead of her all the time. Knowing how she felt, after she said that, I stopped and turned to her and said "I can do that." The other Sister ended up coming in who would be playing and she played instead, but I think I needed that experience. I have never played the piano for one of the English wards before really, since there are usually more people who can play, and so one it was unusual for me to be playing prelude at all. God was teaching me something. Sometimes, we're not going to be the perfect of the best at things, but God doesn't ask us to be. He asks us to stand up and volunteer. He needs more people to stand up and say, "I can do that."
Along with the changes that are being made in our mission came transfer calls. Sister Rodriguez is being transferred to a new area, and I will be staying here. I've also been asked to be a Sister Training Leader, and I will be getting another Sister Training Leader as a Companion this Thursday. A Sister training leader is like the Sister version of a Zone Leader, so I'll work with the Zone Leaders and other Sisters more as well as attend Missionary Leadership Training, coordinating exchanges and training in Zone meetings. Interesting how intimidated I am by this. But if the Lord asks, I can do that.
Anything else? Looking at a picture, my Branch President told me my father is very young. I then explained my dad was older than he was. He was a little shocked haha his 12-year-old son also reminds me of Ammon, I can't figure out why.
Well family, that's about all! I love you much!
Love, Hermana Montgomery
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