There are many ways to find new people to teach, and this week we got pretty creative. It was a week of adventures, and miracles!
Remember Michael? He's the one who we helped move a (dissembled) car for last week. Anyways, we were supposed to go back to help Michael's family finishing moving this week but we got a message saying that we couldn't come back to the house--that no one could go back to the house--because of some "ghosts". We offered to dedicate the home, and the family immediately accepted. Not wanting to go to the house by ourselves, we got a couple members from the Elders quorum to assist us in the blessing. What a crazy experience! The feeling in the room after blessing the home was completely different from the feeling when we first walked in. None of Michael's family are members of the church, and we left them feeling safe and comfortable in their home, and they seemed very grateful. Michael's brother Christian accepted a copy of Book of Mormon and said that he would read it!
This week we also had the opportunity to serve our branch president and his wife, the Eppich's , who own some apple orchards. It's harvest right now, and they mentioned that a large portion of their workers failed to show up to work last week. Naturally we volunteered our services. It was a lot of fun, even though we spent hours on the same half of a row while the real pickers caught up to our row and then passed us. They were having a lot of fun, and although I couldn't understand enough Spanish to know what they were saying, there was one man with an incredible voice singing what sounded like a telenovela while we picked, and another who had this uncanny skill of barking like all sorts of types dogs (and very angry cats). They had us all laughing up a storm while also trying to be good pickers. It's harder than it looks, okay? Also, I might have picked that Washington-grown apple you're eating. Yep.
As we were walking back to our apartment after church, I felt inspired to ask some people if they needed help moving. They accepted, with tears in their eyes, and apologetically informed us that they were trying to move in to an apartment on the third floor. (And THIS is why missionaries are supposed to exercise every morning!) Once we had emptied their UHaul, they thanked us profusely. The parents of three little girls, this couple had just begun to think that they were in over their heads when we "luckily" stopped and offered help! And then (here's the real miracle) they asked us what church we were from and said that they were looking for a church to attend. It was amazing. They said that they would love if missionaries would come in to their home and teach their family about God and Jesus Christ. God is so good! (even though it wasn't a family of YSAs...)
Also, Cyrill is on date to be baptized on September 27th! When we mentioned baptism, he immediately looked at Omar and said, "Yeah, Omar is going to baptize me!" We have taught him the first two lessons, and he is loving it. Omar (the recent convert who referred him to us) is loving it as well. Here are some funny quotes from Omar this week:
We asked Cyrill if he had ever read anything from the Book of Mormon and when he said no, Omar was like, "What?? What do you mean no? I totally planted a Book of Mormon in your car!"
"That was my brother's car..."
"Well...I guess your brother is becoming converted!"
When Cyrill said he wanted to be a dentist, Omar said, "Perfect. You're becoming a member already!" (There are lot's and I mean LOTS of members who are dentists here for some reason...)
In regards to tithing: "10% is a small price to pay for salvation".
Omar is an awesome member missionary! He works nights, and every night he reads from his Book of Mormon, and as he does he is becoming truly converted. He is such an inspiration to me. He receives very little support from his family and friends to live his faith, but he chooses to live it anyways. Rather than allowing negative influences to bring him down, he is letting his light shine, and he is seeing miracles because of it!
I pray that each of us will humbly and prayerfully approach the Lord to know who we can serve this week. Opportunities to share the gospel will appear before you as you first seek to love and serve those around you! What a blessing it is to love and serve the people around us!
Love,
Sister Jensen
Johnny before his baptism
Johnny after his baptism
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