Hello friends! Well, this week was just swell. A LOT better than last week, so that is definitely a blessing and a half.
I don't have a lot of time to write (what else is new?), so I'll just summarize some things that were neat that happened this week.
Something SUPER cool was that the Elders gave us a media referral that got sent to them, but the person really lives in our area. Anyway, this person had requested a Bible, and so the Sisters before I got here had been trying to drop it off, but no one was ever home or they just felt weird about it. Well, yesterday after church I felt really strongly that we should go try and contact her, told Sister Erickson, and she agreed. So, we went. Well, we got there, knocked on the door and asked for Kathleen.... the lady that answered said, "Well, that's going to be kind of hard.. Kathleen hasn't lived here for 7 YEARS.........." Well.... that was interesting. There had to be some reason why we felt so strongly to come visit her. Anyway, so I'm like, "Oh, interesting.. what's your name?" She says that she's Theresa and doesn't slam the door in our face (that's always a good sign), and so we start telling her who we are, ask her about her religious beliefs, and she says that "Well, my husband used to do missionary work over in Africa, and he really enjoyed that. We don't go to any church around here right now.. we're hopping between some trying to figure out which one is right for us to go to." ... that's seriously the most amazing answer we could have gotten. So, I say, "well, Theresa, I don't think that it's a coincidence that we came to your door today looking for someone that hasn't lived here for 7 years. We share a unique message about Jesus Christ that we know will bless you and your family so much." Then, we teach her a brief version of the restoration, and she tells us we can come by another time. She wouldn't set a return appointment because she was really busy, but it was super cool none-the-less. It donned on me this week that I have been struggling a lot with having faith that the Lord is preparing people in this area to hear about the Gospel. Every time we were meeting someone on the street while we were walking, each and every one of them were super uninterested. I found myself automatically assuming that each person that I was going to talk to were going to be uninterested as well. During Fast Sunday yesterday, we fasted for one of our investigators, Michelle, to be able to quit smoking, and it definitely hit me hard that's what my mindset had been this past week... SO, I prayed that I would be able to have hope when meeting people and faith that there are people here in Post Falls that are being prepared, and then right after that we met Theresa. Coincidence? I think not.
People are being prepared. This is the TRUE Church on this earth, and we have that knowledge. What an amazing blessing.
Also, earlier this week I was reading a talk about being a perfectionist and how that hinders spiritual growth (which I am, sadly), and something that Elder Gong who gave the talk said really stuck out to me.. ."Impatience impedes faith." (
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/07/young-adults/becoming-perfect-in-christ?lang=eng).How powerful is that? That hit me really hard too.. I have been being really impatient - with myself, with others, with this sickness that I have, etc... and that has been hindering my faith. Wow. What a blessing to come to that realization. Needless to say, I wrote that on a note card and put it on my study wall so I'll see it all the time. :) Well, I better be going, but I just want you all to know how much I love you. This church is true. We are so blessed to have it when so many in this world do not. Pray for guidance and you will receive it. What a wonderful life it is. Love you all! Have a great week!
OH! Something really awesome that happened this week too was that yesterday, I was finally able to meet people in our ward at Church. Before the meeting began, an older Brother walks up to me and says, "Sister, where are you from?" "Oregon," I reply. Then, we start talking, and he leaves.. (Pretty standard conversation when people meet missionaries.. didn't think anything of it). Then, he brings his wife in and she says, "Sister Griffith... what is your father's name?" I tell her and she says, "Figures as much. It almost gave it away just because of your hair, but we're the Nichols family. We were in your ward with you and your family when you got baptized." WHAT!? It was so neat. The world really is so small in the Church, AND, it made me feel like I had a little piece of home with me on an otherwise nerve-racking day. :)
-Apparently this painting is one of the 6 originals in the world? Here in Coeur d' Alene.... not sure I buy into that one, but that's what people keep saying. It is breathtaking! :)
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