So this week was full of breakthroughs! One of them was with an investigator named Velia who has been meeting with missionaries for 3 years. She's read most of the book of mormon and has been to church several times but has never committed to a baptismal date. We dropped her (stopped teaching her) for a few weeks when I first got to RWC but we started teaching her again when Sister Baird got here. In our last meeting we didn't have very much time so instead of the lesson we had planned we decided to just talk. I asked her what it is that has kept her meeting with the missionaries for 3 years and she pretty much bore her testimony that it was because she knew it was all true. I asked her what it was that was keeping her from being baptized and she said because she doesn't have the desire but that one day she'll do it. We decided to read DC 20:37 and mosiah 18 with her. We asked her if she had the desire to be forgiven of her sins, stand as a witness of christ, mourn with those that mourn, server others etc. and she said yes so we pointed out to her that she indeed does have the desire to baptized. She was shocked that she didn't realize her own desire! When we left she thanked us for helping her recognize her answer. We don't have a date for her yet but pray for her!
The other breakthrough we had was with Josefina coming to church! And she brought her whole family! We've been teaching her and her family for about a month and her dad is a member but she kept making excuses to not come to church on Sundays. We also started teaching her sister, Griselda, and her family.
Remember Oscar that came to stake conference last week? He's probably one of the most prepared people that I've ever met on my mission. He basically described the joseph smith story when he was telling us about how he's been looking for the true church with authority from god. He even said the word authority. We promised him that if he reads and prays about the Book of Mormon that he'll find it.
Last night we invited our investigator Jesus (the other one that came to stake conference) to dinner with the elders and a family. The family invited 3 other non-members and it was awesome! Unfortunately, we had an appointment come up and we had to leave halfway through but when we came back the elders were teaching a super spiritual lesson about the restoration. Right when we got there we heard the elders bearing testimony of The book of Mormon and then they invited Jesus to be baptized. It made me so happy that we didn't even have to coordinate a lesson with the elders or ask them to teach him something when we left, they just knew exactly what to do! We must be on the same team or something :)
Okay the last thing I want to share from this week happened when we were at the library working on my graduate school applications. We had been at the library literally ALL day. We got there at 10 and then stayed until 2. At 2 we taught a lesson with Oscar....at the library! After our lesson with Oscar I just really wanted to get out of the library but I felt like I should just finish one of my applications. It was a good thing that we decided to stay because that's how we met Nelson. I was just about to sign off of the computer and he tapped me on the shoulder. He asked if he could speak to us outside. We followed him into the hallway and he asked, with complete humility and sincerity in his heart if we would pray for him. He told us that he had been praying and he somehow recognized us as an answer to his prayers. I don't even know if he saw our name tags or how it was that he recognized us as people that could help him but it was really neat. We told him that we would pray for him and then we asked if he would like to meet with missionaries who will share a special message about Jesus Christ and he agreed. So the english elders got a new investigator! Another team effort :)
Wow I feel like this email was just a list of stories that happened so sorry if it was all over the place. It was a very stressful week but I'm trying to focus on all of the good things that happened! I'll share something I learned this week to finish....Acts 20:35 says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. It's something that I would have never believed as fully as I do now had I not served a mission. 24/7 we just give all that we have and it is the most blessed feeling in the world.
Well I hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to hear from you all! Have a good week!
Mucho amor,
Hermana Billings
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