Missionary Moment

Thursday, I got a call at 5:40 PM from an unknown number on my cell phone. I usually don't pick up, but it was a local number and I felt like I should. I picked it up, lo and behold, it was the missionaries. They had an appointment with a lady in my neighborhood at 6:00 pm and was wondering if I could join them at the appointment.... AND if i could help with the lesson... AND if i could bear my testimony... AND find a baby sitter.... in twenty minutes. 

Talk about last minute! I rarely, can find a baby sitter for a date night none the less last minute!  I said, I would call them back in a few minutes, too find a baby sitter. Fortunately (and unusual), I was able to find some one to watch Abby. Terra's was home and able to. (Blessing #1) So I called them back and said I would.

I really was proud of myself. I didn't worry at all about bearing my testimony or the lesson, like I usually am. Some one gave a talk in church a week or two ago and quoted someone saying that all worrying is just another way for not putting your trust and faith in the Lord. Since I heard that, I have stopped worrying about the lessons I teach 2nd hour in church and any thing else I might worry about.

On top of that. I got ready and was out of the door in record time (Blessing #2). I pepped talked Abby on the way over to Terra's, telling her mommy would be back soon, and that I was going to leave, and she was going to stay there and play with Tracen. Since I left for Camp in July, Abby screams and cries and we have to pry her fingers off of me as I leave. That day, she walked in, said good bye and I left in a total of a minute (blessing #3).

I got to the investigator's house BEFORE 6pm and BEFORE the missionaries (this could only be done by the hand of God. Me, on time? I blame the Cowles side for having no sense of time. Andrew likes to call hyper active anti punctuality.)

The investigator went to church two weeks ago, where the Missionaries discovered her. She just randomly showed up to church building one day. She really wants to be baptized. She understands the purpose and importance of it for returning to live with Heavenly Father, however, I don't think she understands that by being baptized you're becoming a permanent member of the church. But anyway, she and her 2 month old boyfriend had started to read from the gospel principles book, a chapter every night before bed. Some time, the missionaries are going to have to bring up that you can't live together unless your married... that one will be interesting. I think the missionaries are dreading being that one up. :)

But this lady, is a pretty impressive investigator. For this being her first discussion, she already had quite a bit of knowledge on her about the church (she had it a little confused, but she knew a lot). And she had cancer in her right eye, which caused her to lose her eye and now has a prosthetic eye, which has brought her closer to God and feeling the Holy Ghost. (Actually as a side note, she was worried that she would lose her eye while getting baptized. And come up from the water having a floating eye hanging around the water... that's quite an image).

It was great to listen to their missionaries message. I wish they were more eloquent in their speaking, and that their teaching flowed from point to point better.  Some times, even I was having a hard time following where they were going with their thoughts.... I felt like I should speak up, but they only have an hour and I want to make sure they get their lesson finished. I also felt like when I spoke up, they would lose their thought process, and these particular missionaries aren't very good at looking beyond what they're thinking in their minds. I wish they would have told the Joseph Smith story a little better, as well. It's so special and so important, and it's hard not to be touched by the spirit when it's being told...... ....... usually.

Either way, I think she might join the church, which is exciting. I was able to go back again the next day for the second discussion too. And the second day, you could hardly smell cigarette smoke in her house. The first day, it burnt my throat walking in, so hopefully she's starting to make a change for the good. She was already good, but you know what I mean.

I felt blessed and honored to be able to go with the missionaries and do that, especially since I wasn't able to go on a mission myself it was great to get that glimps and joy of missionary work. It made me think a lot about Miles, and wonder how he's doing.