The ward here is amazing, they love the missionaries and are so kind. (Though it´s true we eat beans and rice every meal, I always have feeling that the member gives their very best for us and I feel so grateful for them) Yesterday a member named Washington came to us and asked that after church we would go by his house and he would take us to some friends of his. Washington is a man in his late 40´s he and his wife and kids have been members of the church for a many years.
He told us how he was reading the Book of Mormon waiting for the bus, when he started a small conversion with a 17 year old boy next to him. The teenage boy took an interest in the Book of Mormon as they talked. Washington got his address and passed by and gave him a Book of Mormon and also watched a couple of videos with him about the restoration and the plan of salvation.
He asked if he could bring us to get to know him as well. The interested teenager accepted. We went with Washigton to the home, but only his mother Mirici was home. Mirici a woman with 9 children and 4 grand children, was just the sweetest lady. Raised catholic, than took an interest in other religions, she has studied with Jehovah´s witness, 7th day Adventist, and quite a few other evangelical churches. She expressed how she wanted to learn more of God, and wanted the truth, and that motivated her to keep studying and searching through her life.
We told her, though we may have weakness like everyone or not be able to answer every question she has, we have been called by a prophet of God to share what we know, we know our message is true. The church of Christ is once again on the earth.
When the lesson was over, she sat and just thought. The spirit had testified to all of us in feelings of peace that the events we related had truly happened, We invited her to come to know for herself that we had said happened to Joseph Smith was true, by saying a prayer in that very moment and ask God if he was a prophet.
She gave an earnest prayer, showing her true desire and humility, even asking us for our help to pronounce Joseph Smith´s name to ask if he was a prophet. (We call him José Smich, it´s how all accents are here) She said ´Father, I want to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet......´than we just waited. There was an immense peace that filled the room. Like many others, She had gotten an answer in that very moment.
Yet, my favorite part, was the member after the lesson. Oh, he was excited! He was so giddy and happy. He was crying in the lesson, during the prayer.. He told us how amazing that miracle was, and how his own testimony was renewed. Also saying, how she´s going to be baptized, she´s like instant potatoes now, just add water! He gave us a good laugh, because my companion and I were the same way when we started our missions.
I have seen more than I could count get answers.. But this time I got what preach my gospel meant when it says we must understand the role of the spirit in conversion. We must know what the missionary needs to feel to teach the investigator, what the investigator needs to feel in the conversion process, and what the member needs to feel in helping the investigator. And that´s what I saw in Washington. All members should come to know that joy he was feeling, it´s one of the best feelings in the world to be serving another and having the spirit testify to you and the non-member.
Love ya´ll.
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