Maayong gabii tanan!
Hello everyone! This week has been really interesting! We have been doing lots and lots of finding to try to find those people who are ready for the gospel. It's kind of hard to get referrals from members, because no members really live in our area, but, I really love our area!
It's been raining ALL week. So so muddy! Haha But, it's really fun!
Last Wednesday night, we went to an inactive members' house to teach. His name is Cedric. He used to be a branch president. Now he doesn't come to church. Anyway, when we got there, he was okay with us teaching him. The problem was that there wasn't a girl over the age of 18 at his house, so, we had to go find one so we could teach him. We came back about 5 min later with his daughter who was at her neighbor's house. When we got back, he was watching the news.
He let us back in, and we were kind of just sitting there, waiting for him to turn off the TV. We sat there for an awkward 2 min, then I asked him if we could turn it off so the spirit could be in the lesson. He then turned down the volume a little, "in case anything important," happened. He is a joker joker so we thought he was kind of just like trying to be funny or something. We all lightly joked around about the news for a couple minutes, trying to gently persuade him to turn it off. In the midst of the jokey atmosphere, I asked him this question.
"Brother, do you know who made your TV?"
"Um, I don't know Sister Bingham, I think maybe it's a Toshiba..."
"No, Satan made your TV brother!"
And then he kind of snapped... Yes, I realize that this sounds really really bad out of context. But, in the moment, we were all joking around. But, I shouldn't have said it anyway.
He yelled at us and wouldn't really let us say anything for like 10 min. He talked about how he was just a "normal person" and how his family was just "normal people." And that we were interrupting his privacy by visiting him every week. He told us that after work he just likes to come home and watch TV and relax, because he is busy. He told us he likes to watch the news and basketball and there was nothing wrong with that. He said that even though he doesn't go to church, he isn't doing anything wrong because of Article of Faith number 11. He made us look it up. He then told us that no one really wants the missionaries over at their house.
The visit ended with him asking us when our curfew was. We told him 8:30 for sisters. He then said that the only time he would entertain missionaries was at least after 8:30, after he was done watching TV every day.
After I apologized for offending him, all we could really do was bear our testimony and pray before we left.
He said something to me that made me think. He said that they were just normal people. I was thinking really hard about what normal people do, and what they don't do. As I was thinking about this, a thought came to my mind from the spirit. It was this: "Normal people don't go to the Celestial Kingdom."
I believe that this is true. The Bible says somewhere (confession: no idea where) that we are a peculiar people. That's true. Normal people don't go to church every Sunday. Normal people don't read and love the Book of Mormon every single day. Normal people don't love God with all of their hearts. Normal people don't want to serve and love other people. Normal people don't care about the salvation of their neighbors and friends. Normal people don't give referrals to the missionaries. Peculiar people do.
I don't know English very well anymore. And I don't know what the actual definition of the word 'peculiar' is. But, I am pretty sure that it doesn't mean weird. I think it means different... hopefully that's right.
I think before my mission I would call myself a normal person. I went to church mostly every Sunday... that's about all. I don't think I was reading my scriptures everyday after I got my call. I know that it's really easy for me to forget what having a life other than being a missionary is. And I know that sometimes I might be too bold with the people I teach. But I'm not sorry for that. I would do anything for these people to see how important living the gospel is, so that they can stop being 'normal,' as well.
I'm proud of being a peculiar person. And I'm so grateful that I have now come to know how important the gospel really is. And not just say that in the occasional fast and testimony with no real meaning behind it, but to really really mean it, and really really build my testimony every day by doing.
The reward that peculiar people get is found in D&C 78. Verse 15 says, "That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God..."
I like this wording. Notice that it doesn't say something like, "that you can magically end up through your effortlessness at the crown prepared for you."
We had an amazing lesson yesterday with a woman named Sharon. Sharon lives by the Intanes family. She is super poor, her husband is in jail, and she washes other peoples' clothes on weekends to feed her family. We had a lesson with her last week and just shared about how much Heavenly Father loves her and gave her a restoration pamphlet. When we got to her house yesterday, she was waiting at the window for us. She was like, "Sisters! Sisters! Come inside! Sit down! Let's start the lesson! hurry!"
When we sat down she said, "Okay, I have 5 questions. What is this scripture talking about, Who is Joseph Smith, What the heck is apostasy, What is priesthood, and Why are Prophets important?!"
We then had the most powerful and intense lesson I have ever been in in my entire life. She was clinging on every single word. We talked about the whole first lesson. We talked about prophets, Joseph Smith, The great apostasy, everything. And at the end, we committed her to baptism. This is how the conversation went (well, a rough translation).
".....And after you know if this is true, will you be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority from God?" I said.
"Sisters, I'm sorry I can't promise because I can't come to church. I wash clothes on weekends, and I can't stop because I have to feed my kids, I'm so sorry." She said.
"Do you believe that God is powerful, sister?" I asked.
"Of, course sister, He is God." She said.
"Then do you have enough faith to believe that he has enough power that he can help you come to church, even if that means quitting your job and finding a new one?" I asked.
"Hmmm, I know He does, sisters." she said
"Then, will you come to church this Sunday?" asked Sister Garner.
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
" And will you start getting prepared to get baptized on the 22 of February?" asked sister Garner.
"Yeah! I will!" She said.
We gave her a Book of Mormon. She told us she would read every single day, and that she knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that God loved her. As she gave the closing prayer, she was in tears. The spirit was so strong in that small 1 room bamboo house. I felt like she knew it was true before we even got to her house that afternoon. I love Sharon. She is so prepared. Her faith inspires me. And lessons like this is why I left everything behind to serve my Redeemer. I would not have traded anything for that lesson. I'm so grateful to be in this amazing place, so I could meet this amazingly strong woman.
I know that Sharon isn't a normal person, and I'm really happy about that.
I love you! Thanks for your love and support! May we all do a little better this week at being a peculiar people.
I type these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Sister Bingham
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