This week seemed pretty great. We had the car, we put a lot of effort in our visits, and we tried to bring as many people to the gospel as we could.
The Morehead Area is pretty stubborn. Since this area is so small, a lot of the people here have been contacted. It seems that the more we stop by, the more we push people away. This could be the reason why a lot of people are not progressing.
We saw Cynthia, a less-active, and we helped her with yard work. We scooped out a lot of rocks on the side of her yard and we put them in a wheel barrel.
We saw Connie, and she is a former. She has taken the lessons before with the missionaries, but she wasn't able to make any commitments; she lost her desire in the past. She does believe in the Book of Mormon, but she is not willing to apply it, according to what I understand. She believes in going to the same church she grew up with, and she is just a few blocks away from her church.
We saw Patt this week; she is a less-active, and has been for several years. She is also a convert to the church and since she has been converted, she has family pulling her down, telling her that the thing she believes goes against her family's beliefs. She has a boyfriend that is not a member, and he has been trying to prove the church wrong. Her brother had given her a Muslim Bible to read out of Curiosity. Patt told us that the faith believes in killing, and the more they kill, the more the reward. I felt a negative feeling when I entered into her apartment; I believe it was that book. We told her that we can only serve one master, and how we can Serve God, or Mammon, but not both. I shared with her that quote from Holland about how we already know the outcome, and the battle has already been won between God and Satan. Yet, we are still on earth, trying to decide which jersey to wear.
We met with a guy named Kenny during the Walk and Talk on Saturday last week, and we met up with him last Wednesday. He was in the process of moving and we asked him if he needed any help. He told us that he would call us if he did. We stopped by Saturday evening, and he said he had to get out of his place by 12 pm on Sunday. We told him how our message can greatly benefit his life and he may find that peace that he needs.
A lot of appointments have cancelled on us this week.
Friday was Zone meeting; it was a good meeting, and I got to see my old companion again, Sister Mahler. The focus of the meeting was the importance of having a lesson with a Less-active or investigator in a Member's home. By doing this, the investigators can feel the spirit, and they can see the difference when the gospel is applied to Family life and what it can do for each family member. This also gives the member an opportunity to share their testimony on the gospel and how it has truly changed their life. Our Stake President wants about 81 member-home lessons taught by... the end of this transfer I believe, with the Kinston stake. It is so hard to get an investigator in a member home, especially a first lesson! I don't know how comfortable that is for someone who has barely met with the missionaries, but I bet it is extremely uncomfortable. Regardless, my companion and I must try.
Before the Zone meeting, though, I was told by Sister Mahler that Rachel Price passed away and the Funeral was being held at the New Bern Ward, during the same time that Zone Meeting was being held in Havlock. She told me that Rachel had surgery on her foot on Monday and things were not going well. She told me it was her time to go, and she was not getting any better. That was the worst news I've heard since I've been out on my mission. Sister Bowen and I would see Rachel once or twice a week on Average during a 12 week period. We would share scriptures with her, read with her, and comfort her when she needed comfort. I love Rachel dearly and I will miss her. She died at the age of 59. Sister Bowen loves Rachel. This is going to be hard for everyone who knew her.
General Conference was on Saturday and Sunday. I am glad that I brought questions to conference. A lot of my questions were answered. It is quite a different experience when I am a missionary. When the authorities talked about Missionaries and Missionary Work, it all made sense. Everything that was said, I needed to hear.
I was told for most of my life that there is something to get out of general conference, like we get to 'pick' and choose what we want to apply to our lives. Sometimes a particular talk may stand out to us, and not to others. Now that I am a missionary, I don't see any picking or choosing. I see that every single talk applies to me, to my family, to my investigators, to all the members of the church, and that nothing should be left out. I was thinking of my investigators, and how the talks can help them in their life; I was thinking on what the focus was for this conference, and how they focused a lot on The Prophet, the Apostles, their duty in the church, the importance of a Latter-day Prophet. They also focused on Family Home Evening and the importance of spending time with our families in a world where family values are declining. They also focused on how God's law does not change. It's similar to a statement said by John Bytheway where some people do not like the law of Gravity. Someone may take that to congress and they may go against that law, say, [writing a law to have things float]; regardless of what has been written, congress cannot go against the law that has been in place since the beginning. The Law of Gravity is still in place.
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One of the elders, Elder Benedict, is leaving and I got to draw in his book of drawings; A lot of missionaries have drawn in his book. It is cool to see how many missionaries have this talent.
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Oh! Another thing! It has been told to me that the missionaries on earth were chosen before they were born. That is very comforting to me to know that God has chosen me to spread the gospel to his children. I also feel like I cannot have fear, and I cannot doubt. I must do what the Lord wants me to do.
This is all I can write for now!
I love you all!
-Sister Marshall
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