For example. Last Thursday was Thanksgiving, right? So we had plans for how to “celebrate” it on our own. On our way to a meeting, Sister Boots and I were talking about how much we love Thanksgiving and different traditions we have and such. And then guess WHAT.
We asked an Elder what he and his companion were doing for Thanksgiving that night, and he looked confused. Do you know what he told me?
It wasn’t Thanksgiving.
And I just stood there and looked at him. I couldn’t have been more confused if he’d told me that black had gone out of fashion.
Un-American Award for the Year goes RIGHT here! Haha. (But I did know about the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death. So I’m not totally useless.)
So I guess I’ll just celebrate it again this Thursday. For reals this time.
Other than that, this week was a blur of Zone Meetings. We go to THREE each month, and usually present at all of them. (We are over three zones, so we are “invited” to each of their meetings.) I counted and realized that I’ve presented at a Zone Meeting 8 out of the 9 months I’ve been on a mission. Pretty soon I'll do it well enough they won't make me keep doing it.
My favourite this time was when we presented training on ideas of what to do at 8 to 9 pm. (It’s cold, dark, no one is out, and they get angry when you knock their doors. The most difficult part of each day is that hour.) We had planned to give the training from President, and then tie it back into diligence. We hadn’t planned this, but I asked “If you measured your entire mission by how diligent you are from 8 to 9 pm, how diligent of a missionary would you be?” The room got super quiet and some of them squirmed a little and suddenly were studying the floor. That's right. Think on that, buddy.
We also met some of the most amazing people this week.
We were knocking doors in this little town called Abertysswg. This guy opens the door and here is a brief synopsis of the conversation (his side): “No. No. No. No. No. Definitely not.”
We were starting to get the idea he wasn’t too interested. About that time, he started closing the door.
My companion handed him a mormon.org card, and just before the door clicked shut she says: “I know God loves your family.”
Random, right? But actually, it was SO inspired.
The door flies back open and he says “ I know that God doesn’t love my family.”
He told us that his wife died a few years ago at age 37 of a heart attack, and his son died 6 years ago at age 15. I can’t imagine how hard that would be to deal with. We taught him the Plan of Salvation on the doorstep, and the Spirit just came so strong. We all stood there crying. If anyone had seen us they would've thought we were all mad.
Can I just say how much I love that we can fully understand the scope of our Heavenly Father’s plan for us? I am so grateful for the restoration and all that implies. And so of course I connected it to that.
He looked really confused when I suddenly started talking about authority. I’m sure he wondered what that had to do with anything. And then I told him that because the priesthood had been restored, marriage didn’t have to be ‘till death do us part’, but it could be for time and all eternity. And I promised him that he could have his family for eternity. By this time, his teenage daughter was in the background listening. And you could see the hope in Mark’s eyes.
He invited us to come back. And we cannot wait.
The gospel makes so much sense when you have the whole thing.
And that is what I am eternally grateful for. Because of the Atonement, we can have hope and joy in our lives. And that’s what I'll be thankful for this week...for reals this time!
xx
Sister Miller
Miranda
Pics:
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| This is on the road between Abertysswg and Tredegar (both in our area). We had to stop for sheep in the road (I know. Stereotypically Welsh.), and I looked out the window, and threw my camera to my companion and jumped out really fast. In case I ever go missing or don’t come home, chances are good this is where I am. |
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| I can't tell if this one turned out or not. I love the little lights. It looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting. (In real life. I can't tell if it turned out in this one or not.) |
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