The past seven days have been difficult for me. I'm grateful for the peace and comfort the scriptures give to me as I go through hard times. I am so thankful for the little tender mercies I find throughout the week that make life so much better!
On Tuesday we were able to visit with a very less-active woman in the ward. Missionaries in the past have had a very hard time getting ahold of her, but we were able to find her watering plants in her garden!! She broke down in tears when we talked to her. She is going through a very hard time and is planning on moving soon. We had the opportunity to comfort her and pray with her. That was a miracle! I'm so grateful to have been able to help her feel peace. I truly have been able to feel the love the Savior has for each one of us as I serve others out here in Virginia.
The next day we were able to teach the Restoration to a potential investigator we found in the Areabook. He was so cool! He had a nice New Jersey accent and had a bunch of funny questions. When we asked him if he would read the Book of Mormon, he told us: "I'll read it to find the gold! There must be some clues in there!" (the gold plates). Ha!! We couldn't help but laugh. We finally got him to agree, but he told us he'd have to cover it with a different cover, such as Tom Sawyer, so no one would know he was reading it. He was quite the character! That was a great lesson! :) ....Too bad he decided to drop us last night. :/ He tried to return the book, but luckily he agreed to keep it. We can only pray that he will be more prepared some time soon!
On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit with another very less-active woman. She was a little more hard, but by the end we softened her up a bit. ;) She was sweet! It is so sad to hear all the things that happen to some people and what leads them away from the church. I'm so grateful for the comforting words of our modern Prophet and Apostles. As we shared the talk, "Come join with us" by President Uchtdorf, I could tell she was feeling the Spirit and had a better desire to change.
Saturday was a very hard day for me. In a nut shell, it is HARD to be breathing someone else's air 24/7! I have learned to rely more on the Lord and to turn to the scriptures for peace. I am so grateful for the way Heavenly Father communicates with us. The scriptures are amazing!! Prayer is absolutely incredible. As I prayed and pleaded for comfort and strength that night, I could feel the Savior's arms wrapped around me. I know that Heavenly Father loves me. He is always there to give us peace! One of my favorite scriptures right now is Ephesians 3:13- "Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. The rest of that chapter is great too! I know that God gives us trials for us to become glorified like He is. We can do hard things!! People are right when they say, "My mission was the hardest thing I have ever done, but it was an experience I will always cherish!"
Last night we had another major miracle!! Throughout the day, we went to try and get in contact with a potential investigator from Lebanon. He said we could come back to give him a Book of Mormon in Arabic. He didn't answer the door until the 3rd time we went that day! Persistence pays off! As soon as we showed him the Book of Mormon in his native language, his eyes went wide and he invited us to come in! I could feel the powerful feelings of the Spirit as we sat down and talked about the book. He was so excited! When we showed him a specific chapter that would be great to read, he told us that he would actually like to read the whole thing!! As we talked more about church, he was excited that members from the congregation get to speak on Sundays, and he asked us if he could speak!! He wants to share his story of how he fought for his faith back in his country. How cool is that?! :) Bishop is going to get a kick out of it! We are so excited to continue teaching him as his schedule allows. It was amazing to see the change in him from the first time we talked to him on his door step last week. He went from devoted Catholic to a yearning Book of Mormon reader! What a cool night! We are hoping his wife will have the same desire as him. :)
I am so grateful to be a missionary! Even through the hard times, it is the best experience of my life!
I wish you all the best this week!
Much love,
Sister Winterton
♥♥♥
Picture: journal time!
P.s. Sorry I don't have very many pictures!! I need to remember to take more! ;)
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