The other most exciting part of work in our area this week was the charla fogonera last night! Okay, so here's what we did. Basically it was a musical fireside based on the Restoration. It was called "A Marvelous Work." The members taught the lesson of the Restoration from Preach My Gospel though song and some Mormon Messages. It was amazing! So many people participated, the youth, primary, families, and individuals. It was meant to be a great opportunity for members to feel a renewal of their own testimonies and also give them a chance to invite friends and family to learn more in a more casual environment. It was seriously so amazing. It
We found two new investigators as a result of the night and a lot of the members invited friends, even if they didn't all come. My favorite was Iris Porter :) We have been asking her and her husband for referrals since we got here. Nothing. Until yesterday. Okay rewind a bit. We always have Sunday dinner with their family every week and last week we asked them what they felt they could do to give more to the Lord? Sister Porter said she could give more in her study of the Book of Mormon by listening to the CDs on the way to and from work. Yesterday when we went over for dinner, she said, "So, I found someone." Jaw. Drop. :) She told us that she's been listening to the CDs like she told us she would and yesterday while she was driving to church, listening to the Book of Mormon, she felt that she should invite a friend from work and his wife to the charla fogonera. She grabbed her phone during dinner and sent him a text with the information and THEY CAME! Turns out her friend's wife grew up around a ton of members in Mexico City and has been to the temple visitors center and youth conferences and has read the Book of Mormon. It was so cool! We're going to organize an FHE with them ASAP! Another cool experience was with Hermana Palma. She and her husband have been working really hard and been super excited about introducing some friends to the missionaries. Their friends just moved into Camarillo this week and they invited them to come to the charla fogonera. They said they wouldn't be able to make it and the Palma's just shrugged their shoulders and said, "Oh well. Next time." Well, after sacrament meeting yesterday, Hermana Palma came up to me crying and said, "During the sacrament I felt so strongly that I needed to invite them again, so I sent them another text with the info and they said they'd try to come!" Her eyes were so lit up! They have been thinking of moving to the English ward, but said they are hesitant because they want to fellowship these friends into the church. Their successes become our successes and joys. I am so proud of them! We're planning another FHE with those families as well.
This week I learned a lot about taking it day by day, moment by moment. God gives us challenges every day to keep us humble and dependent on Him. When we go to Him, seeking daily bread, He willingly gives it to us. We need to have a daily attitude of gratitude and humility toward the Lord. We also need to take things one day at a time. We make habits and changes day by day. If we are going to be healthy, we need to be healthy today. And them tomorrow we need to be healthy tomorrow, and so on. It's a day by day process.
I found a few scriptures I really like in 2 Corinthians 4. They say:
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Sometimes our daily challenges seem like just a little too much. But when we depend on the Lord, we will not be distressed, despaired, forsaken, or destroyed.
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
I found something else that I loved this morning. It's in 2 Corinthians 9:10 and says:
10 ...multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness...
My commitment is to give daily more. More seeds sown. More fruits of righteousness. More joy. More work. More prayer. More study. More love. More for my Savior.
I know that this is His work and in it I find joy. I love being a missionary! :)
Also, Hermana Huey and I decided we're going to read the Book of Mormon in 40 days. Anyone else in? :)
Have a good week!
Con amor,Hermana Clark