This week. i had to write it all down on a sticky note to help me to organize my thoughts. they were.... all OVER the place. and anyone that knows me... knows how i LOVE my stickies!
some days... i feel like a headless chicken. but for whatever reason... this headless chicken seems to "bump" into a lot of good things. so i've pretty much decided that it has nothing to do with poultry or food production... but a lot more to do with the spirit.
the cool thing about serving the lord is when you are TRYING to do what god wants... he makes his will simply happen. no matter how much you seem to be bumbling around.
for example. sometimes my companion and i get a little antsy and want to try new things. he. he. he. so we decided we were going to go try a huge market that is open on weekends. (we think the temptation of going to invite on sundays might be a little too... well... we decided saturday was a better option.) so we go... with the intent to eat lunch. we get there.... and no lunch. or very little as far as edible food options. BUT! we ran into a recent convert while we were there. see? god knows what he is doing. ALL THE TIME. so even when little sister missionaries have a desire to go and see a shopping place... he still makes it worth while.
it's just funny to me, the things that end up happening in lessons.
like teaching someone how to pray... and them asking if they can pray for a husband. hmmmmm.
you can? but.... we couldn't guarantee and answer. it was pretty funny.
we also got a cd from an investigator. it has 396 songs on it. a pretty hysterical cover... and we can't listen to it. thanks though.
the hardest part of missionary work is stepping back. and letting people make their own choices. but sometimes i feel like it is when we step back, and give people a little space... that god finally has enough room to give us someone else who is ready to learn. it's so weird. sometimes me (as a missionary) tends to cling to what i have. like i won't get anyone else if this person doesn't get baptized!!! but when we finally decided to let our investigator take his time... according to how he felt... we had a random person show up at church! (she showed up a few weeks ago with her dad... neither of them were members... but they were awesome!) she showed back up. and wants to be baptized. WHAT? sometimes i just have to pick my jaw up off of the floor.
and the second miracle of the day was when a random contact from the bus stop ACTUALLY came to church. AND asked me what it was he had to do to change religions. more sweeping my jaw off the floor.
that usually happens when god's plan supercedes mine.
i love this work! it is the coolest! (to use a less than articulate phrase...)
i love the fact that church in thai has actually become enjoyable... and not just an extended version of my language study. that was probably one of the lightbulb moments for me. was sitting in a gospel doctrine class... and realizing that i UNDERSTOOD what was going on. *fist pump!*
i loved the lesson from yesterday... we talked about love.
and i realized how much more love i feel now. unconditional love... that i know isn't innately present within me. it isn't just a natural thing for me to feel. there is a lot of love that is coming from heaven. to help me to know how god feels about his children.
we read the commandment: to love others like we love ourselves.
now THAT is something.
i love myself a lot. i didn't realize it... until i heard that. i do! i think we all do. but how often do i love others as much as i love me? not very often.
anyway.... i'm working on it.
love is MORE than a feeling.
love has a lot more to do with how we act than simply how we feel. if we don't do anything to show our love... it doesn't really have any meaning.
a really cool thing this week was that mark and boss got confirmed! they both showed up a little late to the meeting... so in all, we had 3 confirmations... that happened at 3 different points in the meeting. ha.
it was cool to see the change. i don't know if i felt it at 8 years old. it was just natural. but to watch the holy ghost come into the life of someone who hasn't had it before... was an amazing transformation to see. they were definitely the happiest people in the whole church building.
gosh. i love them!
that is all that i have for today.
except i wish i could just pour all of the miracles and feelings into this email.
then everyone would understand.
but... like moroni... you have to deal with the awkwardness of my hands in typing. (since i only get to practice my typing once a week.)
hopefully there is something worthwhile in here.
i love you all.
i pray for you. and god is looking out for you.
you just need to ask him for a miracle. and he WILL give it to you! (we prayed for a songtaw today. and we got it 60 seconds later.)
god is real. he loves us.
sister ellis
ps.
we found a new investigator. i don't know if he's interested in the church or my blood.... (if you download this... it is SUPPOSED to be upside down)
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