Hey Everyone!!
Well its officially pen dexter short sleeve shirt weather again, and I couldn't be happier! I love walking around Chile with an old 70s tie I bought in the flea market, a short sleeve white shirt, with a fat pen sticking out of my front pocket. I really enjoy not having to try and impress girls anymore. haha! speaking of which, Elder Chapman and I had a singular experience the other day that makes me really love being on the mission.
We have a family in the ward that is the BEST!! Se llama the family Bravo (sorry, my English is horrible). The hermana is always giving us references and telling us for people that we need to go by. The other day she told us about a family that is right by her house. She said that one day she saw a light on in that house, and she felt like she needed to go over. She went, without question, and knocked the door (what an awesome missionary!). She started talking to the wife and ended up there for almost an hour. She said a prayer with her and began about how she has two friends that would love to talk to her about Jesus Christ (seriously, this doesn't happen in real life). She accepted and we went to her house the next day.
It turns out that the mom broke her hip and cant walk, except on crutches. She feels grateful for what happened though, because now she has a leave of work and can look after her 22 year old daughter, Rosemary, who has Diabetes type I, and has been caught in a depressive spin cycle that almost incapacitated her. She weighs just over 100 pounds and is as pale as a ghost. She barely eats and sleeps almost all day. When we entered into the house we realized that we were exactly where the Lord wanted us to be, because almost immediately, she asked us if we could give her daughter a health blessing. After the blessing, Rosemary looked brighter... or it could have just been the lighting. We began to teach them about Christ, and about the importance he played in our lives. Then, out of nowhere, the mother looked over at her daughter and looked at us strangely. As a missionary, you notice things like this and immediately ask a question. My question was simple. "Have you been looking for us?" She looked at us misty eyed and responded: "I think so." She explained how she had been looking for something in her life, and how she had been praying for someone to help her daughter. She also mentioned how the other day she talked with Rosemary about getting baptized and how she realized that that was something that they needed to do. We asked them if they would like that cleansing power that comes from the atonement. They agreed and we set a baptismal date for the 10th.
After the lesson, we asked if rosemary would say the prayer. She reluctantly agreed, but said one of the most heartfelt and sincere prayers that I have ever heard. She asked for the strength to accept her condition, and allow her alcoholic father to accept us and to allow his heart to be softened so they could go to church that Sunday. After she was done, I felt so strongly that this was one of the families that I had been chosen to find.
The prayer must have worked, because they went to church yesterday! I am so glad to be a missionary and for all the wonderful experiences I get to have. I feel incredibly blessed and feel that it is a little unfair that at the point where you most want to be on your mission, you realize that it is slipping away only too fast.
Love you all!
Elder Westover
PS- The cookies you see are something Elder Chapman and I invented to get a menos activo family to church. I know it looks that good. It tasted even better! That was about nine people that came because of cookies that I made. sniff, sniff, I feel so proud... haha!!
No comments:
Post a Comment