I am so humbled tonight. The last few weeks of missionary
work have been really slow. A couple of weeks ago we finally met our next door
neighbor, a seventy nine year-old woman. We had met the man she is living with
when we first moved in, and many times since. He has always been so nice, very
clean cut and pleasant. When we first met him Elder Holt made the comment that
he should join us in church sometime. He kind of muttered that he just might.
As Ron asked more questions, he admitted that he was living with a woman he
wasn’t married to because they couldn’t afford to lose her benefits if they
did. They have been together for many years.
Missionary work is hard and scary. Still! I’ve wanted to
have the courage to ask him if he’d like to know more about the church because
he is so nice, but honestly I didn’t because
I judged him. We have lived next door to them for nearly eight months, but
have never made the effort to meet his friend, until an ambulance showed up at
their door two weeks ago. She came home from the hospital the next day, and is
okay after they regulated her pace-maker. So we took donuts over and met her.
She is sooo sweet and kind. She’s had a stroke and can hardly communicate, but
her spirit just shines. She thanked us profusely.
Well, ever since then I have had a recurring thought to ask
them if they would like to know more about our church. But, he has such hearing
loss, and she can’t communicate well, and they would be too hard to teach, and
they are too old, and I’m still scared to ask, and besides they aren’t married,
and . . .
So yesterday, as I was praying that the Lord would help us
find people to serve and to teach, the words of the Lord to the Apostle Paul came
into my mind, . . . “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 10:15 ) It was followed by the thought that our
missionary work would NOT pick up UNTIL we invited our neighbors, whom I had judged. Ouch! What a lesson to
learn! (One of those dah, moments) Of course, I’m a missionary. Thoughts, like
INVITE your neighbor come from the Lord
and not just my mind. I told Elder
Holt and this afternoon we visited with them. As we went into their home, she
took my hand and with teary eyes, kept thanking us for coming!
When we explained that we were missionaries for our church
this sweet woman vigorously nodded her head and said I know, I know! As we continued
to visit she wanted so badly to communicate something, but she couldn’t find
the words. She kept saying, “When I was a little girl.” And then she would try
again and again, until she finally got it out, “I’m a Mormon!”
Wow! She is not on the Ward records, yet has lived here for many years.
We asked if they would like to come to church this Sunday and
she said with hungry eyes, while vigorously shaking her head, “Yes! Yes!”
He stated that he was a Catholic, but would come. We showed
them two, five minute introduction videos, “What Mormons Believe” and “The
History of the Church.” Then he even
agreed to take the missionary discussions!
Moral of the story: Random thoughts to do good, always come from the Lord, especially
when you are a missionary. And to remember, that now the Lord has asked us to “hasten
the work” every member IS a
missionary, so when the Lord says invite your neighbor . . . just do it! I testify that He IS
preparing the hearts of so many to hear the gospel, and He is depending on all
of us!
Hoorah for Israel!
