Small miracles taking place

TERESA - Hey Family!

Sorry about the shortness of the previous email! Now I have all my info so I can fill you in accordingly :) But remember how I said that loads had happened, yeah get ready for it!

So last Wednesday was amazing. We had taught K.T. a lesson on tithing and fasting. Now usually you wouldn’t think that that would be an excellent lesson but it was. The spirit was so strong as we testified of the truthfulness of these commandments. At first she was very leary of the idea, she kept throwing out all these excuses and we just had so say that she needed to come at this with an open heart, that Heavenly Father was asking her to do this not us! And if she already made up her mind that she wasn’t going to do it then there was no point in discussing it further. But by the end she was saying how she’d need to take a look at her finances to see how to work it! Then we asked her how real her ‘real intent’ was, if she was fully planning on acting on the answers she’d receive from her prayers. She said yes, that she wouldn’t care about all the other stuff and that if she got an answer she would “be crazy not to be baptized” (her own words), needless to say we were very happy about that! Then at the close of the lesson we had her offer the kneeling prayer and as always she prayed to know that what we were teaching her was true. Then something happened. Right after she had asked that question she stopped. She reached out and held both our hands and we looked up and she had tears in her eyes. She said she had never felt this way before and that she felt warm and calm but at the same time it was a very powerful and distinct feeling. We talked together and we helped her to identify that it was the Holy Ghost answering her question. She kept sincerely asking, “Really? You think that’s what it was?” And we would confirm to her that it was. We told her to write it down and reflect on it and we would talk about it next time. During my entire mission I have NEVER experienced something like this. We have knelt with our investigators countless times and never have we been sitting there when someone’s received their witness of the truth!! It was amazing!

Then we went out chapping and we actually got into a house! That NEVER happens! The woman was so nice and she was totally willing to talk with us and have us back. Her son (18) came in and asked what the Book of Mormon was and after we’d explained it he asked if he could have one! WOW! It was a wonderful day! We are so excited to visit them again. :)

Ok, so the follow up on K.T. We really didn’t have anything specific we wanted to teach her because we wanted to ask her about her experience and what she thought about it. We definitely relied on the spirit for this lesson! And what we feared would happen, happened. She sat there talking down her experience and making it seem trivial. We were open and honest with her and told her what we believed it was and offered sincere testimony. She believes all churches are true and are of God so we just simply explained the Apostasy and the need for the Restoration. But she even said that she knew our job wasn’t to convince her, only God could do that. She said she’d really have to come to a decision now. But she was pushing away and wanted to see us and the church less and less. We explained to her in a loving but bold way that Heavenly Father already answered her and that coming to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would provide answers for her. She knows, she really does but that experience to her just wasn’t good enough. We phoned to confirm our next appointment a few days later and she cancelled on us and said she wasn’t going to learn anymore. We were extremely disappointed in her and her decision. We were so helpless and there wasn’t anything we could say or do. Needless to say we were feeling down for a bit there because our only other investigator dropped us as well so that was sad too. But I can honestly say that there was nothing more that we could’ve said or done to have avoided the situation and for that reason I feel comforted knowing I have no regrets. But it still doesn’t always make you feel better. We have been trying to be upbeat and positive knowing that if we just work our hardest Heavenly Father will give us the satisfaction we are so desperately looking for. At District meeting our District Leader talked about what a successful missionary is. Now let me tell you, we REALLY needed this...

“Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment. . . Avoid comparing yourself to other missionaries and measuring the outward results of your efforts against theirs. Remember that people have their agency to choose whether to accept your message . . . Some may not accept your message even when they have received a spiritual witness that it is true . . . You should not, however, become discouraged.” Preach My Gospel pg.10 A Successful Missionary

So we have been really trying to focus on the good things that can and could come our way. I have a strong feeling that we are going to find someone who’s ready in our area book, so we are going to be focusing on that. I just want to see conversion and see others accept the message we share. I know thought that to measure your success off of other people’s choices is flat out silly. So I do feel calm about it. I am looking forward to the future with joyful anticipation knowing that nothing worth having is ever easy so it is going to take a whole lot of hard work. So now we have a few things that are looking even the slightest bit hopeful even though nothing is set yet. The last couple of days have been very special and it’s nice to notice the small miracles that are taking place!

We have been guided by the Spirit to go places when we didn’t even know it! On Sunday we visited Sister J.C. who is a single parent of two young adult boys and is the only member of her family. When we randomly just dropped in, her son L. (20) and his girlfriend L. (22) were there. There were super nice and relaxed and very easy to like. But let me tell you, this was inspired! Because we ended up discussing the restoration with them both! It was super natural and simple and they were both totally willing to listen and were quite receptive to the message. Lindsay was a tad more receptive and said that it was made perfect sense! The spirit was totally there because everything we said to them was what they needed to hear, there wasn’t a question we couldn’t answer that they didn’t like! But since this was the first time ever that they had heard the gospel and considering it was an unexpected visit we told them that we would love to talk to them more about the gospel and they said they’d get back to us. But they took a Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet! It was so great! On our way out Sister C. gave me a hug and discreetly I jumped up and down! Sister C. phoned us later that night and left a voicemail telling us how happy she was! That this was the furthest she had ever gotten with L. She thanked us for the spirit we brought into her home and that she is sooo happy! Gosh we were so happy about that!

But also we were guided without knowing it the night before to a less-active’s home where the family had been deeply offended by a few members of the ward earlier on in the week. We never visit this family and they thought that the Bishop had sent us to talk to them! Nope! Unfortunately they were just so bitter that there wasn’t much we could say or do without making it worse so we just kept apologizing that they were hurt. It was really sad to me that they were letting the MOST trivial thing get in the way of their salvation. We were glad though that we got into their home that night and to form that relationship before they closed their door completely on the church. Now we have an “in” with them, where if we hadn’t been prompted to go there that night, wouldn’t have ever been able to establish.

Sister Baxter and I had NO idea that we needed to be at those specific places at those specific times! It was a great testimony builder for me to be a part of that - a very special few days for sure. I hope and pray that it will only get better from here. But also on Sunday we were busy Sisters because we gave a little message on following the prophet in Primary (totally fun!) and then we gave a little lesson in Young Women’s (even better!!). We talked about how all members need to do is invite people – not teach lessons! We shared funny stories with the girls of our personal experiences on sharing or not sharing the gospel before our missions. We came up with 3 simple steps for members:
1.) Be an example
2.) Bear testimony
3.) Invite
How easy is that?! So that was a neat experience. We also had an amazing Fast and Testimony meeting where some excellent testimonies were given!

The week before was our Glasgow Stake Conference and it was the BEST ever! It was a broadcast from Salt Lake City and the prophet spoke!!! Also Elder L. Tom Perry, Sister Barbara Thompson, and Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy spoke. Every single one of their talks hit me so personally!

• Elder Patrick Kearon’s talk was amazing. He spoke about how there are worldly things we are tethering ourselves to that are dulling our spiritual sensitivity. That we need to make a personal assessment of ourselves and our homes. We need to be receiving light and making it brighter not dimmer. He said the world is made up of patterns and labels, they will brand you. But the Lord does NOT. He knows exactly what we could and can be. But do we? We need to be determined to change and to lift other while we are at it.

• Sister Thompson spoke about how we need to steady ourselves against life’s challenges. We are given clear instructions through our prophets and commandments on how to do that. If we follow them we will make it back. She said that NO sacrifice is too great to get to the temple. None is.

• Elder L. Tom Perry’s made me think of a lot of things that he didn’t even mention too much about in his talk! So I learned a lot of personal things that I needed to learn.

• President Thomas S. Monson’s talk was excellent as always. He talked about how we need to focus on our less-actives and bringing them back. How we need to tell the ones we love that we love them. To get rid of pride and be forgiving of others. He said, since we are on the Lord’s errand we are entitled to His help! What a comfort! And this was my favourite thing: Have the ability to see Christ in every face you encounter and then treat them accordingly.

Wow! What a wonderful experience! I was so glad I was here for this because if I were still back in the States I would have missed out on it!

This has been an eventful week for sure but very nice at the same time. Thank you to everyone who is praying for Rach and I. We sincerely appreciate them. I love you guys!
Love always, Sister Teresa Kullick