THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is every week so great?! I hope you are all having a good time. Isn't it so weird that it's 2014?!!? Hopefully you all had some good goals and haven't given up on them yet!!! I didn't actually make any New Year's goals specifically--I make goals every week, so I didn't even think of it. Maybe I'll still make some. We'll see.
So we saw some really cool things this week. One I want to tell you about was yesterday.
We had arranged to meet with an investigator, Luba, before church, but she didn't come. After about 10 minutes of waiting, we knew it was time to be teaching, so we went to go put on our coats. We both kind of knew that after the disappointment of not having our investigator come, we were a little down, and it would have been easy to rationalize just waiting at the church, "just in case" she would show up. But we also knew what we needed to do, and were literally headed right out the door when a member came in, and she had brought a friend to church! We were able to teach her friend, Tanya, immediately--within the first 5 minutes of the lesson Tanya was in tears, and could not stop expressing gratitude to the Lord for leading her here. She talked about spiritual hunger, and how she hadn't realized what she was lacking. The Spirit was so strong. She accepted the commitments to read, pray and be baptized when she knows it is true. I see the power there is in working with members clearer than ever before.
We have made a huge push to be working with members more than ever before. It is going well--there are still those who protest a little, but as a whole, this branch is so great about helping in the Lord's work. I'm excited to see what this week will bring, with so many members committed to work. The best part is, once they have had a good experience, they are more and more eager to help the next time! We have had members calling and thanking us for the experience they had--even if it wasn't exactly what any of us had planned. Yulia, for example, yesterday told us, "Now I understand why they are always telling us to work with missionaries! We as members harden our hearts, but when I was working with you, I felt my heart being softened." It is a great blessing for us as missionaries to be surrounded by such strong people. And it is SOOOO MUCH FUN to work with the members!
Another miracle--Luba is an amazing missionary! She has now invited at least 4 or 5 people to church, and 2 have come, and 1 is now an investigator!
Okay one of my all time favorite lessons I have EVER taught was this week. We took a sister named Natalya, who is about 65, no teeth, rather pleasantly plump and sews all her clothes to Luba this week. Natalya worked in the theater her whole life. She is VERY opinionated, but also can be very sweet. Turns out she and Luba are the PERFECT friends!!!! She kept the lesson simple, bold and right on track. It was adorable--she even brought Luba a Christmas present--a picture of the temple, a picture of Christ (in an orange glitter frame no less) and some homemade oven mitts. I think Sister Natalya may have won the #1 Fellowshipper award this week. I've never had so much fun on a lesson, and I am more amazed every time at what a difference it makes to have members on lessons with us!!!
Raisa is progressing like crazy!!!! She knows she's going to be baptized. It's all pretty much an issue of when. She is nervous she doesn't know enough--she's thinking maybe a year. We are working and working to help her see that as soon as she knows it is true, she doesn't need to wait! She has gone from not wanting to talk about the Book of Mormon, to demanding yesterday during second hour we meet with her, talk about what she read, and assign her more! It is amazing. The change is VISIBLE. I know that the gospel really does have the power to change people. I feel so grateful to have a chance to play my tiny part in that change. I used to worry about if any of my investigators would ever be baptized. Here's the thing--it's not about me! It's not about if "I get a baptism" or whatever. It's all about these people, and it's all about God. And I am so, so, happy to be here. And I really do know that at the end of all this, it won't be a number that makes me happy. My mission president this week said, "You will come to know Christ through the faces of the people you serve." It's true.
Can I just tell you how great my companion is? And the other sisters here in Krasnodar too while I'm at it. I hope that one day I can be something like them.
One of the sweetest experiences of the week was last night. There is a babushka named Raisa who is the cutest lady. We took a member with us to go take her a hymnbook last night, because she gets really, really, lonely. She wanted to be able to read a hymn when she gets feeling lonely. She told us sometimes she just wants to cry and cry. She turns 90 next week. (And we WILL be baking her a treat! It just has to be soft because she doesn't reallyhave teeth) I can't even describe the feeling when we are with her. But we have been fasting for charity as a mission, and that experience with her was an answer for me.
I'm kind of out of time!! I love you all! Thank you for the support!
"Life sometimes gives you what you need, not what you think you want. If we rely on the LOrd, we not only can survive adversity, we can learn, grow, and thrive. It is my hope and prayer that each of us will not only triumph over the adversity in our lives but will be able to serve and lighten other's burdens" -- Ramona O. Hopkins
Love
Sister McGhie
So we saw some really cool things this week. One I want to tell you about was yesterday.
We had arranged to meet with an investigator, Luba, before church, but she didn't come. After about 10 minutes of waiting, we knew it was time to be teaching, so we went to go put on our coats. We both kind of knew that after the disappointment of not having our investigator come, we were a little down, and it would have been easy to rationalize just waiting at the church, "just in case" she would show up. But we also knew what we needed to do, and were literally headed right out the door when a member came in, and she had brought a friend to church! We were able to teach her friend, Tanya, immediately--within the first 5 minutes of the lesson Tanya was in tears, and could not stop expressing gratitude to the Lord for leading her here. She talked about spiritual hunger, and how she hadn't realized what she was lacking. The Spirit was so strong. She accepted the commitments to read, pray and be baptized when she knows it is true. I see the power there is in working with members clearer than ever before.
We have made a huge push to be working with members more than ever before. It is going well--there are still those who protest a little, but as a whole, this branch is so great about helping in the Lord's work. I'm excited to see what this week will bring, with so many members committed to work. The best part is, once they have had a good experience, they are more and more eager to help the next time! We have had members calling and thanking us for the experience they had--even if it wasn't exactly what any of us had planned. Yulia, for example, yesterday told us, "Now I understand why they are always telling us to work with missionaries! We as members harden our hearts, but when I was working with you, I felt my heart being softened." It is a great blessing for us as missionaries to be surrounded by such strong people. And it is SOOOO MUCH FUN to work with the members!
Another miracle--Luba is an amazing missionary! She has now invited at least 4 or 5 people to church, and 2 have come, and 1 is now an investigator!
Okay one of my all time favorite lessons I have EVER taught was this week. We took a sister named Natalya, who is about 65, no teeth, rather pleasantly plump and sews all her clothes to Luba this week. Natalya worked in the theater her whole life. She is VERY opinionated, but also can be very sweet. Turns out she and Luba are the PERFECT friends!!!! She kept the lesson simple, bold and right on track. It was adorable--she even brought Luba a Christmas present--a picture of the temple, a picture of Christ (in an orange glitter frame no less) and some homemade oven mitts. I think Sister Natalya may have won the #1 Fellowshipper award this week. I've never had so much fun on a lesson, and I am more amazed every time at what a difference it makes to have members on lessons with us!!!
Raisa is progressing like crazy!!!! She knows she's going to be baptized. It's all pretty much an issue of when. She is nervous she doesn't know enough--she's thinking maybe a year. We are working and working to help her see that as soon as she knows it is true, she doesn't need to wait! She has gone from not wanting to talk about the Book of Mormon, to demanding yesterday during second hour we meet with her, talk about what she read, and assign her more! It is amazing. The change is VISIBLE. I know that the gospel really does have the power to change people. I feel so grateful to have a chance to play my tiny part in that change. I used to worry about if any of my investigators would ever be baptized. Here's the thing--it's not about me! It's not about if "I get a baptism" or whatever. It's all about these people, and it's all about God. And I am so, so, happy to be here. And I really do know that at the end of all this, it won't be a number that makes me happy. My mission president this week said, "You will come to know Christ through the faces of the people you serve." It's true.
Can I just tell you how great my companion is? And the other sisters here in Krasnodar too while I'm at it. I hope that one day I can be something like them.
One of the sweetest experiences of the week was last night. There is a babushka named Raisa who is the cutest lady. We took a member with us to go take her a hymnbook last night, because she gets really, really, lonely. She wanted to be able to read a hymn when she gets feeling lonely. She told us sometimes she just wants to cry and cry. She turns 90 next week. (And we WILL be baking her a treat! It just has to be soft because she doesn't reallyhave teeth) I can't even describe the feeling when we are with her. But we have been fasting for charity as a mission, and that experience with her was an answer for me.
I'm kind of out of time!! I love you all! Thank you for the support!
"Life sometimes gives you what you need, not what you think you want. If we rely on the LOrd, we not only can survive adversity, we can learn, grow, and thrive. It is my hope and prayer that each of us will not only triumph over the adversity in our lives but will be able to serve and lighten other's burdens" -- Ramona O. Hopkins
Love
Sister McGhie
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| Only one photo this week - missionary Christmas gathering |
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