is....I am *staying in Lynnwood*....AGAIN! (You would think that after
being here for over a year that I would have done my job...). Hermana
Richey is getting transferred. I suppose that she is going to Marysville
because the sisters in the other 2 areas are training. I love it here and
things have been slow, but are picking up again, so I am super excited to
be spending another 6 weeks here!:) yay!
This week...I think I have more funny stories to tell than "spiritual." So
bear with me.
So on Saturday, we got insulted quite a bit...but it was funny and wasn't
meant with any malice, so it's okay. We got told that we were old and
overweight...so here's the story...
First, we went to have a lesson in the morning with one of the families we
are teaching and the 7-year-old daughter comes up to me and says, "how old
are you?" I told her to guess. "26?" I laughed. "Nope" I said. She
continued to guess until she found that I was in fact 20. Then she asked
me, pointing to Hermana Richey, "how old is she?" I regret what I told her
now, but I said, "guess." She took a good, long look at Hermana Richey and
said confidently, "39!"
I tried not to laugh. Hermana Richey nearly fell over and said,
"well...there is a 9 in my age..." Then the little girl guessed again.
"29?" This time we both laughed. When Bella (the little girl) found out
that Hermana Richey was 19, she couldn't believe it.
Fast forward 20 minutes into the middle of the lesson.
Bella says to Hermana Richey, "you know...you really do look that you are
39..."
We decided it's because she's tall. That's all.
So fast forward a few hours--we have recovered from that experience and we
went to have lunch at a member's house. She was telling us about her branch
in New York and how all the sisters would talk about gaining so much weight
on their missions. She then asked us if it was true. I replied, "ohhhhh
yeah." She then looked at Hermana Richey for a second witness. Hermana
Richey replied, "um, I don't know. I don't have a scale. I haven't weighed
myself since I left home."
Bad idea to say that.
The member jumped up, giddy, and grabbed her scale and brought it out and
told us both to get on the scale. Although the last thing we wanted to to
was step on that scale, we couldn't say no...I don't know what was more
horrifying...the reading on the scale or the member's reaction to the
reading on the scale...
Yikes. Long story short, mission weight gain here is real.
Don't worry, despite the fact that our self-confidence was shattered, we
still had a fulfilling day talking with lots of people:)
Last funny story....this was the best. So some members recently moved
apartments (the new one smells nasty) and we went over there for our
appointment. So we get there and Lyli (the mom) had just got home from the
store with her daughters and was unpacking her groceries and telling me how
much she disliked the smell in the house.
I listened for a while. She then unpacked a can of spray. She handed it to
me and asked me to tell her what it said (she doesn't know any English). I
read the can to her, "Orange-scented, wood cleaner and polish." Before I
could asked what she planned to do with it she snatched it out of my hand
and said, "Orange. That must smell good, right?" And she popped off the lid
and began spraying it like air freshener all over the house. I chased after
her telling her to stoooooop while trying not to choke on the trail of
fumes she was leaving.
I finally got her to stop and told her that spraying that all over would be
toxic. "Ah..." She said. And put the can down.
I promised that I would get her some air fresheners. So funny...
Alright. So here's something uplifting:)
Questions! I love questions! Do you love questions? I hope we all love
questions!
Questions are necessary-vital- for our progression and our learning here on
this earth and I suppose even in the eternities! Asking questions and
seeking truth and answers leads to an increase in faith. On the contrary,
when we don't ask questions, we slow or halt our progression. This causes
us to lose faith.
"The Lord wants us to ask every probing question we can muster because not
asking questions can be far more dangerous than asking them. In other
words, sin makes you stupid-and so does refusing to seek after truth." -
Sheri Dew
If we have doubts or lack of knowledge, we MUST ask questions in faith and
ask them of a credible source. If we do not do this, we could become much
like Laman and Lemuel. Check it out:
We know the story. Lehi, the prophet, was told in a vision to leave
Jerusalem and take his family to the wilderness. They leave. Laman an
Lemuel's response [1 Nephi 2:11-12]:
"...for behold *they did murmur* in many things against their father, because
he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave
the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and
their precious
things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of
the foolish imaginations of his heart.
And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did *murmur* against their
father. *And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God
who had created them. "*
Of course, I don't know everything about Laman and Lemuel, but I gather
that they didn't ask questions-sincere questions that is. They did not
understand why they would be asked to leave all their precious things and
comfy life. I suppose there were some questions asked like "but Dad,
whyyyyyyyy?" But not sincere questions that were asked with the intent to
find answers and truth. Perhaps, for this reason they "knew not the dealings
of that God who had created them." We have reason to think this is true as
we reflect on the answer they gave Nephi when they wanted to know the
meaning of another vision their father had and they were asked if they had
"inquired (or asked) of the Lord [their question]."
They replied "We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."
If we want to know the dealings of God, we must ask.
Nephi reminded them:
Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden
your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive,
with diligence
in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto
you.
[1 Nephi 15: 8-9, 11]
Nephi had received testimony of these things through his own experience of
asking questions. He shares this experience with us in 1 Nephi 2: 16:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being
large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the
mysteries of God,
wherefore, I did cry [I suppose he asked many questions] unto the
Lord; and behold
he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which
had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto
my brothers.
Nephi asked questions when doubt and lack of understanding came. His
diligent seeking for truth and understanding resulted in an increase in
faith and his acceptance of his father's instruction, and thus, the Lord's
will. It kept him from rebelling and murmuring as his elder brothers, who
did not ask, did.
We can choose to be Nephi or Laman and Lemuel.
Keep in mind:
Men and women of faith are expected to have faith. While the Lord will
reveal many things to us, He has never told his covenant people everything
about everything. We are admonished to "doubt not, but be believing." But
"doubt not" does not mean understand everything.
*Doubting is not synonymous with asking questions. *
We can't let our doubts or lack of understanding and knowledge burden us
down or rob us of our faith. Heavenly Father wants us to have all our
doubts resolved and questions answered. we should never feel embarrassed,
scared, or ashamed to ask questions. No matter what it may be.
Nephi reminds us of the Lord's promise to those who ask questions and
diligently seek truth:
For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be
unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as
in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore,
the course of the Lord is one eternal round. [1 Nephi 10:19]
I add my testimony to that of Nephi's. I know that asking sincere questions
and having faith to receive an answer will always end in an increase of
faith.
Another part of this process is the process of formulating a question to
ask and the process of recognizing and receiving an answer...
Challenge: Find out how these things are done and apply them all together.
Read Sheri Dew's recent devotional called "Will You Engage in the Wrestle?"
I know that as we do these things, we will all grow in faith and
confidence! Yay questions!!
Have a great week!
Hermana Clark
Yay for getting people to church!:)
My fellow hermanas are leaving me this next transfer...it's been good:)