I will start today off with a riddle: What´s better than Jenny Craig, Lean Cuisine, and Weight Watchers combined?
The Plague at the CCM.
Let me explain--starting on Tuesday the Americans started dropping like flies. Either the food Monday night or some virus (the PLAGUE) is going around. Half the American missionaries have it (but not me thankfully, knock on wood). Granted, there are only 30 and some odd american missionaries here right now, but still--15 of them...pretty much half...are sick with ´´the PLAGUE.´´ It is nasty. Hermana Siler in my district has it. She basically lives in the bathroom...if it doesn´t come back up, it makes its way out about as quickly as it entered...kinda gross..but seriously. And apparently lots of pain. Sounds like a bad case of food poisoning....NOT GOOD. They have all lost tons of weight...hence the weight loss joke. (don´t try it).
Anyway, on a brighter note....
I wish I had a ton of fantastically interesting things to say this week...it´s been pretty low-key...
So started going with a latino district a bit this week. Holy cow. Vaca sagrada. A little...A LOT...of challenge is always good! My district (latino) has 2 sets of elders and 2 sets of sisters--half of which are from the Dominican Republic. Super fun! They all speak different ´´spanish´´ though which was a little hard. They all use slang and casual language and I´m like...uhhhhhh....all I know is proper Spanish. They all take pictures of me during class...its awkward...apparently its like a once in a lifetime thing to see a ´´american girl.´´ Weird.
But the whole experience has been good! The Lord always provides a way when he wants you to grow--I know that for SURE!
One highlight of the week--we had TRC and we taught a REAL investigator...like salvation on the line...we were freaking out. Long story short, I am SO glad the Spirit speaks the same language to everyone´s hearts...we butchered the spanish language trying to teach about prayer, but at the end we just bore pure testimony and the Spirit was SOOOO THERE. It was one of ´´those´´ experiences missionaries talk about. We asked at the end if her missionaries had asked her to be baptized and she said no. So we didn´t waste a second and invited her to be baptized. ......SHE SAID YES!!!!!! We freaked out. Like bouncing on the couch and squealing. The Spirit filled the room--it was boiling hot. SUCH a great experience. It is cool when we are able to invite and prepare our ´´fake´´ investigators for baptism, but this was REAL. No words can describe it. She agreed to come back and meet with us Saturday, so we are WAY excited!!!!
...oh....and we found out later she speaks English too...so thats awkward...but the experience was fantastic anyways!!!!
Lastly, I have been studying fasting a lot lately and am trying to utilize it to help me as a missionary. But I would challenge you all to join me!
As I have studied fasting in the little personal study time we have, my appreciation for and testimony of fasting has skyrocketed. I thought I would share a few things that may be of benefit to others as it has to me!
Why do we fast? To gain spiritual strength and to petition for divine guidance and blessings (trust me, missionaries are not the only ones who need it!!) I fast because I know, especially as a missionary, there are may things I simply do not have the strength to do alone. I NEED support and divine from my Savior, Jesus Christ. I can gain that maybe best through fasting. I have also realized that fasting helps build faith. Are you lacking faith? I testify that the quickest way to build faith is by fasting.
I love Omni 1:26 which reads
26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.
I love this verse if you liken it to the principle of fasting. To fast, we make sacrifice to come unto Christ and partake of His help and salvation. I love that is describes fasting as ´´offering our whole souls unto him.´´ I don´t know about you, but I love food, and as a missionary, food has become my soul. Kidding. But it really changed my perspective on fasting. When I fast, am I counting down the minutes until I can eat again? Where is my heart? When I fast I want to give my WHOLE soul and being to the Lord. I know that as I do so, he will give me a proportional amount of help.
Through study, I have come up with these components of fasting:
- Attitude
- Gratitude
- Purpose
- Participate in worship when possible
- Begin and end with prayer, and pray AS you fast
- Pay a generous fast offering (see Isaiah 58:6-7. I LOVE how he explains the way he fasts and the way I hope we can all fast)
I don´t have time to hit everything I learned this week, but study the Savior´s life and how much time he spent fasting. When we fast, we are better able to resist temptation. No wonder the Savior was so strong--he committed most of his time to fasting and prayer.
I know that fasting is not only a commandment of God, but a blessing as much as it is a commandment. Great blessings will come as you make sacrifices to draw near unto the Lord.
And so this is my challenge this week:
Make your fast more meaningful.
Prepare for next fast Sunday or fast tomorrow. The blessings will come:)
I love being a missionary. Sometimes I wonder how Jesus Christ could trust me to do His work. The principle of fasting has helped me to understand the trust he has for me. As I draw near to him, he will direct me--he will do his work through me, a mere instrument. What a great honor it is to be able to work hand in hand with the Savior. I love him and I know he loves us. Everyone needs that knowledge.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Love you all!
Hermana Clark