This week was the most stressful yet! But we also had a lot of miracles.
Monday we were to meet with Veronica to have FHE with her and her family and also to meet with Jerson, our future missionary from the branch. When we got there, I was happily surprised to see Eva. Back when I was in Ontario the first time, the English elders were teaching her, but for some reason she never got baptized. She would come to sports night and I got to form a nice friendship with her. So when I saw her at Veronica's, I was so excited. She told me how much she missed me and wanted us to start teaching her again. We set up an appointment for later in the week and continued with our FHE. We watched the Testaments, and of course, the last part always makes me cry. 3 Nephi 11 is one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. Then we did some role playing with Jerson. He needs a bit of preparation, but he will be a great missionary one day.
Tuesday we had an appointment to help the Mills pack up stuff in their house. We were there about an hour before the other English sisters showed up. They immediately asked us if we knew about papa, and we were super confused because we thought they were talking about papa mills who was snoozing on the couch upstairs. They were talking about Brother Webster across who was admitted to the hospital earlier that morning. As soon as we heard it this news, my heart sunk. The rest of our service seemed to preoccupy my thoughts of Brother Webster. I have grown so close to this family and this news sunk deep in my heart. When we finished helping the Mills, we headed over to the hospital to see Brother and Sister Webster, as well as the other family members who were in the critical care unit waiting room. Webb and I walked in and somehow knew exactly where we should go. We waited for a good 5 minutes before Sister Webster came out of the CCU to meet us because they didn't allow visitors to come through. We had a good long crying session. Several minutes later, a nurse came and took him to get some tests done, so that meant I got to see him being wheeled out into the hall. I watched from the window and cried some more and as soon as the nurse brought him out to the hall. Later when they wheeled him back in, Sister Webster asked the nurses if we could come in to say goodbye, which they allowed me and Webb to do! This made us feel super special. Bro and Sis Webster told us that we are now a part of their family. I love this family so much. Please pray for Brother Webster.
Wednesday we went back to the Mills to do some more packing. When I got done, Kali showed up to say hi to the Mills since she is in town. She is the Websters' granddaughter who is my age, and she is in town because her college semester just ended. It was no coincidence that she happened to show up just at the right time to see the Mills and that her appointments fell through, I asked her to join us to visit a few people. Afterwards we went to the hospital to check on Bro Webster. We also just happened to be there at the right time for the doctor to come in and tell him that all his tests came back negative for anything wrong and he could go home! We all went back to their house for a chicken noodle soup dinner. It wasn't long before Webb started to have another episode. This time it was the worst I had ever seen. We stayed there for a while because Sis Webster called her home teachers to come and give Webb a blessing. It was a well needed one for her. These last few weeks weren't hard for me because I am not sick, but it feels as if I am sick too. I want so much for Webb to get better from whatever she has, but I don't know what to do and that is the most frustrating part. We went home and were able to make it through the night, big accomplishment! I love her.
Friday started out great, then awful, and then it ended beautifully. We had district meeting that morning but what made it special was having Jerson there to get a sense of the meetings he will be a part when he goes on his mission. It was a normal meeting, and at the end the floor was open to the missionaries to give him advise on how he can better prepare himself. One of the things that was repeated frequently was that most of what we hear from return missionaries are their highlights, not their bad experiences. I would even say that 40% are the miracles and amazing things we learn, but the other 60% are the trials and disappointments. On the mission, I have definitely had my moments of despair and anguish, I have never shed more tears, nor have I ever felt more pressure and stress; but I have never felt such deep love for people. I would never change it for the world. Serving a mission has been the best decision I have ever made and I have never felt closer to my Savior. I signed up to be shoulder to shoulder with Him. That means that I need to go through hard times as well as the happy times. I promised God that if He would help me fulfill my mission, then I would never give up, and so far He has held up his side of the deal flawlessly. It is most certainly worth every tear and heartache for those few tender mercies.
After district meeting, we went to see some people. Most of them were not home, and then we got word that our only set appointment for the day canceled. Finally we found a family with a car in the driveway, but when we walked up to the house we could hear 2 people screaming at each other. We saw the little brother of the bickering couple outside who was shooting a bb gun with his friends. We did not stay long because the profanity was so bad that we would not be able to share a scripture with the brother and feel the spirit. I cannot explain how palpable it was to feel my spirit leave me as we listened to that conversation. The appointment that canceled earlier opened back up with Eva. We went to Veronica's house and taught her the Restoration and also set a baptismal date for the last Saturday of April! I am so excited for her because I know that she is finally ready after a whole year. Later on that night, we visited Miriam, our 11 year old self-progressing investigator. Last I heard from her, she told me that she had the green light from her mom to get baptized and she finally felt ready. That night we taught her the Plan of Salvation and set a baptismal date for the third week of April! Indeed, our day started out right, then got crappy, then ended with some sweet miracles!
On Saturday, Webb had an appointment to meet with President Cannon about her illness. He asked her about her companionship, the language struggles, the area, and her family. All to which she told him were completely normal. I am so grateful for PCannon. Webb is an answer to my prayers and one of the best companions I have had. I love Webb! Anyway, after her interview she got a blessing and we headed for a district leadership council meeting. Then we went to Parma to grab some lunch. We mentioned to the zone leaders that branch president Montgomery interviewed 2 eight year old boys that would be getting baptized at 5 o'clock that day and told us that 1 of the boys just turned 9, meaning that the boy wasn't under Montgomery's jurisdiction but the missionary's. I swear, they couldn't have had worse timing because we have been working on this baptism for a week and we have already invited all the missionaries to come and watch the baptism that will be taking place in just a few hours!!!! We booked it over to President Montgomery's auto shop to break the news to him and to try to work out details, while the ZL's got a hold of a district leader to interview the 9 year old to make sure he knew enough to get baptized as a convert. We had to stop a baptism! Strangest feeling ever! We got to the shop to find that he wasn't there!! So we went over to his house to find that he was on his tractor in the middle of his field which was blocked by an electric fence.. so we tried to drive around it and honk the car's horn hoping he would hear it so he would stop and talk to us. Haha, turns out we honked at the wrong farmer. But President finally answered his phone and we talked to him about he situation. We got it figured out and the district leader deemed the 9 year old ready for baptizism. Whew! All this within 20 minutes before the baptism!! The baptism went well and I was happy to see all the missionaries show up, it was a great reunion.
On Sunday, we had the greatest miracle. Sandra, the self-progressing investigator that brings her entire family to church, helped us by referring us to her extended family. We tried getting there previously in the week but got lost from the directions she gave us. When we finally found the house and started talking about our purpose being able to teach them the gospel so that they will eventually get baptized. They all started crying and immediately accepted the baptismal invitation!! I have never had investigators that were more prepared to hear the gospel and so willing to accept the message. The best part was that we didn't even have to find them, they came to us!! They were fellow shipped by Juan Meza, who is an investigator himself, and all because he had the courage to open his mouth and invite them to church! This is how missionary work should be done. I am thrilled to start teaching them because I know they will grasp the precious doctrine and it will work miracles in their lives. They are ready. They have even expressed that their ultimate destination isn't just baptism, but the temple too!! Not sure if y'all heard it or not, but my jaw hit the floor that Sunday evening and probably caused an earthquake in the middle of the ocean somewhere.
All in all, the best and worst week ever!! I love y'all!
Hermana Moss:)
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| Hawn |
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| Guti & Hawn |
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| I'm watching you! |
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| Me & Webb |
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