Hola Familia!
Thank you to the trillion emails I get each week. I cannot express enough gratitude to everyone who takes time to write me. It is truly such a blessing to have wonderful friends and family who care so much about me. Because I have gotten so many emails, I many not get a reply to everyone..but I'll try the best that I can. This hour time limit is a little frightening...ha! So, if I don't get back to you, know I read it and I am so grateful.
This week was definitely a testimony builder. I learned many things. As I was reading my scriptures this morning I came across a scripture that says: "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down." Nehemiah 6:3
I think President Uchtdorf gave a talk on this a couple years ago in the priesthood session that I learned about in Seminary. This scripture helped me realize that this is the Lord's work, and if I am obedient I will not fall.
I am a messenger from God and things are going to try and stop the work from progressing, but I am doing what is right and I will not break! My companions and I were talking and we said, "I know I am doing what is right when everything goes wrong." The adversary is working harder than ever today. We cannot let that effect us, any of us, not just me as a missionary.
This knowledge came to me when we went to go visit an investigator who works at a retail store. Let me share a quick run down.
(Investigator J) works at (retail store) so she can help with her family's income. She has been taking the discussions for about 2 months now. She is a very religious lady. We were talking with her and she finally started to open up to us about how she felt something different at our church, and how her church pastor only calls her when she needs help or needs something done. She feels like her church has forgot about her and is using her. So she expressed how great it is to have missionaries teach her at her house when she cannot make it to church because of work She really was opening up, and we were feeling so great. This whole conversation was in English...then out of the blue comes a Hispanic man and (Investigator J) asks if he needs any help. He replies in Spanish saying he heard us talking about God.
Ever since that moment, we were in a 45 minute long bash on God, religion, Mormons, etc.. I did not catch it all, but the man was saying that we are in an apostasy right now and that the true church is not on the earth. When he figured out we were Mormons we got everything from bashing Joseph Smith, to secretive temples, to honestly everything. All during this time (Investigator J) is listening in. Finally, this man and (Investigator J) exchange emails and phone numbers....so frustrating.
We ended up saying we needed to go, and so we left. As we were all heart broken and terrified for our investigator, we see a man almost crash in his little scooter cart thing. I helped him out of the way and after talking with him I figured out that he was in the process of moving. So, we offered to help him. He said he would love help, but we should call his wife to make sure. So, we talked to the wife and expressed how as missionaries we do service. She said "Forget it, and don't call back again!" The old man apologized and said he wished we could help him.
While we were inside helping this man, a member walked by. After checking out, he and his wife called us over to his car and expressed their gratitude to us. After all of the mess and struggle, it made me realize that people are watching my actions and do look up to me. Even when things are going bad, it is my attitude to either dwell or work harder.
Like I said, the adversary is working on those who are strong. But I am motivated and know that there is work to be done. Waller is about to explode. There is so much work here, and I feel the work spreading so so soon.
I love it here and am learning every day. I wish I spoke more Spanish, but God is watching over me..truly. I pray every day that my tongue will be loosed...and sure enough my Spanish flows. We went to a members house yesterday for dinner after church. They are full Spanish speakers. They asked me how long I had been here and I said for about 2 weeks. They asked if my family spoke Spanish. I told them nobody did. They were very impressed with my language and how quick I picked it up. I tried to convince them I was Hispanic, but clearly they didn't believe me! Ha! God truly is blessing me. I know it!
Well, I am running short on time but i just wanted to say that there is work to be done. We all can play a part in it, even if you are not a missionary. Help somebody, share a spiritual thought with a friend, whatever it may be..lift somebody up and be an example.
Love you all so much. Thanks for all the love you show to me!
P.S. I totally spoke in church on Sunday! HAHAHAHA!!!
Shoutouts:
--Shout out to Hannah Hyde for writing me the first letter I received here in Waller, TX. HOLLA!
--Shout out to Hermano Sagers for heading out to the Mexico MTC. Best wishes. Remember you can touch so many lives there--especially my brother. YAY!
--Shout out to Kaitlin, a sweet member who found my blog and wrote me thanking me for touching her life. It was such a pleasure to read her story and spiritual thought to me.
--Shout out to Mom and Dad for teaching me how to work..and when I mean work, I truly mean work. Thank you! I knew it would pay off some day :)
Funny lines that happened this week:
--A daughter of one of our investigators: After giving the family a picture of Jesus, she says, "Aw thank you. I will cherish this after my mom dies." HA!
--Hermana Hosking: "I'm getting fat off food I don't even want to eat."
Mailing address while serving in Texas:
Hermana Mikayla McChesney
16623 Hafer Rd
Houston, TX 77090-4401
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