THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN AS A MISSIONARY:
#32: Half of our investigators are homeless, and the other half have really successful careers. "The poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons." (D&C 38:16)
I am really feeling 2 Corinthians 12:10 this week. Just when I feel like things are not going so well, we hit another all-time high for lessons!
We've really been feeling the push to help members do their own missionary work. I've been really impressed with how much this ward reaches out with love and makes a family out of everyone we bring to church. For the first time in my mission, the ward members are seeing the people we're teaching an asking US if they can come with to the lessons! You can imagine that the homeless people we are teaching are not member referrals haha, but they really have been embraced. Chip, who I mentioned last week, is getting baptized the first week of February, and is really trying to get back on his feet with a job and a place to live. The members love him, and at church we never see him because he's hanging around everyone else. He is awesome, and going above and beyond in his commitments.
We've tracted into and been teaching all these people who are really good friends of members. There are certain families in the ward who have lived in Columbus forever and everyone knows and loves. They have a big influence. {Really, I've never met a person in Indiana who met a Mormon that they didn't just adore. Gospel truth.} But when we ask the members to get involved with their own friends and neighbors, they get totally terrified. I don't get it. They are hesitant to come to lessons, and almost have a conniption when we ask them to talk about it. I think as members we don't realize how much responsibility we have to share that light. Some of the members in the ward who are making the biggest ripple as member missionaries don't have a terribly big circle of influence, and a simple but pure testimony. It's cool to see how much more someone is prepared when their friend loves them into the Gospel. And we can tract into their friends all we want, and drop in on them, but if it's something that they don't visibly see is important to their friends, they don't progress.
This scripture says it all:
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works , and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
"Therefore, hold up your light
As always, I love you, but Jesus Loves you BEST
Sister Pugmire
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