Lots of rain...but also lots of new people to teach! And ice cream for the zone!
This week Luke was upbeat but you could tell there were some things weighing on his mind. I love to hear him talk about how he is going to change when he comes home. He says "When I get home I'm going to do my Ministering" or "When I get home I'm going to go out with the missionaries" or "When I get home I am going to fellowship new members." He is having a hard time getting the ward to welcome in their converts and he couldn't believe they aren't doing their Ministering! We had to break the news to him that it is a church wide problem, and just to keep trying and helping the members get the missionary spirit.
Those things didn't get him down, but it has changed the way he is doing missionary work. He said it is so sad because in Formosa there were 31 converts last year and only 8 are active!!!!! Such sad numbers! So he is really working on retention and visiting new members. This has also helped with the work to find people too. In fact one recent convert that they visited, her mom was not interested in the church when she got baptized but recently her own church has been bashing our church and started to say things like 15 demons would come to their family because her daughter joined the church. Such things were so disturbing and she didn't feel the Spirit. So she has had a change of heart and is meeting with the Elders now and has even talked about getting baptized!
He told us about another girl they found named Gabby who happens to live in the Bishop's same apartment complex. She really opened up to the missionaries and told them she was married with children and soon her husband started to change and became abusive. She got very depressed and even thought about suicide. She finally left her husband and now is working to support her children. She has had a hard life and their message brought her comfort. Luke mentioned he was having such a eye-opening experience because he was getting this in-depth perspective of how hard her life is and then on the other hand he was hearing the Bishop's family talk about how that family was rough and didn't think she would be interested in the gospel or letting them into their lives. Sometimes we really don't know what people are going through! From the outside maybe they look "rough" or that they wouldn't need a friendly outreached hand, but on the inside they are struggling and could really use a friend and most importantly the gospel! Luke likened it to the talk from Oct. 2022 General Conference by Sister J. Anette Dennis about the dog that wouldn't perform it's tricks and the owner was so upset with it. Come to find out the dog had many injuries and was in pain!!! The owner felt such guilt for reprimanding the dog when in reality it was hurting! There is a quote that says "How many wounded individuals do we have among us? How often do we judge others based on their outward appearance and actions, or lack of action, when, if we fully understood, we would instead react with compassion and a desire to help instead of adding to their burdens with our judgment?" Luke went and shared how hard of a time this family is having, without sharing too many details, and so hopefully the Bishop's family will go and visit.
We had to laugh when Luke talked about how people will open up and tell the missionaries all of their problems and inside he is thinking...."I'm only 20 years old!!! I have no idea how to help!!!" But then it is amazing how the Spirit is there to help he and his companion know what to do and say to people. Missions truly are an experience of a lifetime! When else do you have time to go around and help people and talk to people and have the time to let them open up to you???? They truly are "going about doing good!"
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