GUESS
WHAT?! Elder Cook came yesterday!!!!!!!!!! thats why im emailing today. i
sang in a choir for him! only people from the two zones closest to the office
got to sing in it, so im super lucky that im here! we sang oh my father to the
music of come thou fount and it was amazing! an elder directed our choir and
when we had practices last week and split into parts i took the hermanas cuz i
can play the piano and have a little experience in choir! haha, wow. glad i
have the music talents i do. but the choir was amazing, really, the spirit was
so strong that our president was crying after and i think Elder Cook got a
little teary eyed as well. Two elders from the 70 came as well! When we got to
shake all their hands of them and their spouses(hugged the women), i told him
`hey! my family just met you!`haha it kind of caught him off gaurd and he was
like `really?` but that was all the conversation we could have cuz i had to
keep moving. :) anyways, super spiritual experience with them all. Its
incredible the authority they have. I could feel his spirit so strong when he
spoke, and for once i was glad i knew english so i could here the words from
his mouth, not the translators. Wow, so pumped to do more. He said that this
experience is going to prepare us for the rest of our lives like nothing else
could have. He was also companions with one of the other apostles and he said
that they decided that what made the difference for keeping converts active for
their whole lives is the commitments we extend. Commitments are super important
(and it also makes our church different) cuz every single person needs to have
a spiritual experience. needs to gain their own testimony and change their
lifestyles. (natural man is an enemy to God) and they can only change when they
act, do something, so we always need to help them act. Wow. I know He is an
apostle of Jesus Christ, and I felt such peace and confidence and trust in him.
at the end of his talk it seemed like the spirit of prophecy came over him and
he left a blessing on us, he said that every person that we loved would be
blessed for us being on missions. ya so you`re welcome everyone back home! ;)
We
have another 70 coming next week as well! super lucky! the 70 thats coming next
week weve known about for a while, Elder cook was kind of last minute
this week cuz I guess he`s going to visit Machu Pichu so thought he`d stop by
and visit the mission as well!! love his wife, she led us in a song haha like
she did with you guys at `this is the place`.
So
this world is crazy. We are so incredibly blessed to have the gospel and all
the peace that we do. We have found so many poeple that are scared. Down here
they believe in evil spirits and 2 20ish year old girls we`re teaching are
scared because they dont know the good news of the Gospel and only know that
their are evil spirits with power to harm them. As a missionary I have been
into many peoples houses and listened as they told me grave stories about their
lives and their family situations, taken part of their burdens on my back as a
representative of Jesus Christ that I am at this time. I have such a testimony
of my calling, there is NO way I would be able to keep going if God wasn't
carrying me at times. Some days there is so much evil in the world and I am so
tired, but God lifts me up and I have some energy that came out of no where and
Im somehow happiest when Im the most tired, and when I take someones burden on
my back. Its an amazing feeling to see God working through me, and to be a
light in this dark dark world we live in. Its also amazing to see my valient brothers
and sisters that are prepared for the truth and who are working in this part of
the world to build and edify His kingdom. Satan definitely doesnt want us to be
successful, but the cool thing is is that we always will be if we draw
closer to Christ! God is so much more powerful, and Im grateful for
opposition so that we can recognize Him more in our lives, because He honestly
does so much.
That
family with the drunk dad came to church this sunday! we had to go get them
from their house and my companion was awesome cuz she straight up told him,
`you will not go to that party, but you will come to church with your family
for an hour, dont answer your cell phone, go get changed and come with us.` he
listened! he messed up and drunk this week, but he came to church. his family
is reading the book of mormon(we gave little charts to the two daughters to track
their reading). little by little is how people change, and God is helping this
family.
My
comps in Machu Pichu today so im with hermana Irvine(comp from the ccm) and the
sister leaders that are in the zone next door today(the sister leaders that i
live with are traveling to do visits today as well).
Love
you all lots! the church is true! be happy!
Hermana
Malorie Black
