So this week has been great! I love being a missionary for sure! It is so weird to look back on my week in my planner and realize that the things I did this last week were so recently! Maybe I'm just really focused on each day because it feels like the lessons on Wednesday and Thursday this week were a long time ago! A LOT of things happened this week. I can relate to the prophet Mormon, "I cannot write the hundredth part of the things" this week.
First, funny part. My companion is sometimes totally ridiculous. It is great. For example, everyone in a class introduced themselves and Elder McConeghey said (in his best farm-boy drawl) "I'm from Iowa. I like to shuck corn and wrestle pigs." It was hilarious. Amber sat with us this week again at church and loved sacrament a ton. Elder McConeghey sings loudly and when he doesn't know the words says, "la la la la la la" to the beat of the song. Everyone around us starts laughing. It's great. There is a song called, "Called to Serve" that missionaries sing a lot. He sometimes sings it in that same melody with only two words: "Called to Called to Called to Called to Called to." It's great. I'm grateful for how fun he is!
Second, Interviews this week with the Mission President. It was great. He is awesome. Our mission has definitely gradually been improving since I became a missionary here. I am definitely hopeful of where we are headed and I have made some commitments (and re-commitments) to be a better missionary because of the interview.
Last couple days were the best part of the week by far. Friday night we had a lesson at Lillian's house with her friend Jen that was invited over for a dinner with the missionaries! It was awesome! She is interested at this time in her life as a result of a series of undesirable event. She had a lot of questions and was genuinely interested in learning the truth for herself. As I have mentioned before, it is so fulfilling to work with people who are interested in changing!!
Yesterday we had a lesson with TJ who is still set for baptism on Feb 21st. It was EXTREMELY spirit-filled. She cried a couple times; two friends Derek and Chris were super emotional as well. She is in a rough family situation and is planning to move out to Kansas with her boyfriend who is in the military in a few weeks. But that is not in line with the law of chastity prohibiting cohabitation. She at first didn't believe she could do it, but after the spirit testifying that she could (and Josh sharing 1 Nephi 3:7 that the Lord prepares a way to accomplish His commandments), she took it home to seek inspiration from God what to do. It was the best!
Lastly, we had a GREAT Sunday night family home evening at a family's house. Their 19-year-old daughter invited us for the last couple weeks to share a lesson with her family because her parents have been struggling (specifically her mom has been not coming to church for the last couple months because of a sin that she won't let go of - which is causing a rift in their marital relationship and may lead to divorce). It was AWESOME! We weren't sure what to share until we received inspiration on our way to the appointment (good thing it was at least 20 mins away from the appointment before). We learned that we needed to invite them to read the scriptures daily as a family. Then we learned a few minutes later that to do that, we would have each of them individually testify of the Book of Mormon's impact in their lives. Then we learned a few minutes later that we should introduce it using Alma 31:5 "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." We felt mostly prepared as we went in.
When we went in, the parents weren't even "feeling well enough" to join us! I was definitely disheartened. Fortunately they came when we shared the lesson after a game of dominoes. It is hard for me to imagine the lesson to go better. The daughter shared her testimony after I asked a brief question (that came to my mind while I was reading Alma 31:5 out loud). She was super emotional sharing the impact the Book of Mormon had on her. With that perfect introduction, we invited the rest of them (6) to shared their feelings about the Book of Mormon. The spirit was nearly tangible. The high school aged boy cried a LOT when he shared his feelings, and I could feel the sincerity in the conversion experiences of the others. The mom went last and shared how powerful it was for her to her the testimonies of her children. As they were growing up and they would read the scriptures and pray nightly as a family, she wondered if anything was getting in. But now she could see and feel that it DID make an impact in their lives. I couldn't believe how perfectly that led into the invitation to do that again as a family (as their children grew they had lost the habit)!! :) It is funny... since I didn't do that as a family when I grew up, I felt like that would be an impossible thing to go from nothing as a family to everyday for 10 minutes. Elder McConeghey said his family did it for the last number of years as he was growing up and the difference it made for him. But when the time for the invitation came, I knew it was just what they needed to do to save that family and their marriage.
I know that the Word of God is THE key to change. The conversion that takes place when we read the scriptures with a prayer is nearly unbelievable. I have experienced it in my own life and seen it in the people we are working with all the time!
Hope you have an amazing week!
Elder Campbell
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