When is life going to slow down?? I feel like I was just writing you yesterday! Time sure is flying... here are some of our adventures this week!
Tuesday night was amazing! We had a chance to go to the His Hands concert. Our mission has put together a choir consisting of 12 missionaries. They are traveling to all of the chapels around the city performing this concert that is centered around the life of the Savior. It was INCREDIBLE. These missionaries are SO talented, but the Spirit itself was incredible. They have put so much work into it, and it shows! They had over 120 people at their last performance, and it's only the beginning of the month! The one our wards are hosting is at the end of the month, and I have a feeling that the place will be packed. Music has the ability to touch hearts in a way that words can't, and I know that we're going to see a lot of miracles from this concert. I'll keep you posted on what happens with it over the month!
We had a really cool experience on Thursday! We had 20 minutes before our supper, and so we tracted a street that was just around the corner. The first door we knocked on was a super nice Indian man! He said that we could come back later that night! Miracle! So after dinner, we went over and taught him and his wife! Their names are R and M. They moved to Michigan from India so he could attend school, and now he is a professor at the University of Alberta! They are of the Hindu faith, and so our conversation was very interesting. We taught about the importance of God and prayer. Because they practice a polytheistic religion, (many gods) and so we felt it was important to focus on the principle of God being our loving Heavenly Father. We were able to testify to them that God truly has changed our lives! M then said, "I'm always interesting in life-changing things!" Haha It was so cool because she asked us how she could pray so that she could receive answers to her prayers! R was a bit more difficult to convince, but they are both open to learning more. It was such a blast teaching them! Sister W did such a great job with asking inspired questions, and they both want to come to the His Hands concert. We're praying for a miracle with those two! It's amazing how fast you can come to love people.
We were able to teach M this week! We found out that her phone hadn't been working, but we had a lesson with her on Saturday! She's so solid. We read in the Book of Mormon with her, and she loves it! It's a bit challenging for her because English isn't her first language, but we are getting one for her in French. We're going to be meeting with her two times a week now, once by herself, and once with her kids! Those kids are too cute. They love when we come over! They kept asking their mom if they could go to church! They all were able to make it to the last hour of church this Sunday! The ward was so welcoming to them, the two older boys fit right in in Primary, this is going to be so great for their family!
I got to check something off of my mission bucket list this week! Teach a lesson with the Assistants! I've always wanted to see how they teach, and I wasn't disappointed! One of the recent converts in their ward, L, is dating a guy that is interested in learning about the church! He lives in our area, but he has been attending their ward for church. His name is C, and he's in his 20's. We taught him with the AP's on Saturday, and the lesson was the Plan of Salvation. What a great lesson!!!!! The Spirit though! This guy is just so humble, he has such a sincere desire to know. He recognized all on his own that they way he will know if this is true is by reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it's true. We all prayed together at the end, C said it, and after, there was a solid 90 seconds of silence, and the Spirit was just radiating in the room! He kept saying he wants to know why he is feeling these feelings he's never felt before. It will be such a blessing to play a role in this journey he is taking.
Friday night was one of those tender mercy moments. We had planned to stop by a part member family, and so we did, but the parents wouldn't be back for about 20 minutes. We decided to stop by a less active who lived next door. Honestly, the only reason I wanted to stop by her was because she has the same last name as MaRhea and Sam... so shallow! So we knock, and she lets us right in! So we start chatting away about this and that with her and her mom. I asked her to tell us some fun facts about herself, and she said that it wasn't a good time, she was having a rough night. Only then did I realize that her arm was all bloody. Just minutes earlier, she had attempted harming herself. My heart just sank. Heavenly Father knew! I hadn't had the slightest clue! But he knew, and he made sure that we were there at exactly the right time. A few minutes later, her visiting teachers showed up to help, and they were so shocked to see us. They said she doesn't normally let the missionaries in, but we were there at exactly the right time. I have such a testimony of God's timing! I don't understand it, but he knows each of us so personally and gives us exactly what we need at just the right time. It's so incredible. He just loves us so much!!
Life is seriously so good. I am so grateful to be in this amazing country serving incredible people. Even if it's so cold my eyelashes stick together! Haha I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I hope each of you know how much I appreciate and love you!
Have a great week!
Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed