February 2, 2015

Oh what a week! 

GLORY BE! I AM STAYING WITH SISTER STORRS IN GREAT FALLS! WOOT! WOOT! Nothing brings me greater happiness and joy.  YESSSS!!! 

I will start off with the most interesting news of all.  Dana May our recent convert came up to me the other day and gave me a note.  A note that it a page and a half long.....it is of him confessing his undying love for me.  He said that he wanted to move to Texas and start new life with me.  My heart just sank. NOOO! And then I remembered that he was all about Sister Storrs and Sister Major, I ain't going to be no one's 3rd choice! But in all reality it broke my heart. We had already been through this once.  I pulled him aside at church and was very blunt and straight forward with him. I told him that his feelings for missionaries was inappropriate and that there was no way he would be able to be with Sister Storrs or me or any other missionary for that matter. I explained our purpose and that his feelings was why we were wanting him to meet with the Elders.  He took it pretty hard and wouldn't take a ride home. He walked home and we saw him smoking.  UGH! Love hurts. But we still have an appointment with him and the Elders are coming. Hopefully that transition goes well....pray.  Ha

Lar Bear! Oh that man! So Sister Storrs and i went on exchanges and she had a lesson with Larry without me.   But from the sounds of it, it went extremely well! I have mentioned this a couple of times but he lives in an awful place.  People are constantly coming and going doing meth and other drugs. Even his wife is a meth addict.  He expressed to us that he loves meeting with us because he feels the Spirit, but the spirit he feels doesn't stay with him and sustain him.  He told Sister Storrs in their lesson that that lifestyle and those people were on one side and the church and the gospel was on  the other and he was stuck in the middle. The whole lesson was of him talking and venting.  He got teary eyed as he told Sister Storrs that 9 times out of 10 when he prays he knows he needs to leave that house and never look back.  He needs to make his decision. He got tears in his eyes because he knows that if he moves out of that house, he would be permanently leaving all of those people...his family.  Another hard aspect of that is part of his pride. He is leaving his native family to be with a ton of white people.  But he knows. He also told Sister Storrs that after that meeting where I laid down the law he got really upset with me.  But later realized that he knew I loved him and that everything I did and said and have pushed him to be was because I loved him.  He said he has never made so much progress before until he met me and my companion and knows that me pushing him was because I understood where he could be and what he was capable of doing.  I was reading in Alma 13:10 and it says, " it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance and their righteousness before God, they CHOOSING to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish.  Larry sees both sides.  He sees the side of comfort that he knows will continue to lead him to unhappiness and he sees the side of the gospel, that takes work and it takes effort but that he knows has brought him the peace of the Spirit.  In that verse the key word is choosing.  They chose to repent and have faith and be righteous rather than to perish.  They saw both sides, they had to actively choose. Larry is at this point of choosing.  And that is how it is for us.  We can't just sit and watch. We have to actively choose.  It is up to us what we choose.  And the choices we make will either lead us down a path of pain or a path of the Spirit.  Larry has developed a really good relationship with a couple in our ward. They picked him up for church on Sunday and I talked with him. I joked with him and said I was waiting for him to bear his testimony.  He grabbed my arm and looked me straight in the eye and said, " I will.  I will one day. I promise you that I will."  He then told me that he was sorry and said that I was very important to him.  Oh LARRY! How I LOVE YOU! He called the Elders and said he wanted to learn from them more about the Priesthood.  He also had a really good meeting with the Bishop.  Oh things are happening! Things are happening! I will cry my eyes out when I leave.  There comes a point, like Larry, when we have to make difficult decisions.  And many times those decisions will either enhance the Spirit in our life or take it away.  And Larry although extremely difficult has come to a point in his life where he knows where he wants to be and who he wants to be in the eyes of God and is willing to make the hard choice to make that happen.

Another lesson we taught this week was with Tamara.  We had such a spirit led lesson on the Restoration. We were able to address many of her concerns.  We talked about the temple and how she can do work for her mother who has passed on and for her son who committed suicide and give them the blessings of the gospel.  It got really quiet as she wiped away tears and softly whispered, "I can do that?"  She went on and said that she has always wanted her family to be in the gospel with her.  It hit me so hard at that moment that what we have is incredible! What we have is HOPE. The gospel brings hope to those who have none. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven because despite what is thrown my way I know I will always have the hope of the gospel to anchor me.  

Sadly Kirby and Leann were sick this week and we couldn't see them.  

Yesterday in church we sang hymn #185 and I have never had the words of this song stick out to me as much as they did yesterday.  It goes, "  Reverently and meekly now, let thy head most humbly bow.  Think of me, thou ransomed one.  Think what I for thee have done.......I have ransomed even thee....Bid thine heart all strife to cease; With thy brethren be at peace......In the solemn faith of prayer Cast upon me all thy care and let Spirits grace shall be Like a fountain unto thee."   I know that my Savior is Jesus Christ.  He lives.  He loves me.  I know that through him I can do all things.  I know that like this song says that I can cast upon him all of my cares and struggles and through His Atonement I can be healed.  His Atonement is hope.  I love this gospel with all of my heart. I know that this is the true church once again restored on the earth.  I know that God loves us enough to give us a living prophet. Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the earth today!  We can choose who and what we become in this life. And I know by living the gospel I can and will be confident in the presence of my Heavenly Father.  He is my everything.  

 I love you all so much! Here we go! Last transfer! I am ready to show my Savior how much this gospel means to me!

Love you all and miss you! 

Sure love ya! Moline's Rock! Missionaries rule! 

Sister Molinsky