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| Selfie number one (we liked the flowers) |
In other news, we also have learned that I can no longer English. The problem is, I also cannot Spanish XD I am lacking language abilities hard core, haha! It is kind of amazing to see how much my Spanish has improved in the last three weeks just being with Hna Rosario. Speaking comes way more natural and I sometimes find myself falling into it on accident again, kind of cool! We had several people we met this week who we are going to try and teach tell me that they liked my accent...? Aha! #notatotalgringa #dondelenguas #therealdeal
The next eventful cosita of the week was brought back to my memory as I thought of Lehi and Nephi in Helaman 5: preaching repentance. There is a right way and there is a very wrong way. Ha. We got to witness both this week! We'll start with the first. In this chapter of Helaman a powerhouse companionship sets off to dedicate the remainder of their lives to crying repentance to the wicked and are blessed with amazing success; this success they receive is given unto them because they teach with power. Reading in Alma 26 this week (not gonna lie, kinda just read some of my favorite chapters over again for my BoM study --and it was great!!) I gained a deeper understanding pertaining to how we teach with power. Verses 13, 21-22 talk about "the power of His word that is in [them]" and then the how behind having "His word in us". It says at the end of verse 22 that "it shall be given unto such (who have His word by the process explained in the proceeding verses) to bring thousands of souls unto repentance." That sounds like they're going to be given the power to do so, yeah? Therefore, the way we gain power to "bring thousands of souls unto repentance" is through our own conversion and treasuring up of the word. When we are converted and know of ourselves, when we have experienced the gospel in our own lives, then we are given power. Why? Because then the Spirit can testify and witness of what we say to be true; then He can witness we really do know and believe what we say; then we are being His witnesses at all times; then He stands with us and we with Him. Therefore, if you want to teach with power (anywhere - as a missionary, fulfilling a calling to teach, raising children in the right way) the Lord has said to "treasure up in your minds continually the words of life", and "...lift up your voices...[to] speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and ...it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say. ...and...inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say." I will stop there. But that is how one preaches repentance the right way.
Now, the wrong way was also exemplified this week. We pulled up just down the street from our investigator's home and offered our prayer before getting out of the car last Friday for our lesson. We closed and I see that just down the road a bit is a man causing quite a scene, discussing very loudly some type of doctrine with two men near their home. We get out of the car, I grab a Book of Mormon from the trunk for our lesson, and we head off in their direction. Taking refuge in the presence of others, the two men being ridiculed turn to us as we approach, notifying our priestly friend with Bible in hand of our passing. He turns to us and yells, "you also must repent!" Wait what? I stop for a moment (oops), "sorry?" He continues, "you are beauties on the outside but on the inside you're vipers! Leading people astray--" hold up, come again? As you know, I have a short fuse for things like this, but we decided to stay silent and just keep walking while he continued to yell after us. There's a right way and a wrong way in teaching and preaching repentance. Had his intentions been pure and honestly his desire was to help others come to Christ, he would have acted very differently and maybe we could have had a nice gospel conversation and left both being edified, having mutual respect as we both were about the Lord's work in the best way we knew. But, 'twas not his desire so we simply carried on.
We had a regional conference broadcast yesterday for church which was awesome. I don't remember all who spoke but the woman who spoke talked about light, specifically the phrase, "I need my own light." It was great and followed the theme of the parable of the ten virgins. Are we doing everything we can to get our own light? Do we know the way because His light illuminates it and allows us to see where we should walk, where the holes are, and where the stumbling blocks are? Or, are we simply following others who have a light? If the second, we may find ourselves stuck in ruts and tripping over stones otherwise easily avoidable. As some of my favorite scriptures state, "I am the light of the world", and "that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." I have found there is joy where the light is. He is the source of all light and I know if we seek Him and to fill ourselves with this light that we will have "eyes to see" and we will not have to wonder or worry about the stumbling blocks that will try to get us down.
This is something I have learned for myself through my mission: trials will come, but with Him we truly can do all things. I have come to understand just how important He is to me. I will forever be grateful for this time I have to come to know my Savior in a way I never could have imagined. In the words of Ammon, "I cannot say even the smallest part which I feel."
It has been another great week. I have been undesirably informed that "we are now in the double digits", but am only feeling my desire to serve increase with every day that goes. There is truly joy in His service, not only as missionaries but in every capacity, with every calling that we hold, we can serve Him. Look for a chance to consciously serve someone else this week. Even if it is small. Sometimes the smallest acts are the most meaningful!
....okay I was gonna end this here cause we're getting long but that just reminded me of another story! Okay, not gonna get preachy here, but this was a good one :) (dad, you'll like it!) so we were doing this lookup. We didn't know where the house was, just knew it was off this one street. So we park the car, pray, jump out, and get moving. We're walking along looking for this house and there's a bunch of people outside cause the rain had finally let up. We're talking to people of course, saying hi, little things, and all of a sudden pre-mission me is summoned. 80s rock. It was calling. I hear this song end (I think it was Survivor but only caught enough to perk my ears up a bit haha) Chicago comes on. I look towards the sound and see a woman getting her things together and get out of the car exuding this beautiful sound. I stop and say, "you have excellent taste in music." She looks at me kind of confused (you know, twelve year old looking white girl in a skirt with a badge walking around in the hood with a Puerto Rican...a little odd, I get it) and I add, "the classic rock, my dad trained me in it." She gets this big ol' grin on her face and says something along the lines of, "oh yeah? And your dad was probably born in like what, late 80s??" "Well actually he was born in 68 I think," I add (sorry if that's wrong, don't feel a desire to do the math). "Oh," she says, surprised. "Well, he's not as old as me but he's got a right to it." Haha! Hear that, dad? You've got a right to your music I guess :) we ended the conversation quickly as we were both about our business but she called out to me as we left and said, "thank you so much, that just made my day! Made my day." Aw. I love that happy feeling :) so, service. It's a real thing :)
Anyway! This is terribly lengthy, but I love you all dearly. It has been a great week. Hope y'all have a good one :) love you!
Muchísimo amor,
Hermana Karra Gourley
Weak pictures...sorry. :)
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| Selfie number three (cool bamboo walking up to knock this one house) |
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| I liked the flowers :) |
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| Costco selfie #herfirsttriptocostco |
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| Selfie number two (I almost stepped on this NASTY little thing getting out of the car 😖 poor guy) |
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