Bad news first. You probably won't be hearing much about Yasmin anymore because she dropped us on Thursday which was really devastating. It was really hard hearing that and losing her after all the time, effort, and love spent on her, but people still have their agency after all. The bright side is we have been teaching a guy named Nayland with the sisters who is a result of our sports night here! He is looking super solid for Baptism on the 28th! He quit smoking and drinking for over two weeks now. He is such a nice guy and he even brought his 9 year old son to church with him this week! Love that guy.
We were driving out to a village called Ely, which is the most Northern part of our area/mission, to do some stop bys. One of the roads was closed so we tried to navigate around it and our SAT-NAV ended up taking us on some grass road through some private property and then onto some dirt roads as well. Our car got stuck once and not really sure how it made it out in one piece but it was quite the experience!
On Saturday night we had a Dinner to go to with a member, but it was really just a going away party for a member we were invited to. At first it was just us there with a bunch of old ladies and it felt like we were at a book club haha. Eventually a group of Filipinos showed up which made it more fun. Then after we ate the member broke out a Karaoke machine! I was like no way is this happening right now! Sure enough it was a reality! Everybody was singing! The member leaving was from Brazil and she is like 60 and crazy and was like if you love me you will sing, so I couldn't let her down. I sang my go to song for Karaoke... If I ain't Got You by Alicia Keys. She was very happy. Most of the Filipinos there were also nonmembers and loved that we seemed like normal missionaries and the majority of them came to church on Sunday! It was definitely a success and good fun as well.
Elder Hollands talk from General Conference has really left a mark on me. I keep listening to it and I keep thinking the same thing over and over everytime I hear it and that is how much I love and appreciate my family. It goes even deeper than that. It has made me appreciate my father on a much deeper level. I have always known I have the greatest Dad in the world, but it now has a deeper meaning to it. I have been so lucky to grow up in a house with loving parents who truly care for one another. To grow up in a house where the only thing my parents loved more than each other was God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have realized that I am lucky to have a father who was not a member of the church but decided to take it upon himself to learn if this was true or not and as a result of that raised a family in a home centered on Christ. For this reason am I forever grateful. I am grateful for a father who has taught me how to love others, study the scriptures, pray, respect women, to love my mother, and many more things. I think the reason I have been feeling this so strong lately is because in the talk Ministry of Reconciliation by Holland I saw what it could be like to have a father who wasn't strong in his faith. I have no idea what my life would be like without this Gospel or who I would be if I didn't come on my mission. Everything I am and all that I have become is all due to my parents, especially my father. Continually feeling his love has also helped me to better understand the love my Father in Heaven has for me. I love this church and the fact that I will get to live with my family for eternity. I can't imagine my life without my family and the goofballs they are. I know that through this Gospel our family relationships are better and eternal. I am also extremely grateful for a mother who kept strong to her faith for years on her own and was such a strong woman that eventually it all worked out. The woman she is has set the highest of standards for me. I would do anything for that lady and love her without end. She is the best woman in my life and has always been there for me. I honestly just can't say it enough about how much love I have for my parents and the dedication they have to following Christ.
Like I said Elder Holland has really hit me in helping me understand how lucky I am. I love being a missionary. I love being rejected. I love being yelled at and spit at. I love testifying of truth. I love the bad days and down days. I love all of this because I know this work to be true and with truth comes hardship, but because of the people I was raised by and around Hard is Good. Whether or not you have grown up in this church or left it at some point you owe it to yourself to really find out if this is true. We shouldn't look back on our lives and realize we could've been happier the entire time. One thing I can promise is that if you truly want to know if the Book of Mormon is true you can. If you put in the effort one of two things will happen. 1). You will know this church is true and find more joy in your life or 2). You will know it's not true. There no middle ground. Put in the effort and you will never have to wonder what if? Again I leave my testimony with you that this is the true Church of God on the earth today. The Book of Mormon really is another Testament of Jesus Christ. I know with all my heart.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Cheers,
Elder Hruby
Lucky Voice offers affordable Karaoke machine which is perfect way to keep the kids occupied at parties, and this little karaoke machine is sure to get them in the party spirit. Visit us today at https://shop.luckyvoice.com/
ReplyDelete