La Restauracion

Mi Familia y Amigos!

This week was incredible! It was so cool. We taught two very distinct lessons about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Two lessons that changed my mission. Let me start with Isabel. Isabel was an LPE that Hermana Peralta and I did about 2 weeks back. She was really positive and let us right in, and we did "how to begin teaching" to recognize any needs that would dictate which lesson to start with. It was nice, we had a good chat, and we went on our way feeling like the Restoration was A-Okay to start with. Well changes happened and kind of made things crazy... so we didn't have to chance to return until this week. WELL, it was fabulous. Normally we like to split the Restoration into two parts so as not to throw too much information at the investigator at one time, and to explain slowly as to allow them to understand better. With Isabel it was not like that. She was so prepared, so ready to hear this message. We shared it all in one lesson, and we could see in her face that she UNDERSTOOD. She felt it. She knew it. The spirit was undeniable. And after the lesson she told us, "my whole life I felt like something was missing... and I think this might be it." We left that lesson in tears. 

The second sister is named Maria. She is an elderly woman that has invited the missionaries into her home for the past ten years. We have visited with her a few times, but had never shared an actual lesson. Well we went to her home on Wednesday and asked her, "Hermana Maria, do you want to be baptized?" and her immediate response was, "Oh Hermanas, I've wanted that for the past 10 years". Again, we left the lesson in tears. We came back the following day and taught her the Restoration again, kind of as a refresher. When we were talking about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon I asked her, "Hermana, do you believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is true"... her answer hit me. She said, "Hermanas, everything we know comes from books. And all books are written by men. I know this book is true, because it wasn't written because no man could write it." ... wow. Absolutely incredible. The only thing stopping Maria from being baptized is her husband... he's catholic, and thus so is his family. I made her a promise that in two weeks, her husband would let her be baptized. As soon as I said the words I was like... Uhhhh, should I have said that?? But I have already seen the Lord's hand in making that promise come to pass. How incredible it is to be a missionary. 

My testimony of the Restoration was fortified this week. I TESTIFY that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that he restored the church that Christ established, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the most correct of any book. I KNOW that these things are true, I FEEL it with everything that I am. And I can't believe that the Lord has given me the opportunity to help other people realize that same fact. What an absolute blessing it is to be here. I love you all!! I miss you all!!! And I hope this week is wonderful for you all!!! Keep your chin up, and remember who you are. 

Hermana Van Deusen