October 24, 2011:
Crazy Stories and Happy Ones
Hi again! :) Haha, there are some interesting stories from this week!
OK, so funny story number one: I [talked to] this man on the street one day, "I'm a missionary… Have you heard of the Book of Mormon?" Anyway we keep talking, and he finally holds up a book in a bag and says, “I already have a Bible." and I ask to see it, and it’s that book Hitler wrote in prison! AAAH I said, “Um, that is the OPPOSITE of a Bible." and he laughed and said he wasn't interested. SO BIZARRE.
Story number two: I [talked to] a man standing waiting for our bus. Sister Smith was smiling next to me, when all of a sudden he started screaming at me in English, "SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!" and I was taken aback a bit, so I just said, "Prosim? (excuse me?)" and then in Czech he told us that Hitler and Stalin were coming back to fix the place and that was who he believed in. I think my face just showed how shocked I was, hahahah, and so Sister Smith and I walked a few steps to the left and just kind of stared at everyone who was looking, and then he walked over and said, "DONT STAND BY ME!" and Sister Smith said, “Sir we are waiting for the bus.” And then he said, “WAIT ELSEWHERE.” I just stood there. And then he walked off. WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD!
Crazy Stories and Happy Ones
Hi again! :) Haha, there are some interesting stories from this week!
OK, so funny story number one: I [talked to] this man on the street one day, "I'm a missionary… Have you heard of the Book of Mormon?" Anyway we keep talking, and he finally holds up a book in a bag and says, “I already have a Bible." and I ask to see it, and it’s that book Hitler wrote in prison! AAAH I said, “Um, that is the OPPOSITE of a Bible." and he laughed and said he wasn't interested. SO BIZARRE.
Story number two: I [talked to] a man standing waiting for our bus. Sister Smith was smiling next to me, when all of a sudden he started screaming at me in English, "SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!" and I was taken aback a bit, so I just said, "Prosim? (excuse me?)" and then in Czech he told us that Hitler and Stalin were coming back to fix the place and that was who he believed in. I think my face just showed how shocked I was, hahahah, and so Sister Smith and I walked a few steps to the left and just kind of stared at everyone who was looking, and then he walked over and said, "DONT STAND BY ME!" and Sister Smith said, “Sir we are waiting for the bus.” And then he said, “WAIT ELSEWHERE.” I just stood there. And then he walked off. WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD!
Third story: Yesterday we were [knocking on] some doors at an apartment complex. So we had just given a card to someone who closed the door and moved on. His door opened as we were leaving, and we got excited because he was holding the contact card. We thought, oh, maybe he was interested! He called us over and asked who we were. We told him again. Then he looked at Sister Smith and said, "Can you come in and have sex with me?" Sister Smith turned SO RED. I don't understand much, but I understood that!!! She said “no” and said we believe in being chaste before marriage. He then said, “Oh well, we can take care of that minor thing real quick.” She said NO. And then he turned to me and said, “What about you?” I laughed and said heck no. We left in a hurry. It's sad that that's what the world's morals are. Something so sacred is plastered on posters and pamphlets, and people are willing to just share that with anyone. Really sad. But that's why we are here. And it just shows me once again how much this world needs God.
My cute apartment complex, it's YELLOW, surrounded by GREEN TREES! I am happy.
Fourth story: We kept [going] and spoke to this woman who thought we were of the devil. She was screaming, “CULT CULT!” and then we pulled out the Book of Mormon, and she pushed it away from her doorway and said that she's been told to stay away from something so satanic. I calmly said, “But how can something that speaks of Jesus Christ be satanic?” She calmed down after that. I asked her why she believed the way she does, and she said that she had read a book. Sister Smith then said, “What's the book’s name?” and she said something, but neither of us knew it. I then asked, “May I see it?” and she went and got it. As she opened the book I immediately recognized it! It's that FLDS book we've all read! (I even made Andrew read it.) It's the book called “Escape”. It had a different cover, but I recognized it from the pictures in the middle. Right then I was SO GLAD I had read that book, because Sister Smith hadn't and didn’t know what on earth to do or say, but I could honestly say, “I have read that book, and it does not talk about the religion I belong to. I have also read this book (Book of Mormon), and I know that this book speaks of Christ and brings peace and joy.” Sister Smith then bore a powerful testimony as well and......drumroll.... SHE TOOK THE BOOK OF MORMON!! SHE DID! And she said she'd read it. We are returning in two weeks when she comes back home from somewhere. I hope she reads it. I am so happy that the Spirit exists and prompts you to ask people certain questions. I am happy that the things I did before my mission have prepared me for what I am encountering here. I am glad that through experiences and through the Spirit and being in the right place at the right time, fears in people can be calmed. I am so happy the Spirit exists!
Ok, so those are the few crazy stories of this week. Now for the happy ones!
We were in a park one day, and we came across two young girls smoking. We had a lesson with them and everything just went so smoothly. We spoke of life after death, and when Sister Smith asked if the girl had thought about that she said yes because her friend had died a month ago. We testified, finished the lesson, and asked if we could meet again. They asked if they could bring a friend and we said, “OF COURSE!!!” So the next day we had a really powerful lesson with three friends, one man who is 29, and two young girls, 20 and 21, who have life questions that the gospel answers. I loved this lesson as well because everything made sense to them. They didn't SAY that per se, but the questions they were asking made me realize how the Spirit was working with them. We laid out the plan of salvation on the park floor amid cigarette butts, and the man stared at it, listened and then asked if a fourth place existed for spirits because according to what we'd taught that would make sense to him because Satan cannot live anywhere where there is light etc. We were amazed and then went on to explain outer darkness even though that's not a part of what we usually talk about. We also spoke of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith. It was an intense lesson, but the Spirit led it, and they weren’t bored or phased. They were alert and just soaking it in. They are a huge blessing, and we are teaching them again tomorrow morning.
We were in a park one day, and we came across two young girls smoking. We had a lesson with them and everything just went so smoothly. We spoke of life after death, and when Sister Smith asked if the girl had thought about that she said yes because her friend had died a month ago. We testified, finished the lesson, and asked if we could meet again. They asked if they could bring a friend and we said, “OF COURSE!!!” So the next day we had a really powerful lesson with three friends, one man who is 29, and two young girls, 20 and 21, who have life questions that the gospel answers. I loved this lesson as well because everything made sense to them. They didn't SAY that per se, but the questions they were asking made me realize how the Spirit was working with them. We laid out the plan of salvation on the park floor amid cigarette butts, and the man stared at it, listened and then asked if a fourth place existed for spirits because according to what we'd taught that would make sense to him because Satan cannot live anywhere where there is light etc. We were amazed and then went on to explain outer darkness even though that's not a part of what we usually talk about. We also spoke of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith. It was an intense lesson, but the Spirit led it, and they weren’t bored or phased. They were alert and just soaking it in. They are a huge blessing, and we are teaching them again tomorrow morning.
This week I challenged Sister Smith to let me talk more during lessons, and it is good for me. It is hard for her I think, because she speaks better than I, but I need to start practicing. We taught a new convert Michal this week, and I had the gift of tongues like crazy. It was fantastic! Words just came, and the Spirit was strong. The gift of tongues is real. I bought a mini dictionary a while back and read it often. I highlight words I now use a lot, and my little book is getting greener and greener! (That’s the color I use.)
This week I started using ‘Preach My Gospel’ a lot more. We had a training [meeting] about it, and right before then I had asked Sister Smith if we could use it during companionship study. She agreed, and then we found out that was something President wanted us to do! I love that if you’re in tune things work out! It has helped us a lot, and I am so happy for that book! It helps my scripture study so much!
Also this week I was reading in my scriptures about friendship and how Jesus calls us his friends. I was thinking about that a lot, because it's interesting wording. I want to be Jesus' friend. In John we find out that the best friend is one who lays down his life for his friend. Christ did that but then he asks us to do the same. By serving him every day we do so, and we become more than His brother [or sister]. We are then called his friends. This is found in DC 11 I think. I apologize, I didn’t bring my scriptures to email, but it's there somewhere. Everyone has the privilege of calling themselves Christ’s brother [or sister], because we are. Everyone is. But being not only his brother [or sister], but also his friend is something we must strive for. And it's something I am striving for constantly. Then in Proverbs 18:24 it reads, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
I like this, anyway time is up.
I hope all is well! Crazy that Daddy was in PRAGUE! I hope he hugged the country for me! Haha, I love you all!
Love,
Sestra Satu-ova
This week I started using ‘Preach My Gospel’ a lot more. We had a training [meeting] about it, and right before then I had asked Sister Smith if we could use it during companionship study. She agreed, and then we found out that was something President wanted us to do! I love that if you’re in tune things work out! It has helped us a lot, and I am so happy for that book! It helps my scripture study so much!
Also this week I was reading in my scriptures about friendship and how Jesus calls us his friends. I was thinking about that a lot, because it's interesting wording. I want to be Jesus' friend. In John we find out that the best friend is one who lays down his life for his friend. Christ did that but then he asks us to do the same. By serving him every day we do so, and we become more than His brother [or sister]. We are then called his friends. This is found in DC 11 I think. I apologize, I didn’t bring my scriptures to email, but it's there somewhere. Everyone has the privilege of calling themselves Christ’s brother [or sister], because we are. Everyone is. But being not only his brother [or sister], but also his friend is something we must strive for. And it's something I am striving for constantly. Then in Proverbs 18:24 it reads, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
I like this, anyway time is up.
I hope all is well! Crazy that Daddy was in PRAGUE! I hope he hugged the country for me! Haha, I love you all!
Love,
Sestra Satu-ova