Become, Today

Holla Familia,
So this week has been pretty interesting.
So at the beginning of the week, we met up with a Former investigator named Barbara. She is an interesting older lady with a very short attention span. We taught her the Restoration and she was super into what we were saying and talked about how she remembered the video about it as well from the previous sisters. We then put her on date for Baptism and she said that she really wanted too but that there was a ton of things that she needed to change and do in order to do. She then got a phone call and then her granddaughter came in and started talking about how cold she was. So that was pretty much the end of the lesson. But she said she was excited to continue learning and find out more about the Gospel. So we will see how that goes.
The next thing that happened was we tried one of our Investigators, Katie and we started teaching her the Restoration and as we were talking about things, she kept saying "well that is interesting" and we asked her how she would feel about a modern day prophet.    She said that she would want to know him. It was going all well, when all of a sudden she said "Oh my! I've got more company!" There walked up two ladies from her church.... her Visiting Teachers... Awkward... Katie then said that we were done and that we could go. One of the ladies you could see her clenching her jaw and the vein in her neck kinda pulsing.   She was forcing this rather creepy smile; trying to be nice to us... What was even more fun was walking outside and the two ladies husbands were sitting out in the car.   As we walked past them they said, "Bye bye Mormons"  Probably a major Anti hit her... We will see when we try her again this week. Which is unfortunate that people feel so negative, and they don't even really know why.
So that day was going pretty downhill as one after another appointments fell through, and people weren't home. Then we decided to try around a members house and try all of the homes that previous missionaries had said was good to go back...Which sometimes works wonderfully and then other times they look at you and say "It was a few months ago that I told you guys not to come back!" So it's always fun to try out the people. But this time it was a good experience. We met a lady named Melissa. She had a son named Jackson that was about 7 years old, and she had a step daughter that was 17. She opened the door and let us right in! She then told us that she had cousins that were Mormons that lived in Idaho, and she really liked them and how happy they were! YESSSSS!!! It's always the best when they Like their Mormon Relatives instead of just shunning them because of all the weird things they hear about them... or if their relative doesn't live all of the standards or commandments... Anywho! She let us in and we taught her the Restoration, she just kept nodding her head throughout the whole thing. We then talked about the Book of Mormon and the blessings that come from reading it. She didn't talk very much, because she said that she was a little "awkward" that way. But it felt really good when we were teaching her, so hopefully when we come back this week she has read the chapter we left with her and that she is still awesome!!
It's awesome how the Lord blesses us with Little tender Mercies throughout the day, even though sometimes they don't work out in the moment or the next week or they decide that they don't want to talk later... The Lord was still watching out for us in that moment went we needed it. He does care about how we feel all day e're day, and he is watching out for us and waiting for that moment when we are willing and have a broken heart and contrite spirit to come and seek for him. It is up to us to accept the Savior.   He will not force us to have faith in Him, or to repent, or to give service to others. He does promise us blessings as we do these things, but he doesn't take away our agency. Sometimes due to our choices negative things happen and we say that it was God’s way of punishing us... No. That is the consequence of sin, for breaking the law. God can't take away blessings. We personally do that to ourselves. God gives us all, and we accept or reject.
Which kinda, but not really, leads into the lesson we learned at Zone Meeting this week. Who am I? Who do I want to be?  We talked about Nephi and his Brothers. Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. In regards to the talk called "The Fourth Missionary" you should read it and just change out when it says missionary with member. But we talked about 1 Nephi 15. How Nephi asked his brethren if they asked the Lord about what their father said, and they replied back that they had not because the Lord made no such things made known unto them.      Did you ask the Lord to know that it was True? Were you Humble enough to not harden your heart against the answer? If we do not ask - then we will not gain knowledge. If we don't believe we will receive an answer or aren't willing to act on it then we are right, we won't learn or gain knowledge from the Lord.  We then talked about how we all have a "Box" back home that is filled with our Old self, and in some cases who we are now. It contains my earthly possessions, thoughts, words, and deeds. That prevent us from moving forward or becoming who we know/ want to become. In John 21: Peter went back to his box. He went back to doing what he used to do. Christ talked with him and gave him a second chance. This is after Peter had denied him three times (why he denied him there are many reasons that float around) The Lord still chose him, gave him another opportunity. Peter left everything behind and followed the Savior.   This is our time to put our heart in the Lord. If we can't now, then we can't after.’ I will change later’ doesn't work. Later never comes, and why would you deny yourself of happiness that you can have right now? Even though you can't see why or how it can make you happy - it will. We have come here to change, not to decide what we will or will not change. The Lords wants us to give all. Continually repenting - being refined as gold. As we continually are refined the more imperfections that leave us, and soon we will become pure gold where the reflection of the Savior can be seen within us. One of my lovely sisters sent me a quote last week that said: My best is good enough... and sometimes I don't do my best, but at those times I can always recommit. I'm never too far behind to catch up. There's no such thing with the Atonement.
Whether it be a pair of Skinny jeans, foul language, sarcasm, idleness, or whatever it may be. Clean out the Box. Become today who you want to be tomorrow. Yes, People may still see you as the person that you were Yesterday, but Who you left behind Yesterday and who you met today is what really matters.
I love you all and I hope you are all doing well. Keep working hard. Praying. Reading Scriptures. Live, Love, Laugh, Llamas.
Loves,
Sister Karen Call