We had Zone Conference this week! I love
zone conference! We focused a lot on how we can work more with the
members and help the members get excited about missionary work! We had a
lot of really amazing ideas and we're already seeing the benefits! Our
ward is amazing right now with missionary work! This Sunday we had a
whole missionary work ward council and then a missionary sacrament
meeting! All three of us Sisters spoke and the 2nd counselor in the
mission presidency and his wife spoke as well! It's so much fun to see
people get excited and happy about missionary work! And it brings so
many blessings and miracles!
Also at zone conference one of our senior sisters told me I have a great smile- but it's a sly smile like I have a secret! haha! Since y'all know me can you confirm? I've never had someone say that before but I loved it.
We
had a lesson with my adopted Boston grandpa and his wife this week-
He's a member of the church and she's not. We talked to them a lot about
the nature of Heavenly Father and how we've seen His hand in our lives.
We asked them to read 3 Nephi 12 together as a couple and they said
yes! Then on Sunday
before church started I went and sat by Brother Jacobson and he was so
happy and teary and he told me that in their 48 years of marriage his
wife has never once agreed to read from the Book of Mormon before! My
heart was overflowing! What a precious miracle.
We
had exchanges again this week and Sister Taylor and I spent the day in
our area with Sister Conder! (Sister Conder is basically my part-time
companion we work together so much) It was a miracle day! The windows
of heaven were open for us! We found this amazing street and 5 people
that were all neighbors accepted a Book of Mormon from us and invited us
to come back again! And then we got a referral from Sister Conder's
ward for a family! We're meeting with them on Tuesday! So we found 11 new people that we might be able to teach all in about 3 hours! It was incredible!
Saturday
was one of the happiest best most wonderful days of my whole life.
Sister Thedell was with my companionship because we had an appointment
with Oca! (the hiligaynon speaker) We met Oca on Thursday for the first time and he
asked us to come back for a lesson on Saturday.
We did some service for pioneer day in the morning and helped out with a
5k. Then after studies we headed over to Oca's house. When we got there
there were 2 people standing outside his door. We quickly found out
that they were also from the Philippines and they also speak
HILIGAYNON!! Leo is from Bacolod and his girlfriend is from Iloilo!
Divine Design!! Sister Thedell and I talked to Leo and Oca for like an
hour! Mostly in Hiligaynon. They were so amazed that we had only been
learning for 3 months! They kept asking how and we just kept saying it
was a gift from God. It was one of the coolest experiences of my whole
life! It was so much fun. They want to help us learn more. Leo had to
leave but Oca invited us in for the lesson. Sister Thedell and I were
able to teach Oca the entire restoration in Hiligaynon. The gift of
tongues is SO real. The spirit was amazing. I gave Oca a Hiligaynon Book
of Mormon on Thursday
with my testimony in it and he read it out loud before we started the
lesson. He told me my grammar was almost perfect :') (Thank you Brother
Adamson & Brother Mariano). At the end of the lesson Oca asked us
where we wanted him to read in the Book of Mormon. He said he believed
in it and if he didn't believe it he wouldn't read it. It was so
amazing. Then he prayed for the first time and in his prayer he said he
wanted to know if the Book of Mormon was true. My heart is still
overflowing!!! I cannot believe how blessed I am. It makes me weak like
Ammon. Oca said we can come back and teach more on Saturdays. I have so
much love for him already.
Also that night was our stake pioneer day party. It was such a blast. They had all the missionaries play tug-of-war and my district won twice! We had a lot of ward members bring their neighbors too which was awesome! I love our ward family.
I
am so happy to be here in the California Irvine Mission- I know I'm
here for a reason. I did fast for my VISA this week but I have so much
peace that it's all in Heavenly Father's hands and timing. In the mean
time I'm going to have Oca introduce me to all of his Hiligaynon friends
and we'll just teach them all!
Palangga ko kamo!! (I love you)
Kita-kits! (See you later)
Sister Zollinger
No comments:
Post a Comment