Everyone Knows Someone in Colorado: Week 72: 12/29/14

December 29, 2014

Longmont, CO

The funny thing about skyping is trying to remember what I already talked about/coming up with other things to talk about now/remembering that some of you weren't there for the skyping so I can talk about all of it anyway!

This was a great week! However there were a few sad moments. We had one of those experiences this week where we were walking to an appointment (we still have the car but we are walking as much as we can anyway) and we talked to someone on the street who was quite willing to talk at us, and pity us for our misguided belief in a higher power. I learned something neat thinking back on this experience and another similar one earlier in the week. In the Doctrine and Covenants we are promised that if we are doing missionary work then we won't be confounded before men. Sometimes it feels like I am though, when I literally have nothing to say to someone. There are things that I could say, and doctrines and testimony that might be brought up, but none of it feels right. I feel kind of confounded. However, I realized that sometimes the Spirit constrains us from speaking, when it isn't going to do any good. Instead of confounding, I would now call what I experience more of a stupor of thought. Not because the doctrine is wrong, but because the person I am speaking to is not willing to open their ears to hear and hearts to understand. I think not being confounded is more about not having your own testimony shaken than always having a comeback. In an interesting way, I find that my testimony is always strengthened by experiences like this. If not immediately, then as I ponder and search out the answers to questions they may have raised, I always learn.

Also, on the same walk to the same appointment, we saw another man outside shoveling his walk across the street. My companion and I looked and each other, nodded, and went across to talk to him. Just because one person wasn't friendly today, we can't let that scare us out of talking to someone else who may be (and in this case was) very friendly and willing to have a good conversation! He also gave us a referral to his artist friend down the street.

We seem to have a problem here, that we can't seem to keep a hold on too many investigators at once. You see, we have really been working on asking good questions and inspired questions, which can even happen in texting an investigator you haven't been able to contact for 3 weeks. Yay Z___ is back on the map! However, now F____ has disappeared. What can you do? Only all you can, luckily the Lord knows what is going on with him, and can help him out better than we can, though sometimes we get to be the tools.

Christmas was wonderfully fabulous! We got to do stockings with the Seyfis and the Hermanas in the morning, somehow Santa managed to pick my stocking up from home and drop it off there! I guess that is a perk of the Christmas Eve practice run at home. First breakfast of ice cream was delicious. Then breakfast at President Richards' house and getting schooled at pool. Awesome though because Sydney is preparing for a mission after high school, and they don't have sisters in her ward so we invited her to come out with us!

Back to the Seyfis for opening presents and watching How To Train Your Dragon 2 which I absolutely really loved. Also, how could I almost have forgotten to mention that Hermana Jarvis, who has been home for 8 months came and spent Christmas with us and it was so good to see her! Plus, this was living proof that there is life after the mission :)

First dinner and playing nertz with the Gablers was really fun, and watching my companion try to avoid the not as well done parts of her steak, when she's not that big a fan of meat anyway, was fun too. I am impressed with her skills ;)

The snow really fell while we were at the Gablers, but we still had no trouble getting to the Bartholomews to 'hangout' with our families! It was really exciting to get to see almost everyone, though the video cut out on their end part way through so I was invisible. Everybody is growing so much! And I got to see Eden walk, and Heather is pregnant and I am going to be there in June so I am super duper hugely excited about that. Peter and Dallas and Dolly were there so it was really fun. Adam's voice is changing and I think Michael's hair is even curlier than before, but maybe that is just his perpetual need for a haircut :)

I am so grateful for everyone who tried to make Christmas special and fun for us as missionaries, and I am incredibly grateful for the whole reason of it. Everything really comes back to Jesus Christ. As a mission we have been challenged to read the Book of Mormon and highlight every reference to Christ, his attributes, words, and doctrines. As I've been doing this the stories and distractions have faded into the background and I have been able to see even more how it is simply as it proclaims, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and as President Hinckley promised, as we prayerfully read the Book of Mormon there comes "a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God." It's true.

love, Sister Emily DeFord