Not a terribly exciting week
up here in the great Pacific Northwest. Another week of talking with people and
finding some new people and talking with more people and then teaching some
people. This area has presented a particular challenge for us because the
Spanish population is a lot less prevalent in our area and so our opportunities
to find them are fewer and farther between. The English elders that cover our
area are loving us though, that’s for sure. Two sets of missionaries finding
for one area.
This week we did have a
pretty cool evening with the ward. Once a week most families in the church have
what’s called "Family Home Evening" which is a chance for a family to
get together and spend time together, having fun and learning about the gospel.
Well this week, our branch decided to do a big group one as a branch at the
church Monday night. It was a fun experience to get to know everyone
a little bit better and have some treats. There was a miscommunication so we
ended up getting to give the lesson with 0 seconds notice. Yet again, I can
attest to the fact that the gift of exhortation is a real thing. 2 years ago I
wouldn't have been able to come up with a lesson and scripture on the spot, let
alone in Spanish. Now it seems like nothing. Definitely grateful for the help
the Lord gives us if we are making sure to do our part.
Probably the coolest example
of charity this week happened to us. Well, not to us specifically but we
witnessed it. We were out walking around one hot afternoon and found someone to
talk with (which was a tender mercy in and of its self at that hour of the
afternoon) and shortly found out that his wife of 10 years had left him and
took everything, except the kids, so he was staying at his parent's house
trying to get his feet under him. We then, shortly thereafter, find out that
she had also damaged some property of his and was caught, but after a few days,
he dropped the charges because he didn't want to ruin her life. Then, the next
time we see him a few days later and we ask to say a prayer to start the
lesson, he volunteers uninvited to say it, and in the course of the prayer,
prays for the well-being of his wife and asks that she be watched over and
helped. It was humbling to see someone so willing to 'frankly forgive' and to treat
someone with such kindness despite what had happened to him.
The quote this week comes
from exchanges with one of the missionaries in the district. He was driving for
the first time in his area and since he hadn't been there too long he was still
getting used to the area and the streets and all that. We were coming up to a
street we needed to take but it was marked weird and had a bike symbol printed
right in the middle of it. It confused us and since we had to take the road and
our window was shortly closing my companion for the day exclaimed:
"Is this a car or a bike
lane??!! Well, now it’s a car lane!"
and then quickly veers the
car to make the turn just in the nick of time. If nothing else, he and I found the experience rather hilarious.
And with that, I wish you a
week of easy choices and obvious answers.
Elder
Kupferer
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