Hi Family and Friends!
Hope you are all doing excellent this week.
It's been another full on week at Temple Square but I love it. Beehive House is fun and I seriously don't know how people find it because its kind of off to the side of the Square but they keep coming and we keep taking them around on our tour of this great House. I have a new found love and appreciation for the Prophet Brigham Young and its really special knowing that he lived in this very House that we take people through. If you ever get a chance, do come and see the House. It's amazing.
The TC (teaching centre) is awesome. We have the opportunity to call our investigators as well as chat to people who come on mormon.org and we answer phone calls too. You do get some strange calls, like the other night I took a phone call that made me laugh. I did the introduction spiel, "Thank you for calling the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my name is Nicola (yes we go by our first names) how can I help you?" Anyway, the caller said, "Have you heard the good news?" I'm thinking, "Oh great this is, "one" of those calls and this person may be just wasting my time so I repeat again, "Thanks for calling how can I help you?" And the person repeats, "Have you heard the good news?" I said, "Sorry you called, how can I help you?" He said, "Didn't you hear me? I'm like, "Yes!" So he said again, "Have you heard the good news?" So, I play along and say, "No, whats the good news?" He said, "Its about Joseph Smith!" I then said, "Okay....what about him?" And he said, "HE'S BACK!" Well, before I lose it and start cracking up laughing I say, "Thank you for calling the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have a nice day. Beep beep beep!" Then I had a bit of a chuckle. We receive all kinds of calls and the teaching centre can be quite hilarious at times but its also a great way to meet the golden investigators who genuinely have sincere questions about the church.
I met Louise (I have changed her name) the other day and she is a Satanist but she asked some very sincere and genuine questions. I offered to call her and teach her but she said that the "Church" she goes to monitors everything she does and controls her telephone and email accounts, so she's given me another email account to use so we can stay in touch. I haven't heard back from her yet but I pray for her to have the strength and courage to turn towards Christ.
One thing I have really learnt this week is how important members are. You back home have many opportunities to talk so openly with your friends, workmates and university classmates about the gospel in a non confrontational way. They won't run away from you because they know and trust you. That gives you the upper hand. I think more members should be inviting their friends and neighbours over for family home evening or even to ward activities and then get the missionaries over to meet with them. I know the Lord is truly preparing the people all around you and he needs everyone to do their part by opening their mouths.
I know that missionary work is the only way our world is going to improve. The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families and you can promise your friends that the same thing can happen to them and then use your own lives as the example for them to look at. It's hard calling people who don't know you personally or don't want to change but then you speak to someone who knows a member of the church and then they are more willing to listen to you, even if it's just out of respect for their friends.
Conference is just around the corner and apparently we will make contact with people from 8:00 a.m. sometimes until up to 10:30 p.m. over those 2 days. It is the epitome of Temple Square member experience. We invite all to come unto Christ not just the ones we think are ready. I know that by following Jesus Christ's example our lives are blessed and that it is so important to strengthen our families in this day and age.
Thanks mum and dad for holding Family Home Evening every Monday night because I can share those experiences with people who are worried about raising their own children. We are the individuals who determine our own destiny. We shouldn't let the media or technology determine which way is the right way to go. Jesus Christ is my Saviour and I will follow his example.
I love you all and hope that you are inspired to go and do some missionary work this week and if any of you have friends that you think would like to know about the church, then email me at nicola.chadderton@myldsmail.net with there name, phone number, address, a little background info and I can call them personally or have 160 other missionaries that would be willing and able to call.
The church is true! So be happy! I'm happy and am grateful for any contact from the outside world. It's kind of like living in a bubble here but its for our own safety and benefit.
God bless you. Be safe.
Lots of Love,
Sister N Chadderton!!!!
P.S. WRITE ME!!!! SEND PICTURES :) Love you!
Pic 1: Me and the birthday girl Sister Wilhelm from Chile shes awesome! (part of my district)
Pic 2: Beehive house
Pic 3: Bedroom mine is the yellow one
Pic 4: Birthday lunch at Costa Vida for Sis Wilhelm
Pic 5: Mission pres and wife with our AP's teaching us to keep our apartments clean lol
Pic 6: Me and my companion
Pic 7: Family Search pic
No comments:
Post a Comment