Monday, July 21, 2014

July 21, 2014: Finding The Tens Of Thousands


Hola!!

 

We had a wonderful, super duper week this week! To start out...we've been temporarily moved to...the Bryan sisters' (Sister Schellhous and Sister Newhouse) apartment! Four girls in a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment? It's like BYU all over again! let's just say...it's a little bit of a challenge to get to bed on time. We're living with them because let's face it...our apartment was located in the armpit of Bryan, Texas usa..We said goodbye to the dump on Thursday and we'll be moving into our new apartment August 1st..Which happens to be like three days after transfers so I might not even get to live in it! Oh well! It's about how you serve, not where you live, right? RIGHT!

 

 Anyways, we ventured to Caldwell on Friday and we found so many new people to teach! The following day, we had a ward talent show that we missionaries planned and it was a hit! My favorite act of the night was definitely Andres Bustamante..That boy can sing! He needs to be on La Voz kids (the voice kids).. I wish I could send videos home...One day you'll see! We had some others show up and some people that we've been teaching as well..One of the great miracles of the week happened when we were contacting (walking around, talking to people)..

 

We found a beautiful family with six kids that had literally just hopped the border from Mexico..We were talking to the dad, Jose, and he said, "El libro de Mormon?!? Ya lo tengo!!" (the book of Mormon? I already have one!) wahoooo..He was so excited but then there was a downside...the only contact info he had to give was the name of his neighborhood because they just got here..We told them about English class so hopefully they come or else, we're going to find them some way!!!!!!!!

My favorite moment of the week was last night...We taught "dad"...This past week at district meeting we learned about applying the experience of Joseph Smith to our lives..He was a young boy, wanting to know which of all the churches was the true church..With the many churches pressing their beliefs upon him, he couldn't decide for himself..So he decided to ask God. Sounds similar to our lives, right? We read the first 17 verses with him and the scriptures came to life, it was amazing! We taught that everyone has their own "verse 15", where the adversary attacks and tries to prevent something wonderful from happening. Ever since we've begun teaching him, our family has been going through some hard times...So I asked him, "Do you think that the things that have happened since we began teaching you are a coincidence?" He had never put the dots together but he saw them very clearly at that moment. We testified to him that his answer is going to come, he just has to continue doing what the Lord has asked him. We asked him, "Do you believe that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?" He paused and said, "I think it could have happened.." That's my dad saying yes without saying yes ha-ha...We then asked, "And what would that mean?" He said, "It would mean that the Book of Mormon is true.." And what would that mean? THIS IS CHRIST'S CHURCH. We helped him put the puzzle together and realize that it is one big domino effect that drops its last brick into the waters of baptism ha-ha...As we taught and testified to him, I felt so strongly, "This is why I'm here. To help my family." I find it so interesting that I've had the biggest impact on my dad when I'm thousands of miles away! I know that his change would not have happened if I had just continued my studies at byu...How grateful I am to be here!

 

Fun/crazy moment of the week? Thursday night, after sports night, it was down pouring. I had never seen it rain so hard in my entire life! As we stood behind the doors of the church, looking outside, we decided, let's play in the rain! We ran to the car and threw our nice clothes inside and then went nuts..Yes people..missionaries can have fun too! The water was up to our knees as the Bryan sisters, our Elders, and Cran and I ran around..The scary part was the lightning! It was EVERYWHERE. It was strike so close that there was no separation between the flash and the thunder and it was so bright, you couldn't see anything for a moment..It was kind of like a strobe light on steroids...okay...we were kind of dumb for doing that...we're still alive though!

 

side note from Mom::: Emma is deathly afraid of thunder and lightning, she has been fearful since birth. in a baseball game or softball game, soccer golf, she would run off the course or field not caring for anything but her safety--not in a dugout, but a care, with rubber tires. I only thought of the movie Caddy Shack, when the Priest is playing golf in the biblical storm.

 

Guess what happened on the way back to our apartment? FLASH FLOOD. The water rose half way up our car doors and did we got stuck..All the cars around us were stuck and people were beginning to ditch their cars..Well, our car kept on coasting through the waters..how? hmmm angels? I really think that there were angels pushing behind the car because how else can a car go up hill when there is no gas pedal? With God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)

 

Well......that's that....I hope you all had a wonderful week! oh and ps....my mailing address is still the same for now..we still have the mail key :) JUST KEEP SWIMMING! The Church is true.

Love,

Hermana Emma Seymour

 




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