HEY Y'ALL!
It was a
great week here in the Grayson area of ATL! Every week in the mission field is just
amazing. We see miracles every day and I love witnessing how the gospel helps people
change for the best. There's nothing better!
The work
was kind of slow this week and I don't have much time to write today, but I want
to share a lesson I learned from a member of our ward, Brother Watkins. On
Wednesday afternoon Brother Watkins went with Elder Flake and me to teach one
of our investigators named Oliver. Oliver is Jamaican and he can be very
frustrating to teach because he doesn't believe anything we tell him unless
it's straight out of the Bible. We taught him for probably an hour and a half
that afternoon and I walked out of there feeling like we hadn't really
accomplished much. When we were in the car Brother Watkins asked us how we were
feeling and both Elder Flake and I expressed how frustrated we were. Brother
Watkins said "Ya, I can see that. But I want to tell you why you should never be frustrated about
a lesson or any of the work you are doing." He proceeded to tell us a
story about his grandpa. Just to give you a little background story, Brother
Watkin's parents are converts to the church and his grandparents weren’t members.
In his immediate family, Brother Watkins and his parents were the only ones who
were active in the church during the time when his grandpa was nearing his
death. Right before his grandpa died, he shot out of bed and basically begged
Brother Watkins to take him to the Salt Lake Temple because he had known all
along that the gospel was true. However he didn't realize how important it actually
was until he was so close to death. Brother Watkins went on to tell us that
there had been many opportunities for his grandpa to join the church and there
were a lot of people who influenced him and helped his testimony grow. There is
a lot more to the story that I'm not including, but Brother Watkins told us
this story so that we could understand that it's not always the right time for
everyone to accept the gospel while we're teaching them.
Oliver is
one of the most curious investigators I've taught so far. I can tell that he
knows what we teach him is true because it makes him uncomfortable. Even though he is troubled, he continues to
grow and continues to want more. From him I’ve learned there is truth in the
phrase, "There is no growth in comfort and no comfort in growth."
From Brother Watkins I also learned that although people like Oliver might not
be ready NOW to accept the gospel, we never know what the Lord's timetable is
or how He is preparing his children to accept the fullness of His gospel. I
really believe that Oliver will join the church some day, but it's going to
take time. I’ve always known that as a missionary I am an instrument in God’s
hand and that it’s my job to deliver the message He has prepared. It’s not my job, however, to dictate when, if at all, his children will
accept the truth. My experience with
Oliver has helped me live and completely understand this truth. In addition, the
lesson I learned from Brother Watkins is that missionary work isn’t always
about numbers and what others see as successful. It's about helping others
along the path of their of personal progression which includes guiding them
toward gaining a testimony. I've come to
learn that I really couldn't care less how often I baptize or who I
baptize. What I do care about is all of
the lives I touch every day in one way or another.
I don't
know why I wanted to share this story. I do know, however, that I’m learning to
be more humble, patient and grateful every single day. I love each of you and am so grateful for
your support! Have a great week y'all!
Elder Roddy
P.S. Make Mother’s Day a month long
celebration. Go to church and make her
happy!
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