Yesterday we had two very spiritual lessons. A woman (nickname: Flower) is an investigator, and she teaches English. One of the things she does is create subtitles for videos. She figures out how to use this program, and she listens and writes the subtitles. She's been to English practice several times, but hasn't recently because she's been busy with her classes. We stopped by with muffins and had a great talk about her work, which keeps her very busy, and about her daughter who is currently studying in Vladivostok. The daughter's been having some problems with school, but Flower said that when her grandma prayed for the daughter, the exact thing that she prayed for happened. Flower has had these spiritual experiences that I know are preparing her to receive the truth of the gospel.
The other lesson was with a less-active that we have visited and talked with several times. We've committed and re-committed her to read the Book of Mormon, and she hasn't. However, she has a lot of questions about faith and says that her faith is a very small sprout right now. We promised her that if she prepares for and attends General Conference, she will receive an answer. She got a little teary and said that she will study and prepare.
In both of those lessons, we did a lot of listening, and as we listened, we were prepared to teach what they needed to hear. The Spirit is definitely present in this work. I keep learning so much during my studies, and I LOVE studies. I'm so sad that we only have one hour of personal scripture study every day. The scriptures are so amazing, and when you add to that General Conference and chuch magazines and church handbooks and the missionary library and everything else, it's just too incredible to put into words.
We saw the Name Tag Family this week and had a good lesson, but they didn't come to church again. They haven't been since the elders moved out of the apartment they were renting for
them. This is really a time of testing their faith. Do they believe that this church is true?
We've also been blessed to see our branch president work really hard. He's been helping members get ready to receive their patriarchial blessings when the patriarch comes in November.
It rained a lot, about four days straight of sprinkling, or, as Sister Wilson put it, spitting. Sister Wilson and I have been having a lot more fun and understanding each other better, and every week we're improving and learning. What a wonderful opportunity a mission is for such intense growth.
Сестра Спрингер