Here is one of the pictures I promised last week (or was it 2 weeks ago!) Just a reminder. From March 21st entry - [I had my first baptism this week. The brother who was baptized is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's in his 60's, never lets us leave his house without snacks, and trusts in his Heavenly Father with absolute solidity. After his baptism, he stood up to bear his testimony. After a long pause, just standing in front of the crowd, he finally began speaking. "I cannot say it, the joy is too great." He gestured to his heart and his eyes began to tear up. Later he explained to us how he still felt like he was floating. I'm eternally grateful for opportunity I had to be raised in the gospel and baptized at 8, yet I wish I could remember that feeling. I was too young, the memories are too far away. I'm grateful for the chance I had to see that joy in his eyes and to know that he could feel God's love for him.]
This week has been fun and utterly exhausting. We've spent long days opening up new sections of our area to work in. We often go with one or two appointments, maybe a referral. After those appointments we spend the rest of the day finding new investigators. These past two weeks we've been blessed with 30 new investigators and many return appointments with people who were too busy for us when we passed through. We were blessed with doors in our faces and people inviting us in before we have a chance to say who we are. Each day has been filled with miracles, gasps of surprise when people hear me begin to speak their language, and sore feet. I've grown far more appreciative of my bed the past few days and the hours that I've been given to sleep.
I've tried really hard the past few days to make sure that I'm thankful for the difficulties I go through as well as the positive things. It is due to those slammed doors that the open ones are so great. It is because of sore feet that I'm able to be physically reminded I've worked my hardest. The cold rainy days only make the hot sunny ones more fun. I've started to realize that through our tears we see are joy most clearly. As I said last week in my blog, I'm so happy for the chance to cry about those who were taken away from me, because it shows me how much I was blessed to be with them.
Now- don't get me wrong, I still love the blessings while I'm in them. I was grateful for each open door in and of itself, disregarding the closed doors. We have to be grateful for the rain, however, because if life was all sun- it would be a desert. (Vegas is still a great place though).
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