I'm excited for the 4th! Well... not as excited as I used to be. We were going to go in at 6 p.m., but then President extended it to 8 p.m. I wanted to go in early and catch up on my journal and my Book of Mormon reading!!! I'm so far behind on both!
So... Joe wasn't home this week. We texted him but he never responded. So we are going to try again this week. We also turned Lexi over to the sisters in her area since she's married now. They met her yesterday but I don't know what happened.
Something cool that happened Sunday... TWO YSA'S GOT THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD!!! We're getting so close to becoming a Branch. We have to have 7 Melchizedek priesthood holders. So we're at 5... we're so close. Got to re-activate those less actives! It was cool to be in the room and to feel the spirit. I won’t forget that moment. It was incredible.
So let's see, this week - We... are.... moving! We are in the process of looking for an apartment. There are 3 sets of missionaries in the neighborhood. The zone leaders had the window below them shot out, and we swear we heard gun shots one night! I did the Scooby Doo inside the apartment and accidentally slammed Sister Lefevor's rear end in the door. We have planned each night with the lights off. So we're all getting moved away.
We had 2 referrals given to us this week: Asia and Jhari. They are 2 YSA girls and they have a baptism date! We haven't met them yet, but we are hopefully going to tonight.
Last Monday we had a great FHE! We played Minute-To-Win-It games. One of our YSA's left to go back to school at BYU-I (good choice). I had to skip our appointment with Gwen though.
Tuesday we had dinner at a Less-active's and she is just going no where. We decided during weekly planning that we need to be a lot more bold with those we teach. Loving, but bold. There are too many people who aren't progressing who think it's ok to just wait until they're ready. So we're going to give them a choice to act or to wait until they are ready. We decided we should spend our time with the progressing people and finding those who are prepared to hear the gospel.
Wednesday we visited a Less-active who is YSA age but has 3 kids. We taught her about the importance of scriptures using rocks and rice. How in the world does one teach this? We had her put rice in a jar which represented her small tasks, and then had her try to fit 5 large rocks in, that represented work, family, scriptures, church, praying. She couldn't do it. So we had her put the rocks in first and then the rice and she was able to fit it all in! She understood. So we gave her a children's Book of Mormon to read with her kids nightly. She's not keeping up on it... But we'll keep trying with her. We also had Institute which was so boring! We are learning about Family History, and the teacher keeps making it sound like we're actually going to do it but she just stands and talks about it for an hour and a half. It's a good experience to learn patience and how to listen and pay attention.
Thursday we had a FHE with the family ward. We had an investigator show up who dropped the missionaries a while back. I never knew him. But he was going to get baptized and then just said one day "stop bugging me". Well, he just came! He said he doesn't believe a lot of things and he will never stop chewing tobacco. And he does not want to learn any more... I have come to notice this week that a lot of people are just too lazy to live up to God's standards. A young man in my first area told me over Facebook that he is atheist and that the standards of the church were too extensive and invading. I said, "Yeah God's standards can be pretty hard to live up to." It's so sad to see the world crumbling SO fast!
Friday we had our weekly planning, and we prepared bold messages to help everyone who is idle to decide to serve God or to wait. It’s going to be hard. We are worried about one Less-active in particular because she got offended and will never come to Relief Society again, and her Mom got offended and will never come to church again. So we have to be gentle, but these people need to make a decision. I know for a fact that I will never become a Less-active. My testimony will never waver. If I ever get offended, I will still attend church because I go for God, not for the people there. I have made that decision and I will stand by it for eternity.
I encourage all to decide today what you will do. If you're a member of the church, promise to stay strong no matter what. If you're Less-active, do what it takes to get back to church. If you really love God, you will be there just as Christ said in John 14:15 "if ye love me, keep my commandments". If you are not a member of the church, find out if it's true. Show your devotion to God and find His true gospel. Do what it takes to get an answer. Sacrifice what you must to keep your testimony strong.
As for Saturday and Sunday, we found a lot of potentials. We re-contacted Caleb. He was shocked that we were so persistent. He hadn't read. But he will. We're going back in a week and a half. He really wants to keep his end of the promise since we're so diligent in coming back. Sunday we also met a girl named Dae (Day). She let us in and we talked for an hour. She's basically a dry Mormon. She is living right and knows how to keep her marriage strong in God. She's going to the sisters though because she's married.
You reminded me to tell you about my study last Sunday! I... Forgot my notebook and the Ensign magazine, haha so I don't remember it! I do know that I read the talk "Teaching With Power and Authority" in conference. It was good.
This week we've tried to focus more on the people and the area. Miracles have happened. We had so many referrals from the other missionaries and we've seen Heavenly Father helping us along. He's also helped me have the motivation to tract! I hate tracting but we've done it faithfully for an hour each day. No matter how hot it is. It's worth it.
I don't want this to end. Can you ask President Monson if I can stay out forever? I'd appreciate that. I have seen the tender mercies of the Lord so much this past week and I hope you can too in your day. Have a great week! I love you.
~Sister Rokovitz~
Camels at the zoo....Hump Day!!! Woot Woot!!
This is what humidity does to my straightened hair.
The other sister missionaries decorated our door. "Keep calm and Mormon on!"
