I realized that I haven’t been writing many “typical” missionary stories for my blog, so here are a few short stories from the last few weeks.
(I try not to include their real names or too many details because I know this is going on a blog, and the internet is a big place and I want to maintain people's privacy)
We were on Fort Sill (a US Army base) to have dinner with some of the members that live there and afterwards we decided to check on some less-active members that supposedly lived there. We did and after several not being home, or not answering the door, and getting lost once, we knocked on yet another door. A cute young couple with one child answered and let us in! They shared their stories with us--apparently they didn't know that their church records were here, but thankfully some membership clerk had sent them to our ward, so we were able to find them. They shared their concerns and we testified and promised blessings:
• he could be a powerful priesthood holder in his home, and
• she could feel the peace and happiness that she had felt as a youth, and
• they could still reach for a temple marriage.
They both have a testimony of Joseph Smith and we built on that and their desires to teach their son the things they know and have learned. We invited them to come to church and left them with a Joy to the World DVD. They said maybe, and over the course of the week I had almost forgotten about them. Then Sunday morning came and we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and I saw them through the open chapel door at the back. I am so grateful they came because that shows their faith was sufficient to take action! Despite the fact that they have many steps to go they took the first one!!! We are so hopeful for them and excited to see what we can do to build their faith and strengthen their desire to live the gospel! It is always a miracle to be the person that finds people and invites them back!
We are trying to find everyone in our ward. We have hundreds of people that no one knows who they are or they are still here and we are "going out in the desert to seek the lost sheep." Unfortunately it's not 1 in 100; it's more like 60 or 70 in 100. So far in the last 2 weeks we have documented around 45 people that have moved out and we don't know where they are. So they are now truly lost and I pray that other missionaries will be able to find them and request their records. Because we don't know where they are, we have no way to help them. But in the midst of this jungle of less-active members we have found several who are prepared to come back! Every less-active member that comes back has said to us that they have been thinking about coming back to church recently. I know that God's influence is working in their lives behind the scenes and in ways that none of us can know.
We found a lovely couple a little over a month ago who have been sealed in the temple and have served in the church but because who knows why, when they moved here to Oklahoma 3 years ago they drifted away and haven't been to church since. We showed up on their door on a Saturday afternoon and they invited us in and bore testimony and we could just feel the Spirit so tangibly. We could sense that they knew the gospel and had been prepared by the Lord for us to be there that day. They have come to church ever since and recently talked to the bishop about paying tithing and getting new temple recommends. They also have an inactive daughter and a son-in-law who is not a member that we hope to help as well.
So there are two stories. More will follow, especially when biking-- crazy funny things happen when we bike!
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
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