This week has been really awesome, we went on
exchanges this week and so I had Sister Lemmon with me and we were able
to do so much work, like so many people that we have been trying to
contact we finally met and got a hold of. I had a really cool experience.
While on exchanges we went to try the Tinjum family. I had met Sister
Tinjum once before, and this time I met Brother Tinjum. I am always
nervous when talking to people for the first time, but talking to him I
was 100% relaxed and calm, no nerves at all. I know that that was the
Holy ghost. We just stood at the door and his daughter who is about 10
came over and was talking to us also. She told us she goes to church
with her friend, they go to a non denominational church, she is the
cutest thing and was asking us sincerely about how we know what Jesus
looks like and also she was telling us about how she loves to pray, that
when she has a hard day, or just whenever, she loves to go in her room
and just talk to God and try to feel him, she bore testimony to us
without even knowing it that she knows God lives and that she feels him
around her. She is such a powerful girl. Brother Tinjum was very kind
and we were able to talk to him about where he stands in the church and
he opened up, which doesn't seem like that happens often because the
ward doesn't even really know who he is. He told us he grew up in the
church and was super active til about 2 years ago. Then he started
telling us that everything he based who he was on, was on money. He
wanted to have the most money and the nicest car, and about 2 years ago
he realized that was wrong and that his whole life was centered on
money, and he had twisted good in his life to be pride. He told us that
he wants to know the Mormon church to be right. He loves it, but he is
trying to completely start over, cause he doesn't want anything to be
founded on money and pride. He is really trying to find God again. His
little girl asked about the Book of Mormon and we talked about it and he
told her what a wonderful book it was. It was so powerful. I have heard
so many excuses on my mission, but his was real, like he is trying not
to be prideful, I can't explain it over email, or even talking, but I
felt how truly sincere he was. He really opened up with me and we were
talking and I asked if we could come over again, and he said yes and
that he wants to talk, because he felt that I was not fake, but I was
sincere as well, and that he would love to talk with someone who was
sincere. Brother Tinjum is wonderful, The sprit that was there while we
were talking was and is undeniable, I know the Holy Ghost was there to
soften him as well as to help me not be nervous so I could truly be my
self and talk with him. This was one of the most amazing moments of my
mission :)
The last couple weeks have been full of
people and anti stuff also...I have never run into anti really, except a
couple of times, until the last couple weeks, and it seems like people
just keep finding it. The same stuff that John was reading that I told
you about last week, Lisa Pino found it, we went over to their house
last night and she told us church was just "eh" but it was such a
powerful meeting totally centered around Jesus Christ and the atonement,
which is what she wanted. But when she told us she had gotten on the
internet I immediately knew that is why she did not enjoy church, cause
she had all this anti crap in her head. But we sat down and had her ask
her questions and we answered them. We tied everything back to her
needing to read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart. We told her the
only way she will know for her self is to go straight to the source,
and read the Book of Mormon, not to the internet where there are so many
lies and half truths that twist and change the true doctrine of the
gospel and history. We told her also that we can share with her
everything, but even that is not enough, she needs to read the book,
because she can not use what another person says, but she has to read it
herself. In the end she felt better and said that she could read. I am
so thankful for my testimony of the Book of Mormon and that I know it is
true and that the Holy Ghost will show others that is is true. That is
a promise and it will happen if they read with a sincere heart. I have
seen this on my mission time and time again. The people who do read and
sincerely want to know , receive an answer from God that the book is
true, and these people change and progress and become closer to God, But
the people who don't read and try take to easy way out, with just
listening to us, or even going to the internet, never receive an answer,
and it is because they are not reading the Book of Mormon. So if anyone
gets anything out of this email today I want it to be that there is no
easy way out of God's promises, if we want an answer we have to fully
dedicate our selves to finding the answer and reading the Book of
Mormon, and i am not saying 5 minutes a day, I mean sincerely pondering
and praying and reading the Book or Mormon. I think about how in a
college paper you have to sight your sources and they all have to be
legitimate sources, from actual texts, not just someone's opinion, or
Wikipedia. It has to be a true source, and that source in the gospel is
prayer, because is a direct link to GOD, and the second source is the
Book of Mormon, because it is the book that everything we believe is
wagered on. I love the Book of Mormon, I know that is it true.
Oh! Zack! Zack is awesome! He went back to Billings this week. Oh
my we are going to miss him, we were able to get through almost all the
lessons before he left. He told us he wants us to come to his baptism,
but we don't know if we will be able to, I would love to though. He is
evidence that Heavenly Father prepares people for the gospel. God also
has a plan that is for sure, It was Zacks last day at the food bank for
his internship, and we just happened to volunteer that day, and he felt
comfortable to talk to us. His Wife is LDS they happened to move to
Billings cause that is where the internship is based, and there is
temple there. God's hand is in our lives that is for sure. Zack has such
a powerful and dedicated testimony. I will have to send pictures of him
and us sometime next week :)
I love all of you and
pray for you daily. I love this gospel :) Have a wonderful week, I am
sorry that this email is short, but I can't think of much to say. Love
you all!
Love Sister Andrea Draudt
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