17Aug2009

What a week. Please pray for Elder Ginatto who was diagnosed with a heart problem,
and Elder Worthington who tore his Achilles tendon. Elder Worthington (the financial
secretary, they just got out here in July) was giving out pass-along cards to everyone in the hospital. :) He came right back to the office and has been working with his foot propped up on a chair. He refused to go back to Salt Lake for surgery and recovery. I am so blessed to be surrounded by missionaries with all this enthusiasm for the work.

Windsor Locks is as exciting as always. This week we tracted into a guy and set up a
return appointment. When we went back he had his computer and headset all set up, and said he had a friend in Cairo who wanted to listen to the lesson! She wants to get a copy of the Book of Mormon and learn more. We couldn't tell her a whole lot except to go to mormon.org and that we would try to find out if there were any members or a church in the area. As far as I know there are not proselyting missionaries in Egypt. But miracles happen. We'll see how this one turns out. We taught someone in Egypt! How cool is that?

We are still teaching the 17-year-old that we found a couple weeks ago and things are going really well. He reads everything like crazy and accepts it all. Yesterday we were teaching him the 10 Commandments. When we explained about keeping the Sabbath day holy, he exclaimed, "So I shouldn't work on Sunday then!" Yes, that is the perfect answer! He kept asking us why more people don't live the 10 Commandments. Teaching him has been a challenge because his parents didn't raise him with any religion, so this is all really new to him. You don't realize how much silly jargon we have in the Church until you try to teach it to someone who's never heard of it before. But it's been good for us, hopefully we're becoming better teachers. Now we just need to get him to go to church.

I've received many tender mercies this week and little insights into the Atonement that have strengthened me as I continue to fight my own personal battles. One thing that I learned was that the Atonement means I don't have to hate myself for my shortcomings. I need to work on them, yes, but because of the Atonement I don't have to dwell on them and get bogged down. Ammon said that "in his strength I can do all things," and that's another thing I have learned-- it is not in my strength that I can do this. Because I, alone, can't do this. But through God all things are possible and in God's strength I can do all things! Once I changed my perspective and started to exercise more faith in God, things started changing. Not overnight, but they are getting better. I'm working on being more positive and patient with everyone, including myself.

Heavenly Father knows us perfectly and he knows what we need. I was never so sure of that as I am right now on my mission. And Jesus Christ is where it's at...He is everything, the reason for everything, the only solution to every problem. Sorry if I sound preachy, it tends to happen when that's all you do every day. :)

Lots of love and thanks for your prayers,
Sister Monson