Testimony on Trial

Marko May 1, 2012 1 Comment

Dear Family and Friends,

I don’t think my testimony has ever been more attacked and targeted my whole life put together than it has in this week alone. But, it was a good week because we worked hard and when you work hard it’s a good week.

Jackie Is Thinking About It

Tuesday started the events off. We had a lesson with Jackie and her brother Mauricio. We planned it all out. We were going to show them the talk “Safety For The Soul” which gives me goosebumps and makes me feel the spirit every time. it’s by Jeffrey R. Holland. One of my favorites. Then, we were going to solidify her baptism on Saturday.

We get there, and Jackie tells us she hasn’t been reading. But she did buy a Bible and she’s been reading that. It’s not even a Bible, it’s like a paraphrased edition with a lot of doctrine changed, it’s just pathetic. Last week she left after sacrament meeting and went to see her dad and they talked for a while about how the Bible is all you need and church is just in your heart. We talked about that for a while and then we start watching the talk. Mauricio didn’t seem to interested. He does that a lot, just try to act like he doesn’t even care. He likes us a lot, just not our message.

I could feel the spirit. I don’t think they could. We started talking about the importance of the  Book of Mormon in relation to the Bible. She understands, and I don’t think that she doesn’t think the  Book of Mormon isn’t true, but she said she wants to study the Bible first because if Joseph Smith wouldn’t have even read that in the first place there wouldn’t be a  Book of Mormon. Which is somewhat valid, I think. She said she wants to get a sure foundation in the base of all things which in her opinion is the Bible. We bore powerful testimony about the truth and importance of the  Book of Mormon. It was one of those times when you can feel yourself speaking with the “tongue of angels” and you know it’s not you talking. It was crazy. My heart was pounding and my hair was standing on end. I can feel it now even just talking about it.

Well, Jackie said that she wants her take her time and gain a testimony about the Bible and then the Book of Mormon and she will be baptized when she knows enough and she is ready. We explained and shared many scriptures, telling her she knows enough, but she just wouldn’t.

She said that she loves us because she’s never had God in her life before and she is starting to bond with her family through the things we’ve been teaching. She likes church, she just wants to get baptized on her own time. I think, personally, that she feels guilty and hypocritical coming to church and thinking about being baptized when she doesn’t even know the Bible. It’s something we have been trying to talk to her about.

“Let’s Fast”

Anyway, Mauricio, getting off topic and random as usual, said “too many words have been said, let’s fast.” So he suggested that we fast, Saturday and Sunday. No food or water. My heart was burning and I said we would definitely fast with them. “what’s the purpose? ‘ we asked. Lots, he said. Knowledge, understanding, and intimate relationship with God, this that. Just like always.

“When we fast, let’s have this question as our purpose for the fast: Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints the true church and is the  Book of Mormon true?”

We set the terms for the fast. We would only eat and drink on Saturday night after sundown. We thought it would be good because it would help us strengthen our own testimony as well.

Jackie was excited. She hasn’t fasted before and she was eager to learn and to be inspired during this time. She said she was impressed that we would go through that to help them. Even fast. We said it’s because we loved them! We want them to gain their testimony because we know this gospel will bless them! It’s crazy how on your mission you leave those you love and come out somewhere new and fall in love with new people. We care so much for them!

Working Hard the Whole Week

Well the rest of the week we worked hard. We knocked a lot and got a lot of quality contacts! We taught a lot of people. We have so many investigators, but none of them are progressing! It can be really disappointing sometimes! My least favorite thing on the mission is when people don’t read or pray or come to church. It’s hard when people don’t keep commitments. Well, to make this short, I’ll skip to Friday.

The Fast

We fasted all day Saturday and broke our fast with Jackie and Mauricio. Mauricio didn’t read. I think we are just going to stop teaching him. He isn’t doing anything. Jackie read Enos! But mostly she just read the Bible. She liked it a lot, and she is learning, which is good, but not what’s best.

A Crazy Man

That night, we were walking around, and this random man came up to us and started shouting a bunch of anti Mormon stuff at us and how Joseph Smith was a true prophet but the church killed him and this and that and the lost papyri blah blah blah!! He wouldn’t leave us alone. He wasn’t hateful or anything he just kept telling us that we need to open our eyes and accept Christ and allow him into our lives and that we are “illuminati” and this and that. He was a pretty good speaker for someone of his position. We finally got him to leave but of course it didn’t feel good having our testimonies attacked.

Sunday Good

On Sunday, Jackie brought Mauricio! He has never come. But they left after sacrament. We had three investigators there, including one new person we met this week named Valdomero Guzman. He is a rancher straight from Mexico and he is here to buy some ranches and farms and live here. I love him he is so laughy and funny. We had a lot of less actives come too! That is always a boost!

Mauricio

Well after, we went and saw Mauricio. Jackie wasn’t there. We asked him how he liked church. Turns out he didn’t even fast. He was having “health issues.” He told us that he loves us and we are good men who really love God but we need to “open our eyes.” He said that we should beware of false prophets and that the people he saw at church were breaking his heart cuz they looked hungry and confused and looking for the truth. He told us to open our eyes and stopped being so confused. We tried talking to him to see if we could clear things up.. but he just kept saying that we needed to be careful and open our minds. I got frustrated, so before I could show my frustration, we prayed and left.

The Book of Mormon is True

All of that work.. all of that dedication and pleading and wrestling before God and fighting to help them… for nothing. Or was it? This morning, I finished reading the Book of Mormon all the way through in Spanish for the second time in my life. I started on January first. The testimony and promise that seals the book^[1] was more powerful this time to me than any other time I had ever read it. I had fasted and prayed and read for several days and I have received my answer. This book, and by implication, this church, is true. I know it. It’s about as simple a testimony you can have but it’s all I need. I love this Gospel.

Please pray for our investigators, and our area. It’s not an easy one, but we are working hard. We know that the Lord will bless us with success. Maybe not numbers wise or baptisms – wise. But he will give us success one way or another. We are being changed out here. It’s unreal.

It’s getting super hot! All I want to do is drink more water. It was pretty hard being out all day Saturday and Sunday with no water. But a cold glass of water is so refreshing here! It’s so hot and humid, you don’t even have a desire to eat.. all you want to do is drink more water!

Today we are going to play soccer for our P Day. I am super excited! I love soccer.

I hope all is going well back home. I love you all. God Bless You!

Love,

Elder Viitanen

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