How He Works

Hello wonderful family and friends of mine! I hear it's getting cold over there on the other side of the world. I just want you to know that I am very much jealous and hope you enjoy the snow, hot cocoa and snuggly blankets:) I'm sending lots of love your way from a very warm place.

One of our investigators, Rhodora is so great! Let me tell you a little about her.  She had polio when she was 3 years old and lost the function of her legs. Her dad made her a little wooden "wheelchair" made of a piece of wood and wheels so she can get around. She is so sweet and talented in drawing and crocheting. She offered to make sister m and I crocheting of our names and even wrote a cute note on the back. She is so sweet. It was really powerful because this week when we taught her we taught about the atonement and how through the lord's atonement, we can be made perfect and I told her that I don't know why bad unfair things happen in this life but I do know that the Savior Jesus Christ knows all that she goes through and that through him all will be made right one day. It was so neat to be able to share that with her and the spirit was way strong. I will send a picture of her next week because there are virus's in this computer shop that can wipe your camera and since i have a bunch of pictures to send i will just wait. 

There were a couple really cool experiences this week but i only have time to write one. So about 3 weeks ago we taught this man named Lolido. He is a celebrity event planner and a very opinionated and cool guy. He likes to debate a lot though which can make teaching him hard because he really wants to teach you! haha So we were teaching him and he told us how he knew that Jesus Christ was actually just a man who did good things but he wasn't a savior and usually i would just go on with the lesson but I felt the spirit so strongly tell me that i needed to share my testimony that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that he really did suffer and die for us and that through him everything is possible. And it made NO SENSE because it's just this fighting guy who doesn't believe in Jesus but I couldn't fight the spirit. So I just stopped him and said something along the lines of "Brother, I feel like i need to share my testimony with you. Because earlier you said Jesus Christ is not our savior but I know that he is" and just share my testimony with him and as I'm talking the spirit was like CHOKING me and I start crying! Crying in a lesson with this man who i knew did not respect me because I am just this white emotional girl who can't speak his language talking about Christ. Afterwards I felt like SUCH an idiot. I was so upset with myself that I didn't just keep my mouth shut. Anyways fast forward to yesterday when Lolido walks into our sacrament meeting all dressed up and had come all on his own. We were talking to him afterwards and the bishop came up and asked him why he decided to come. He turned to me and said "I am here because she cried. I can debate anything but I can't debate her testimony or her tears. I knew it came from her heart and I felt it. I want to know more. I think it could be true." and then he thanked me for what I had said to him.  SO YEAH THAT HAPPENED. Let's bypass the part where he told everyone I cried and fast forward to the part where my weakness in that moment or what I perceived to be a weakness turned out to be the way the Lord had the spirit work in this man. Heavenly Father's Plan is literally so perfect and I think that is probably the biggest lesson I am learning on my mission. I thought for a long time that in order to be a powerful missionary or have a powerful testimony I had to be a powerful speaker. I thought the Lord would help me get this language and then I could teach with power and would be able to help a lot of people. But now I realize that the Lord is already using me to accomplish his purposes. Even when I feel so unqualified or stupid or whatever. There have already been so many instances where moments where I thought I had failed that really turned into moments that the Lord had used to make miracles happen. I told Sister M that every time we have something really bad/awkward/embarrassing like that happen we can celebrate because it just means Heavenly Father is getting a miracles ready for us.

I guess that's my little epiphany this week on how Heavenly Father works. When we trust his and his plan we have no need to worry. I am grateful to be a part of this work here in the Philippines. 

I miss you and love you!

Sister Turner