3.16.14

Well Spring Break sounded like bundles of fun!

 

This week was awesome. Let me explain...no there is too much...let me sum up. We had stake conference, I was on the pot for a couple of nights and the work is going well here in Artigas. So about being a little sick...we have an investigator named “R”. He knows everything about the church, loves the church, and wants to get baptized but can't stop smoking. My Zone Leader told me if you want to see miracles on the mission, fast. So we started to fast with “R” and his family. We ate lunch at 11am on Saturday and didn't get to eat lunch until 2:30pm Sunday. But the worst part was not being able to drink water...it was pretty hot out. Saturday night, I was on the pot and had cramps from not drinking any water. My companion gave in, and said that water was ok to drink, but I don't believe him so I didn't drink water. I woke up in the morning dead tired from not sleeping and told myself, all will be worth it when “R” gets baptized. So at conference the next day, “R” walks in and was like, “sorry, but I smoked and drank this morning.”  I about slapped him across the face.  Really?  He couldn’t go without for even ONE DAY!?!?  I was pretty upset and thought that fast was useless. As the meeting went on, we saw that 6 of our 6 investigators were in church (never seen that happen in my life), Pres. Smith gave an incredible talk (I’ll explain more later), the choir sang a song about the temple and families, and I wanted to cry like a little baby...you know how there are times where you just forget how strong the spirit is? I know how the spirit feels...If there is one thing I know for sure it is that the Spirit is real and he hits you hard. I forgot how incredible it felt and got caught up in the mission and maybe got used to helping people, getting baptisms, and seeing awesome things…  but when the choir was singing that song about the temple and families, the spirit hit me so strongly. I started thinking about my eternal family. Then, I thought about all the people I was helping to have eternal families. I'm going to go all over the place here, but Pte. Refati gave a talk about how the most important thing to have is a temple recommend. What good is a family if you aren't worthy of a temple recommend to have them for forever? (his talk was incredible also) But I just felt the spirit so strongly in that meeting and I knew it was because I was fasting...I needed that spirit. I need to feel him strongly every once in a while and when I do, I don't feel anything else besides for happiness. Pres came and talked to me after the meeting because he wanted to congratulate E' Mar and I for doubling the assistance and having the most baptisms in the zone. He asked about “R” and I told him about how we fasted but he gave in and smoked. He responded by saying...don't you just love that about fasting, E McRae!? Now you know the will of the Father. We don't fast to get what we want. We fast to find out what the Lord wants and “R” getting baptized this week isn't when “R” needs to get baptized. He taught me a huge lesson about fasting. Oh, in his talk, he talked about the Plan of Salvation. He started by saying how he loved his wife and when they had their first little girl, they said that they didn't think it was possible to love another child as much as they loved her. He went down the list calling his children by name saying the same thing afterwards...we didn't think it was possible to love a child more than this one. After 8 children (the members were shocked that he had that many children and started laughing each time he said...and then we had so and so) he said but I love every single one of them. I couldn't imagine my family without so and so. Then, he spoke about his grand kids, sons in law, and so forth and said that he loves his family. He said that that is exactly how our Heavenly Father is. He knows us by name and loves every one of us. He can't think of how his family would be without us. President said how The Father sent Christ, who loved us equally, to die so that each and every one of us can live with him again. It was a great talk. But, I just want to say that I loved the week, I hope you're all going to the temple and enjoying EVERY member of our family because I definitely love every one of you and couldn't imagine how it would be not having one of you in the fam!

E' McRae