I just love being a missionary. I love getting to study the doctrines of the gospel every morning. I love praying fervently for the help of the Holy Ghost. I love overcoming those hard days where suddenly you recognize that Christ really was there the whole time. And I love learning to really love people. Jönköping is just marvelous!
One of my favorite people in the ward is a boy named Leif. He is our språk teacher (laungage). This kid has a gift for teaching just a love for knowledge. He is also working on going on a mission soon... so it is really fun to meet with him and help him grow. Our mission goal this year is to try and strengthen the youth and young single adults. So Syster Juker and I have our work cut out for us. Jönköping has a small center here for the YSA's. They have about 20 ysa. They are all in different stages of their testimonies and could use some unity help.
We also have an awesome investigator named Albert. He is from China. This week we taught him the word of wisdom. We knew he smoked and drank coffee so we were interested to see how he took it. We had a member with us and started out by reminding him about the Plan of Salvation. We came to this earth to get a body...what do you think we should do to take care of our bodies? It was actually a really fun lesson. We ended up writing down the 5 things we are asked to refrain from taking. We started out with Tabacco. He agreed and said he had a problem with that. No problem I told him. We can help you. Then I wrote down alcohol. He threw up his hands and said"-oh no! I drink too but I am not addicted." He then leaned forward for the next one. Coffee. His hands went up again and he said "Oh no! I drink coffee too!" and it went happened once more with tea. It was so funny. Each time his "Oh no!" and his hands in the air got bigger and more exaggerated. But as we finished the lesson and read the blessings--we asked him what he thought about them. He said he wanted them. so! we gotta help him quit smoking and coffee.. oh boy. We shall see how this goes.
We met with a girl named Sabrina also from China and taught her a zero lesson (introduction, expectations, set up times to meet every week). When we contacted her on the street she said she was atheist. PERFECT! I really think these atheists are often the most prepared. My favorite part about the lesson though was involving one of the youth. When Sabrina had a question about faith and receiving answers Caroline answered by explaining about how Love works. It was perfect. Faith is just like Love. Love motivates you to act and do things for a person. But you cant really see it. Its all about feelings. You could see it click in Sabrina's eyes too. LOVE IT!
I have been reading the New Testament and it is so cool to be reading it when you are a missionary. I feel like I have so much in common with Paul. This week we contacted quite a few people who were Christian.. we had great discussions with them but they are not willing to change. The same thing happens with Paul. He goes out to preach to the Jews and Gentiles. He ends up getting rejected by the Jews but the Gentiles welcome his teachings and are willing to change. Very interesting!
We have our new standards of excellency which is to contact to 10 people everyday (outside of your daily plans) and then get 5 new investigators every week and then 1 new baptismal date and help the zone baptize weekly. I was having a really hard time getting those 10 people everyday. And it was really causing me a lot of negative feelings. But I received some great inspiration from my old district leader and then Syster Juker and I just decided we could do it. two days later I remember thinking.. its a cloudy day... its just going to be hard to make this 10 people goal. But! then I just decided to do my best. At 7 that night Syster Juker said OK. Lets name all the people we talked to. We were at 7! and we were headed to a teach. We talked to a girl on the bus and ended up getting her number. And on the way back home talked to two students. 10! So we were really excited about that. The next day it was if the Lord had just guided our planning. We decided to go help a part member family with their dishes in hopes of talking to their daughter. On our way we ended up contacting this guy Syster Dabb had talked to quite a few times. He said he would like to meet! and then guess who opens the door at their house. The very daughter we wanted to talk to and we had some time alone with her. We asked her about her job and things. Then I thought.. I wonder if she has a boy friend. Usually I refrain from asking girls over 30 in the church if they have a boyfriend.. :) But I did.. She ended up bursting into tears! He boyfriend had died in a car accident that week. We had the chance to bear testimony on the atonement and that Christ would be the one who could feel that hole.
Lastly! Our member family we are teaching the lessons to to help them be better missionaries is going awesome! We went over last night to the Thörn family and did a few activities with the plan of salvation. We have really seen a growth in their understanding about how to share the gospel better. This night we ended with how important it is to share our testimonies out of everything. And their goal for the week is to share their testimony with someone who is not a member or a inactive. SO!! we shall see how it goes! Im excited
Know that I love you all and I too am trying to increase my faith. What is a righteous desire of your heart? Create a goal to try and achieve it. PRAY. and then act. The Lord is ready to grant those desires.
Love Syster Schneiber
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