December 16, 2013
Well, another week, come and gone... Time just doesn't stop, I guess. This past week has been a good one. A few ups and downs, but overall, a good week.
Might as well start at the beginning. On Monday, we had an appointment with Angela, one of my favorites -- she's from the Dutch Caribbean, middle-aged, and really wants to change her life. The way she was found is also miraculous, but that's a story for another day... We've taught her a few lessons, and she's great. But (here's the 'but')... At our appointment, she comes up to us, excited, and says, "Elders!! Elders!! I got baptized!" We just looked at her, dumbfounded. Oh, Angela. We'd had a baptismal date with her for Dec 21, but someone else had come to her and told her she could get baptized on Dec 7. She took the earlier date. We talked to her about priesthood authority on Monday, and got things sorted out. Turns out, the first lesson (given last transfer by two younger missionaries in English...) was good, in that she felt the Spirit strongly and knew the truthfulness of their words. Problem? She didn't really understand what they were saying. Yeah. It was like a little kid, told that their mom would be really happy if they drew her a nice painting on the wall, who then runs up smiling to tell the mom what she did. That's exactly what it was like.
We had a zone conference on Wednesday. It was held in Amsterdam -- it was the first time I've been in Amsterdam since flying in to the Netherlands. President Texeira, from the First Quorum of the Seventy, spoke. It was mind-blowing. Lately, a big change has been going on internally, and that just topped it all off. There aren't words to describe the conference. It was really good. (I know I just used words to describe it, yes, but they aren't adequate.)
On Thursday, we were on exchanges. I was out contacting with another missionary, Elder Peterson. (Irrelevant: SUPER productive contacting session.) These two Muslim, thug looking dudes come up to us. They ask how we'll know that it's Jesus when He returns. The conversation turns weird... One of the guys gets really into it, and says, "you WON'T know! You can't know! For all we know, HE could be the one!" pointing at Elder Peterson. The other Muslim freaks out... "dude, he definitely isn't Jesus! You can't say that!" Elder Peterson: "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I'm not Jesus..." It was funny.
In this past October General Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson referenced a story in which a gardener is cutting a currant bush, and the bush produced some sort of liquid that made it look kind of like it was crying, asking why he would cut the bush. Simple answer: the gardener knows best. (Look up the talk if you haven't heard it.) I've experienced that on my mission. This isn't easy, and there have been times of struggle, in which I've asked Heavenly Father, "Why would you do this to me? Why would you cut me down, when I'm trying so hard to be a good missionary, a good person?" The simple answer: He knows best. He knows what's best for me. Slowly, He's molding me into the missionary --into the person-- that He knows I need to be, for the rest of my mission, the rest of my life, even. It isn't easy. But, I am grateful for His loving guidance and help, even if it is through trials. I've changed for the better. He knew that I would, and He knows that I can be even better. He's willing to help us all change, if we accept His loving corrections with a willing heart.
Until next week, homies.
--Elder Bonney
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