Hello dearest family :)
I love you all.
As missionaries, our focus is on the missionary work. But once a week, we have a unique privilege to communicate with our family and friends via e-mail. For elders, missions last 2 years. For sisters, 18 months (or 19 in my case). There's 52 weeks in a year, which means 104 letters for elders and 78 ish for sisters.
What is the purpose of these letters and why are they sooo important?
Let's turn to the scriptures.
There once was a young man, newly called to serve in a "high-pressure" calling (similar to every missionary). He quickly realized that the people whom he served had some doctrinal disputations, and that the work "wasn't easy." Luckily, he had a wise father who wrote him words of council and comfort. What was his advice? To help the people, correct the false doctrines, to pray for them, and to ultimately help them to repent. He finished his letter with a promise to write once more and to hopefully meet again.
We know the young man to be Moroni, and his father to be Mormon. There correspondence is now canonized in scripture. As are many letters.
Just look at the epistles of Paul, section 123 of D&C (Joseph's beautiful letter to the Saints after being imprisoned at liberty), Emma was commanded to give herself to writing (D&C 25), the letters that come from the first presidency that get read over the pulpit in church. etc.
I read an article in the Liahonna this morning about a soldier in Vietnam who received a letter from his mother. He said, "that letter was scripture to me."
Letters from the heart can touch our souls. They are an effective way of doing missionary work and conveying the spirit.
Letters are important. Much of our scripture comes from communication between members and non-members of the church. Every time we write some one of our testimony, it is sharing the word of God. You never EVER know the full impact that your testimony has on some one. Even after years and years have gone by. Our letters strengthen our personal testimonies and the testimonies of those who read them.
How wonderful a privilege to write :)
now if only we could write all the contents of our hearts :) I don't know if bigger font, or bolder words would convey the feelings of my heart. But I, like nephi, delight in plainness.
I know the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is True.
I know that Jesus is the Christ.
I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet in this, the Latter-days.
I know President. Tomas S. Monson is a prophet as God, just as assuredly as was Moses or Abraham of old.
I know that the Book of Mormon is True.
I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the way of life. Through Him, and only Him, can we be made perfect.
The world is full of wonderful people. Our district is cleaning up some parks on fridays. I was across the field picking up some garbage when a man riding by on his bike stopped, parked his bike and walked over to me. We began to talk. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. "We're missionaries." I responded "We believe in jesus christ, and we believe in helping." "You're not slovak, I can hear your accent" he says. "We're from America." "You came all the way from America to clean parks in Slovakia?" I chuckled a little bit. I guess that does seem a bit absurd. "No, I said. We came from America to Slovakia to teach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the most important thing we will ever do. but this service, is a part of what we do." He reached into his back and pulled out a big folder. He started showing me all kinds of pictures. Dump after dump after dump. Trashed parks. Playgrounds destroyed or littered with all kinds of garbage. He began to passionately explain how much he loves the earth. How angry he was for how people were treating it. The pictures he had were truly terrible. I asked "why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?" he then flipped a few more pages and started showing me some of the most beautiful pictures I have seen. Mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, etc. He told me how he takes pictures for calendars of wildlife and landscapes. He had pictures of butterflies, mushrooms, buffalos. etc. He said "this used to be my passion. I loved doing this. But now I just get depressed seeing that this is what our world looks like."(he referred back to the pictures of all the garbage."
This whole time I had been praying and praying to try and figure out what was this man's need. I wanted to share the gospel with him SOOO badly. He was so kind and shared with me something that mattered sooo much to him. I wanted to share with him what mattered most to me.
I said. "heavenly father, please help me find this man's need."
The man put the binder in his backpack. Got back on his bike. Looked at me and said, "My wife died 3 weeks ago."
whoa.
I asked him if he believed in God.
He said yes. but he doesn't believe in churches.
I testified to him about the plan of salvation. I know that there is life after death. I told him his wife isn't gone. That this church is the true church. That it is good. Invited him to meet with the missionaries. learn more.
He told me no.
I felt the spirit soo strongly in that contact.
I am still trying to understand the doctrine of agency.
I love these slovak people sooo much. They are beautiful people. They care about their families. They love Jesus. They understand friendship. They want to do good.
I am grateful I have a chance to serve them.
I have so many more experiences to share, but that will have to suffice for this week. Love you all!
Love sestra Kane
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