Witnessing in Windy City: Speechless

We checked the mail one night this week and found a community events calendar waiting for us in our mailbox. Service goldmine. We flipped through the pages, and started jotting down up-coming events that sounded like good opportunities to volunteer at as missionaries. Emphasis on SOUNDED LIKE.

First up on our list....Octoberfest. I'm thinking...apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, hay bales and corn stalks, face painting, lots of little kids running around....ya'know....one of those kind of events that read backwards spells FAMILY. So we pick up the phone and called the event coordinator:

"Hi, my name is Sister Parker, and my friend and I are service missionaries in the area, and saw that the Octoberfest is coming up and wondered if you could use some more volunteers?"

"Oh that's awesome! Y'know, I think we've filled all our volunteer slots, but if something comes up we'll let you know......and when you say 'service missionaries' are you guys with a specific church or something?"

"Yea, we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"

"Oh....Mormons, right?"

"Yea!"

"Well...you know this is a beer festival, right??"

that's awkward.

yea. so after a couple cricket chirps, all I could come up with was, "oh. weeeeeelllllll......."

yea, that convo didn't last long. Pretty sure she scratched our names off the volunteer list right after we hung up. Their loss....we planned on bringing free apple cider and word of wisdom pamphlets.......

just sayin.

On a better note, we got a text from Ally Thursday night that read, "I'm going to seminary tomorrow!!!!" We were SO excited and told her we'd come with her her first day. (Gotta love waking up at 5am as a missionary:) It was worth it, though and Ally enjoyed it!

Towards the end of class, I ended up in a role play with some of the students and their job was to teach me about the Holy Ghost. I took the role of investigator (go figure;) and kicking it off, it was like deja vu to the MTC. 'Cept that at the MTC we didn't compare revelation to Jack Sparrow's compass.....or a computer screen in your brain. I'm starting to see the purpose for the MTC before we send 18 year old kids out to share the gospel;)

word

On Tuesday we got wind that it was one of our investigator's birthdays so we devised this BRILLIANT plan to surprise her with flowers and chocolate at work. We picked out a bouquet, wrote her a cute card, and invested in some no-fail dove truffles and then hit the hospital (she works in the dietician office). We show up feeling all sister-missionary-on-a-duty happy only to find that she'd left work early that day and wasn't even there.

>_<

Guess we should’ve called first. Geez.

And trust me, we felt WAY awkward walking OUT of the hospital holding a bouquet of flowers and chocolate. that's messed up. Luckily, we caught our investigator at home later that night and got to deliver our gifts, but it was right before the Mexican-style every-family-member-from-ALL-over birthday party was about to start so it ended up being more of a drop and run.

A for effort

I also got asked to accompany a trio for invitation Sunday this week: a 5 page piece by Sally de Ford with a whole freakingSEVEN key changes. Thanks for nothing, Sally. I swear, it's like trying to read the Rosetta Stone. If i EVER become a composer, every piece I write is gonna be in the key of C......

#noshame

We're performing this coming Sunday so send up some i.n.t.e.n.s.e. prayers that I'll be able to get through it......[ "do you think it'll work?" "it'd take a miracle"….name that movie]

#nerdalert #hatersgonnahate :)

Anyways........on a brighter note......we got a text this week from headquarters, with a referral who'd requested a Book of Mormon. We stopped by the next day (within 24 hours....woop woop! #obedientmissionaryaward) and when she came to the door and we handed her the Book of Mormon, she became all smiles and excited jitters. We were kinda speechless and stuttering cause this like NEVER happens on the mish;)

all she could say was, "I've been reading all about this book and can't wait to read it!! We don't really have a religion as a family, and I've been wanting to know more about this church for SO long!"

*SPEECHLESS*

After managing to exchanges numbers and agreeing to meet soon, got back to the car and just screeeeeaaaamed with happiness! She's amazing!!! She texted us that night and told us she'd already read seven pages.......

girl, that's more than I read in a day.

Haha all I can think is that we've found another Bethany. She's so ready, and we're VERY excited to meet with her!!!! It's absolutely incredible to see all these young people becoming actively interested in the church. I believe that's another reason why the age changed was lowered and why there's such a push for the youth of the church to share the gospel.

I believe the hastening is happening right in front of our eyes, and it's strikingly noticeable in these young people who are searching (Joshua, Evan, Abass, Ally, Bethany, and now Maddie!!!)!!

Heleman's army recreated:)

It's amazing to watch! Youth, you have more power and influence than you realize! I believe there are MANY in your circle of friends your age who are ready NOW to receive the gospel if you invite! Don't hold back! Some of these young people we're teaching are just now finding the gospel, even though they've had Mormon friends for a while. It's your time to invite! don't wait! They need it now!

"And the lord of the vineyard (God) said unto one of his servants (the prophet): Go and gather together the residue of my servants (members and missionaries, and the lowered age change!!) and take all the strength of mine house, which are mywarriors, my young men [and young women]...And go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard (the world), and redeem my vineyard (save and baptize many!!!)" D&C 101:55-56

Onward and upward, warriors!!

Sister Anna Parker