This week we got transfer calls!! WOOT WOOT!! So drum roll.... Elder Neas and I will BOTH be...... staying... Haha yeah, we're staying in Port Stephens. I'm good with it. A part of me wanted to go to the city for a change of scenary and a possibility of speaking Korean, but also I wanted to see if our Navajo Mow finding technique goes somewhere.
Well speaking of Navajo Mow, we were in Stockton knocking doors, and a lady covered in tattoos opens the door. We start our shpeal, "Hi! We're just going around the neigborhood..." She looks at our nametags and says, "Oh hey Elders!" Elder Neas and I just look at each other... Turns out she's a less-active member who wasn't in our records and moved into the area a year ago. She asks us to come back another day because her daughters have been really keen to start coming back to church. We met with them on Saturday and just had a great time. They had heaps of concerns and questions and we were able to answer them. We gained their trust through laughter and testimony. We invited them to come to church, and "if you don't come to church, we will find you. We know where you live. If you're 'sick', we want a detailed doctors note." Haha they enjoyed our sense of humor. Come Sunday, they came to church! They enjoyed it and we were surprised the mom even came too! It was so great to see them come to church and enjoy it.
They have a lot of hurdles to go through, and were nervous to come back because they have tattoos and feared judgement from the members. We told them that everyone has struggles and weaknesses. No one is perfect. If the church only accepted perfect people, then no one would be allowed to go to church. Instead the church is a hospital for imperfect people, trying to be healed and become perfect eventually. Elder Holland - "Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually" (https://www.lds.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/be-ye-therefore-perfect-eventually?lang=eng#title1)
I pray that we never judge people honestly trying to be better. My companion told them a story from his last area.... Members had noticed a stench of cigarette smoke coming from a couple of people who had been coming back to church. After a couple Sundays, the members began to get annoyed and tired of it. They went to the Bishop, asking him if he could ask those people who stunk of cigarette smoke to stop coming to church because it was disturbing everyone. The Bishop replied, "You know, I love it when I smell cigarette smoke during Sacrament. You know why? Because it means those people are coming to church and are honestly trying to be better despite their condition." Please never judge people for their sins or condition. Never be the reason why people stop coming to church, but reach out with a hand of love and support. Welcome them home. Our Heavenly Father wants all of His children to come home. Luke 15:4-7
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
Elder Escamilla
에스카미야 장로
Australia Sydney Mission
호주 스다니 선교부
Showing one of the Bible videos. Just a sweet moment, that I wanted to secretly capture
"Hey Elder get a picture of this!"