Hey ya'll,
This week started off with miracles seriously every single day. Like I said, Hermana Olsen and I have just been choosing to have faith and the Lord has seriously blessed us so much.
Okay, but I have a story for you first. Remember Carmen, the lady I met my first week here and said she's like a little bit crazy? Well she is, (I think it's due to years of alcoholism and a really bad coma she had recently), but I seriously love her so much. Like, seriously.
Anyway, we went over to her house on ... Tuesday I think it was? And her fence was locked. So I just no shame climbed over it in my skirt. The things you do on a mission.... Haha. It'd just been a really long time since we've seen her and I felt really strongly that we needed to try and see her that day. She opened the door and she was like "hey, how'd you get here?" And I was like "I jumped the fence." And she just laughed. We all sat down and started chatting, and out of nowhere she says "Hermanitas, I have cancer." And then just started bawling. And just told us how she went to the doctor, and she has it in her stomach, and that he told her that there wouldn't be a cure and he wasn't sure how long she'd live. So we just cried with her and testified of God's love. She said through her tears that she was glad that we were there and that I had jumped the fence. She told us she was just really worried about how she was going to pay for the bills cuz her job is fixing lawn mowers and it puts her in so much pain to do it. We told her that we would bring over our Branch President and he would give her a blessing and maybe talk to her about helping get her bills paid.
The next day we walked with her to the clinic (cuz she can't drive) and it seriously killed her to walk. She told us like- her life story about how the love of her life left her for her sister, which kinda explains the alcoholism, and she said, with the bravest face ever, "That's why I'm so grateful for you missionaries, you show me the love I never had. Ya'll give me the strength to go on." It was about a mile to the clinic and it was so hard for her. It was hard for me too, kinda gave me flashbacks of Dad and how hard that was for him. And he still had a car and he still had us. She literally has no one, and no car.
Anyway, Saturday we went with Branch President. I think he was a little stressed cuz his son was getting married that afternoon, and so he was kinda rushed. But like seriously- it did not go as planned. I mean, as I said, Carmen literally is crazy- but like the innocent little kid kinda crazy- So I don't know if she's over reacting, I'm not exactly sure what really is wrong with her, but I know she's really sick. We went in and she was shaking... and there was throw up on the floor. Anyway, President started talking to her and basically said "It's all in your head, just rub some dirt on it. If you think you're going to die, you will. But if you just think positively, you'll be fine." And then he just gave her a half hearted blessing and left.
And seriously, Carmen, as innocent as she is was like- so grateful, and when she talked to him about money President was like "You sell fish? I'll buy some." She's like "No, I'll give you some for what you've done for me." Like seriously- the sweetest little thing ever.
So on Branch Council on sunday we talk about our investigators a little bit. We were last to go, and so we talked about a few people and saved Carmen for last. We're just like "She lives at home, she's really sick, and lonely, and it'd be really nice if people could go visit her." And then President looks at us and says "She's a big liar. She was just giving out like fifty lies. If she can't drive how does she have three cars? If she sells fish how does she get to Galveston?" And he just went off. I think he thought she was just drunk. And then the Young Men's president said "It's cuz she's a little 'mal'" (Meaning she's like mentally special) he was like "My wife took her to church last time and she just has a hard time remembering things. She's just not all the way there." And President totally turned around. He was pretty much like "Oh. Well you missionaries are doing a good work, helping out someone like her. Me and my wife will visit her tomorrow." And I just started to cry. We left and the Relief Society President was sitting in the foyer and she was like "Why are you crying? Do I need to give someone a pow-pow?" And I just laughed, then I sat next to her and just cried in her shoulder like a twelve-year-old. I don't know why, I just love her so much and I'm just so worried about her and I think it's something close to home you know. I just never think it should be a bad thing to love someone and to care for them- and I just felt helpless like she wasn't going to get the help she needed and the branch wasn't going to do anything. But it's good now. I seriously haven't cried like that for a long time. But we've got it figured out, and I think she'll be okay. Keep her in your prayers.
Miracle! We had this lesson with this lady that the sisters had been teaching FOREVER and for some reason or another never got baptized. Anyway, we had this lesson about the Atonement with her, and it was not going well. It was just all over the place and just- distracted and not good. So Ana (that's her name) starts talking about how much faith she has and she was like "you know I'm going to get baptized in your church right? I'm just going to wait til after my trip." Which she doesn't get back from her trip until almost June so we were like, snap, that's a long time. We told her about the gift of the Holy Ghost, and testified, and she was like "Well, I want that before my trip. I guess I'll get baptized in April!" We walked out of that lesson like "What just happened?" It was so cool how the Lord just changed her heart, and helped us to know what she needed to hear.
Anyway, sorry about my long story. It's been a super good week, we have a lot of people that are really awesome and I hope they stay on the path that will lead them to baptism. I know the Lord has his hand stretched out to every single person, no matter what. And I know that He loves every single one of us, no matter what. He's willing to help us, and He gives us the tender mercies when we need them. I'm so grateful for that knowledge, and I'm grateful to be a member and a missionary in His restored church.
CONFERENCE THIS WEEK!!!! I'm so PUMPED!!!!!!
Love ya'll!!!!
Hermana Johnson
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