Hello Family and Friends!
BC is amazing. I love being a missionary here. :) Its been another great week! Everyday is an adventure and a joy sprending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. :)
On Tuesday I was able to go on an exchange with Sister Mumford. We were in the tri a few weeks back so it was lots of fun! We taught this new investigator named Jesse who is a black guy so that was great! He had actually been taught by Elders a few years back but he thought that the Book of Mormon was all about Joseph Smith, but we taught the Restoration again and after understanding a little more about the Book of Mormon, he was really excited about reading it! Then that evening me and Sister Mumford were in this store for a few minutes and I saw this other black guy. So I went up and talked with him and he saw our tags and was like, "Jesus Christ? That is the greatest name of all time." So we were like "Yeah it is!" and started talking to him. He doesnt belong to a specific church and likes to learn and he set up a time to see him that evening without us even asking! So later that evening we met up and sat down, and it kind of seemed to good to be true. He was pretty chatty but we were able to share the message of the Restoration with him and during the first vision he was just like "Whoa!... Wow!... Whoa!" and he commited to read the Book of Mormon. It was really cool! It was a good day. :)
On Wednesday we were in Maple Ridge and we were talking to people down the streets and we met this guy named Kyle. He is confused about religion and has lots of questions, but was really nice to us. He said that Mormonism would be the religion he would be most likely to join because they are the least stuck up and that their teachings makes the most sense. We set up a return appointment. We had a good lesson. He is very spiritual and we taught the Plan of Salvation and he really liked it. We were able to answer a lot of his questions and he said that he really likes Mormons becasue unlike other religions who get definsive when he asks them honest questions, we just answer them. It was really cool and we are excited to teach the Restoration to him this week!
Saturday was our walking day so we were walking downtown and this car stops us asking if we wanted a ride. They are members from Alberta. So they take us over to the mall and we saw our former investigator walking down the street. He didnt hear us yell at him through the window so the members let us out and we literally ran after him for 3 blocks on the busiest street in Abbotsford! We finally just called him on the phone to have been turn around and we talked and walked for a bit. He has gotten weird veiws about the church and religion since meeting with him and he asked us weird questions and told us we were crazy to think that the Book of Mormon is actually God's words. I was able to testify to him of the spirit. That I knew that the Book of Mormon was the word of God more than I knew he was standing in front of me becasue the spirit can give us a more powerful witness than just seeing things. He was speechless. Its sad becasue he has been justifying things becasue he wants to continue to drink and smoke. But it was a good chat and it was good to see him again.
I am so grateful for my opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary. We were able to go to Mission Leader Council this week as well and a common theme that President Burt wants to be put into the mission's culture is "Teach repentance, baptize converts." We cannot convert people beyond our own conversion. My mission has literally changed my life. I had somewhat of a testimony of the Gospel before it, but now I feel a continuing conversion to the Lord and his teaching. Any honest seeker of truth can find a testimony and any honest seeker of truth can find conversion. True conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of the God and responding to it. We receive a comfirming witness from the Holy Ghost as we accept on faith by willing doing right. Want to be converted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and find enduring happiness? Read the Book of Mormon and live it's teachings. It has converting power. I cannot persuade anyone to get baptized. But I can persuade them to read the Book of Mormon and that desire to be baptized will come becasue they will become converted. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is safey for our souls as we read and apply its teachings everyday. Thank you all for your support and your love. I love you all!
Love,
Sister Lofthouse
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