Querida Familia y Amigos,
C. is the investigator that we passed off to the elders in the singles ward a few weeks ago. Last Sunday he wasn't at church and Hermana Fillmore and I were a little concerned because he is supposed to be baptized this Saturday. We were asking the singles ward's mission leader about C. in the hallway and he told us he didn't know. Later the ward mission leader told us that C. had met a girl in another singles ward at a dance and was going to church with her. Yes! Hermana Fillmore and I were so happy.
I have been thinking a lot about the restoration lately and what it means for us. The restoration of the gospel is a beautiful story and it is true. But what is the practical application of the message of the restoration in our lives? How does it change the way we live every day? The way we think? The things we do? I learn a little bit every day but I am basically spiritually hungering to learn and know more. I feel like if as missionaries we can really understand this and apply it in the lives of investigators we can help people to be converted to the gospel. Do you have any ideas? What does it mean for you? Please let me know!
We were receiving training from the Zone Leaders last week and something stood out to me about Alma 32:21 and missionary work. The scripture says that "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true." I think this scripture can really be applied to member missionary work. I think that I had a lot of opportunities to share the gospel with others as a member before my mission, but because I couldn't see them I didn't work very hard to find them. But if I really had faith that there were friends all around me who were prepared to hear the gospel, I know that my actions (the evidence of my faith) would have been different. We can hope and believe that we will find those in our circle who are prepared for the gospel even if we cannot see it with our physical eyes. Let's go forward hoping (or expecting or waiting) for missionary opportunities.
Hermana Fillmore and I had a fun preparation day last week. It was raining (as usual) so we decided against playing sports outside with the elders and went to all of the international food stores here in Kent: Taste of Europe (Russian and Ukranian), La Huerta (Mexican), Hong Kong Market (all things Asian), and KK's Market (Indian). We bought one thing from every store just to try and had a fun time just looking around. At the Indian market I was able to try galub jamun, ladoo and rasgula for the first time. We have pictures that I will send next week. Kent is a very international place. In the apartments where we live there are many Ukranians, Russians, Burmese, Iraqi, and Nepali people.
I love you all very very much!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
