Heyoooo! Another week has come and gone? How'd that even happen!?
Well, I'm really enjoying serving with Sister Bishop so far. We get on very well, and I've enjoyed her company. She's a fabulous missionary! I get language study now since she speaks Mandarin, so I've been getting to listen to Chinese and it's pretty interesting, haha! She taught me how to introduce myself and how to say 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. That's pretty much it, and the rest just sounds wild, so I won't be a Mandarin speaking missionary anytime soon, sorry!
This week I've been studying out of Alma (still!) and it's been interesting relating it all to myself. Especially since I'm reading in the war chapters. I've been pondering a lot on fortifying and what it means for me. I don't have any big cities that I need to protect, or any people to protect but myself. That means I should be finding ways to build up strong-holds for myself, right? We are very much in a war right now even though we can't physically see our opponents. A spiritual war, that is. To answer my question, yes! I, and all of us, should be doing anything and everything in our power to build ourselves up and protect ourselves. Build our walls so high that not even the adversary can get over them. How do we do that though? In a war that isn't physically there for us to battle with swords, what can we do? It all falls back onto the basics. Praying, reading our scriptures, building up our testimonies of Christ. I've been really working at strengthening my testimony of Christ by studying His life, and learning more of Him.
The need fo be prepared became very apparent on Saturday while we were doing a street display. A small family (husband, wife, and baby!) approached me, and I was ecstatic! A whole little family wanted to speak with me and see why I was out there. I was eager to ask them if they believed in Christ, and see if they wanted to learn more. I was quickly shut down, and was politely bashed for what I believe. Oh I was so anxious! Sister Bishop was a couple feet away talking to someone else, and I was left to defend myself. To stop myself from wringing my hands and shaking, I just gripped the Book of Mormon I had in my hands. Essentially, gripping onto what I know is true! It hurt to have someone tell me that I didn't really believe in Christ. It hurt having them tell me I was unintelligent for believing in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It just hurt in general and made me feel so sad to see them attacking truth. I firmly told them that what I know is true, and that I won't ever deny it. Then they asked if they could pray with me? It was quite odd, but I told them that before they did, that I wanted to bare my testimony of Christ. I told them simply that I loved Jesus Christ with my whole heart, and that I know He loves them dearly too! (I honestly was just filled with an overwhelming love for them, which I'm sure was Christ's love). I told them that I for sure, without a doubt, knew the Book of Mormon was true. Then they prayed with me, and by then I was so overwhelmed with the whole situation (which lasted 45 minutes!) that I was just in tears. They said bye, and I rushed over to the other sisters feeling absolutely ridiculous.
The rest of the day I just felt upset. I kept thinking about how silly I must have looked, and how silly the whole situation was. It was then that I decided I just needed to pray. I reflected back on the many different spiritual experiences I'd already had through prayer and study, and I was at peace. I'd already built up my walls, and a few arrows wouldn't even be able to reach over the top! I'd been fortifying myself, which allowed me to stand strong in what I believe and not be broken down. Truth really will prevail!
Soooooo that was the most eventful thing to happen this week. Besides when I balled like a baby saying "see ya later" to Sister Biggs.
Welp, hope you all have had a grand week! Make good choices!
Much love!
-Sister Sellick
Pics:
1. The new compy <3
2. New bathroom floor!! haha so our bathroom looks like when you're just starting out on sims and have no money, so you buy the cheapest stuff so that your sim doesn't die :')
3. Fun graveyard we found in Wem
4. Harry Potter Store :))
