Email from Jeanette 7-21-08

"What I have to deal with any time we go places with the elders!"

Well this week has been an amazing adventure. It started out really good by doing a service project instead of going to a slip-n-slide activity with the zone and it just got better from there. Remember the guy who we oym'd who was working on his car? We've met with him thrice thus far and he's so cool! He totally prayed to Satan before he met us but told us not to worry because he doesn't believe in satan anymore. He's an interesting fellow and he's reading in the Book of Mormon but is embarrassed or something to actually pray about it. We're going to keep working with him and hopefully he will cut off his long ponytail and become converted to the Lord.It's so true what you said about true conversion. So many people join the church for the social aspect or just to impress someone they like. This week has been a struggle with Julio and he's been treating our visits like a social engagement. He's not progressing anymore and last night after being too jovial with us I had to chastize him. He needs to really think about why he's taking the discussing from us and why it would be a benefit to him. When I told him this he said, Yeah I already know the Book of Mormon is good. The Bible is amazing. I'm understanding more and more. But, Langston, you don't understand. The Book of Mormon can't help me in my personal problems that I'm going through right now. Oh man when he said this i nearly yelled. I told him "WHAT? Are you kidding me? Do you really think that the work of the Lord REALLY can't help you with insignificant little problems like your day to day problems? God is all-powerful and Christ suffered EVERYTHING you've experienced. How dare you doubt that His ability to help you." It hurt me to think that he really lacked that much faith. It was weird because it really felt like he was insulting my best friend by saying that the true church of God can't help him. I've come to realize that the Book of Mormon was sent to us in our days exactly for the reason that Julio feels can't be solved. The Lord knows EXACTLY what we're experiencing in this life yet too often we are incredibly stubborn or prideful and selfish to think about that. I couldn't let another minute go by without telling Julio this and he felt the sting. He knew I was right and he told me so. Hopefully something will change this week.Another cool adventure happened. A golfball flew into our apartment and smashed out our sliding glass door. We've been finding little shards of glass along our path these past few days and are still waiting for maintenance to come fix it.Ok the main thing I wanted to write about is this: Utopia. Living in a perfect world with everyone being perfect people is not too far from possible because I got a taste of it this week. This Saturday we had a Ward Mission Activity but hardly anyone showed up. In fact, aside from the ward members who were assigned things to do, only 4 people showed up. And the activity we had planned involved a lot of people playing :"carnival" games in the gym then going to one of the three different kingdoms of glory. The three rooms were decorated beautifully to fit the atmosphere of each glory, but not a lot of people were there. Rather than becoming bitter or giving up, the ward members worked together to make the activity so much fun and to involve each person. Hermanas were naturally going out of their way to help little kids get involved in the not-so-amazing games and by some miracle everyone was enjoying themselves. After it all, we had an incredibly spritual experience sitting in the "Celestial Kingdom" altogether. I looked around at each member. They each have their own story and their own area where they're weak. Yet in that moment I could feel their love one for another and their desire to be worthy servants of the Lord. It was a humbling experience and I thought, you know, probably the most important missionary work is within the bonds of our family and friends and fellow members of the church. Showing a humble desire to serve each other and having a love of Christ really is amazing. When everyone is unified in that feeling, it's indescribable. I wished in that moment that I could have shared that experience with each one of my family members and friends.Missionary work is incredible. It makes me a LIIIITTLE bit teary eyed to think about all the blessings I've received by doing this work. I can't even begin to describe the love I feel for these people. I never thought it possible to actually look at someone I don't know and desire their salvation. When I meet new people on the street, I think of that experience in the "Celestial Room" with the ward members and I truly want them to have that same experience.I love you all so much. Everyone is changing back at home and it's kinda scary, you know? But I hope everyone reads these emails. I hope all my brothers and sisters know how much i look up to them and want them to feel this same joy that I feel. I hope my grandma and grandpa know how special they are to me even though I don't write them letters a lot.This church is true and everything you all are going through is meant to be solved by the message this church shares. Nothing and no one is an exception to that.Los quiero mucho!Love,Hermana Langston