Hi family and friends!
Okay I only have 20 minutes so this week's e-mail will probably be shorter, but hope you enjoy it!
To be honest, this week has been a really, really tough one. I haven't broken down and cried (well, I sometimes do in lessons from feeling the Spirit, but I haven't broken down and cried from stress or being homesick or anything like that) so I'm happy! It's just that being a missionary isn't easy. The people who turn us down day after day after day...sometimes it wears on me. Now I understand when the prophets in the Bible and Book of Mormon always end up crying unto the people to repent and lamenting over their wickedness, because that's what happens when we (we meaning Sister De Rurange and I) preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What's the hardest is when we feel prompted to go up and talk to someone, and then we do, and they just turn us down right off the bat. But I do recognize that sometimes we are stepping stones, and eventually, a set of missionaries will talk to them, and they will be ready to be healed by Jesus Christ and come unto Him.
I wanted to share two miracles that happened to me this week. Last Tuesday, one of our investigators texted Sis. De Rurange and I and told us that once again, he had succumbed to his addiction to pornography. He's been trying to get over it because he has a testimony of the Gospel and of the Atonement, but it's been really hard for him to because he's been an addict since he was 9...he's 21 today. For 12 years. Boys, STAY AWAY from pornography. It is NOT love - it is lust. Anything that is beautiful and sacred Satan can twist and turn until it becomes ugly and perverted, and that is exactly what pornography is. It is selfish, it is lustful, and it is wrong to look at or think about or watch. DON'T EVEN GLANCE AT IT. It's so sad to see him struggle with this horrible addiction, and it makes me sad to think about others who struggle as well.
Moving on, we knew he needed help, but we didn't know how to help him, so we asked two elders in our zone to meet us at the chapel and give this young man a blessing. Sis. De Rurange and I also kept praying before the lesson with our investigator that we would find a way to help him overcome his addiction. A miracle happened: They gave him a blessing to help him resist the temptation, and then IMMEDIATELY after the blessing was over, a man came in and said to our investigator, "Hey, we're having a pornography addiction recovery program tonight in 5 minutes. Would you like to join us?"
To be honest, this week has been a really, really tough one. I haven't broken down and cried (well, I sometimes do in lessons from feeling the Spirit, but I haven't broken down and cried from stress or being homesick or anything like that) so I'm happy! It's just that being a missionary isn't easy. The people who turn us down day after day after day...sometimes it wears on me. Now I understand when the prophets in the Bible and Book of Mormon always end up crying unto the people to repent and lamenting over their wickedness, because that's what happens when we (we meaning Sister De Rurange and I) preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What's the hardest is when we feel prompted to go up and talk to someone, and then we do, and they just turn us down right off the bat. But I do recognize that sometimes we are stepping stones, and eventually, a set of missionaries will talk to them, and they will be ready to be healed by Jesus Christ and come unto Him.
I wanted to share two miracles that happened to me this week. Last Tuesday, one of our investigators texted Sis. De Rurange and I and told us that once again, he had succumbed to his addiction to pornography. He's been trying to get over it because he has a testimony of the Gospel and of the Atonement, but it's been really hard for him to because he's been an addict since he was 9...he's 21 today. For 12 years. Boys, STAY AWAY from pornography. It is NOT love - it is lust. Anything that is beautiful and sacred Satan can twist and turn until it becomes ugly and perverted, and that is exactly what pornography is. It is selfish, it is lustful, and it is wrong to look at or think about or watch. DON'T EVEN GLANCE AT IT. It's so sad to see him struggle with this horrible addiction, and it makes me sad to think about others who struggle as well.
Moving on, we knew he needed help, but we didn't know how to help him, so we asked two elders in our zone to meet us at the chapel and give this young man a blessing. Sis. De Rurange and I also kept praying before the lesson with our investigator that we would find a way to help him overcome his addiction. A miracle happened: They gave him a blessing to help him resist the temptation, and then IMMEDIATELY after the blessing was over, a man came in and said to our investigator, "Hey, we're having a pornography addiction recovery program tonight in 5 minutes. Would you like to join us?"
2nd miracle this week: that same investigator wanted to come to church but we couldn't find him a ride, so we prayed to find him a ride, and then I thought of a name: Katie. We looked her up in our phone and called her, and sure enough, she gave him a ride to church! Another miracle! God hears and answers prayers - I can testify of that:)
I love you all and wish you the best!! Have a miraculous week, and count your blessings:)
With love,
Sister Nikole Decker
Whoops! Forgot a couple of things to put in my group e-mail.
2 sets of sisters (including my companion and I) and 2 sets of elders sang the "As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman" medley in Sacrament Meeting in two wards yesterday and it was SO powerful. I ended up tearing up and couldn't sing very well because I had tears pouring down my face from feeling the Spirit so strongly. We are God's army. "We are now the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth."
Our Bishop asked us to go to Institute with an investigator, Ray (he's getting baptized this coming Saturday, the 19th of October!!), and I learned something mind blowing. See D&C 19:10-12. God's name is Endless, Eternal. Therefore, eternal and endless punishment are God's punishments. That also means that eternal life is God's life. God wants us to have eternal life, or HIS LIFE. WOW. See Moses 1:39. My mind was totally blown!!! I never thought about it that way. That is so amazing, huh? God wants us to have eternal life, because His name is Eternal. So He wants us to have HIS LIFE. To feel the joy He feels. I'd never thought of it that way before... But I'm glad I went to Institute with Ray this Thursday!
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