April 6, 2015

april 6. 2015

General Conference.  Oh golly.  Different. Fun. An adventure.

So we had to take two collectivos in pouring rain to get to the capilla in Villa Elisa (the stake center) and nobody wanted to leave their house, but we had one faithful investigator that left in the soaking wet rain with us.  So we arrived, soaking wet, and the internet didnt work.  So I didnt get to see the morning session on Saturday.

Then we took her home (2 mas collectivos) and went to find more investigators, but this time it was raining even harder, so nobody wanted to come with us.  Not wanting to be late, we took a taxi which charged us super too much and then we fianlly got there again,  And the afternoon session was sooo good, but my entire skirt was soaked. So that was an adventure.  Also we were fasting.  Also I had a really bad cold so I was super super congested.  But I wasnt cold, because I had a little bit of a fever.  This actually was super convinient.  (Warning, dont worry about my mom, I am giving you the whole picture so that you can imagine me at conference and laugh, and I am recovered.  I am fine.)

On Sunday the whole ward hired a collectivo.  And really the ward here is like the family in my big fat greek wedding.  Everyone is teasing eachother, and super loud, and it was the funnest collective trip that I have taken.

And then we had to drop investigators off after conference and pick up more, so we jammed super super super tight in a little car of one of the memebes (I was sitting on my comps lap) and want to find more, and drop off the people from the morning session.  And we have three investigators that are youth, and my comp was like their mom.  She brought them snacks and activities to do.  haha, she is such a mom of everyone she ever meets.  The hardest working most loving person I have ever met.

Ok, now I am going to tell me about my easter miracle, that came in a mannera a litle unexpected.

 I had a really interesting experience yesterday.  I met a man that was agnostic yesterday.  And we were talking and he was explaining the logic of religion as if it was a long history. That started with the jews and then came christ, and then there were all these sub religious, like the church of jesus christ.  And I started explaining the restaurcion, as logically as I could. But then, before I could get to the part about joseph smith he started talking and wouldnt let my talk. And he started to laugh, and explain how its just all a story.  And my companion (the smart one who started to realize I was getting really really frustrated) invited him to pray to whatever god he believed in and said goodbye, and then I just couldnt leave without saying, ¨I want to talk to you more because I studied in Jerusalem for 4 months, I know a lot about other relgions . . .  and then I couldnt finish my sentance.  As we were leaving my comp said to me ¨Hermana, The Cure isnt wisdom¨.  And I was so frustrated.  I went home, and went in to the bathroom and cried.  How dare he think that I was just another one of those crazy religious fanatics that came here who knows why. maybe traditions, to talk to people about Jesus.  Didnt he know how much I sacrificed.  Didnt he know how much suffering I had gone through to learn his laugauge, submerge myself in a foreign culture, sacrifice so much time that I could be doing things sooo much more productive then to talk to people about the Bible!¨ All for him.  For people like him, so that they can have the same joy that I had.  How could he not understand that I could offer him a potential so very much more than his potential without this offer of everlasting peace, and eternal families.  How dare he laugh at me, mock me.  

And then I realized, that on this easter sunday, i had been given a gift.  I got to feel how Jesus might have felt, teaching the gospel to people that mocked him.  That thought he was a crazy fanatic.  And I feel so much gratitude for him, that he did what he did.  That he submerged himself in the same weaknesses of the flesh that we have, and that he felt exactly how I felt.  And that he didnt sin.  His love for these men never wavered.  

Ok next thing.  Everyone in the world has to read the talk in the ensign that is called Ït is not a Sin to Be Weak.  This is one of the coolest talks I have ever read.  I never have understood this concept before.  That Jesus Christ can save us IN our weaknesses.  Our sins, no. But weaknesses, yes.  And that crist didnt have sins, but did have weaknesses.  Oh man, read this and then listen to uktdorfs talk on gracia and you will feel so happy.  

Anyway, I love you all so much.

Hermana Jarman

P.S. Mom, remeber before my misison I read a bunch of business books because I was bored.  Crucial conversations was one of them. its so GOOD.  They are geniuses.   I think I expalined some of the main points in the book to you one time.  The priciples help a lot in conversations on the mish.  Will you send me the names of the chapters or the main points.  I remeber them, but not really.