August 8, 2016

Stevie—

How has your week been?

One super cool thing that I learned this week is that sometimes the Lord puts you in the spot right where he needs you.  I was at a provo concert on center street to help pass out cards that advertise the refugee support group I volunteer with and at the end I was taking stuff to the car of one of my friends and to get back to my car, I cut through the Provo City Center temple grounds to get to my car. I decided that while I was there, and as the peaceful feeling of the temple grounds touched my fast paced mind, and slowed me down, I would sit down and meditate a little.  So I watched some cool bible videos on my phone and sat there basking in the spirit of the temple grounds.  So good! But at night time, they just have one gate open, so when I tried to cut through to go to my car I couldn’t leave that way.  And while walking to the other side I had seen a man sitting there, and I thought, Go talk to him.  I pushed away the thought.  I would not just go ruin someone’s spiritual moment . .  if he was here alone, its because he wanted to be alone, etc.  But as I walked past him again, I asked him where the gate that was open was.  We struck up a conversation.  He was your age (though his beard and longer hair made him look older) and he had been semi active throughout his life.  He made some bad decisions w/ his gf in HS and 3 weeks after graduation, he found out he was going to be a dad.  So all his friends went on missions, and he was a dad, struggling to make things work with his girlfriend.  Eventually, they split up, and that day, the day we met, he had given up his custodial rights to his 18 month old to the parents of his ex-girlfriend, because they had a stable family, and could take care of the baby better than he ever could of.  So hard.  He made a very selfless decision, and he felt really lonely.  Like he wanted a new start, but didn’t feel like he deserved one.  He was at the concert too, and saw the temple and knew he had to go over to the grounds.  He was prompted basically.  So I did  what any missionary would do and told him about the atonement, and God’s love.  He is such a cool kid. He wants to be good, he really wants to get his patriarchal blessing, but just struggles to get to church, to change his life a little.

Anyway, it was cool because I know that God put me there for a reason.  There are always people to help, work that needs to be done.  We just have to be selfless enough and focused enough to listen. But if we do, we will start having OUR faith strengthened, OUR testimony grows when we help others.

That is why missions are such faith building experiences.  Because your whole goal is to help others gain faith, but in the end your faith has grown as much as anyone’s.

I am proud of you!  You really are great!

Love,

Liza