Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Synogog, Baptisms, and Firesides!!! :D

HEY EVERYBODY!!!
Another week has quickly come and gone! WOW! So - I don't have much time to write today cause Sis. Woodbury and I went to zone sports today (she played soccer while I cut hair) and we just got back shortly after 5:00 and we still need to eat dinner and such!
So anyways, this past week has been SO jam-packed full of all sorts of different fun things! On Monday last week while we were street contacting, I was talking to a guy and he wasn't really responding to me after I had been talking to him for a minute, just saying things like, "Hi! How are you?" and "What role has religion played in your life?" and then he said, with his head down, "Please leave me alone." and I apologized and said ok and left him alone. Well, within about ten seconds or so, he just walked into oncoming traffic - didn't even wait fo a signal or anything. Apparently religion hasn't been a very positive thing in his life, he'd rather put himself in danger before discussing it... Well, don't worry. He made it across the road safely. But that's not the first time that someone has walked into oncoming traffic to avoid us. One time a couple holding their baby walked almost right in front of a car to avoid us. We were just talking about how through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can be with our families forever and how much it blesses families. I guess they either wanted to put that to the test, or really didn't wanna hear about it. Oh well. They're just not ready to hear the wonderful, important message that we have to share. Hopefully one day they'll be ready. :)
On Tuesday we went on exchanges with Sister Berg and Sister Goates and I went with Sister Berg! (By the way - Jake Titensor - YOU KNOW HER!!! She served in Mongolia with you for a few months before she got kicked out and came to DC!!! And she met Britt right as she got here and right before she left to Argentina! SUUUPER small world! I LOVE it! It makes me feel more connected with home!!!) I LOVE Sister Berg! She is WONDERFUL! While I was with her, we witnessed SO many miracles happen, it was UNBELIEVABLE!!! One of our investigators, Diane, FINALLY accepted the soft baptism invite!!! Sister Woodbury and I have been giving her that for WEEKS now, and she hasn't accepted it yet. I think Sister Berg just has the right touch or something. Anyways, probably one of the BIGGEST miracles that we witnessed was during our power hour! We met a guy named Justin and started talking to him and ended up going all the way to outside his apartment complex. He sat down on the steps outside and we continued talking for a good twenty minutes or so. Within that time, he told us that he wanted to share a very personal experience with us that he wouldn't normally share with anyone - especially two strangers. He went on to tell us that he was on his way to the park to smoke weed, but when he got there and saw all the kids playing and the other people walking their dogs, he didn't want to do that around them. So he turned around and headed home, and as soon as he crossed the street from the park, he met us! He said that he doesn't think that that was a cooincidence; he KNOWS that he was meant to meet us, and at that particular time! It was INCREDIBLE! Shortly after that, Sister Berg and I went through the whole restoration pamphlet with him and even ended with a prayer! We had a lesson right there next to the sidewalk! And then he asked where our church is and what time we meet, so we gave him all that information and then got his information and gave it to the sisters over the single's ward. I am SO incredible grateful for that experience!
But the excitement for that day doesn't end there! That night around 10:45ish, shortly after we went to bed, we heard a LOUD knock on the door! It kinda scared me for a second - first of all cause we're not used to other people knocking on our door. So we ignored it the first time. Then about thirty seconds later, we heard it again! It seriously sounded like someone was trying to break down the door - like it was the police or someone trying to break in! By this time, we knew that it was really for us and not someone knocking loudly at the neighbor's door, so Sister Berg jumped out of bed to see who it was. When she peeked through the peep hole, she ran back to the bedroom and said, "It's the Elders!!!" I was like, "What?!?! What are THEY doing here?? And at THIS time of night!!!" So I jumped out of bed and got dressed really quick, then went to the door to see what all the commotion was about. When I got to the door, Elder Brown (who also happens to be our district leader and who we share the ward with now) said, "Your companion's worried about you cause she had a bad feeling and you haven't answered any of her phone calls and she wanted to make sure you were ok." Aw!!! My sweet mission "mom" loves me! So we told them that we were obviously ok, and we said goodnight to the Elders and then called Sister Woodbury and Sister Goates. It was pretty hilarious! The reason why she was so concerned is because of Michael - the spanish-speaking guy who I briefly told you about who called us last week and wanted to meet. Apparently he was very distraught and Sister Woodbury was worried about us meeting with a distraught man alone in a park - especially just two young girls. Well, luckily Michael ended up standing us up, so we were ok. :)
Wedensday was Zone Conference! SOOOOOOOOO good!!! It was pretty hilarious, though, cause President had all of the Sisters come into a room and gave us the "lock your heart" talk. I felt like it was mostly directed at me. ESPECIALLY since President asked us, "Does anybody know what President Hinkley told his granddaughter when she went on her mission?" I immediately raised my hand since he had JUST BARLEY told me this in his e-mail to me like a week or two before. So I said, "He told them not to smile at the Elders." Sister Woodbury started laughing hysterically, although she tried to hide it, because she knew it was at least partly directed at me. Ya, I'm still working on the whole NOT flirting thing. Sister Woodbury reminds me every day. Haha!
Thursday we met an ADORABLE family in our ward named the Jolley's and they have the CUTEST little 2 and a half year old boy named Reo! He sang us SO many songs and even hugged us! It was the most precious little thing! It totally made my entire day! :)
Friday, Sister Woodbury and I had our own little miracle happen! We went to the Potomac nursing home and ended up meeting a sweet older lady who just needs a friend and got her back into playing the piano and singing. After she played several songs and sang for us, she thanked us and told us how much she's missed doing that and she's glad that we convinced her to play. :) That night we went to Synogog with two of our investigators - Bobby and Keren, since Keren's Jewish. It was really interesting to see what other churches believe. They had wine and coffee and all sorts of gluteny goodies afterwards. Don't worry - we didn't have any gluten. ...OR anything else, really. Haha. The only thing that they had there that we could really eat was fresh fruit, so we had a little bit of that. It was yummy. :)
Saturday we had a BAPTISM!!! Our investigator (now Recent Convert) Wu Biao got baptized!!! It was SOOOOO special to witness that!!!
Yesterday we went to church - which was wonderful, as always! Then that night we went to a fireside all about missionary work! Guess what?? Starting very soon, missionaries are going to be able to use computers and e-mail and facebook and all sorts of electronics to find people and share things with investigators! It's AMAZING! We could not believe it when we heard it!
Life is wonderful! I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a missionary!!! :D The Church is true!!!
Read 1 Nephi 14 - especially verse 14!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!! :D

Love always,
Sister Aubrie Orrock

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL SISTER, MALARIE ON JULY 2ND!!! I love you!!! :D
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO:
-Maurie and Heather in May!
-Shaila on June 7th!

No comments:

Post a Comment