This week has been pretty good. We had a good lesson with some Samoan investigators, Foa and Teressa, which really woke us up! We were feeling a little cocky after the very good weekend that we had had, and we felt more confident in our teaching abilities, so we didn't spend a lot of time planning for the lesson. We went over and talked with them for a while, then Teressa started throwing all sorts of questions at us that we weren't prepared for! So, it wasn't the best lesson, but it woke us up and made us study harder! It was the pride cycle in action!
We had an experience yesterday that was pretty cool. We were tracting when we first got here and found a really cool house! So for a couple of weeks we have been going back to try to meet the people who live there. Well yesterday we finally met them, and it turns out that they are less active members. Now, the man invited us in, and just started wailing on the church about all sorts of things, as I'm sure Abby, Joseph and Stephen have all experienced! He also kept saying the things like "I know that you guys are young in the church, so I probably shouldn't say this..." and stuff like that, that made me thankful that Elder Wilson didn't understand a lot of it!
As he was talking we just felt calm. We saw that he had been drinking, and that he's read all sorts of weird things, but it was more than that. It was as if we had a shield around us, making his words just bounce off! It was kind of a Samuel the Laminite situation. It was a very valuable lesson for me, to see how much we truly are protected, guided, and shielded from adversity.
We are having a lot of success with the Samoan people here. One of the girls who came to church last week, Iva, invited us over and we were able to teach her family as well. We will be going over there every Saturday. We are slowly getting better at both talking in lessons. I keep hearing Elder Wilson say "Please talk to my companion in English" in Samoan to the people! We're working on it, but as long as the Spirit is there, that's the most important thing.
I have been reading in the Book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon, and I'm realizing how important it is to have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ. Mormon had nothing, he saw his whole nation waste away, but he was able to endure it because of his solid foundation on Christ (Heleman 5:12....maybe for FHE...?). That foundation can literally help us stand our ground through anything. Weather our trial is mental, physical, or spiritual He is there to help us out!
Happy Birthday Liz! Dad, get the shotgun ready! Here come the boys!
Love to all!
Elder Gullerud
Heleman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon therock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Email dated April 22, 2013
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