Well family the weather has changed. After some bright and sunny days (skirts and short sleeves weather), the cold appears to have arrived. Sister Davis and I were out tracting a few days ago. First, I will admit that I am grateful I brought my winter coat out with me that evening. As I was leaving the apartment, I thought to myself should I just wear a suit jacket or am I going to want my peacoat? By the end, I realized it would be best to bring my winter peacoat and I am glad that I did. It was about an hour before we needed to be home at the apartment and we were about to knock on the first door. Just before we could knock, it literally started to hail on us and we just laughed. We continued to go ahead and knock on doors. It is amazing how rewarding missionary work is because I can't think of any other reason I would be outside in hail knocking on doors besides in order to share the gospel with other people. At one door we knocked on, the person asked us If we were mad for being out in the weather. We responded, "No. We just know our message is true and has brought us happiness, so we want to share it with other people." It is definitely a test of our dedication and determination when it gets cold, but I know that this work is rewarding as we find people who are accepting of the message we share.
Speaking of the message I am sharing, I want to include an insert from my letter to my president (my mission leader) this week:
I have been reading t he Book of Mormon from cover to cover; I am not the quickest reader so I am only in Jacob, but I love every moment of it. One aspect that has particularly stood out to me this week was the plainness or simplicity of the gospel. When it talks about the doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31, Nephi starts by mentioning how this doctrine is plain. Furthermore, Jacob mentions the plainness of the word of God. When it comes down to it, the message we are sharing of the restored gospel is plain and simple. The actual doctrine is easy to understand; however, the application into our daily lives is not as easy. The desire to change and apply the doctrine requires willingness on our part to live a better life and become more Christ-like.
There is another story that I would like to share and this one is about service. One evening we were on our way to teach a man. Sister Davis and I hadn't visited his apartment yet, so we were looking for his house. We got to the house we thought was his and found out he didn't live there. At first, we were a bit disappointed because we thought the man had just lied, which to be honest happens sometimes as a missionary. However, we came to find out that we were just on the wrong street. Nonetheless we continued to have a conversation with the nice lady who answered the door; her name is Carol. She is in her seventies and very sweet. We almost instantly connected about a variety of things such as science, horses, and the Unitarian church. We had a lot of things in common. While she was not interested in our message, we offered to help her with her gardening and she accepted. We went over to her house (when the weather was still nice) and spent an hour gardening with her. While we were gardening, we chatted and would occasionally mention gospel-related ideas. By the end of our service, she brought out some lemonade and asked us to tell her about Mormon. We had a wonderful discussion about the Book of Mormon and how we have a prophet on the earth today. We have seen her once since and taught a short lesson. The biggest thing I noticed from this experience is how service softens the hearts of the people. Whether or not she actually accepts the gospel, we have made a great friend as a result of the service we preformed. Now for my challenge to you--go out and serve someone. It doesn't have to be gardening, but think of something nice you can do for someone you may not know as well such as your neighbor.
Thanks for all the love and support I receive. I truly am grateful for all you do. Keep working hard and doing good. I pray for you often.
Love, Sister (Becca) Jack
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