Your Receive No Witness Until After the Trial of Your Faith

Hey ya'll,

This week has been pretty crazy. Yesterday we finally got to see the ward members at church! It was good to put faces with names. This ward is so good to their missionaries. The meal calender is full and we've been getting fed every night! Sometimes twice a day. And the Relief Society passed around a sign up sheet for members to come out with us for a few hours. So at least twice a week we have members coming with us to appointments and visiting less actives for about 3 or 4 hours. It is really cool. 

Spring is in the air! Literally. It rains pollen over here. Everything is caked in green. After it rains it looks like there is yellow chalk everywhere but it's just pollen. On Thursday we had a crazy thunder and lightning storm! In the ten seconds it took us to run to our car our hair was dripping wet and our clothes were soaked. It was kind of exciting though. 

It is so fun being the first Sister Missionaries in this ward! We get to surprise the less actives and the young women and the relief society sisters are really excited to be able to come out with us. On Wednesday we had an experience with a family who just wanted to degrade our beliefs. We were responding to a referral we had received and decided to take one of the YW with us because the referral said it was a male. When we got there it turned out to be a teenager who had been requested by one of his friends as a joke. They let us in though and the grandpa shot down everything we taught as we talked about the Restoration. He wanted to know where the proof was. I was getting so frustrated that my hands started to shake. We kept our cool though and at the end I just bore testimony to them that I know what I am teaching is true and I the reason I am on a mission. As I bore testimony to them the Spirit testified to me. And although they couldn't see it my faith was strengthened because it was challenged. It reminded me of one of Elder Holland's talk where he said defend your beliefs with kindness and compassion, but defend them. Never be afraid to bear your testimony, especially to those who are critical. I know this gospel is true and I am so grateful to be out here on my mission.

I love you all!

Hermana Reed