(some of you ladies are return missionaries yourselves!) and we don't have enough missionary talk on this blog!
I thought it would be beneficial to share a "Full Time Missionary Series" with you for the next few Sundays and and I found the perfect person to start off with!
Today, I want to introduce you to my husband, Blake.
He served a mission in Barcelona Spain, from 2003-2005 (Yes, we met the week he came home.)
So enjoy these full time missionary stories, and if you'd like to submit one of your own, shoot me an email at theldsbride@gmail.com!
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| The classic "missionary reading the scriptures on a train" picture. |
Hello Brides, Grooms and Internet Browsers,
Today, with my story, I am sharing the blessings and benefits of missionary service, which are almost innumerable, but the greatest blessing of all is this: D&C 18:15 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”
I want to tell you the story of David Abad. He is a blond-haired, blue-eyed Spaniard. He grew up in Catalunya, the province where Barcelona is found. His parents belonged to a church, but were not religious, so he grew up without a belief in God. In his late twenties, he moved to a small city just south of Valencia, Spain called Catarroja. When he first arrived in the city, he needed a place to rent, and a Bolivian family living there had a room. He had been living with them for several months and saw them participate in Family Home Evenings on Monday and attend church meetings every Sunday. They would ask him to join and for a while he declined, but at some point became interested enough that he agreed to go.
When I met him he had a Book of Mormon that he had just begun reading and he decided to talk to the missionaries. He had questions about God - more intellectual than spiritual - but at least he was interested. We taught him several lessons, each time asking him to go home and pray about what he had learned. He did, and each time we returned for another visit, we asked him how it went. He would reply that he had done it, but did not think he had received an answer. He did not feel anything different, he would say. He felt awkward praying to someone he did not know was real.
For a few weeks we met with him several times a week. He enjoyed our company and our discussions, but was having trouble receiving answers to his prayers. At some point we asked him if he believed if it was true. He said, “Maybe”. We asked him if he wanted to know if it was true. He said he did. We asked if he thought it made sense for it to be true. He said, “I think it does.” So we asked if he believed in God. Again he said, “It is possible He exists.” We asked if he thinks God can answer prayers. “This I do not know,” he said, “I haven’t received an answer.” We testified to him that we have received answers to our prayers and that he can too, if he prays in faith and in the name of Christ. We asked him if when he knew it was true, would he be baptized. He said, “Yes.” So we decided together that we would each pray in turn until he received his answer. At this lesson we had with us two returned missionaries from the ward. We knelt in a circle and each of us took a turn praying that David would receive an answer to his prayers so that he could be baptized. David prayed last and when he finished we stayed in our positions for several minutes without saying a word. When David finally began to stand up, he had tears in his eyes. I was almost afraid to ask him, but the tears were happy tears. I asked him, “Have you received an answer?”
(here was a long pause)
“Yes,” was his reply, “it is true.” He was soon baptized. Each time I saw him after that, he greeted us with a hug and a big smile. I was transferred a few weeks later and lost contact with him, though I have maintained contact with one of those returned missionaries, whose name is also David. In a recent email, he said, “Oh, David Abad says Hi, remember him? I think he was investigating when you were here, now he has 3 girls and he is an extraordinary member in our ward.” He is strong in the gospel and serving faithfully in the Church.
I testify to you that missionary service is rewarding. It is sometimes difficult, but the benefits far outweigh any hardships. The mission is not always easy, but the decision to go should be. It is a blessing for the missionary, for his or her family, and for the countless people he or she will teach and visit. I have been blessed for my missionary service, not the least of those blessings being my wife and baby son, our Sealing in the Temple and the spirit that is felt in our home.
The Lord has need of each of us to gather Israel and build up his Church in the land. And we have need for the blessings our Father wishes to bestow upon us.
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| Blake and some "investigators"... |
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| Companion! |
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| Striking a pose at a member's home |
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