It sounds like life is as interesting as ever. :-)
Mom: I am really bad at looking ahead when I email! I'm really sorry, but I did remember your birthday. So Happy Late Birthday! . . . . It's not quite the same. . .. :-(
Dad: I am most certainly planning on doing Tae Kwon Do when I get back. And tell Addison that I would be SUPER happy to go with her to the ocean nationals. Heck, I might even compete (and thus lose because I am terrible now) just for the heck of it. It's probably mostly just an excuse so that I can wear my Tae Kwon Do uniform all day. That would be awesome.
And I'm excited to talk to Kassie and Joe soon.
But I am really having a hard time comprehending the idea of me leaving the mission. I don't understand how some missionaries get trunky, stop working, and want to come home. I mean, I love you all a ton and I really want to see you all soon and give you all massively big hugs. . . . But I don't want to leave. There is too much to do here, and too many people that I care about. It's like I'll be leaving my family here behind when I leave. We've had some crazy times, especially this last week, and through it all my love for the people that we've been teaching has really increased. I almost wish I could just get really homesick so that leaving here wouldn't be so painful. I don't know. But I do love you all and I'm excited to see you soon.
My week has been by far the hardest week of my mission. This is kind of a long story, but I wanted to fill you in:
I told you a while back about a person we're teaching. She was introduced to the church by a friend of hers. Her parents are both members, but both are not active. With her dad's permission, she started meeting with us. She's probably the most solid and sincere person that I have ever taught on my mission. As we taught her, she began to ask some amazing questions and she has been very diligent about reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. In not much time, she received a witness from God that it's all true, and that she needs to follow it. She has a great desire to be baptized, but lacked the courage to ask her mom....
We suggested that we should meet with her parents-- first her dad, then her mom and dad together. But her dad refused to talk to us (in fact he avoided us). And so it became apparent that she would have to do it on her own. That's always really hard on me when I can't help or do things for the people we are teaching. I could see how hard this would be for her, but I couldn't do anything to help. As I pondered what to do, the Lord inspired me to set a goal for her to be baptized. I didn't understand why or how, but I knew I shouldn't doubt. As I studied, I came across a story that I felt would help. Last Wednesday we taught her and shared the story from the Old Testament about courage. Moses comes to the promised land and sends twelve men to spy on the land.
Numbers 13:
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan . . .
19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;. . .
27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it afloweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are awalled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29 The aAmalekites dwell in the land of the bsouth: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And aCaleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 But the amen that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. . .
33 And there we saw the agiants. . . .
Numbers 14:6 ¶ And aJoshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only arebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: bfear them not.
After the lesson, we set a goal for her to be baptized on Sept 4th. We felt inspired to promise that, if she would ask her mom, everything would work out. That was not Elder Mace saying something that sounded good, that was an inspired promise from a loving Heavenly Father to one of His children. She was excited, but nervous about talking to her mom. On the car ride home with her mom, she remembered me saying that there would never really be a good time, so she got up the courage, turned to her mom and began explaining what was going on and how she felt. We had previously been fasting and praying that her mom's heart would be softened and that everything would work out. But her mom was not very supportive. She told her she couldn't support the decision..... She asked her mom to stop talking bad about the church because that's what she believed in. Her dad also seems to have withdrawn his support, and her older brother and sister are giving her a hard time over everything. I don't think I have ever fasted so hard, prayed so often, cried so much, or lost so much sleep over anything before in my life. It's been a tough week on everyone. But as Caleb and Joshua taught, the Lord is with us. I trust the promise the Lord gave in our last lesson. It will all work out.
We have a baptism coming up this week, which is a miracle in and of itself. Damon and Dillon are two kids who have been taught by missionaries for years, but they and their family have never shown much desire apparently. But now they are doing great. They've been coming to church, reading the scriptures, praying as a family, and they're amazing. I am really excited for them.
We recently started teaching another guy. He's awesome. His parents are members, but they stopped going to church when he was 2 years old. Last night we taught the Plan of Salvation, and invited him to be baptized, and as if he were already expecting it, he said yes. Wow. He's a sharp young man. :-)
We've been blessed with new people to teach, and we set a lot of baptism dates. Things are going well, and we're getting through the trials.
I don't tell you all enough, but I really love you all and I thank you for your support on my mission so far. I know without a doubt that this is where I need to be, and what I need to be doing. Jesus Christ lives. He loves each of us individually, and knows our circumstances. He wants us to be happy, and can make even the worst pain bearable. This is His church and His gospel. Thank you for helping me come. Thank you for always being supportive of my decisions, whatever they were. Thank you for being there for me. I love you all.
Love,
Jason Mace
Oh, and Elder D called and gave me some bike mailing information. So I'm on top of that. I just need the address and info on how to mail it. Love you all.
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