Hello to all..........We often have people look at our missionary tags when we go into stores, etc. Well, we were in Wal-mart last week, doing our grocery shopping, and a lady looked at us, and asked to read our tags, and we had a wonderful conversation. She introduced herself, and told us her story of inactivity in the church, and returning to the church a few years ago. It was very inspiring!! (Bishop Shearer...feel free to share this with everyone!!)
Her name is Sister Laughman, and she left the church when she was about 19 years old, because she wanted "freedom". There were just too many resrictions. Well, 12 years before she returned, she and her non-member husband allowed the Home Teachers to visit them. A Brother Ruggles was assigned to them. Well, in 12 years, he never missed a month and he brought her family 144 loaves of home baked bread!! About half way through this time, Bro. Ruggles daughter was being baptized and she accepted the invitation to attend the baptism. When she was at church, she began to feel the spirit, and she remembered her feelings toward church when she was a child. Awhile after this, she was sitting on her porch swing, and her husband was working in the yard; he came up to sit down and relax for a minute, and she was overcome with guilt, so she told her husband, "I need to tell you something." She told him that she had been paying tithing on half his income, because she felt like she needed to pay tithing and she felt bad that he didn't know about it. He turned to her and said, "Go ahead and pay on all of my income." She says that when she finally returned, she was "weighted down with chains of guilt and sin and bad habits". She was so glad for Bishops court and for the Atonement, and that, once she was fully returned...she finally felt what "freedom" really was. As a result of this Home Teacher's faithfulness and LOVE for her, she came back, her husband joined the church, her sister came back, her daughter joined the church..... It was SO inspiring!! We didn't do a thing, but we would not have heard her story if we would not have had Missionary Tags!!
We have a Pioneer Celebration today....all outdoors, water games.............and it's supposed to rain...maybe!! That's how Texas is!!!
We are having a baptism next Sunday...Jonathan Rodriguez, who is 12 years old, but has not been baptised because of his parents inactivity the last few years. They returned, so Jonathan has been doing all those young people's activities, and the Elders have taught him, to be sure he understands. He's a great kid!!
We've challenged the Escamilla Family to come to church tomorrow!!! We'll see!!
We've been really good. We went out to ElCampo to help a family move in to the house they have rented. The family is from St. George, Utah. The dad builds and flies, and sells "ultra-light" planes. Anyway, we were all helping, maybe only one big piece of furniture left and a few boxes, and it POURED DOWN RAIN...LIGHTNING.....BUCKETS OF RAIN....... We finally left....but someone stayed to finish that last little bit, because we went by just a bit ago and the U-haul was gone. The family wasn't home.
Anyway...we are really good!! Lots of Love to all...Elder and Sister Carter
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A Diamond In the Rough
ReplyDeleteA diamond in the rough is a diamond, sure enough,
And before it ever sparkled it was made of diamond stuff.
But someone had to find it or it never would be found,
And someone had to grind it or it never would be ground.
But it's found, and when it's ground,
And when it's burnished bright,
That diamond's everlasting giving out its light.
--Author Unknown
It is fun to hear about your mission and I enjoy your enthusiasm in your callings.
Carol