Another great week as always here in DC! I'm still loving being a missionary and the truly amazing blessings and miracles I get to witness and be a part of.
This week while we were tracting we knocked on the door of an older man. He looked really hesitant when he answered the door, especially after we said we were missionaries. We were done explaining that we would love to share a message with him, he looked at us SO sassy and goes, "Do you not see the signs all over this neighborhood and my door that say no soliciting?" So I looked at him and I said, " Oh no sir, we're not soliciting! Salvation is free!" hahahaha it just came right out I couldn't even help it! He had no reply.... He just sat there for a second and said, "Have a nice night." and slammed his door. So funny, Sister Sosa said it was her proudest mommy moment. The storms here get pretty crazy... this week we all had to go back to our apartments for the night because the flash floods and lightning was out of control! There was lightning every 3 seconds and they were all a mile or less away, so it was pretty scary! The lightning hit the Odenton Sister's (Sister Gehlen and her trio) apartment and all of their power went out which meant- SLUMBER PARTY AT OUR PLACE. Mission sleepovers are the best! Our investigator is progressing every day; she even went to the Philadelphia temple open house on Saturday with her family! She was so excited to go and see where she can be sealed to her family for forever. Her husband and children are all members, so being sealed to them someday really means a lot to her. Something cool this week from our lesson with her is when we gave her a picture by Greg Olsen of Christ holding a woman. We asked her what she saw and she said, "A father holding his daughter...." and the spirit touched all of our hearts. I had never looked at the picture that way, but I instantly thought of me and my own father. I can't begin to imagine how great it will be to hug him again after 18 months; he is my best friend! If hugging my father after that short of a time can mean the world to me, imagine hugging my SAVIOR after my entire life here on Earth. The person who has walked with me every step and carried me on his shoulders. The person who died for me because he loves me so powerfully and unconditionally it can't be described. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are just WAITING for they day they finally get to give a simple Father's hug to their daughters and sons again, I'm sure of it. That hug will mean everything and more to me someday. I love you all! Thanks to those of you who remember that I'm still alive! I always love hearing from my friends and family! Love, Sister Montgomery <3 [email protected]
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Raise your hand if you have ever tracted in 98 degree weather with the heat index making it 115 degrees for 2 hours.... *raises hand*. That was a good time. The humidity was so bad you could literally SEE it! Basically you can't ever get ready here because you walk outside and are instantly wet. It's always fabulous showing up to a house looking like a dog :-) We had a great week! I handed out 4 Book of Mormons and the best part was two of them became new investigators! We had some great experiences, but i'll just focus on one for today, my first Book of Mormon lesson- I'll be real honest, before my mission I was never very good at reading my scriptures; Feasting on the words of Christ. Something I've always heard is, "There is power in the scriptures", and I believed that to be true. Power to me meant that I felt the spirit while reading, or I got an answer to a prayer through a verse. I didn't understand what 'Power' truly meant until Tuesday this week, when I left it all on the field: Before every soccer game we are told to leave it all on the field; have no regrets, have no fear. When I step foot onto the pitch, I grab hold of my passion for the sport and my love of the game. When you find passion for something, you allow yourself to be vulnerable; take shots on goal, try moves you've been working on, make breakaways. You give everything you have for 90 minutes because you know leaving it all on the field will never leave you with regrets, and only provide you with a positive outcome. I love putting on my cleats. I love making breakaways and running towards goal. I love taking shots and putting my work to the test. I love being exhausted from sprinting and running for an hour and a half straight. I love working with my teammates and celebrating after a victory. These loves gave me power on the field, it gave power to my teammates, it's what drove us to victories and triumphs, and that power came from being vulnerable. From giving it our best and leaving it all on the field. For the first time in my life I laid my entire testimony in the hands of the Book of Mormon while teaching our investigator. I bore testimony on the truthfulness of every word on every single page. Because of this one book, we have the fullness of the Gospel and absolute undeniable evidence that the Savior lives; this Gospel is the way and only way. Without this one book we would have nothing, we would NOT have all the pieces. I left my entire testimony on the line when I said, "If this book is false, everything I have ever told you is false too. Everything I believe is wrong. If this book is false then I do not know my Savior... but I KNOW it is true. Joseph Smith gave everything for this one book. He DIED so that we could have the words on these few pages. I would not be sitting in your living room today if I didn't KNOW that this book is true. Every word." In that moment I learned that 'Power' in the scriptures is being vulnerable to it's truth. Allowing yourself to give 110% faith that every word is true, translated and will continue to stand the test of life/time. When I found that power, found that vulnerability, I knew of my Savior; I felt him next to me as I testified. I did not have one doubt or fear leaving it all on the field because the power of the scriptures was manifested when I put my faith in them. Before we started our lesson, our investigator said, "I want to read it. I want to know if it's true. I just don't know how to know." That's when I left it all on the field and put my vulnerability in the scriptures, and asked her to read Moroni 10:3-5. After she finished reading, the room was silent for about a minute or so. She looked up at me and said, "all I have to do is ask?" The spirit absolutely flooded the room. It was such a neat moment! I urge you all to be vulnerable- something that is much easier said than done. Allow yourself to figure out what you believe; what are you willing to stand up for? What do you have complete faith in? Are you willing to leave it all on the field? With love, Sister Montgomery 7501 Trafalgar Circle #212 Hanover, MD 21076 [email protected] Leaving it all on the field in soccer and in DC!HELLO MY LOVES!
Thank you for sending me emails every week and keeping me updated on your lives! I LOVE getting them, so keep them coming my way! Sister Sosa is a G. We have way too much fun- when it's appropriate of course! Turns out our apartment is haunted... Without all the details, we woke up to strange noises, our things being thrown everywhere throughout our kitchen, items being moved, and a knife by my bed.... the joys of Satan hating you being on a mission :-) Alright alright, so turns out... missionary work isn't always that easy! We had lots of doors slammed in our face, many "no thank you's" and tons of pass along cards handed out with no call back. I was starting to get a little bummed out, but then I received a tender mercy at the end of the week: It all started after I came up with a plan called 'Project 28'. We have around 28 days left in the transfer, and there are so many empty streets and areas on our Fort Meade Map. So I looked at Sister Sosa and said, "For the next 28 days we will go to a different street every day. Make a list of what street we will be at on what day so that Heavenly Father knows where we will be, and place those who he has prepared for us in our path. 28 new streets, 28 new places. We will fill up this Fort Meade board." So Friday we started on our adventure Project 28! We were driving home after a long, exhausting and unsuccessful day of 'Project 28' finding Saturday night. I was so determined to find that one person Heavenly Father had prepared for us to meet that night on that street, but we found no one and I was pretty sad. After a hard week, I was certain we would find something to make up for it. Maybe I'm not doing it right? Maybe the Lord prepared someone elsewhere for us? As I was looking out the window feeling like all week I didn't succeed at my job as a missionary, I saw something magical; my very first firefly :) I saw so many of them just lighting up the trees, the bushes, the grass; everywhere! I realized that Heavenly Father is aware of me. He knows my efforts and my feelings. He knew I would be there to see that firefly; something I have always dreamed of seeing! And you know what? He is preparing someone, right now, this very moment, on one of those 28 streets, i'm sure of it. Seeing something as simple yet magical as a firefly just reminded me how amazing Heavenly Father and his creations are. He took the time to create something so little and simple, knowing that it would bring joy and magic to people here on Earth. So amazing. Every leaf, stream, breeze and firefly- he created. What a wonderful thing it is to see his creations and feel his love. He is always showing his love for us by giving tender mercies, even if they are as simple as seeing a firefly. I promise that he is aware of our thoughts and the deepest desires of our hearts. He is constantly blessing us and giving us reminders he is there; we just need to look for them. Look for those simple moments this week as you go about your lives. You'll be shocked at how much he gives us to smile about :) With love always, Sister Montgomery [email protected] I am officially a missionary!
MAN what a week. Missionary life started right off the bat- we landed in DC and were greeted by President Johnson and his adorable wife, took all of our luggage to the car and then were handed a Book of Mormon and some Visitors Center pass along cards. They took us to the metro and said, "alright, go hand out some books!" Let me tell ya... the metro is NOT like the role plays you do in the MTC- but that's what made it so exciting! This is real life! I saw a woman sitting down reading a book and decided to go talk to her. I asked if she like to read. We started talking and she asked where I was going so I told her about the visitors center (we were meeting the mission president and his wife there). She was really interested and talked about how she had seen the temple and thought it was so beautiful! She loves to learn about why people believe what they do, the history behind their beliefs, all that good stuff. So I asked her if she had ever heard of the Book of Mormon; she said she had heard of it but never read it or anything. It's amazing how the Lord truly does fill you with the spirit and guide what you say- I decided to have no fear and say, "Well this book, THIS is why I believe what I do. What is written in here is what has made me the person I am, and it's the reason I'm here in DC. This MY favorite book to read." So I said I would show her a few of my favorite parts, which were the introduction page (more specifically the last two paragraphs) and then Moroni's promise. I asked her if I could give her this copy, and if she would read those parts. She was really excited and said YES! We were all getting off the metro because it was our stop, so I told her that if she had any questions or thoughts about what she read to go to the visitors center (I gave her a pass along card) and they will answer everything! It was so neat to have such an inspired little metro ride. I am currently serving in Forte Meade which is a military base! It is definitely a unique experience serving here.... once we enter post we are not allowed to wear our name tags. We are also not allowed to proselyte, teach outside of a home, or basically do anything pertaining to a missionary. The only time we are allowed to teach is if we have a referral or an appointment set up. The ward is very small due to many of the members being deployed or on duty, so church attendance is usually pretty low. Being on a military base isn't as pleasant as some may think... On our first day Sister Sosa said, "Don't EVER EVER drive on that road" so I asked why and she said, "You'll get shot." We continue driving and she says, "Oh and do not EVER turn left here, or on the road up there.... they will shoot you." "Also do not ever walk on this street, especially with your name tag because the snipers are ordered to shoot you." My response..... "oh good :-)" Basically I am out here being a martyr- wish me luck My favorite part of the whole week was my very first lesson- We went to teach Sister Braga whose husband is a member, but she has always refused to join the church. She's been going to church with him on and off for years, and taken many many discussions from tons of missionaries, but still- no desire. Of course I took this as a challenge and said, "well then Sister Sosa, looks like she's just been being prepared for us." The moment I met her I was overwhelmed with the spirit and my heart started to race. I knew that this meeting was going to be really important because I could tell that she was ready to hear the gospel. The first thing she said to us was, "I just don't think Heavenly Father hears or answers my prayers. I want him to be real, I just don't know if he is." We started teaching of the plan of salvation- how we used to live with him in heaven. We walked with, talked with and lived with our Heavenly Father. We are here because we CHOSE him." She started to cry because she couldn't believe that she had chosen him. She felt so much regret and remorse for not finding God sooner; she has felt very lost. I related to her a lot. I know exactly what it feels like to be lost from your Savior, so I began teaching of Earth and of Christ's atonement. The look on her face and feeling in the room was something I wish could be described in words. I bore a powerful testimony, one that I never have before, of the power of the atonement- how we can not only be made clean, but we can be made WHOLE. Through Christ we can be found and we can be happy; truly happy. You could feel angels in the room as we all cried and let the spirit teach for a minute. Sister Braga looked at me and said, "I didn't know how amazing it would feel to be found.." and I bore another testimony of God's love for her, because it was so evident that even I, a 19 year old girl who had known her for an hour, could feel the saviors love for her just reaching for her. We then talked about baptism and I asked if she would follow Christ's example, and come out of the water with a new clean slate made whole, and be baptized. She said yes. She looked at me and said, "I have met with so many missionaries. Heard so many lessons. But something is different about you and the message you gave to me today.... I've been waiting for you." Sister Braga will be getting baptized on August 13; I have never been more excited for a day to come. It was a true miracle and such a tender mercy to see the Lord finally be able to stand by her side after years and years of being prepared. He has been preparing her day by day because he knew that my story is the exact thing she needed to hear. The power of the spirit and the timing of God's work is truly amazing. I am so grateful to be a missionary, and a tool in God's hands; to witness his work being done and his children returning to him. The church is TRUE. I know it, I testify of it, I witness it, and I love my Savior Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven. Have no fear this week- he will walk with you when you let him. Sister Montgomery |