Doubt your doubts

August 24, 2020

Hola mis queridos!!

Ahh to be completely honest, this week was not one of my favorites so far. Sometimes missionary work is hard and frustrating. But that's okay! I learned some valuable lessons and have been able to come closer to my Heavenly Father through it.

We had transfers on Tuesday so we had to take our roommate to her new area!! It was sad to say goodbye, but we welcomed a lot of new people to our zone. I was just super grateful I get another transfer to be with Sister Rawlings and finish her training!! We had a 6 weeks training meeting on Wednesday where all the trainers and trainees met with President and we discussed how the training is going and ways we could improve. It was actually an amazing meeting where I learned some ways I can improve as a trainer and show more Christ-like love to my companion by being the best trainer I can be! She still struggles with her Spanish a bit and it's just crazy because I remember being in my training and knowing EXACTLY how she felt. I also have that much more respect for her and everyone learning a language right now during this pandemic because it cannot be easy! But the Lord qualifies whom He calls and has qualified all of us missionaries to be on missions in this specific time to help HIS work move forward.

Unfortunately most of our investigators decided to ghost us this week except for a select few. We had a lesson with Gerardo with some members present that didn't exactly go amazing haha. But that's okay. I had a prompting to read a scripture in the Book of Mormon with him that we had not planned for and it actually made him open up about where all his doubt stemmed from and helped us understand why he has still not received an answer if the Book of Mormon is true. He has now read up to Alma but has been reading this whole time looking for a way to disprove everything that it says. We read with him in James 1:5-6 that says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." Obviously those that ask shall receive but our ability and capacity to receive revelation depends on the WAY in which we ask God. If we ask God with doubt already instilled within in our mind He will not give us an answer. But if we ask in faith, ready to receive His answer and do His will, "it will be given" to us. This is a principle that is important for all of us to understand because doubt is a popular weapon that Satan often uses to keep us from receiving personal revelation. Also as it says later in James "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" we must also be willing to ACT on that revelation once we receive it. Hopefully Gerardo will be able to open up his mind and heart enough to receive an answer.

We also were able to listen to church with Felipa again. We really encouraged her to pray about baptism. She is the sweetest old lady and has such righteous desires for her family that make me want to teach and baptize her that much more!! But ultimately it depends on the Lord's timing and will if she will accept the gospel or not. Sometimes that has been frustrating to deal with on my mission because I KNOW the gospel is true and I just wish I could make others see it too!! But in the end the conversion process is a personal one between our investigators and the Lord and for some people it takes years for them to recognize the truth right in front of them. I am just grateful that missionary work is all in His hands because He knows soooo much more than me!!

Anyways sorry this email was kinda a long one, but I hope you all have a great week! I love this restored gospel and love being a missionary <3

Con amor,

Hna Tate

In n out squad before transfers :(

Highlight of the week: we were teaching Erick a lesson outside and then his neighbor who we have never seen before randomly came up to us and gave us homemade oreos and tamales and watermelon!! She was the sweetest lady ever!! Made my whole week tbh.