Monday, July 22, 2013

I am NOT a vulture salesman.


RANDOM ADVENTURES of the week: 

-my musical adventures continued...I'm now in a band. I play the togo (african drum). No big deal. 
-a TEMPEST TSUNAMI hit Vannes out of nowhere. It looked like we jumped in a swimming pool. We ended up knocking a door and a man gave us Kleenexes to dry ourselves off. Thanks, that did A LOT. 

MIRACLES of the week: 

-Monday night we were walking home and we said hi to a man who was working on his car on the side of the road. He called us to come back and asked us who we were. Once we told him we were the Mormons he got SOOOOO excited and told us that he has tried every religion in the world EXCEPT Mormonism, but that he heard about us on TV and wanted to know more, but didn't know where to look. So obviously we gave him a Book of Mormon and he kissed it and raised it in the sky and was like, 'Praiiisseeee theeee Loorrrdddddd". Hahah. Pray for Vincent and Family. We're going back to teach him tonight. 
-Ludo's 12 year old daughter came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

REALIZATION of the week: 

Last night we went over to Kate & Alex's house (Mom and daughter who live on our street) and we had a really interesting life chat. They really opened my eye's as to how Mormon missionaries are seen here in France.  

Here are a couple of things they said that struck me: 

"I think you girls have such a hard time because of the Temoigne Jehovah's. The Temoigne Jehovah's always come up to our doorstep and they act so seriously and try to shove their religion down your throat, and then if you've listened to them one time they just come back again and again and again no matter how many times you have told them no." 

"You girls are different because you smile. You laugh. You look like friends. When I said HI to you, you didn't immediately start talking about God and Religion." 

"The boy missionaries here in Vannes hate each other don't they? We always see them around town and the skinny white one is always walking wayyyyyy further ahead of the other." 

To name a few. 

It's just really eye opening because I didn't realize how much people are WATCHING us. It makes me want to act so much more like myself, and so much less like the "stereotypical perfect missionary"

Is that bad?  

But really...I don't think there are going to be very many people joining this church if we walk around scaring people because they see us literally RUNNING down people to "deliver our message". Like VULTURE SALESMEN. 

Every one of us on earth is different. Why in the world are we trying to make the same approach to every person we see? "Hi, my name is Soeur Johns I came from the United States because I have a message that will bless you and your family" (and that will be $39.99...) 

Ew. I hate that. 

This shouldn't take CONVINCING. It should naturally happen out of LOVE. I want the people I teach to join this church, and to stay in this church because it has really added something to their lives. 

Yup, and that's all I gotta say about that. 

Love you all. SO MUCH. 

Love, 
Soeur Johns