So Monday, we met a NEW CAMBODIAN FAMILY!!! AND THEY AREN"T LESS ACTIVE!!! We are going back to teach them tonight!! We also got to eat dinner with the A.P.'s and Bishop King, it was awesome.
Tuesday we had the usual district meeting travels, then went home, went tracting, and had to spend some time getting the apartment all prepped and ready to FINALLY get sprayed for our cockroaches.
Wednesday we went and helped Lyana move back to West Oakland, then taught a lesson to her room-mate who kept trying to flirt with us. Not the best situation. We definitely passed her off to the Berkeley YSA sisters. On the other hand it was a great lesson. Then we taught Pream about testimonies, to try and help him get ready for Testimony meeting, he has been wanting to get up and talk.
Thursday we went to town visiting members all day, we are trying everything to find people to teach right now, and we have been committing ourselves to talk to everyone. no one gets by us without hearing some kind of truth about the gospel and receiving an invitation to learn more. Cool. After that we drove to W.C. to stay with the zone leaders while they fumigated our apartment.
Friday we had weekly planning. Not too exciting. Then we went to Oakland again to teach Jonathan and our new investigator, Kenny, except Kenny wasn't home and his son just yelled at us for being mean to his dad, so we will go back another day. Jonathan was awesome though. (fun thing- Our high councilman is doing temple prep with him, and all he talks to us about at church is how incredible Jonathan is and how he corrects brother Blotter on doctrine in the temple prep class). Then we drove back to Walnut Creek!
Saturday we had a hecka ton of meetings, and we were in Walnut Creek all day, our meeting ran long and we had to cancel our only investigator lesson with the family we met before, it was super sad. We did get to teach Pream about fasting though, he got really excited about asking God for help to find a better job.
The best part about Sunday was Poamrong's Elder's quorum lesson and sacrament. We went to the visitors center and watched the Joseph Smith Movie, then we all shared our testimonies. It was the best lesson I have ever been to, because it was 100% taught by the spirit. Then in Sacrament all the testimonies were super great and focused on the Savior, which made me really happy, that is what we have been teaching people about when we visit them! Then that night we were supposed to have a lesson with a part member family we have been talking with, but they canceled at church... so we went to a referral for the less active the ap's found! We went to his house and he told us he didn't have time for church, but we ended up staying and talking to him for about 30 minutes, it was great. He wouldn't let us teach, but it was the best thing that had happened that whole week, we had been trying almost everyday to catch him when he was home, so it was good that we finally got to say hello and meet him!
Overall, the stress, lack of sleep, spiritual experiences, and hard work continued from the past weeks. We know there are people here who are prepared, the Lord wouldn't have sent two Cambodian missionaries here if there were not any Cambodians to teach, we just need to focus and go follow the promptings of the spirit to find them. I have been studying a lot about sacrifice and trusting the Lord, and really, it doesn't matter if we don't find people to teach this next week after we give everything we have. All the Lord asks for is our best. In D&C 4, the promise isn't "he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might will have lots of people to teach and lots of baptisms", but it is "he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul". I will continue to do everything I can to be a disciple and servant of Jesus Christ, no matter what kind of trials that entails. This is the work of the Lord, and I have established that I am I part of it, and I will continue to do my part no matter what others will do because of it. I love being a missionary so much. I have grown more from being here than I could have any where else on earth. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and the Power of his Sons Atonement is available to help us receive forgiveness, and be changed. I love all of you so much!! Sorry I don't have any pictures this week, please forgive me.
Love,
Elder Tolman
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