Trials and Struggles of Missionary Work

This p-day is one of great relief. It means that I made it through the longest, and maybe the toughest week of my mission so far. Elder Erekson and I are going to be taking it easy today. After surviving a week like this last one, we're just about beat.
The week started off with a bad omen. After a district p-day in Bamberg (where I bought some amazing lederhosen!) we had an appointment with an inactive member that turned out really bad. The guy simply has let Satan take over his heart and doesn't want anything to do with the church. It was one of those appointments where the person you're talking to invites a really bad spirit by the things they say about the church and it can really drain you spiritually. The next day, we stopped by our golden Muslim investigator, and she told us she didn't want to meet with us anymore because of the pressure she was getting form all of her Muslim friends. That was a real heart breaker for us to be rejected by someone whom we knew needed the gospel and was so close to letting it change their life.

The rest of the week gave us a couple of new investigators, which was a saving grace. It also gave me not one, but two flat bike tires, which for me was kinda the the straw that broke the camel's back. To understate, it was a rough week, and Elder Erekson and I were both indescribably relieved this morning when we realized it was over.
As we say here in Germany, so gehts der missions arbeit. In other words, that's just the way the mission goes sometimes. The Koralewski's teach institute on Wednesdays, and we usually tag along. We just finished studying the book of acts. through this rough week I thought a lot about the apostles and the unbelievable persecution that they suffered, and which eventually lead to their death. I've been thinking about Paul, and how he frequently expressed is gratitude for the opportunity to face all of his trials and persecution for the Lord's sake, and my heart is filled and my spirit is re-energized form the knowledge that all I face on the mission is also for the Lord's sake. I'm grateful and honored to to be a part of the same work as Paul, and all of the other prophets, to face the trials and struggles of missionary work in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. I'm tired and a little weary, but am grateful for all of my experiences on the mission because I know that they're for the sake of the Lord.
As always, my heart and prayers are with you all. Take care.

-Andy

NOTE: The Apostle Paul was a man of vision, a man of action, and a man of letters. A visit by the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus changed the course of his life, and from that moment he dedicated himself to preaching the gospel, becoming one of the greatest missionaries in history.

All one can do is sit back and say, "Man, the church is true!"

Its been a long week. Things have been so crazy that I don't even know where to start. At the end of a week like this all one can do is sit back and say, "Man, the church is true!"
On Wednesday we went out to Meinberg, a village just outside of Schweinfurt, for an appointment with a younger girl, about 20 or so, who had accepted a Book of Mormon from us. Our spirits were high and our hopes were up for this appointment. Our first meeting with her had been by chance. We had gone there to deliver a Book of Mormon in Romanian to her grandmother and she had happened to answer the door. We got to talking with her and at the end of the conversation, despite her skepticism; she was the one who told us that she would test out the Book of Mormon. She had promised that she would read it, and although she didn't feel comfortable praying, we were able to get her to pray about it as well.
And so there we were, a week later, both having the spirit testify to us that this girl needed the gospel and it was her time to receive it. When we arrived at the house her Mom answered and was about to shut the door on us when we told her we had met with her daughter. She then curtly said "Ein moment" walked into the house and came out with the two Books of Mormon to return them to us. We tried to refuse them and tell her that we had given them to her mother and daughter, but she wouldn't listen. Elder Erekson finally had to snatch them out of her hand when she tried to throw them in the garbage can next to us.
After having the door slammed in our face, we couldn't do anything but stand there outside the house. This wasn't an unfamiliar situation, and in most cases we would simply say "Well...there it is" and move on. But the spirit was keeping us there. We knew that this girl needed the gospel, despite her Mother's rejection.
After sitting there on the side of the road for a few more minutes, we wandered up this hill on the other side of the street and up to a group of trees. There we knelt in prayer, and with all the faith within us, prayed that we might know what to do. I cant really express the power and surety of spiritual revelation that was felt by both Elder Erekson and I following the prayer. Without even talking about it, we both knew, through direct revelation from God, that we needed to go back to the street and this girl that we needed to meet with would come walking toward us. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. It was probably the most amazing spiritual experience of my mission so far. I've felt led by the spirit before, sure, but not so directly through such a powerful feeling in the moment that I needed it.
Unfortunately there is another, very real side working against us, and I'm sad to say that in this instance Satan won this round. Despite all that we had done and felt, and what God had done to bring us to this girl, she coldly and condescendingly rejected us in a moment of weakness. She was tired and had a long day, and Satan took that and used it to totally change her countenance from the first time we met her. No matter what we said or how fervently we bore our testimony, she just replied with condescension and cold rejection. This girl had been prepared by the Lord to accept the gospel. She needed it, and we knew it through all that we had felt just moments before, but in the end she exercised her agency and rejected the message. To put it simply, Satan had won that round.
However tough this experience may have been (actually I'd have to say it was the toughest of my mission so far) I thank my Heavenly Father for it. Through this experience I learned of the reality of my being set apart as a missionary and the revelation that comes with it, as well as the reality of the adversary constantly working against us.

Don't worry though; this week wasn't a total downer. We also met this Muslim lady who we've already taught the first two lessons to yesterday and today. She's golden! Its one of those golden teaching situations that you think only happens in the missionary movies. But I guess miracles do happen in real life is well. This lady's husband has just left her, which is really a blessing in disguise the guy does not sound nice, and despite her Muslim back ground she has always had at least some belief in Christ. Things are hard for her right now, but her life situation has opened the door for her to hear the gospel. She recognizes that it was no accident that we met on the street the day her husband left and she recognizes that our message comes from God. Its almost too good to be true and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to my heavenly father for leading us to this woman. The gospel is true, and Christ lives. That's all I can say really.

Hope all is well with you. Pray for you every day. Take care and put your trust in the Lord and will be well.

Love,

-Andy