The Manner of Happiness

This week was one of the busiest weeks I've ever had on a mission. We had so many people to see that we had to speed walk/jog to our appointments and take shorter lunch and dinner breaks. It was the best week ever. 

We had a lesson with one of our investigators on Tuesday. Oh my goodness I love that lady so much. She just started bearing her testimony in the lesson on the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and how she came to know it's all true. I think my favorite part about missionary work is seeing these people go from knowing next to nothing about anything we teach to bearing their testimony about it all. And seeing the changes in their lives that go along with those testimonies... it's definitely a huge testimony builder to me. Hearing her testimony just completely filled my heart with joy... I never knew it was possible to be this happy until I came on a mission. Even when days are hard and it's hot and we're tired and no one wants to listen to us, we're still happy... and that's how I know the gospel is true. 

In other news, I hit my 500 day mark last week. That seems like a lot of days... weird. 

We have a new Sunday night tradition. We come in for dinner, make bread sticks and marinara sauce, and then eat them on our couch while watching part of Meet the Mormons and talking about life until our dinner hour is over. This was the second Sunday we've done it and it's officially my favorite thing. I think I'll continue this tradition for the rest of my life. 

Alright. Cool story time!! 

We met someone who may very well be the most prepared person I've ever met on my mission last week. Here's what went down:
A recent convert in the elders' area, Brother Wright, had a friend he wanted us to meet. We went to have our first lesson with his friend and he told us that three weeks ago, he woke up in the middle of the night and heard a voice tell him to stop smoking and find a church. He stopped smoking that day... it's been three weeks since he's smoked. Which is a really big deal here. And the day after that happened, he was talking to Brother Wright and Brother Wright told him he should start meeting with us. He was very accepting when we invited him to be baptized, and he was at church a half an hour before sacrament meeting started yesterday. He is so cool and I'm so excited to work with him!! 

I love this scripture:

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." -2 Nephi 5:27

The thing that I love about this scripture is that they weren't living easy lives when Nephi wrote this. They were working hard to get food and shelter and clothing for their families, and I'm sure they faced all sorts of trials. But you know what? They had the gospel. They had the temple. They had a prophet. They had eternal families. And so even if their lives weren't going exactly the way they had planned, they could still live "after the manner of happiness." And you guys, guess what? We have all of those things too! So even if our lives don't go exactly how we'd like them to, and we hit some road blocks and speed bumps here and there, we can still be happy. :) 

Well that's all for now, folks! Love you all!! Have a great week :) 

xoxoxoxo,

Sister Oman 

A street in our area.

The best pasta I've ever had at this random ridiculously nice restaurant we found a few weeks ago.  Totally random for this part of Jamaica.  

The scripture case we made for our investigator's birthday present!!

The final wrapped product (yay for recycling things that were sent to me)!

Me & Sister Douglas!  I love this lady!!

One of my investigator's niece

We have a new Sunday night tradition.  And I'm going to do it for the rest of my life.  During our dinner hour, we make bread sticks and marinara sauce, and then we eat it on the couch while watching Meet the Mormons.  Best tradition ever!!