A Most Amazing Monday!

Last Monday was a most amazing day. But first......the background.

There is no such thing as frozen yogurt in this part of the world. But some months ago someone discovered a new little kiosk yogurt stand in the middle of a big mall in Manchester so while we were there with the missionaries we tried it out. The yogurt was delicious -- some of the best we have ever eaten -- but the hired help was even better. We met Rebecca on our first visit and before we left we had a great gospel discussion and she took a Book of Mormon. Since then we have visited her every Friday we are there and have continued our discussions. She has become a dear friend and has shared much of her life with us. She went to Catholic schools and was very disallusioned with the doctrine and so has drifted from religion altho she still feels a need for it.

She has told us that she is interested in history and the history surrounding the church but not the doctrine. Last Friday we felt like things had come to a halt and so we asked if she would give us one hour of her time when she is off work and allow us to share our message. She happily agreed and on Monday (our preparation day) we took the train into Manchester and met her. She took us to a little cafe in the basement of a church. It felt much like Greenwich Village - very artsy, filled with students, odd tables and chairs, no smoking, totally granola!

We spent not an hour but 2 1/2 hours with her. We taught her the plan of salvation and the restoration including Joseph Smith and a modern day prophet. She listened and asked good questions and then pulled out her little notebook......

She had gone on line (good sites) and had 5 questions to ask us. 1. Word of Wisdom (she was embarrassed that she suggested we get a coffee instead of hot chocolate) 2. Tithing and fast offerings (wow, amazing!) 3. Women's roles (she loved that we consider ourselves intelligent equal beings who first and foremost honor motherhood 4. Morality -- how do you pull it off in this wild world! (train up a child in the way he should go....) 5. How do you get rid of your many sins. (easy! BAPTISM)

She then bore her soul -- all her past transgressions -- and they were abundant!!

We also discovered that she has told many people she is meeting with us and they have been filling her head with garbage such as: We get paid a commission for each person that joins the church. (now that was a good one inasmuch as we spend £6 on yogurt every time we meet her!and it is costing us a good sum) They told her if she did not accept our message we would never come again to her yogurt shop. (not a chance!) They told her we were wierd and all we cared about was numbers and on and on and on.(she assured them we look and act like normal people) And bless her, she defended us in every area and it upset her that people are so misinformed.

At the conclusion of our meeting we told her that we would never again bring up the church. We put the ball in her court and if she wanted to talk further, she would need to ask us! (but we would still come for yogurt). She started to laugh and said that we would have many more such meetings. She promised to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and would wait for our next visit on Friday!!!

And so.....tomorrow we will see her again. We have no idea where this will go, but it is so fun to be a missionary and bear testimony. We have come to love this young woman and will love her no matter what.
She has a boy friend (whom she lives with) and is anxious for us to meet him.......bring him on!!
and so is was A Most Amazing Monday!!!