Hello Family and Friends!!
This has been a glorious week! I don't have any horror stories this week so
I guess that means I am just getting used to the wildlife here? Can you
imagine that Dad? Your daughter is adjusting to insects and amphibians!
Don't get me wrong if I see them in the house I still trip out until sister
Nebeker kills them, but I can walk outside without having a breakdown now
so that's an improvement! haha
alright so onto my week! So you know how when I received my call it said I
was speaking English here in Tampa? Well that is false! I speak a little
English, but mostly redneck, a little ASL, Espano, and French! No one here
speaks English!! Not proper English at least! I'm just being dramatic, but
we are currently teaching someone who is deaf and someone who only speaks
French! It is so much fun! Sister Nebeker knows ASL and she is teaching me
a little bit. I can bare my testimony in it and tell E that I love
her, but that is about it. I guess those are the important things for her
to know. Then we have M. He just moved from Haiti a few months ago, but
he loves God and has such a desire to know more. With him we try to use the
pamphlets a lot and his little brother translates the best he can. We
actually found out that one of the less active members in our ward speaks
French so yesterday we called her and asked if she would come to M's
with us. She surprisingly said she would and this is probably the highlight
of my week!
As we were leaving S's house (the less active member) a man yelled to
us. He kept saying that he needed a prayer. We stopped and walked over to
the fence where he was standing. We asked him what was going on and this
grown man started to sob. He told us pretty much the saddest story I have
ever heard which ended with the fact that he wanted to kill himself. I have
never seen someone this low before in my life. I looked him in the eyes and
with every bit of love and compassion I could find I said, "You are a son
of God and He loves you M." He just looked back at me and said, "NO
ma'am. Not me. God couldn't love me." I have never had anyone disagree with
me when I told them that simple truth. I was devastated and didn't know
what else to say. We just sat in silence for minutes before S spoke up
and told M of her struggles and how this gospel has helped her
overcome so much. By the end of our conversation we were all crying and I
felt the spirit so strongly. He was smiling and told us that we truly were
angels sent to save his life. We have another appointment with him this
week. We never made it over to M's house, but I know that is where we
needed to be. Sister A was able to bare her testimony and be reminded
of all God has done for her and M needed all three of us right then.
Something I realized from this is how much I take for granted the knowledge
that I have. I know I am a child of God. He loves me and has a purpose for
me in this life.
Love always,
Sister Upshaw!
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