“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” -2 Nephi 2:25
I am once again overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and mercy of our God! He is all powerful, all knowing and all loving! I feel His closeness more and more as I journey through these final days as a representative of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is my last e-mail. Crazy. ( I will actually try to sneak in one more next Wednesday 😉 These e-mails have been fun because I usually have no idea what I am going to share until I start typing! It is only a teeny, tiny portion, only a glimpse of the wonders and joys and miracles I have encountered in New York. I hold many experiences sacred and private, but I am sure I will share one or two with you individually as I feel prompted in the future! I pray I can always keep in remembrance these feelings, thoughts and events so they can benefit my current and future family and others.
As I reflect on the past 18 months of my life, the word Joy comes to mind. I think that word is the best description of being on the Lords mission. Not because it has been all happy times, but rather, it is because I have felt the lowest of lows out here that I have been blessed to feel the most JOY! Great pain often results in greater Joy, only as we turn to the Savior through that pain. He makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him! He can take any horrible situation and somehow make it wonderful. He is joy.
This last transfer in Hudson with sister Allred has been FULL of JOY! Last night we were on the floor crying as I read her Alma 26. We were filled with joy from head to toe! Let me tell you why!
Sunday, October 22, 2017- Today was a day of miracles. Sister Allred and I have been on a spiritual high since listening to Elder Gary E. Stevenson speak to us yesterday. It was absolutely incredible being able to shake an apostles hands, It is amazing that we have living prophets and apostles! What a neat experience it was to have the entire mission gather to hear his inspired words. I cried as I saw all those I love including sister Holmberg, Thomas, DeGolyer, Rodriguez, Redd, Park and others! I felt as if I was entering the celestial kingdom and they were all beautiful angels. Each of these woman, along with sister Smith and sister Saunders, have changed my life FOREVER. They are sisters to me. Not one of them were ‘hard companions’ but all were an absolute joy! I was blessed with THEE BEST missionaries as my companions to teach me some things! They each own a massive part of my heart now!
As we prepared for sacrament meeting, the spirit was strong! We had several wonderful investigators come, including Paula, who is preparing for baptism in November! We also had the treat of having Willie show up to church! That was a miracle. Willie is a young man we met on Columbia street, downtown one night. He yelled out to us, “You Jehovah Witnesses?” I was going to keep walking because I am super stereotypical and scared of gangs haha but sister Allred responded, “Nope, We’re the mormons!” Since then, we’ve had many intense discussions with him (he is highly intelligent and a very deep thinker) and challenged him to come to church! This was his first time in a church building EVER. In all 29 years of his life. HE CAME! For all three hours and he loved it. Everyone was his friend and the branch did great with him! At the end, we asked how he felt and he said “I feel SO happy! It is weird. I cant stop smiling!” It was pure joy.
Taking the sacrament was pure joy too. Seeing everyone there was pure joy! But the joy did not stop there, oh no! This was just the beginning. After lunch and 12-week, we were back at it. Sister Allred felt impressed to go to Laticias. We went. She invited us in, we taught the first discussion and towards the end, she just started crying. She felt the spirit so strong. She said, “I never cry like this, I am sorry, I don’t know whats happening.” We helped explain to her that was the Spirit telling her what we shared was the truth! We all knelt together on the barren, wood floor of her tiny upstairs apartment and she said such a sweet prayer. After, she said she wanted to read all of the book of mormon and she wanted to invite her friends to come hear our message too! I know this gospel will bless her as a single working mother raising her autistic son alone. She needs this gospel! She wants to get baptized on her birthday- December 2nd!
After, we met with some other folks including Anthony! He has been keeping his commitments and doing great! He is in his 30s, has been in an addiction recovery rehab for the past 13 months. He is SO sincere. He also accepted an invitation to be baptized in December and is preparing for that! Then, we were able to teach some other wonderful folks and have a delicious dinner and fun lesson at sister Grahams house with Ralph (she feeds us 3 items a week!!!! I LOVE her) we had a fun lesson on the Tree of life! Ralph is on FIRE. He has been really repenting, just the other day we helped him clean out all the alcohol from his house and get rid of it! He is sharing the gospel with all his friends and family and is sending us referrals every week! He is preparing for baptism next month as well!!!! He told us we should go back to his neighbor Jacks who we taught a few times in the past! SO we did! And what do ya know- it happened to be Jacks birthday! He just turned 77! And sister Graham happened to send us home with chocolate cake which we were able to give to him! No one even knew it was Jacks birthday! Ralph just had the thought pop in his head and sister Graham just happend to make chocolate cake? How crazy is that? God loves Jack and wanted to make sure he felt special!
Jack has been talking to people about the Book of Mormon and the past couple people he’s talked to told him it was the most correct of any religion. Don’t know who was telling him about that, but we thank them for putting a good word in! That is rare here because of the insane amount of anti-mormon talk in NY. We had a powerful lesson with him and he also wants to work towards being baptized. He feels something is missing from his life and he wants to prepare to meet God! After Jacks lesson, we had 30 minutes left and home was 25 minutes away. We parked the car and pleaded with the Lord to help us know who needed us tonight. Melissa, a potential in Valatie, came to my mind. We pulled up to her place just as she was walking out on her porch! WHHHAAA!!!??? We ran up to her and asked if we could bring her a little gospel! She let us come into her home and we sat down with she and her granddaughter Kairi (age 8) and had a wonderful time! The spirit was almost tangible as we spoke of Gods love and His eternal plan for our families, of the book of Momron and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Kairi shared with us photos of her mom who passed away a couple years ago of cancer. She was 24 when she died. a beautiful woman! It has been very traumatic on both of them. The scriptures we shared were like healing ointment. Kairi read part of 2 Nephi 31 and we invited them to be baptized and talked about the work that goes on in the temple. They both accepted and want to make that covenant with God. We all knelt down together and Kairi said the sweetest prayer. The first prayer I heard her say a few weeks back said, “Dear Jesus, please bring my mom back.” But his one said, “Heavenly Father, thank you for my mommy and thank you for your plan and for the sunshine today.” It was so tender. It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart to look in those bright blue eyes and tell her that one day, she will be able to hug her mommy again and be with her, but for now, she has to keep smiling!
When got home, we keeled in prayer and accounted our efforts to the Lord. We thanked him for those people preparing for baptism- Paula, Ralph and Jason and the 5 souls – Anthony, Laticia, Jack, Melissa and Kairi, who, just today accepted to enter the path that leads to eternal life. We hugged and cried and were so happy to be instruments in Gods hands. I know that there is NONE other name given nor means whereby salvation can be obtained, only in and through Jesus Christ. He has set a clear path to follow, He himself being an example to us, and His perfect gospel and the priesthood power have been restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith so that all may receive salvation. THIS IS THE WORK OF SALVATION. This is the greatest work in the universe. The same power God has given us to baptize, that same power is the power Christ used to create the earth! The principles and ordinances of His gospel- namely: faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end, are the only way to return to live in out Heavenly Fathers presence for eternity. It is the only way to peace in this life and joy in the next! It is the means whereby we can access the saving atonement of our Savior! I know these things are true. I know That the Book of Mormon is the word of god and the most correct of any book. It has allowed me to truly know and Love my God! This day has been JOY. Just ONE DAY of my mission has been recorded today in this email. Only part of my day! The Savior wants us to be happy!
I bear my testimony that God loves you. He knows you perfectly. He wants to give you all He has! Let Him! My invitation to you is to LET GOD BLESS YOU! Let Him bless you by recognizing all he has given you and living in a way, being obedient, to allow Him to bless you even MORE! I know that more Joy awaits us than we can begin to comprehend, not only in the next life, but in THIS LIFE! THIS HAS BEEN THEE HAPPIEST !* MONTHS OF MY EXISTENCE! But I know it is not the peak! More is to come when I see my family, have a temple marriage with the one I love, bring children into the world and watch them grow to love the gospel as we do! I love my Savior. Jesus is the Christ. In His sacred name, amen.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSTANT LOVE AND SUPPORT. OH HOW I LOVE YOU!
“And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” – Mosiah 3:17
Sister Rebekah Ruth Folkman 