I did the sermon this past Sabbath. Turned out better than I
thought. I was very lost at the beginning of my studies for it. I
couldn’t seem to bring it all together and it was really bothering me. I
thought I’d share from parable of the sower and the seed, because I’d been
studying Christ Object Lessons and was getting a lot out of it. So
I started preparing my sermon notes (which thankfully, I was warned I’d be
asked to preach, so I had a week to prepare unlike many others who are told the
day before that they have the sermon the next day) and was getting stuck on the
different soils. Seemed like I wasn’t getting anywhere.
But I kept praying for God’s guidance, and He impressed me to
take a totally different approach from what I had planned, so I did that.
And it all came together perfectly (why wouldn’t it? God is awesome!).
So I preached on the different soil types and how they relate to different
heart conditions. I appealed to my listeners that they have one of these
heart conditions (soil conditions) and which one are they. Then I went
into how to prepare the soil of your heart using the 3 steps of a true heart
conversion coupled with the 3 soil types (heart conditions) that needed help.
And I believe God blessed it.
It’s nice having a translator! While he’s speaking, I can
be looking over my notes to see what comes next. When he’s done, I can
speak to my listeners without looking at my notes. Then we start the
process all over again when he translates! It’s pretty cool! Plus,
Joseph is an excellent translator! He doesn’t get stuck on words like
some of the others here and he speaks Nepali fluently. He also mimics my
voice fluctuations and dramatic movements (which I frequently use). It’s
fun working with him!
Okay, changing topic...
It's weird... although there are so many hard things to deal with
here in India, I think I'm actually going to miss it. I'm going to miss
the girls, who I've grown to love. I'm going to miss the cold nights,
cuddling close to my hot water bottle hearing Indian music playing in the
distance. I'm going to miss cleaning people's teeth, watching the
delighted looks on their faces when I show them the "after" picture
(yes, I've taken before and after pictures! I'll post sometime!). I'll
miss Krystle, who's been such a fun roommate and friend. I'll miss my
baths, oddly enough. Yes, there will be a lot I'll miss.
When the girls here found out that I only have one more week left
with them, they all pouted and made crying noises to show their sadness. I
joined them in the fun, pretending to cry, and they thought it was hilarious. We
had a good laugh. But under all the levity, I could see they truly meant
it. They're going to miss me... and I them. It will be sad to
leave. I've grown so close to all these dear people in such a short
amount of time.
I'll miss them a lot.
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