It was so amazing to talk to yall yesterday. It was
just joyous and happy and afterwards I felt so at peace. I am excited
for the reunion, but until then I will be doin' work out here. I am not
by any means trunkie but I am excited to think about the seismic wave of
happiness that will fill the airport when I see yall again face to
face. I am one blessed Sister. This week has been great we are meeting
with someone new named M. We contacted him on the street, he had mild
interest in the gospel, but it has been really interesting to see how
he has grown in his testimony even after only a few lessons. I think he
was expecting us to be really strange but when we talked about what and
why we believe, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he agreed with
pretty much everything we were saying.
In all honesty, I feel like the
Gospel actually "normal"izes me more than anything. I find that I grow
in my understanding/knowledge about life-principles due to my faith. My
faith opens doors in my mind allowing for further mental-development
of deeper concepts rather than locking them and terming them as
"impossibilities".
The principle of faith is largely religious in connotation but the fundamental of faith is experimentation, which the majority of people, believers and non-believers, can agree to be a valid method of discovery. So why then are there so many who genuinely fear faith? I am amazed when I approach people here, how many upon the mere mention of the word faith react with volatile disdain. They cringe at thought of religion because it includes believing in what cannot be seen, which when in reference to God, is idiotic in their eyes. And to an extent they have a valid concern. In their history here in the Czech Republic, there was/is a plague of what I will refer to as "blind-believing" or following a leader without knowing why.
The stories of children who died because they were not allowed to receive the blood-transfusion that would have saved their lives, or all their relatives' property being rendered to the church, or even hearing sermons about how God is "everything and nothing" which to the educated sounds like a fairytale and not a legitimate explanation of the existence of man and the universe.
When looking at it through their eyes I can see their caution with regards to faith. But if there is something I know about my faith, it is that it does not cause or is the result of stupidity/naivety. My stupidest moments have resulted from my inability to follow the feelings of the Holy Ghost (my parents can attest to that). Even though I am speaking a ridiculously hard language, attempting to teach people (the majority at least twice my age) somehow I don't feel like a bumbling idiot. In fact, I don't think I can recall a time when I felt so smart.
Walking through a dark room trying to analyze the contents by sound, smell, and touch can be effective, there may be some who are experts at it, but faith opens our eyes and helps us see what was hidden behind our own lids of doubt. We don't have to follow blindly, if we will use our faith to unlock the doors we can explore for ourselves what our Heavenly Father wants us to do to become our wisest self.
That's my little rant of the week. :)
I love you all and am so grateful for your support! <3
Sestra Schoen
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