rain – Sister Samantha Gomm

Hello friends and family!

This week was CRAZY!!!!! Being a missionary is the best thing! On
Tuesday and Wednesday we had training from someone from the missionary
department in Salt Lake. He helped us know how to improve our
missionary work and what to do in the busy months when we have
hundreds of people at the site at the same time. All of the things
we’re going to be doing this summer is going to be crazy!!

On Friday we had two bus tours of youth come in the evening and they
needed to get through everywhere really quick so one bus went to the
river while he other came inside and watched the movie. Once the bus
came back from the river Sister Martinez and I ran out to the parking
lot and talked to everyone. We took them in to the movie and then down
to the homes. Everyone was split and I took a bunch of people through
the Hale home, it was SO fun! They were one of the best groups that
has ever come here! They were all so prepared to feel the Spirit and
learn everything they could, it was the best.

On Saturday (or maybe Friday, I can’t keep the days straight anymore!)
Sister Martinez and I took a family on a tour and they were so great!
They were so prepared to have a spiritual experience. Lately I’ve been
thinking about what I could do to help people here. There were some
people who came into the site awhile ago who told me that they thought
other church history sites were “cooler because the buildings weren’t
reconstructed and you could just feel the Spirit because of how old
they were.” I was a little sad by their comment because I wanted them
to enjoy their stay here as much as any other place they were going
to. I knew that the Lord wouldn’t have a historic site built here if
He hadn’t intended for people to have converting experiences here. So
I prayed to know what to do so that people who come here can enjoy the
Spirit as much as they do in places like Palmyra or Fayette. Later
that day I went on a tour with Sister Eckman and she had so many
insights and things to say and great questions to ask, I knew that was
a step in the right direction! After our tour I pulled out Preach My
Gospel and studied a little then prayed for guidance on our next tour.

Fast forward to the tour I mentioned before with the people who were
so prepared. Obviously, them being prepared was a huge part of why the
tour was so great, but once we got to the Smith home we had one of the
sons read a scripture that has helped him in his life. He read Mosiah
24:12-15. He then expanded on the story for us and said that he had
been very stressed out one time and had an index of scriptures so he
pulled one out about prayer and it had been Mosiah 24. The Spirit was
so strong after that as he shared his testimony of prayer and how he
knew that God will help us from our afflictions. We then went to the
summer kitchen and had them all take a second to think about why they
were grateful for the priesthood. As we all thought in silence the
Spirit was overpowering the room. We then had some of them share and
they all ended up participating and inviting the Spirit more. Then I
told them about what I had been praying about and the Spirit was
encompassing the room. I knew right there that God was satisfied with
what Sister Martinez and I had said. The mistakes I’m sure we had made
earlier in the tour, in past tours, and in future tours didn’t matter.
The Spirit had made up for everything as this family contemplated the
events that took place here and how those events were blessing them.
It was a miracle that my prayer had been answered so soon and that we
had invited the Spirit into the lives of this family by simply
allowing them to talk so they could invite it themselves.

Sunday was crazy!! We had so many people come to the site!! At one
point Sister Martinez and I were up next for a tour and we were the
only sisters left at the center. We made an executive decision to go
on splits with the women in the tours who had both just come in. I
went on a tour with a cute family from Utah who was in a hurry so we
just decided to go down to the Smith home. Meanwhile it is pouring
outside!! It was crazy! We grabbed a few umbrellas and made our way
down to the home. We may as well have left the umbrellas at the
visitors’ center because we were still soaked by the time we got to
the Smith home. We went inside and started talking but then Sister
Larsen and Sister Francis came in and asked if they could join our
group because they didn’t want to stand in the rain. They all piled in
and marveled at the fact that the Book of Mormon had been translated
here. They were all so willing to participate and add their comments
the Spirit was again so strong!

Sister Martinez and I didn’t make it back to each other again until 7
p.m. It was the craziest day and we were soaking wet! Good thing the
FM couples really needed it to rain! I’m just grateful to be here and
feel the Spirit testify to everyone, especially me, that the
priesthood is real, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and
that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I love the gospel and I love sharing
it with others!

Have a great week! I love you to the moon and back!

Love,
Sister Gomm