Preaching on a bus!

FAMILY!!!

 This week was a life changing week.  I don't know where to begin.  I only have time for one story, here we go. I had a zone conference here this week and it was great and it was also one that kicked our butts.  We got stacked on us a ton of standards that the natural man would willing and does willing reject.  But after I prayed for a softened heart I really love keeping all the rules, even new ones.  So here in my mission we do A LOT of contacting, every single day. The members are great at certain things but they struggle with others, as do all of us.  But the majority of the people we find to teach here come through missionary efforts even though we all know its more effective to find people to teach through members, anyways...after zone conference (which is were I got my package...Thanks MOM and DAD!!!) I was so pumped. In this mission we talk to everyone everywhere...except for some places like on the metro or on buses. Here it is against the culture to talk to people especially on transport.  People here have a mind set of "I do my thing, and you do yours" so even just saying hi to people on the streets is against the culture here and people think its weird.  I didn't come here to timidly preach the gospel to people that talk to us, I came to be bold and tell people truth.  So we were on a bus the other day, and I felt very strongly that I should get up and preach to a whole bus...which is SOOOOOO NOOOOTTTT NORMAL. But I didn't come here to be normal.  It was the perfect opportunity b/c there was no one standing up and we came to a stop light so the bus was quieter than usual.  My comp and I were in the very back, and I turned to him and told him kinda of jokingly slash seriously "Elder, I think I'm going to preach to this bus."  His reaction was NOT expected.  He just started coming up with excuse upon excuse about why I shouldn't.  We were on our way to a lesson and it was with a potential investigator. After the excuses, I told him I was doing it.  He told me " I will not support you" and he turned his back to me...I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I said a prayer in my heart (which was pounding by this time) for strength b/c now I was on my own.  And the grace of God picked me up and walked me to the front of the bus.  I turned around and Held the Book of Mormon in the air and started sharing our message.  I was able to see the people who were interested in the message and those that weren't, so afterwards I walked to those who had made eye contact with me as I was speaking and gave the brochures about the church.  Done.  Was it hard? absolutely, but it wasn't until I realized that the worst thing that could happen is that I could get killed somehow that I was able to follow promptings of the Spirit.  I am supposed to be a witness of Christ "Even until Death", so I will be. My testimony of the support of the Savior gives in time of need grew so much that day after that experience. I learned a more profound meaning of what it is to be an example of the Believers.  You cant live off of borrowed light in the last day.  And I just working my hardest to gain as much of it as possible.  This story may not seem very crazy to you ,but i want you to know that it was one of the scariest and hardest experiences of my mission, but I can proudly say that I followed promptings and that God helped me out in my time of need.  I want the Lord to say," I can count on Elder Rooney, no matter what".  I don't know the result of those people that received those brochures but I am honored to have been the instrument of God in giving them to them.  After I sat down, NOTHING could get me down and I felt so strongly the strength of the Lord working through me.  It helped open my eyes even more that the message we have, that gives people that precious opportunity receiving all that the Father has.   I hope that all is well with the wedding and that you all have a wonderful week!

- Sean