A Voice in My Head Said “Go Knock on Apartment 103”

Editor’s note: Many are familiar with my daughter, Sara Arkell, also known as The Piano Gal. Sara has been called to serve in the New York Syracuse Mission. This is a series on her weekly letters that we will be posting on the site for those who wish to follow along with her mission. You can read her previous emails here.

This week was SO AMAZING!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. 

 

We had Mission Leadership Council on Thursday at the mission home. Let me tell ya, the missionaries I get to work with are just absolutely INCREDIBLE. I learned so much and left with a renewed sense of drive and motivation for the work. It’s easy for me to go through the motions and do what I’m supposed to, but not always with urgency or extreme excitement for it. But I left the meeting with just that! 

 

God gave us A MIRACLE this week! We were at an apartment complex and had planned to knock all the 300’s. We decided to cut through the grass in between houses so we didn’t waste ANY time taking the long way to the sidewalks. We didn’t really have any success with people being interested.

 

Our friend, Gary, lives in the 200’s so we decided to stop by. On our walk over there, we passed the 100’s building and apartment 103 stood out to me but I didn’t think anything of it. Then a voice in my head said “GO KNOCK 103” so I told my companion and we took a sharp right and knocked on door 103.

 

I was very direct with what I said: “We have a unique message about Jesus Christ that we know will change your life. Would you be interested in hearing it?” The man who opened the door asked us how long it would take and we said we had 2 minutes to talk with him.

 

We talked about Jesus Christ and shared about The Book of Mormon with him. He ended up taking The Book of Mormon and committing to read 3 Nephi 11 about when Christ visits the people in ancient America! And set up a time for us to come back on Saturday!!!

 

We went back on Saturday and had the coolest lesson with him and his wife. They’re both from Canada and they speak French as their first language. They were so intrigued and they want us to come back. It was a MIRACLE. We were able to teach about the Restoration through Joseph Smith and the Spirit was SO STRONG as I recited The First Vision account. And they have 3 kids so we’re teaching a family now! God literally led us to him. It was such a cool experience!!! 

 

 

Miracles are abounding here in Rome! We have met so many people who are actually interested this week. It is all God’s doing. So, so grateful. One of the nights I went to bed feeling so fulfilled. It was one of those “reaping days” where all our hard work started paying off and we saw the fruits of our efforts!

 

Snow came out of nowhere yesterday!! I guess those good weather days were just a fake spring! 

 

GENERAL CONFERENCE IS THIS WEEKEND!!! Yay!! I am so grateful that we get the chance to hear from our Prophet, the apostles, and all the church leaders. Oh boy are we blessed. I am so excited! 

 

I heard this quote this week that just increased my sense of urgency: “Every second we aren’t working, the adversary is.” WOW. We seriously have no time to waste!! I took this to heart as a missionary specifically for finding people and helping our friends, but you can apply it too!! Do everything you can to have the Spirit with you at all times.