The Road To Here... I Am A Mormon
Hi there.
For months I have contemplated making a secondary blog based on my faith based everyday life and the long winding road that is the convert life. Tonight, awake due to my lovely insomnia I finally decided to do it.
I should introduce myself. My name is Ramona and I am a twenty-five year old young woman from the island of Barbados in the West Indies. Other than my obsession with Bridget Jones, Netflix and my knack for learning new languages, I am pretty much the average young woman navigating the challenges and self discoveries of their twenties.
My convert story starts with a movie on my Neflix cue called "Meet The Mormons"which I am sure many of you have probably seen so many times that you can recall the words by heart. As an avid documentary lover, social human interest documentaries always peek my interest but unfortunately with everything in life, the Meet the Mormons movie got pushed to the bottom of my watch cue.
After many months sitting there, I drummed up the courage to watch and every misconception I had about what Mormonism was or what they looked like was completely overwritten. I was now a blank floppy disk ready to receive information into my database.
I wish it was that simple but it really wasn't...
More months passed and I had all but forgotten about the movie deleting it from my memory completely.
God really does know what he is doing sometimes so a few weeks later when in the midst of a rainy downpour I managed to see some young Caucasian ladies standing in my gallery (Gallery is what you call a porch in your part of the world).
Dripping wet and soaked to the bone, my kindness decided that this was the moment to step in and without a second thought, my feet were moving towards the door and my arm carrying the largest umbrella I had inside my house.
In Caribbean (Barbadian speak) words what I could only describe as two drowned cats looked at me and even though no mention of the gospel was given I allowed them to take my umbrella and wait out the rain.
Still i didn't entertain the thought of any scripture at this point and when the girls came to return the umbrella they had borrowed I still hadn't heard anything about the gospel which has now changed my life so much.
Without another word exchanged between us they left...
Whether they had a death wish or simply felt the pull to return, they came again and this time had reinforcements from the church. Still, a little overwhelmed I spoke to them through my window trying to hurry them along.
Once again, the were going through my area and the rain began to fall. Having returned the oversized umbrella they were once again soaked. By now I was beginning to think this was ploy but knowing that this was the middle of summer and that they weren't used to unpredictable Caribbean weather, I allowed them to take my umbrella again.
When they returned it after a few days, they had finally drummed up the courage to ask if I wanted to hear more about their church and the message they had to share.
Looking back, those sisters (Sister Buhrley and Sister Knudsen) took a chance on someone whose faith had died a long time ago and slowly began to restore it lesson by lesson.
I thank them everyday for that. I love them so much and I know heavenly father loves them so much for the sacrifice they made by becoming missionaries and doing the Lords work in far away lands.
On December 17th 2016 I got baptized and my life really did begin. In the few short months since I have been a member of this church, I have seen my testimony change so much and I have made lifelong friends and have shared fellowship with the most amazing people.
I thank God for my new church family. For the missionary moms who I talk to and update with photos of their children from far away who sometimes just need to hear a message from their child to warm their day. I thank God for blessing my life with these people who have loved me and whose love I return ten-fold.
I am Ramona...
I am stubborn
And I am a freaking Mormon (and loving every second of it)
For months I have contemplated making a secondary blog based on my faith based everyday life and the long winding road that is the convert life. Tonight, awake due to my lovely insomnia I finally decided to do it.
I should introduce myself. My name is Ramona and I am a twenty-five year old young woman from the island of Barbados in the West Indies. Other than my obsession with Bridget Jones, Netflix and my knack for learning new languages, I am pretty much the average young woman navigating the challenges and self discoveries of their twenties.
My convert story starts with a movie on my Neflix cue called "Meet The Mormons"which I am sure many of you have probably seen so many times that you can recall the words by heart. As an avid documentary lover, social human interest documentaries always peek my interest but unfortunately with everything in life, the Meet the Mormons movie got pushed to the bottom of my watch cue.
After many months sitting there, I drummed up the courage to watch and every misconception I had about what Mormonism was or what they looked like was completely overwritten. I was now a blank floppy disk ready to receive information into my database.
I wish it was that simple but it really wasn't...
More months passed and I had all but forgotten about the movie deleting it from my memory completely.
God really does know what he is doing sometimes so a few weeks later when in the midst of a rainy downpour I managed to see some young Caucasian ladies standing in my gallery (Gallery is what you call a porch in your part of the world).
Dripping wet and soaked to the bone, my kindness decided that this was the moment to step in and without a second thought, my feet were moving towards the door and my arm carrying the largest umbrella I had inside my house.
In Caribbean (Barbadian speak) words what I could only describe as two drowned cats looked at me and even though no mention of the gospel was given I allowed them to take my umbrella and wait out the rain.
Still i didn't entertain the thought of any scripture at this point and when the girls came to return the umbrella they had borrowed I still hadn't heard anything about the gospel which has now changed my life so much.
Without another word exchanged between us they left...
Whether they had a death wish or simply felt the pull to return, they came again and this time had reinforcements from the church. Still, a little overwhelmed I spoke to them through my window trying to hurry them along.
Once again, the were going through my area and the rain began to fall. Having returned the oversized umbrella they were once again soaked. By now I was beginning to think this was ploy but knowing that this was the middle of summer and that they weren't used to unpredictable Caribbean weather, I allowed them to take my umbrella again.
When they returned it after a few days, they had finally drummed up the courage to ask if I wanted to hear more about their church and the message they had to share.
Looking back, those sisters (Sister Buhrley and Sister Knudsen) took a chance on someone whose faith had died a long time ago and slowly began to restore it lesson by lesson.
I thank them everyday for that. I love them so much and I know heavenly father loves them so much for the sacrifice they made by becoming missionaries and doing the Lords work in far away lands.
On December 17th 2016 I got baptized and my life really did begin. In the few short months since I have been a member of this church, I have seen my testimony change so much and I have made lifelong friends and have shared fellowship with the most amazing people.
I thank God for my new church family. For the missionary moms who I talk to and update with photos of their children from far away who sometimes just need to hear a message from their child to warm their day. I thank God for blessing my life with these people who have loved me and whose love I return ten-fold.
I am Ramona...
I am stubborn
And I am a freaking Mormon (and loving every second of it)
I love your story almost as much as I love you. ❤️ thank you for sharing your umbrella with my mands. And thank you for sharing your heart with me. ❤️ so much love for you!
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