Stories: My Wife's conversion story
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| This is my wife's story to tell.....
The first time I heard of the Church was at age 12. I showed my Mum a story about Donny Osmond, and the only comment she made was "he must be a Mormon if he's from Salt Lake City". Later, when I was about 15, my friend and I received a visit one night from two missionaries. Being bored, we invited them in and "listened" to their discussion, then said we wouldn't be interested in having them back. Through the years, there were four more occasions when missionaries knocked on my door and sometimes politely, sometimes quite rudely, I said I wasn't interested. My life had gone down some strange paths and it was a long and difficult task to bring myself back to where I was comfortable and happy.
If you are not progressing in life, then you are sliding backwards - there is no standing still. I had reached a stage in my life where I could do no more on my own, but didn't know what the next step was.
While getting ready to attend a basketball game one night, I answered a knock at the door, to be greeted by a smiling Maori face. OK that piqued my interest - I'd only ever encountered American Mormons before. So we chatted, and I said I didn't believe in God, and he made a remark about the rather elaborate cross hanging from my ear. Then, yes, believe it or not, I tried to put them off by saying I had to leave for the basketball game!!! (I know better now) At the time, I thought it was the strangest thing, that when He asked if they could come back another time, the words in my head were no don't bother, there's no point, but the words that left my mouth were "sure, come back tomorrow night".
So they did, and I sat there doing my nails while they talked, said I guess it could be true, while still feeling quite sceptical, and agreed to hear the next discussion. Much to the disgust of my friends, within a week and a half I'd agreed to be baptised. I'd surprised the Elders by turning up at a baptism (I actually surprised myself to, as the whole time I was dressing, and driving to the baptism, and sitting outside in my car, I was saying "I'm not actually going". I had to pass the Chapel to take my friend home, and I ended up telling her to take my car ( and my 11yo daughter) back to her house and I would find my way there later. When I walked into the Chapel, it was like coming home. I was still saying I'm not going to do it, but back at my friend's home, I refused a beer, and a cup of coffee, and asked for Milo instead.
Even after I agreed to be baptised, I still held out, by deciding on a date two weeks ahead instead of that week.
I prayed about the truth of the Book of Mormon, but the strongest concern in my mind was whether I should join the Church. My friends and family had always said derogatory things about the Mormons and that had influenced my perception of them. But I had a dream one night, too detailed to go into here, that let me know that I should join, that Jesus was there and would keep me safe.
I'm so grateful that I made that decision. I'm on a nice straght path now and intend to stay that way. Three months after my baptism, I met Elder Isitt, who was not in my area, but in the same zone. I knew almost immediately that he was my eternal companion. It took him a little longer, but then he still had three months of serving the Lord left. We married 11 months after his mission ended, after a long-distance phone engagement and we have two more beautiful children (by the way, my daughter was baptised 5 weeks after me, and now she's 19 and planning her own mission in two years). As for us, we have 19 years to plan our first couple mission.
Don't be disheartened if someone won't listen the first time. You may touch a heart that takes a while to realise what it all means. |
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