Obrando en la Viña: Remember

Olga :)

The first time I met Olga, all I saw was an 89 year old woman who I thought wasn't really all that interested in learning more about the gospel.

We didn't see her again for two weeks.

The second time I saw Olga...I saw an 89 year old woman with a deteriorating mind...a broken-record memory...and swollen, heavy feet with no more will to walk. A woman who had a two story house in Argentina and who raked the leaves over and over again, all day long... Who ate lunch twice because she forgot she had eaten it the first time. The 89 year old woman who spends each day alone... Who is terrified of silence and who doesn't let us speak for words she wants to say...
Who broke down in tears because she simply cannot remember.

We started working seriously with our Olgita this week. We stopped by every day.

Olga is progressing. After three days of telling us the same stories over and over...we have moved on to other stories. She reads the Book of Mormon every night before bed, and she pleads with God to help her remember. She falls asleep with the book on her chest.

I have faith in Olga.

We have decided to take a CTR 4 approach.
We are determined to teach her the Restoration.

"Prophets are men who are called of God. Olga, what is a prophet?"

"...I don't know."

"It's a man called of God. Olga, who calls prophets?"

"...I don't know. I don't remember."

"God calls prophets. Olga, who calls prophets?"

"God?"

"Bien! Perfecto. A prophet is a man called of God. What is a prophet?"

And thus it goes... We shoot for two principles in a 20 minute lesson. Then we write them down on a sticky note so that she can read and re-read them again and again and again.

"A prophet is a man called of God.
He holds the priesthood."

We leave it at that, and then we return the following day to see if she remembers...and to teach another principle or two.

Olga, God loves you.

He loves you, so He gave you a family.

He calls prophets to help you teach your family.

Prophets are called of God.

They hold the priesthood.

The priesthood is the power of God.

Jesus Christ is God´s son.

He came to the earth to establish His church.

He called 12 apostles.

He served the people.

He loves us.

I like the Restoration in "CTR 4." It's a language I can understand. It's a language Olga can understand. Even when she forgets to eat lunch...she can hear a thousand times that God loves her, and maybe it will stick. Even when she forgets that she already put jam on the table...she can hear a thousand times that God calls prophets, and maybe it will stick. Even when she forgets she already told us, 5 or 6 or 7 times...she can hear a thousand times that the priesthood is the power of God, and maybe it will stick.

When we came to this earth, we passed through the veil. We forgot every single gospel truth we knew before. God calls prophets to help us remember. He gives us the scriptures to help us remember. It's no surprise that Book of Mormon prophets so often "exhort (us) to remember these things" (Mor. 10:27)... That they plead with us to remember the captivity of our fathers... To remember the name by which we are called... To remember our state of ignorance and give thanks for the knowledge with which God has blessed us. To return to CTR 4 and remember the basics. Remember, remember, remember.

We already knew it. We knew it all before. A loving Heavenly Father sent us here to be tested, but not to forget. He wants to give us the answers. He wants to help us remember. He loves us.

I know God loves Olga. We love Olga. And we never tire of trying...because all we can see is her walking down the steps, dressed in white, to make promises with the Father who loves her SO, so much. All we can see is her potential. We don't see the woman who forgets. We see a woman whose spirit desires to remember.

God calls prophets to help us remember. He gives us the scriptures to help us remember.
And it doesn't matter if sometimes we forget... If sometimes we eat lunch twice, or we tell the same story again and again... He will take our hand and gently whisper to us the most important truths, because it doesn't matter when we get there--it only matters that we do.

Olga, why does God call prophets?

To guide us.

Olga, why does God want to guide you?

Because He loves me.

Olga, does God love you?

Yes.

Success.

She remembered.

I love you! Have a great week!:)
Hermana Sanford