The Message

"This is your door Sister Martin!"

"Oh, come on comp! Can't you do just one more? I think I'm really starting to get that new door approach- you do it so well!"

Sister Martin never was that keen on tracting. In actual fact, she was terrified of it. But I was her follow up trainer and tried to be a good example, to help her enjoy the experience.

"Well, the best way to see if you've got the approach is to just do it - Remember Sister, faith without works is dead!"

I rang the doorbell and pushed Sister Martin in front of me. Her face turned a shade of pale.

A girl around the age of 10 answered the door. She was dressed in a smart, navy, polka dot dress. She looked like she was all ready for church. This was a good sign!

"Hi there...my name is Sister Martin and this is my companion Sister Clawson. We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints...."

I was mesmorised by this pretty young girl. I had a good feeling about her and her family. I offered a silent prayer for my companion, that she would know just what to say.

"...so we would like to uh, share a special message about eternal families with you and your family."

Sister Martin looked over to me as if to say 'ok your turn!'

"That's a pretty dress you're wearing'" I asked the girl, "do you have somewhere special to go?"

"Yes I do have somewhere to go, but can you come back later?"

"Okay, is your Mum and Dad home? Can we talk to them?"

"Uh, no, they're out right now, but they'll be back soon like in an hour. Can you come back and share your message?"

"Of course we can. Do you think your parents will want to hear the message about eternal families?"

"Oh yes! Please promise that you will come back! I have to go now but don't forget to come back!" The young girl was adamant.

Yes! Golden family, I thought. I smiled at my companion, we said goodbye to the young girl and continued walking down the road. We decided to return to the house after we had finished tracting the rest of the street.

My companion was filled with a positive energy.

"See Sister Martin! You did great! All you needed was a bit of practise and you will LOVE tracting in no time!"

"Wasn't that girl nice? I'm so glad you made me do that door approach comp. I think I'm getting the hang of it. Let me do the next house too!"

Well, not only did Sister Martin tract the next house, but also the next three houses after that! While some were friendly but not interested, the fourth house belonged to a sweet, yet lonely elderly lady, who invited us in and offered us a cup of tea. (No thanks, we don't drink tea and we would love to explain that to you on another visit--") She proceeded to tell us her life history in a space of nothing short of an hour.

"Wasn't she just gorgeous? Wow, she could talk though! Look at the time!"

"Sister Clawson, we have to go back to that other house belonging to the young girl! I wish I had've asked her name. I can't believe I forgot to ask her!"

My companion was pumped. I was glad to finally see her excited about tracting.

A blue station wagon was parked in the driveway. I looked around to find the young girl but the place seemed quiet. After knocking on the door 6 or 7 times, a woman in her early thirties answered the door. Her countenance lacked lustre and she appeared very tired and weary. Her eyes were sunken and she looked like she hadn't eaten properly for a month.

"Hi there, my name is Sister..."

The woman looked at us, yet her mind seemed distant.

"Your daughter sent us here to share a very special message with you about eternal families."

As if she had been abruptly woken from a bad dream, the woman looked at us in disbelief.

"My daughter? You must be mistaken!"

"Oh no not mistaken. A girl about 10 years old answered the door when we arrived earlier. She was adamant that we return when you would be home so that we could share our message - that God has provided a way for families to be together forever, even after death.."

The woman looked in shock and disbelief.

My companion continued, "The girl said that she had to go somewhere but told us when you would be home and everything. She made us promise to come back."

"This...girl..." the woman still in disbelief asked, "...what was she wearing?"

"A pretty navy blue dress with small polka dots. Is the girl we met not actually your daughter?"

With tears in her eyes and a deep longing for answers, the young mother quietly cried.

"A navy blue dress you say? Then it must have been my daughter.

For that was the dress I buried her in a month ago today.

Sisters, you had better come inside and tell me more about this message of yours."


Sister Martin never had a problem with tracting after that.


(This didnt happen to me although I did have a companion called Sister Martin who didn't like tracting. An experience was told to me by my trainer that happened to other Sister missionaries that this story was based on.)