Back to Normal

September 25, 2012

Okay things this week have been hectic/ getting back to normal. It's great. We had three new investigators last week. We almost had five, but a few people rescheduled with us for another time this week. Seriously, the work is coming our way.

So Friday, elder Belo and I were able to teach T.. T. an eleven year old girl with a twin brother.  She contracted a bacteria or  a virus that took away her eyesight and her ability to walk. But when she prays, you can tell she is talking with God, not talking to God. She has the most amount of faith that I've ever seen in my life. Her faith is so great that in spite of the fact that the doctors said she would never walk again, she can walk with assistance to balance her, and sometimes she can see the shadows of her hands waving in front of her. She prays every time "Put Your hands on my forehead and restore my eyesight, and restore my legs and my arms. Place your hands on J. (her twin brother) and control his craziness." He is extremely autistic and has no need to be baptized.

The thing about teaching T. is that when we teach her, we are actually teaching her grandmother and mother who are inactive but strongly want her to be baptized. So last time I went through the process that Glade Snyder went through with me. I told them about having to suffer through our own Gethsemanes in order to know of our Saviors love more fully, and then reading with them from Alma 22 and posing the question "King Lamoni's father was willing to give up everything, his entire kingdom, in order to know God. How much are you willing to give up to know Him?" It was a very beautiful teaching appointment that I cannot truly describe in my own words. There are many legal complications in their case because Technically T. is a foster child. But in the words of the member who was with us at the appointment. "I couldn't see them, but I was looking all around the room to find them. There were angels when these two elders taught." I don't know about that part, but the Spirit was definitely very strong and I could see the change beginning in G.'s and J.'s ( the grandma's and mom's) hearts. I only pray, like Glade did with me on November 10, 2011, that they will continue in righteousness and not falter, but seek out light and truth.

Later that night and trying to contact our hundreds (over 500) of less actives we knocked on a door and asked if this member lived there. Found out she didn't and that this woman (Jam...) and her family live there. We asked if we could come back on Sunday and she said yes. When we came back we got to know her and started to peak her interest in eternal family's through the Atonement. We asked if we could come back and teach her more about His plan for us and she said yes. It's going to be an interesting process though. She lives with her two kids and her boyfriend E.. She says that she wants to get married but that she doesn't want to do it too young for fear of getting a divorce down the road.

On Saturday we taught A. He is a professor at the University of Portland. I think he teaches a science of some sort. It shows in how he analyses the scriptures. Instead of taking it all in in context he questions each piece of information individually and asking pages worth of questions. it's good for us because we know EXACTLY where he is in his thought process, but it's destroying his ability to learn by the spirit. He knows that there are religious experiences but he says there are no ways to know if it is from God or from something else. Honestly that's a question that everybody has. We're trying to get him to read Alma 32 to help answer that question. Also, I bore my testimony that it's only because I've felt the same spirit prompting me in hundreds of different situations that I know that they are from God. To him he analyses one by one, but when you put them all together, there's no other conclusion. Jesus is the Christ. He did visit the people of Ancient America. Joseph Smith is a prophet. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. And most importantly, the priesthood has been restored to this earth. I know it, and I cannot deny it. I've had too many experiences confirming these truths to me to go against it. But it's only been because I was humbled by Glade on November 10, 2011 and also my friends in the singles ward in Sandy. Without their examples I would have been the same arrogant, selfish, demanding, and proud person that I was when I was still doing theater. I'm not saying that I'm not those things now, but I've been humbled to know where my weaknesses are. I'm really working on applying everything that I'm learning. It's hard in parts. I have a very bold personality, but it's hard to balance boldness with overbearance.  I'm afraid that I've been overbearing in the past. To all those of you that I have offended because of my pride and my demanding personality, I apologize. I'm sorry that I didn't know that there was a better way. I'm sorry that I didn't love Christ the way I do now. I promise you that I am repenting. I'm changing, and I love you all so very much. There have been friendships and relationships that I've had torn apart because of this. I am sorry in the deepest way and I hope very much that our relationships can continue when I come back.

This is His Work. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I am going forth to bring about the eternal life of my fellow man through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. I'm very jealous of those of you who get to start that enduring to the end part of life. More than anything I want that. But the Lord has other plans for me right now.

Till next week. I love you. Never Forget that.