Things have been fantastic last week. We more than doubled our lessons from the week before. We ended up teaching a woman while she walked her dog for the second time. This time she was a little less bible bashy because she actually read Alma 40-42. Funny how that happens when people read the Book of Mormon. We hope to bring a high councilman with us to our next lesson with her. He is the most knowledgeable guy I've ever seen with perfect recall. He says he does it because he studies for one hour each day. He's a dentist.
G. is progressing well. She changed her own baptism date from may 19th to June 2nd so that it wouldn't interfere with a stake high priest fireside. No worries she still really wants to be baptized, she just doesn't want people in the ward to have to choose between her baptism and the fireside.
A less active just met with the Stake president this Sunday to get his living ordinance temple recommend for the first time. He's a convert. He's a little over 50 and he's been in the church for about 10 or 12 years. We're really excited for him. He's a fantastic man. We get along really well. He used to work in New York as a Advertisement Designer, which meant a lot of different things back then than it does now. He's just about the only black guy in all of West Linn, and he's hilarious.
So we had a Stake Mission Coordination Breakfast because
our stake pres is awesome like that. I met a guy there who wasn't there
for the last 2 months because he was always out of town. He just happens
to be the brother of J. F. from St. Johns. I told him that I was
the one that initially went to find J., and he asked me to tell him
the whole story. J. didn't tell his family that he had been taking the
lessons again until just a few weeks ago. He said that his family
didn't know any of the story but they thanked Heavenly Father for the
missionaries that found him and continued to try and teach them. I told
him everything from my side and then he let me in on the whole family's
side of things. I also told him about how Melissa catered his brother's
wedding (B.) and how B. used to be one of my ballroom teachers at
BYU. We took a photo and now he wants to invite me and whoever my
companion is to a giant family function so that I can meet the whole
F. clan! Crazy! But yet it's not crazy at all. I felt like I had
been sent to St Johns for a reason, and J. was one of them. I had been
looking for some reason that I had been placed in West Linn, and I
think I just found one of them.
I know for a fact that when we study by the spirit, we may be studying for a reason that we think is right, but sometimes the Lord motivates us to do things that we would reasonably do to fit unforeseen circumstances. It happens time and time again. I know that the Lord is with the missionaries and that this is His work. If we think for a second that our missions are about us, that's when you will be in the biggest misery of all and God will prevent you from having the experiences that he has prepared for you so that you have the right motivation when going into the situation. I love you all and I know that God lives and that he loves his children. He simply waits for us to ask for direction as we press forward. It's easier to steer a moving ship than one that's still docked at the harbor.
I love you guys. Best of wishes! good luck with Elijah's surgery and good luck with everything else. Have fun out there, and remember- the color plaid ALWAYS makes a day go better!
