August 5, 2013

 

Okay, so this week was just plain awesome! We split the two wards and then we taught just as many lessons in West Linn when we had both wards together! It was amazing. Most of them were the same two investigators multiple times, but that's not a problem. As soon as they get baptized someone else will replace them. I'm sure of it.

So D. had a very interesting week. High highs, and low lows. On Saturday we had his baptism interview. When we showed up I could tell something was very wrong because he had the same look on his face when his dad called him up to tell him all the reasons not to join the church. We talked after the interview and found out he was having some relationship issues with a girl he wasn't even dating and having a super hard time understanding what was going on. It got to the point of tears on multiple parties parts. He asked me to give him a blessing of comfort and counsel. So I did. It was a very odd blessing for me because this time I actually saw something as I began. You could call it a vision of D.'s future if he reacted negatively to his circumstances. I'll never forget that. We talked about the blessing afterward, more tears ensued, and D. came to his own conclusion that he was going to stay in West Linn this next week instead of going back to his apartment in Forest Grove to prevent bad things from happening. He told us later that night that he had been contemplating going back to the college town and drinking his sorrows away and returning to the life he once lived. That's why he chose to stay in West Linn, so he could be surrounded by people who made him feel good about himself. We continued to tell him about how bright his future looked, and as we did, he received a series of texts that explained the whole situation that was causing him so much anguish. It was amazing to see how patience can solve so many of his trials. Every time he has a big thing come up, it's always patience and understanding that is required. It helps me to know that I need to be just as faithful and hopeful when my own trials hit. Without those attributes, it makes life so much more dreary and bleak. D. bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. It was powerful. He talked about the time that we split the wood together and how he wanted to be like Ammon and have those he was serving turn out towards others and serve other people above and beyond the call of duty.

B. is progressing very well as well. His wife continues to try and make us gain 15 lbs every time we come over. She ALWAYS has dessert when we come over and she always eats twice the portion that she gives us. Yet she's the skinniest person I've ever seen, especially at her age. It's crazy. He's been gearing up to get baptized. He's overcome all the Detoxification effects of living the word of wisdom and packed away his coffee maker. I'm so proud of this guy. The word of wisdom was one of his biggest concerns because he LOVED his wine and coffee. Realizing his answer to whether or not this gospel is true just gave him all the motivation he needed. God is definitely working some miracles in both B. and D.'s lives.

We got to take G. to the Visitor's center with her daughters who are investigating the church. This is another one of those miracle stories that are just to much to believe it's coincidence. At church, G. nearly canceled our lesson that day and tried to set up for a couple weeks out. So a  pair of the visitor center sisters called us an hour before our lesson there and told me that they had a young single adult guy who lived in West Linn who could get a ride out to the VC but not a ride back. They asked me to get him a ride with someone. So I called around and couldn't find anyone. We taught a lesson with B. After coming out of the lesson we got the call that G. still wanted to do it that day at the Visitor's Center. Then we left immediately to the VC. On the way there I  called Hans (the RM from Argentina). He said he'd come right then. When we got there with G., the sister's introduced me to the guy, W., and then continued with their lesson. Then Hans showed up and stayed with him for the rest of his lesson with the sister missionaries. Turns out they know each other! Then on their way out, G.'s best friend Sister K. stopped W. on his way out. Apparently W. teaches her kids kickboxing. They caught up on small talk and then she asked him what he was doing there. He answered just saying that he was checking it all out, that he's always heard people ragging on Mormons, but that he never believed it because of how happy and nice his mormon friends were. He asked her what she was doing there and she said "This belong to this church!" It was a  great moment. After he left, having met two of his close acquaintances and finding out that they were Mormon, the sisters told me that at that lesson (his first) that they had set a baptism date with him. They told me that all throughout their lesson he kept telling them that it all made sense! If all of that wasn't the hand of the Lord I don't know what is. I know that He works through us as his tools on earth to answer the prayers of those around us. Things like that happen way too often to just be coincidence. It seems like every week something like this happens. It reminds me of Doctrine & Covenants 84:64-75.

I love each and everyone of you. I'm so sorry that I don't get even more chances to write more of the miracles that I see, because these are in every moment of my life these days. I can feel the spirit directing and guiding my thoughts as I'm training Elder Christensen. I can't tell you how many times the Holy Ghost will bring back a scripture or passage in preach my gospel that he needs to hear. It's wonderful. I'm completely exhausted though! ha ha. Missionary work is work for sure! Plus we also get to do Olympic power lifting every morning with Hans and his dad and brother. Plus also I can't tell you how many holes I dug this last week. I'm so glad I wore gloves because other wise my palms would be one giant blister right now. It was a lot of fun though for sure!

I pray that you all can see the hand of God in you lives. I promise, if you look for it, you will find it.