Hey everyone! It was another great week to be in the woodlands! We were
able to see a lot of really great miracles!
On Tuesday we were able to meet with
a former investigator named Andralia. I was teaching her right before I left
college park for the first time. And at one point she had a baptismal
date. The Chappells invited her over to their home to watch meet the
Mormons. They wanted to have us over for lunch and for the movie and a discussion
with Andralia. And as we watched it there was such a great spirit that came. We
talked with her after the movie to ask her what her thoughts were.
And she just
began to start talking about her experience when she first starting meeting
with missionaries. She talked about how her relationship with God changed as
she was reading and Praying daily. The reason she stopped meeting with
missionaries was because her family was not happy with her decision to meet
with the missionaries. So we were talking one with another and we invited to
start meeting with the missionaries again, and she accepted and said she was so
excited. She said she was ready to give it another try. And so we will be
meeting with her this upcoming week, but that was a big miracle we saw this
week with her.
On Wednesday we did an exchange with the Woodland 1st
Elders. And I stayed here in our area for it. But during the day we had planned
for several people that we were suppose to meet with. But it was just one of
those days where appointments fall through. So most of the afternoon we were
just going from place to place trying to get in with someone. And we were
contacting anyone we could find along the way. But we continued to work hard,
and that night the miracles came!
After having a great appointment with some
members and committing them to take the next step with their missionary we left
with a prayer. The spirit was strong, and we went out to meet with David who I
talked about a month ago. We were scheduled to come back and meet with him. But
as he came to the door he decided he did not want to meet with us anymore. We
tried to help resolve his concern, but he was was interested.
After this point
we had planned to go and drop by a member that the ward has been trying to
contact for a while. We went and knocked on this members door, and this guy
answered. We asked if this member was there and he said that she no longer
lived there. He mentioned that he had also been receiving mail for this member.
He said he still had one letter that hadn't been sent back yet. He invited us
into his home while he went to get it. Then it was sweet because after he gave
us the letter, he asked us who we were.
And then he proceeded to as us to share
our message with him. Now he didn't have a whole lot of time, so we did a brief
restoration. And the things we talked about were very similar with the
things that he had been talking about. After teaching about the Book of Mormon
he asked us when we can come back and teach him again. And so we set up a time
to come back this next Saturday! It was amazing. But the miracles continue.
We
left his home and with in 30 seconds some one coming down the stairs in the
same apartment complex said hi to us. His name was Greg,and he said it had been
a few months since he talked with us. We introduced ourselves, and he said he
talked with some other missionaries about 2 months ago and they gave him a copy
of the Book of Mormon. He said at first he wasn't sure if he was going to read
it, but then he said it is time that he looks more into it. He asked if he
could take us out to dinner on Tuesday and then we could teach him more about
the Book of Mormon.
It was just an amazing night. And even though things didn't
go exactly as planned earlier, the Lord saw our efforts and he blessed us with
teaching opportunities. The Lord is truly at the head of this great work!
Thursday we also got a call from President Chappell. He said
the Red Cross had called him and they need some help that next day.We have been
having alot of Rain here this last couple weeks in Texas. So we have been
having some flooding taking place. He told us that President Mortensen was ok
with us helping out with this service project, and asked if we could gather our
zone to help out with it. They needed 11 missionaries, and they needed us from
8:00 am till 5:00pm. They wanted to us to help load there vans with supplies to
give to those who are being affected by these floods, and we also went out to
gather information about the flooding and the damage that took place up in the
Montegomery and Magnolia area.
So we went there the next and helped them for
the day. It was a great experience. After loading up the vans we went out on
the road with some of there other volunteers, and we went to different areas
that were reported to have flooding. The first area we needed to go to we
couldn't make it into because one of the road was flooded over, so they have to
wait for the water to go down just a bit so they can get some clean up crews
back into this neighborhood. But luckily the other neighborhoods we were
assigned to check didn't have any damage to them.
So the rest of the time we
were helping we were looking at maps of where the creek was and checking
neighborhoods around it to make sure no one was affected by it. It was a great
opportunity to help out where we could. The Red Cross was grateful, and said
they really liked being able to work with our missionaries and members because
of their happy attitudes and they way they interact with others. It just goes
to show that our example as we serve can make a difference in the way people
view us and the Church.
( This was a field that was flooded by a creek near by up
in the country of Montegomery parts of this were about 3-4 feet deep)
And to finish off the week we had another great temple
tours. This time around I did not give any of the tours, but we went in hopes
that our investigator Brandon would show up. And we also took another
companionship down form our zone that was had there investigators there. Now
sadly Brandon did not end up coming, but while we were there we saw the
different tours go through.
These temple ground tours have been so great to be
able to have! And at the end of one of them there was some one who was talking to
our mission president. And they had a few questions, so President was teaching
them. But another set of sisters in my old zone brought one of there
investigators they have been teaching. She is a baptist minister. And she had
some questions that she was confused about. The sisters signaled for me to come
over and start talking to her. They wanted to me to try and help address some
of the concerns of this investigator.
We had a great discussion. I talked with
her for about 40 min last night while President was talking with some of the
other people. "This lady is open to learning more, and she really is
searching for truth. She is reading from the Book of Mormon everyday, and she
is also praying to know. And the concerns that she had all came back to knowing
if the Book of Mormon is true. If the book of Mormon is true then we know that
Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and that Joseph Smith truly was a
prophet and that the authority of God is on the Earth today!
We know that The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Gods kingdom here upon the
earth. And so I just testified to continue to read
everyday, pray, and don't stop meeting with the sister missionaries. I promised
her as she did so that she would receive and answer. I talked to sisters just
briefly after with some ideas they can use to help her find her answer.
The Church is so true! I am so grateful for this
opportunity I have to serve the Lord! He really is at the head of this work,
and I know as we all continue to strive to serve him and pray for missionary
opportunities and pray for the those who are being prepared for the gospel to
be found, they will. I testify of these things!
So the time as also come where the ipads are here in the
mission. We will be receiving training next week of how to use them and after
the training we will be using ipads here in the mission! We are so lucky to be living in a day when the
gospel is on the earth so we can be led by living prophets and apostles. It is
inspiring that the Lord is enlightening minds to develop technology that
enables the message of salvation to reach all of His children. The Lord
is blessing this work, and it will continue to go forth. Miracles will
also coming with this blessing of technology.
Well I hope yall have a great week!
Elder Joshua V. Christensen
(Tracting after a storm, and this is Elder Graves in this
picture.)
No comments:
Post a Comment