This week was so busy, but I can't really remember much of
it. I got a text from my old companion yesterday - Mike, my investigator in
Tidewater has decided to get baptized on Saturday! I wish I could go, but
Virginia Beach is quite a distance from here, so it wouldn't be approved.
Still, I'm really happy for him. He was so prepared for the gospel.
We had a lesson with Sandra last Monday night. She still
hasn't picked a baptismal date, but she's been doing really well. At our last
lesson, her grandchildren sat in. It was really powerful to hear her share her
testimony of the Book of Mormon with them. They agreed to read the scriptures
together as a family this week. Perhaps her delay of her baptism is a nice
little miracle to allow her family to learn about the gospel. She's been
diligently living the Word of Wisdom and sat her family down and asked them not
to drink coffee or tea in front of her because she's not going to drink them anymore.
Her faith is incredible!
Tuesday evening we went out with one of the ward
missionaries. We visited two less active families. The first family has one of
the most complicated family stories I've ever heard! Their experiences clearly
illustrate, to me, that when we establish our families in the Lord's way, we
are blessed, and when we don't, we suffer and struggle. The father and one of
the sons are the only members. When we were there, the dad just spent an hour
and a half telling us all kinds of totally outrageous and crazy stories about
experiences he had had when he was active. One of the stories was about the
missionaries who taught him - after he got baptized, he moved away. When he'd
been gone for a few weeks, he got a phone call from his previous bishop, asking
him if he knew where the elders were. Apparently, the elders had stolen the
mission car and driven back to Utah. Crazy. It was really interesting to listen
to him. The second family was a sweet
widower and his son. The wife and mother had grown up in the church, and the
husband joined the church after she died. Just recently he was sealed to her in
the temple. His sweet testimony of eternal families was beautiful.
On Wednesday, Brother Landon called and told us that his
wife had asked if she could meet with us. We set up an appointment and taught
her the Restoration. It was an incredible lesson. She grew up Pentecostal
Holiness, and has taken the missionary lessons a few times since they got
married. After we shared the First Vision, she told us that as we went in to
the story she had been telling herself in her mind that we were going to tell
her the same crazy story about this kid's vision, and then she said that for
some reason, this time it all made sense. She really felt the Spirit. They both
came to our movie night (we watched the Testaments) on Saturday night, and we
took them on a church tour. They also came to church yesterday, and after
Relief Society, she told us she wants to be baptized! Miracles happen! Don't
ever give up on your family who may have not yet accepted the gospel or come
back to church! The time will come when the Spirit will touch their heart and
they will change.
So many other things happened! We taught a lady how to pray
who has never prayed before. It was beautiful. We still have 79 referrals, even
though we've contacted 26 since I've been here, if that helps you understand
how much the work is just exploding. It's seriously like nothing I've ever seen
before. I love being a part of it!
Have a great week!
With love,
Sister Jasperson
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