Soul

WWII object lesson with graphics!

You ready for some stories & good times?  This week Elder Pabst & I enjoyed the work.  We attended some meetings and a baptism.  We had a couple of adult conversations (only a couple).  Now we are max chilling enjoying the fruits of p day and a hard weeks work.  Feeling grateful today as I think about the week.  Fred Manlulu our recent convert received the priesthood with tears in his eyes this week.  He showed up early to church to set up the room we would be teaching in to fulfil his new calling as a ward missionary.  We spent all Saturday out teaching with a recent convert named Austin Reid.  We taught a lesson at 11 o'clock in the morning to a kind young lady named Susanna.  We met Susanna two or three weeks ago walking around in the rainfall at approximately 8 o'clock pm.  She was coming home from a hard day's work and as she got out of her car we walked by.  We told her who we were and her cousin happens to be the ward mission leader in another ward.  As we met with her Austin came and her cousin came.  Tears were shed during the lesson as she told us her experiences with God.  After the lesson Austin followed us to the family history center.  Austin found a few new things and he will be attending the temple soon to be baptized for his ancestors.  Lisa Davis a returning member came as well she has found a stack of names to take to the temple.  She decided to come back to church a few weeks ago and now is taking hundreds of names to the temple.  Austin followed us to Chick Fil A for some lunch before we headed to teach Sharly Wright.  Shar is an investigator we found many many months ago and things stopped with her progression for a while.  We stopped teaching her until this point!  She texted us earlier in the day and said she wanted to talk about the Book of Mormon.  When we sat down for the lesson Shar told us when her son read the Book of Mormon to her a few days earlier she felt something she has never felt before... she said she was overwhelmed and just "knew what was being said was true" she then told us of her Native American heritage.  As she studied the BOM and her native heritage she made a special connection... she told us, "I believe and know I am a member of the 12 tribes of Israel.  If the BOM is a record of the native Americans I am a Native American.  The native Americans originated from Jerusalem!  They are god’s people! ". It was one of those moments where you sit and stare at the person you're teaching and just want to yell "YESSSSSSSSSS YOU GOT IT! Let's go fill up the baptismal font". Austin then followed us to the church because someone asked him to perform a baptism.  Cassandra Cardenas entered into the waters of baptism.  She is being taught by the sisters in our ward and she asked Austin to baptize her.  Austin has only been a member for a month now.  After the baptism we sat down with Austin and Fred to have a lesson for both of them :). Ladies and gentleman Austin has only been sober for 100 days.  (He would be okay if I told you). And this is the miracle of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  Elder Pabst & I have a new tradition of watching a church movie on p day and sleeping / emailing.  We took the tradition a step further by getting diet Mtn Dew before we come home from grocery shopping and have a beverage while watching movies.  The work is good.  If you're wondering about the man who answered the door in his underwear and wanted to be baptized.  Yes he still does and his wife and he attended the baptism of Cassandra and they loved church on Sunday. They even think I am from California because my wind swept hair style. I know I never talk about negative things I suppose no one remembers those anyway unless it is elder Pabst saying that he doesn't like Red Lobster.  Elder Pabst & I gave and delivered a training sermon on the mount about thinking outside the box.  We used the example of the WWII d day invasion on Normandy as an object lesson concerning thinking outside the box.  Compliments of Elder Pabst check out the white board drawing.  He drew that while I narrated the battle and acted like I belonged on the history channel (which I do). I think I have found my career path.  P.S. Went to Red Lobster on Valentine’s Day with Samantha Hall a wonderful returning member that is one of our best friends. Also Austin came.  (Picture with the yellow mustang).

Valentine's dinner at Red Lobster!