Old Friends

Megan's baptism 1-21-2017.

The weeks & days just keep getting better in Vancouver.  This week I returned to the land of my youth!  Fisher’s Landing!  I attended a baptism, ate at Chick-Fil-A, found the elect, and watched the rainfall sponge-like into my hair.  Before long I looked like a soggy piece of white bread from Winco (specifically from Winco because bread from Winco is like Malt-O-Meal cereal and gets soggy within seconds).  Miracle time:  I shall embellish this story only a little.  Many moons ago I walked the streets of the Renaissance Apartments looking for souls to save.  The weather lingered around 100 degrees that day and my forehead reflected sweat as if it were a mirror.  Inhabitants walked around in tank tops and flip flops.  We felt we should head for some shade and lucky for us... a man walking a dog dwelt in the shade.  We began speaking to him.  He was baptized as a young man!  Yes, baptized into our church!  Shortly after the baptism he went astray with life and all other manner of endeavors leaving the church behind.  NOT TO FEAR, we invited him to take the lessons again and snagged his address for a return appt.  He seemed halfway interested in coming back to church but we didn't care the sun barreled down and we weren't taking any crap.  Instead we acted like irresponsible youths by forgetting the address! :(  For a little around a month we searched the Renaissance Apartments for our main man to no avail!  We simply could not find the right apartment.  When my hopes were dashed after praying by name for this man the Lord delivered MY SOUL FROM TORMENT.   Somehow... someway... somebody transferred this man’s church records into our ward with the exact apartment address... coincidence?  Nope!  We began teaching in the home and inviting his daughter Megan to be baptized.  Megan accepted a baptismal date quickly and we began working towards her date.  This & that came up and we had to postpone the baptism.  (This was in August).  Soon after that, the lessons slowed down and I got transferred out of the area.  I heard nothing until this last week.  The missionaries in Fisher’s Landing called me and said, "Megan got an answer.  She wants to be baptized next Tuesday and would like you to say a prayer at her baptism”. Over 6 months ago, tons of prayers, a few lines of testimony and talking to a man in the shade on a very hot day, and a family is on their way to being together forever.  The work is good!  Miracle #2:  While on exchanges with the same Elders in the Fisher’s Landing ward we went out to find the elect for a couple hours.  While at an apartment complex my companion began talking to a member of the church.  I watched three people go by and felt the prompting to simply say hi to all three.  As a fourth walked by I received a distinct prompting to go and talk to him.  Within 2 minutes we figured out he is a member of the church that is inactive and just married a non-member.  We scheduled a return appointment for the following week.  WHAT DID A GUY LIKE ME DO TO GET SO LUCKY TO WATCH THESE MIRACLES HAPPEN?  Vancouver is back to raining again every single day instead of snowing every single day.  I have recently been putting a scoop of peanut butter in my maple and brown sugar oatmeal for breakfast.  I have not much else to say other than I’m happy to be here.  Enjoy your week and don't forget people in your life can help you.  Don't try to mosey through life on your own.  Jesus never said be perfect on your own.  Let others help.  P.S.  We went to the Portland Temple this week as well.

Vancouver Zone temple trip 2017.