April 15, 2013

I feel like there was something interesting from last week that I was going to respond to, but I can't remember what.  So just consider it responded to, whatever it was.  I really don't have time to read letters these days, I print them off and read them on buses or whenever I happen to have time.

Well, that subject line was a complete lie (he had written another town in the mission).  I'm still in S.  Haha!  Yep, 5 transfers here, I'll almost have a year in the mission by the end of this one.  I think I'm going to buy my house here and tell them to give me a calling in the branch.  

Ah!  I remembered the interesting thing.  Granny!  Yes, Mom, it weirded me out at first just a little bit (my mom is engaged), but then when I kept reading I felt like it was all good.  Like Heavenly Father was rewarding and blessing her for her patience and longsuffering with Grandpa, and that was His way of doing it.  If she's happy, I'm happy.  Love you Granny!

Happy Birthday Elder Pew!  Thanks to the branch President!!!

We had a good week.  I had a good birthday, thank you very much.  It was our last lesson with J before his baptismal interview (Law of Chastity to a 9 year old--kind of tricky) and it went well.  We had a SWEET lesson with J.  We showed up at her house and she had changed completely.  She told us she finally had decided to accept God and not blame him for all the bad things that happened to her.  We taught the Restoration and it went really well.  Very spiritual lesson.  Unfortunately she disappeared again after that, but we'll keep looking.  Also, in the middle of the day our Branch President called and told us to come over to his house at 4:30--something urgent.  The picture of me with the cake was the result of that visit.  And the other picture will give you a little more detail about what he put on it.  Love that guy!  

His 20th Birthday cake

We also had awesome lessons with A--including tears during the First Vision.  I was in splits with Elder D in G when it happened, but it sounds like it went really well.  She couldn't come to church for an unfortunate situation that we are going to try and help her resolve this week, but she should get baptized this transfer.  

Baptism of J

Speaking of baptisms, J got baptized on Saturday.  It was a little hectic because the font didn't want to fill up, so we had to do it with buckets, but the good thing about being in the true church is that these things somehow always work out.  It was a great service, Elder A baptized him.  We also sang "Come Thou Fount" but since it doesn't exist in Spanish we sang the words to "O My Father" in Spanish.  We literally put it together 10 minutes before the baptism but it turned out ok.  And J showed up for his confirmation, so that was a relief.

A less active member, L, brought his non member girlfriend to church this week and she loved it and is super excited to learn more!  Her name is E.  Such a blessing!

We have been trying a new idea to find investigators and get the members excited to help us.  We've been asking the members to make a list of 10 people that could accept the gospel, and then to pray to find out which of those 10 is prepared.  Then, this Sunday, we had them fast for that person, and this Saturday they are going to take their names to put in the prayer roll in the temple.  After that, they are going to give the person a Book of Mormon and tell them to read it, wait three days, and go back to see if they have read and if they want a visit from the missionaries.  It's worked miracles.  Heavenly Father has been revealing to them who they should invite to learn about the gospel, even to some of them in dreams!  The members are super excited right now and they are supporting us a lot.  2 of them have even told us that they are going to go knocking doors like JW's to find more people for us to teach.  Also, our Branch President has called a few other members to have callings and it's helping them to be more excited.  It's been an amazing thing to see--just an absolute 180 shift from what was going on a few months ago.  Which is why I was super worried they were going to transfer me.  I almost cried in Sunday School with the youth, and a few of them almost did also.  But the phone call came during branch counsel:  Elder J told me that we were both going to be staying, that his companion Elder D was being transferred, and that he was going to receive a child; and because he was going to train, they had called me to be the new District Leader.  So we'll see how that goes.  It was a super happy moment--I wanted to stay so bad!!!  This is going to be an amazing transfer, I am sure.  

Well, I think that's all.  Have a lovely week!  Thank you all for everything!  Love you!

Elder Pew