Monday, January 20, 2014

"What this place lacks in water and shade it makes up for with blazing heat and blinding sunshine. Home sweet home Pumba"

This week is transfers out here in Sunny California.   And I am not getting Transferred.   That is right.   I get to stay here in the terrific area of Cambrian park, and I am very happy about that.   We had Stake Conference this past week end and there was a lot of emphasis put on following the guiding of the Spirit and on Family History Work.   It was a good set of meetings.   

This week we had some good times.   We had another meeting with our Investigator Paul.   He really opened up to us.   He was clean shaven and he told us he really appreciates what we have taught him, and that he is considering Baptism, but that he wants to make sure he isn't just jumping into it to end up falling away.   Can I just say that I love Paul?   He started taking the lessons because of a girl he was dating and now he isn't dating her anymore but he told us he wants to see this out to the end, no matter what comes of it.   He said he was feeling the Spirit at Church and that he is working his way slowly through the Book of Mormon.   I love seeing how the Gospel can change peoples lives.

We had another lesson with a great guy named Andy.   He has a member son who went to the lesson with us.   We spent a lot of time with him and talked a lot about the Sealing Power in the Temples.   I bore my testimony to him about how I feel when I am in the Temples and how I know that families can be together forever.   It was a great experience and he seemed to really listen to what we said and what his son said.   Now we need to see if he will remember what was taught to him.   He is a little latter on in years, but I think he will do what we asked him to do.   

I think that it is so amazing how close these two have come to the Lord.   I believe that they are both very close to finding that one final thing that they need to find to be baptized.   It is just amazing.   I love this area so much and I love these people.   

Me and my companions are doing great.   We are one of the two companionship that aren't being changed in my Zone.   Like half of our zone is being transferred    That is cool, and sad at the same time.   I was really enjoying being with my zone.   But in saying that I know I will love the new Zone just as much. 

I know that this Gospel can change lives.   I have seen over the past six weeks the way that Paul has changed.   Our first meetings he was a little closed off and a little hard of heart.   Now he is feeling the Spirit and is making changes in his life.   I also know that members are essential to the work of salvation.   Without members we wouldn't have found Paul.   We were told a statistic on arriving here that for every 4000 or so people the Missionaries contact one will get baptized, but for every four people a member introduces into the Church, one will get baptized.   That difference is like, just wow.   I know this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we are teaching and I know that it is Christ and His love that are changing the people who we teach.   It isn't us, none of it is us, it is all Him.

There is a verse in Doctrine and Covenants 62: 3 that says to paraphrase every time we bear Testimony it is recorded in Heaven and the Angels rejoice over it and we are forgiven of our sins.   Testimony is one of the most important ways to invite the Spirit into a lesson.   I loved that verse and the only reason I don't have it down word for word is because I don't have my Scriptures right here next to me.   

I love you all.

"Let me tell ya, once you hit the point where your warranty expires, you start falling apart."
"Fix it? It has been disintegrated, by definition it can not be fixed."
"Super ladies, they always trying to tell you their secret identity.   Think it will strengthen the relationship or something like that.   I say "Girl I don't want to know about your mild mannered alter ego or anything like that. I mean you tell me you some super, mega, ultra lightning babe, that's alright with me.   I'm good.   I'm good."

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