Monday, December 7, 2009

Lake City, FL Letter #8 Dec. 7, 2009

Hello & good morning to everyone back home!

Well this week was pretty amazing, well maybe a lot more than pretty…maybe out of this world amazing! It was a week of miracles! But where to start?

Well, last Sunday we had a member of the ward come up to us and said that his stepson is interested in taking the lessons. So we scheduled an appointment to go over to his house on Tuesday. When we arrived, he surprised us and took us out to lunch! When we got back from lunch, we talked about the restoration of the gospel. This stepson is an older guy, don't know exactly how old he is, but I would say maybe in his 60's. Anyway, after the lesson we asked if we could come back again, so we scheduled a second lesson with him for that coming Thursday. Thursday arrives and we get there for our appointment. We started off with a DVD. We watched “The Prophet of the Restoration” which is a 50-minute movie about Joseph Smith. Afterwards we were sitting there talking and the thought came to my mind that I should ask him if he wanted to be baptized, (but I didn't because it was a part member home and I didn't want to seem like a pushy missionary) and this was only the second time we had met him. His mom had just been sitting there quietly when out of nowhere she said; “Steve do you want to be baptized?” and Steve replied "Sure why not." There I was just sitting there with my mouth open (I am sure) and saying to myself…”what???”

Then Bishop Ambrose comes back in the room (he had went to go look for some cassette tapes of the Book of Mormon, or something like that) and FYI he is not a current serving Bishop but he was in the past when he lived in California. Anyways he comes back in and starts talking away not realizing what Steve had just said. So then, I ask Steve, “How many times he has been to church?” Steve replies “About 2 or 3 times.” (Keep in mind that they have to have attended church at least twice before they can be baptized.) Next, I said "So Steve you said you want to be baptized, what about this coming weekend?" Now Bishop didn't hear our conversation before that Steve wanted to be baptized so he was shocked, to say the least. Steve was like “Yeah that sounds good." And Bishop was like "Steve do you know what baptism means?" And Steve said that he has read up on it a bit, so I quickly went through the baptismal interview questions with Steve and…he passed!

Then we had our District Leader come interview him the next day. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation and everything, and...he accepted it all! Steve was baptized yesterday! Our new ward mission leader got way excited too! He got everything ready for us; the talks, the font, everything. The Baptism was a huge hit with the ward!! Tons of people were there, and lots of food, and visiting afterwards. It was just amazing! That was one of our miracles this week!! lol It was so fun!

The other miracle we had this week was with another investigator. Elder Taft and I were about to drop this investigator, but she did like a 180 on us! We went to her house (she is an older lady, and her problem was that she would never read the Book of Mormon) to follow up with her before we made the decision to drop her for now. We show up and had a really spiritual lesson with her. We committed her to read just 3 verses and that was Moroni's promise, and also challenged her to pray about what she read when she was done. We told her we would drop by to see her the next day, to see what her answer was. We left her house knowing that if she didn't read just 3 verses; then she would have to be dropped because it would not be the right time for her to hear our message.

We came back the next day and she invited us in immediately. She said she had read those 3 verses; and when she read them, it had also made her want to read the book from the very beginning. So she did. That same night she had read the first 6 chapters! Elder Taft & I were like wow! But hold on peep’s cause that is not the most amazing part. Here is what blew Elder Taft and me away. She said that she has always had a problem reading (after she was diagnosed with something-to do with her eyes) and that she use to love reading; but now she can't read more than a page at a time. She can't focus on the words and ends up putting it down. However, with the Book of Mormon she said, “It was easy to read, she understood what she read; and that she felt comfort and peace while reading it.” She came to church yesterday and we are hoping that we can get her baptized this coming Sunday! Which is way sweet.

Then another miracle we had this last week was when Elder Taft and I were tracting. We tracted into this guy that wants a bible study which is a good place to start. But come to find out, there is this kid in the ward (whose name is Dustin) and he is 17 years old. He is the only member in his family, but that guy we tracted into was his mom’s boyfriend! We are going to start teaching his entire family… so yet again another miracle! it is so amazingly sweet! Then to add just a bit more to an already terrific week, that same member Dustin; has a girlfriend that is interested in the church! She has already been to church and she loves it!

So wow we were blessed with Christmas miracles this week, I tell ya!! So yeah, that is the news from Lake City (aka the city of miracles) from your favorite Elder…Elder Blair

Love,
Elder Blair (who is making miracle memories)

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