Mother's Day! Woot!

Hey Faaaamileee.!.

I love ya! I am super excited for Mother's Day... I get to talk to you! Sweet. I will probably call somewhere between 4-6 o'clock your time. so 6-8 o'clock here. Every week is a good week, but this one wasn't quite like last. I think like 1/12 appointments didn't bail on us. We learned really well just how important good backup plans are :) Unfortunately, B is going to need some more time before he is baptized. He is still super cool though, and we are going to keep teaching him and helping him along until he feels ready!

Hey Dad... (or someone else ha ha) could you please look online for a good deal on a small bike tool? That would be really useful; I've just been bumming off of other missionaries'. Just like a little multi tool with some allen wrenches and screwdrivers, plus anything else you think I might need. I have a patch kit and all of that stuff; cleaner and lube for my chain, but it would be helpful to have just a tiny backcountry bike tool. I figure I will be in trouble if I get to an area/companionship where the other missionary does what I do and neither of us have one.

Wow, so much stuff happens I feel like I never know what to share. I'll tell you one cool story about prayer. We were biking home one night and met a guy named (18 years old). He said he was really interested in "learning more about the Kingdom of God" and said we could come back tomorrow, so we did. When we got there, he wasn't home and his Mom said he left like 5 minutes before that. Darn it. We figured we'd ride around the area for a bit and look for him. We said a prayer, asking that the Lord would bless us to be able to find him, or that he'd find us, and then headed out to look. We biked around the block for a bit, talked to some people, and then figured he was gone so we should get to tracting. As we were locking up our bikes, we turn around and he is like 20 feet away walking up to talk to us! Coincidence huh? Ha ha I think not. We sat down, had a short lesson with him (he had to go shortly), and got a return appointment for another day. Interestingly, he told us about how he always flips to a random page in the bible to read each day, and that day he read something about not turning away the servants of the Lord. He said he figured he'd better listen to us. We testified that God sent us to help him, and that God had some important things to teach him. We will see how it all turns out next week :)

Another experience taught me the importance of the Holy Ghost, and how we really aren't anything without His help (hmm... I never know whether it is appropriate to use "His" or "its." Any input? I always feel like it should be "His"). We had an appointment with this awesome family - the Ws. We ran into them on the street, and have been teaching them. They are a young couple who has been married for a week, and they have a baby named Tevin. Their sister also lives with them; she has terminal cancer. Anyway, we had an appointment but they said it would have to be later because they were busy. Well, two hours later when we decided to go over there, we found out why the Lord had us wait. We knock on their door and they invite us in, and lo and behold there sit 2 JW's on their couch, teaching their "lesson." Well, long story short we let them give their spiel, they didn't quite click with the Williams, and finally T was like, "Well, we want to hear what the Mormon missionaries have to say now." Check yeah! We had a prayer (which the JW's never join in with you btw), and started teaching. Then our good friends "had to leave..." we invited them to stay and continue to learn, but they decided to go. YES! Ha ha I mean... darn. Then the W, without us even bringing it up or hinting at it or anything told us that there is a much better feeling in their home when we are there teaching than when the other people were there. YES! They recognized the Spirit. We pointed that out to them, read Moroni 10:3-5, and talked about that. Anyway, that was really cool.

They were really excited to come to church, but didn't end up being able to come :/ Next week though! While we were trying to find them a ride throughout the week, we spent a long time calling everyone that we could find in our phone. It was crazy... the ward mission leader sent out an email to everyone; the bishop as well, but nobody volunteered to help out. Finally at the last second on Saturday night, we found someone willing to do it. But, while we were searching, I was going through the contacts on the phone and found one that said, "Anti." I was like huh? What is this number? Who is this person? So I called it up and asked for J... heh go figure. Turns out it's a "missionary" from some evangelical church place in Daytona Beach that pretty much just teaches anti. What a joke lol. I talked to the guy for a bit, probably in his twenties, and just bore my testimony. He kept trying to say all of these ridiculous things, like how he believes the Book of Mormon was inspired by the devil. I laughed and asked if he "really thought the Book of Mormon, which testifies all throughout it of Jesus Christ and how to come closer to Him and our Heavenly Father, was inspired by the devil?" He thought so. He kept trying to dissuade me or cause doubt or whatever and eventually was like, "So what are you going to do if you come before the Judgment Bar of God and find out that everything you believe was false and it was a lie?" I was tired of his pointless questions so I just said, "Hey, what do you believe you need to do to be saved?" He said, "Well, accept Jesus Christ as the Lord, repent of your sins, and..."

So I replied, "Well, by your standards, every single faithful Latter-day Saint will be saved and go to heaven then. So, at the judgment bar of God, I will be just fine. However, if this really is the Lord's true church, then I will still be fine and going to heaven." Lol he was really stumped and didn't quite no where to go with that. I think I heard that argument once from another missionary, and it definitely works. Not that arguing is the way to go... but when someone won't be quiet and you have to go, that's a good way to finish up the conversation and bear your testimony. Really all it comes down to is each of us gaining that winess from the Holy Ghost. Once we have a witness from God that the Church is true, then nobody can take it away! And then we can testify with power to our brothers and sisters, and encourage and invite them to find out for themselves.

Something I have learned is that we can all learn something from everyone, if we listen to what the Holy Ghost is trying to teach us. I learned something profound from a guy we talked to who just came out of a pub. He said he found God when he realized it's not about him, but about what God wants. God is the one in control of everything. So true! Especially in missionary work. I love you all so much and pray for you regularly. I am doing great and enjoying life. It is starting to get really hot here. Take care, and talk to you soon! =]