The first half of this week was a little slow. Monday was my pday (personal day), so we didn't get a ton done that day. The following day was Christmas eve, so as far as proselyting and teaching, we couldn't get much done that day either. But, we had the opportunity to go caroling with the "S" family in my ward. We caroled at various investigators and members homes, singing songs, giving them pumpkin bread, and visiting with them for a bit. Then we went back to the "S" home, ate dinner (which was great), did a little skit of the Christmas story as told in Luke and Matthew, and then did a little mini christmas devotional. It was really cool.
Christmas day is our only day off all year. We got
to hang out, open presents, and play Settler's of Catan, which is a
board game which I'm now addicted to. Who would have thought that I, of all people, would like board games? pshh...
As far as the days following Christmas, they were
freaking awesome! Not gonna lie, it was a little tough getting up the morning after Christmas (after having a day off). But, it all turned out alright
because that night we had the opportunity to go on splits with members
from our ward again. I went out with Brother "B" and his son, "D." Elder wright went out with Brother "K." I had the opportunity
to visit a part member family, and they're a sweet
family. They love having the missionaries over, and the oldest son is super cool. He comes to church every week and reads
his scriptures every day. He's an awesome example to his dad. The wife is not a member, so that's who we're trying to work
with. She's super cool, super funny and super smart. I have a pretty good feeling about her.
After that, we went to see the "C" family again, and I taught "D" how to do the card trick. When we walked through the door, there was "T" (the 19 year old guy who we're trying to teach). We chatted for a bit, then he just starts asking us TONS of questions. I'm thinking, "where did this come from? when did he start getting super interested?" Then, I come to find out that he's been trucking through the Book of Mormon over the past week or two, and he loves it! He says he's going to keep reading it, and he really likes what he's been reading. We had a cool, spiritual experience there. I had the opportunity to share my "conversion" story, and my experience with prayer. He then shared his experience with prayer, and it was very obvious that he had a testimony and was very religious. I think after that lesson, he's going to start taking formal lessons...it was really an awesome experience. Then, we then did the card trick message for the "C" family, and "D" (he's 13 by the way) beasts it out and does it perfect after I showed him ONCE. We did a real good message, then we said a prayer and headed out. "T" gave me a hug on the way out and thanked me for coming over. I feel super good about him!
Friday was...slow. We were on bikes, it was raining, and for some reason when we're on bikes and it's raining, NOBODY wants to let us inside. So, I got pretty wet and muddy that day. Oh well!
But, Saturday was a fairly
successful day, though. We got a referral from Utah texted to us. There was a girl named "T" who was very interested. We gave her a call and
she asked us to meet her at a McDonalds at 8 o'clock Saturday night, and
this McDonald's was like 20 miles away from our house! We get there and wait for a bit, and then get a
phone call from her saying she has to cancel. So we're really bummed
out.
BUT, then, out of nowhere, this guy named "D" walks in (we had never met him before). He walks right up to us and starts talking to us. He said he used to date a Mormon girl and he knew a lot about us. He was asking lots of questions, and after a while he started getting REALLY interested. We gave him a Book of Mormon, and he said he would read it that night.
THEN, Sunday evening we go BACK to McDonalds (I know, kinda weird because it's Sunday) to meet the girl that had cancelled on Sat ("T"). When we get there, we see she brought her friend "M" with her, too. "M" just came for moral support.
So, we start talking to them, and then 2 minutes later, Elder wright LEAVES, and starts talking to other people, leaving me alone to talk to these two. This is my first contact with them...first time every doing this, and I was like OH MY GOSH - he just left me. So, I just said a little prayer and was like "I can do this." So, I started killing it. "M" and "T" seemed SO SO INTERESTED. It was INSANE. "M" was asking me tons, and I mean, TONS of questions. And, this is the first time on my mission where I felt like my "mouth was filled" and I "wasn't confounded before man." It was insane. I was quoting scriptures, answering their questions, but at the same time I wasn't preaching to them. We were having a good time.
After a while, "M" just stops and says "All of this seems right, bro. All of this. This just feels right; this is what I've been looking for. Do you think I can have a Book of Mormon too? I really want to read it myself!" Seriously they are as golden as it gets, and I did it withOUT my companion! I was just killing it: I was so happy. They seemed genuinely interested and they just really really wanted to meet with us again. I'm so stoked about it.
But thats not all! We ended with a prayer, and I walk over to where Elder Wright is sitting, and who is he talking to? "D" from the night before! We found "D" AGAIN, two nights in a row, completely random. He was telling us all of these "coincidences" he's been having, which he was taking as signs. He was telling us how the night before, after we gave him a Book of Mormon, he read ALL of Moroni, and was trucking through Alma as well. He loved it! He straight up told us "guys..I'm not gonna lie..i think I know this book is true. I think this is what God wants for me, and it scares me." Pretty much that means he didn't want to give up his old life, but he had a testimony. So, Elder Wright just asks him to flip to Alma 34:32-33, which was exactly, and I mean EXACTLY what "D" needed. It talks about not procrastinating the day of your repentance.
"D" reads it, looks up at us, reads it again, and says, "this is speaking to me bro. this is for me. I think I'm gonna cry." He gets all teary eyed and starts telling us how he wants to get baptized, and all his life he's felt like God has been pushing him in this direction, and he's been fighting it. He asks us if we can pray, so I offered a prayer for us. At the conclusion of my prayer, he said a prayer. He said that he felt like he was "Jonah going to Ninevah," and it was the most sincere prayer I've ever heard. He starts asking us what the first step was. We said to read and pray and meet with us, which would eventually lead to baptism. To which he replied, "so, can we meet here every night, then? I want to get baptized!" It was seriously insane. INSANE. He even started asking if it would be possible for him to serve a mission some day. How CRAZY is that? I am so ridiculously excited for this guy. We're continuing to meet with him, but I feel really good about it.
How crazy is that, though? Elder Wright and I walk into McDonalds, not expecting much, and we got 3 new investigators which I'm TELLING you are going to be baptized in the next few weeks. They're so ready!
Wow, this week
has been fantastic! I hope it's been just as good for all of you! Have a
fantastic new year; I hope to hear from you all soon!
Love,
Elder Snow
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