Dear Family and Friends:
This week was fantastic! I am so floored by this ward sometimes! Throughout the week we pray and plan and try to do our best, but the ward has become so involved with the work and has helped us so much. We taught Caitlin a YW aged woman on Wednesday with the Laurel President and she has just fellowshipped her so well. Caitlin just so deeply wants to know.
Katelyn who was baptized about a month ago, is NOT slowing down. On Friday we had a lesson with her, well at least we tried to, but everything we tried to invite her to do, she was already doing. She was called to be the First Counselor in the Laurel Presidency. She is going to the Temple this Friday to do baptisms. She scheduled an interview for her patriarchal blessing. She has an app on her phone that counts the pages you read to help you set goals to read books. She did it for the book of mormon. She is going to Seminary now. She has a plan to make up the last two years she has missed of Seminary. She wants to graduate with all 4 years and plans to go to BYU after her mission…. we kind of just sat there and listened… and said a closing prayer.
SHE IS SUCH AN INSPIRATION!
Tyler, another young man we are teaching loves the church. He really wants to be a mormon! (thats how he says it) we taught him the word of wisdom and he is willing to keep it. He has been reading and its just impressive to see his pure faith.
It was already a good week but..
fantastic, we had investigators there, and a few non members who were
related to families. President Cusick gave the entire mission M and M's to remind everyone that Members and Missionaries…get it…m and m… need to come together. So we handed them out to all the ward councils and they loved it! there seemed to be a missionary work buzz going on.
A man blessed his baby and I felt the spirit so
strong. During that entire sacrament meeting for some reason I could
just imagine God, looking down at us. Watching us, watching some
people pray and ponder the sacrament, pleading to connect with him.
And this man who received a child, a spirit, a precious daughter of
God into his family for him to care for. What trust from God. And yet
some people who were just in church to be in the building. Some people
who are just in the pews, I just wish they could see. As I thought
about this I pleaded to connect with Heaven as well. We sang Nearer my
God to thee and I was overcome with the spirit. It described my
feelings perfectly. There let the way appear, steps unto heaven, all
that thou seedest me, in mercy give... It bore witness to my heart
that here is a path back to Him. And I am on it. And I just wish
everyone could see that every day, that we could remember that. That
path is clear, and those covenants are the way. We need all the
connection we can get.
After church we had one of the biggest lessons I've ever had. Big in
numbers and big in IMPORTANCE! A family that the Ward has been friends
with and working with and inviting for a year or two finally agreed to
have the missionaries over. The father had many questions he wanted
answered but the mother we knew was very interested. She has attended
many times. Their daughter is converted and reads the Book of Mormon
and is rock solid. Well I was extremely nervous. I prayed for about 15
minutes before we went over to their home. 3 other active families
were there as well, the family hosting fed us and then we sat down for
the lesson. The father had done a lot of research and asked some
questions, but something incredible happened. We taught the
restoration and then the spirit filled the room, and every question he
had we had an answer or testimony that explained it. So many questions
I had no answer to, and yet an answer came. The spirit taught everyone
and we were able to answer. And the list got smaller and smaller as we
answered them. He then left and we visited with the mother and she
expressed a lot of interest. Her closest friends are all members and
finally is ready to learn. She is the sweetest lady and treats us with so
much kindness even though we have only met her a couple times.
Right after we left that home, and went to the home of one of the
families who joined us in the giant lesson just earlier! And we taught
Caitlin, a young woman who's mother is a member, we taught her earlier
in the week on Wednesday. she wants to find out for herself! She said
she was praying and didn't feel anything different when she asked if
it was true. Well she is so close and we taught the plan of salvation and
she understood and accepted it all. She is committed to finding out, so I
know she will. But the most impressive part for me, was the testimony
given by the father of the home, bro. Cox. He explained that if we
want to know we just have to ask, and sometimes if we feel it to be
true then we need to have faith, God would tell us if it were not
true. Like it says in the scripture. Ask God, in the name of Christ if
these things are "NOT" true.
Bro. Cox explained that just before this man died, all he wanted to
write was an invitation to all of us, to read the book he was giving
his life for. And as he read that in my minds eye I saw families all
over the world. My own family and all these incredible families in
Florida, changed, made better, living strong good lives, testifying to
others that the book that man Moroni had saved, Was true. I was
overcome with the spirit and emotion. I felt certain joy and peace
that I was a part of something great. His young girl has such simple
faith as a mai maid, I know she'll get an answer.
Finally we went to Jessica's lesson. We quizzed her on the baptismal
interview questions, she passed, we read through the baptismal
qualifications in D&C 20:37, she passed, and she organized her
baptism. She got all the paperwork signed. She is good to go for the
baptism on Saturday! 1 o clock, I will send pictures next week. What
an incredible week.
strong. During that entire sacrament meeting for some reason I could
just imagine God, looking down at us. Watching us, watching some
people pray and ponder the sacrament, pleading to connect with him.
And this man who received a child, a spirit, a precious daughter of
God into his family for him to care for. What trust from God. And yet
some people who were just in church to be in the building. Some people
who are just in the pews, I just wish they could see. As I thought
about this I pleaded to connect with Heaven as well. We sang Nearer my
God to thee and I was overcome with the spirit. It described my
feelings perfectly. There let the way appear, steps unto heaven, all
that thou seedest me, in mercy give... It bore witness to my heart
that here is a path back to Him. And I am on it. And I just wish
everyone could see that every day, that we could remember that. That
path is clear, and those covenants are the way. We need all the
connection we can get.
After church we had one of the biggest lessons I've ever had. Big in
numbers and big in IMPORTANCE! A family that the Ward has been friends
with and working with and inviting for a year or two finally agreed to
have the missionaries over. The father had many questions he wanted
answered but the mother we knew was very interested. She has attended
many times. Their daughter is converted and reads the Book of Mormon
and is rock solid. Well I was extremely nervous. I prayed for about 15
minutes before we went over to their home. 3 other active families
were there as well, the family hosting fed us and then we sat down for
the lesson. The father had done a lot of research and asked some
questions, but something incredible happened. We taught the
restoration and then the spirit filled the room, and every question he
had we had an answer or testimony that explained it. So many questions
I had no answer to, and yet an answer came. The spirit taught everyone
and we were able to answer. And the list got smaller and smaller as we
answered them. He then left and we visited with the mother and she
expressed a lot of interest. Her closest friends are all members and
finally is ready to learn. She is the sweetest lady and treats us with so
much kindness even though we have only met her a couple times.
Right after we left that home, and went to the home of one of the
families who joined us in the giant lesson just earlier! And we taught
Caitlin, a young woman who's mother is a member, we taught her earlier
in the week on Wednesday. she wants to find out for herself! She said
she was praying and didn't feel anything different when she asked if
it was true. Well she is so close and we taught the plan of salvation and
she understood and accepted it all. She is committed to finding out, so I
know she will. But the most impressive part for me, was the testimony
given by the father of the home, bro. Cox. He explained that if we
want to know we just have to ask, and sometimes if we feel it to be
true then we need to have faith, God would tell us if it were not
true. Like it says in the scripture. Ask God, in the name of Christ if
these things are "NOT" true.
Bro. Cox explained that just before this man died, all he wanted to
write was an invitation to all of us, to read the book he was giving
his life for. And as he read that in my minds eye I saw families all
over the world. My own family and all these incredible families in
Florida, changed, made better, living strong good lives, testifying to
others that the book that man Moroni had saved, Was true. I was
overcome with the spirit and emotion. I felt certain joy and peace
that I was a part of something great. His young girl has such simple
faith as a mai maid, I know she'll get an answer.
Finally we went to Jessica's lesson. We quizzed her on the baptismal
interview questions, she passed, we read through the baptismal
qualifications in D&C 20:37, she passed, and she organized her
baptism. She got all the paperwork signed. She is good to go for the
baptism on Saturday! 1 o clock, I will send pictures next week. What
an incredible week.
I am certain the Book of Mormon is true. I believe it so deeply. I love this work and I am so grateful I know it.
There are people who need it. Please go find them!
Be not afraid:Only Believe
Elder Nelson
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