What an incredible week of...weirdness. I don't think I know how much
time it will to take to tell you of this week. There were so many
events going on this week. Lets start shall we? So, it was the week of
Steve's Baptism and for some reason it is always the hardest week for
the investigators. So, monday after I wrote to you all, we get this
call from steve and I answered it and it was the worst news in the
world. He says, I don't think that the book of mormon is true and you
should cancel the baptism. I was...sad yet I knew that this might
happen. I asked why he thought the BOM was not true and he gave not so
good answers. He said something about horses and something else.
Anyway, I asked if we could still meet with him the next day and
discuss what he was wondering about. So, we were waiting for tuesday
to come around. Tuesday was prehaps the longest day on the mission. It
felt like a whole week. We tried to tract that day for about an hour
but for some reason, we did not feel like we should tract any area. We
parked on the side of the road, it was off the road but on the side,
and made a few phone calls. When we were done we were going to turn
around and this guy appears and he is a little less than pleased. He
says, you can't be here. this is private property. We didn't know it
was so we went and I had to back up a little to pull forward and he
started to go crazy thinking that I was going to go into the ditch.
Haha. I would not do that though. It just was not a good day for that
guy.
SO the time comes to visit with steve and we take him to the
riverside and sit at a bench. It was the perfect spot. Right in the
creation of God. I don't remember all that was said. He did say that
it seemed like satan was getting at him because he didn't want to come
at that time and his car was having troubles, which it never does, and
that his phone was acting up. So, satan was getting at him and he
noticed it. We sang Be still my soul to him as he reflected on his
past month and a half. We read moroni 7:13-17. We got him to think.
The spirit got him to think. All things that we said, were from the
spirit. We did not say it. I gave a closing prayer and I, with the
help of the spirit, said a real good prayer because when I was done, I
don't remember what was said, but steve gave me an extra handshake and
thanked me for it. He said that he would take two hours or more and
pray about his decision. I believe he realized that what he said about
the BOM was silly and did not make any sense. Actually, he really did
not make any sense at all when he was trying to explain something. It
was pretty funny.
The next morning we waited for his phone call. We were doing
Companion study and all of a sudden the phone rang. Our hearts just
dropped and I was to chicken to answer it so Sister Mikami answered
it. :) One of the first things that he said was, "I want to go through
with the baptism." WHOOHOO!!!! That night we had a lesson and we
watched a movie about Joseph Smith and he has a strong testimony. I
proceeded afterward to ask him the baptismal questions. I asked if he
knew JS to be a prophet. He said yes. Then I asked if he thought
Thomas S. Monson was a prophet and he said, no. Sorry, you are just
going to have to prove it to me. So, then we get into a lengthy
conversation about authority and priesthood and thomas s. monson. We
told him to go to LDS.org and watch President Monson durning
conference. then to call us the next day. He agreed. So, the next day
(thursyda) he calls us and tell us, HE BELIEVES!!!! Woo hoo.!!!!! On
friday, we met with him again and watched a couple conference talks
and guess what? He is back! He was excited again, and the light
returned to his eyes. After the lesson he asked what he needed to
bring to his baptism the next day and we said white undergarmemts and
he said he did not have any so he said he would go to lexington (45
min away) and get some and get some church clothes as well. Amazing.
So the next day Saturday he came to his interview and President Sproul
did it and steve was so nervous. But it was great. Steve was able to
be baptized. It is pretty funny because after he came out he looked at
me and said, See? I told you you didn't have to be nervous. hahaha. I
laughed at that. We went out to lunch with steve and then it came time
to his baptism. I was still a little bit nervous that he would all of
a sudden not want to be baptized but he came and he looked real nice
because he wore his new curch clothes. Sister Mcintosh said, "Well,
don't you just clean up real nice." We took some pictures and I did a
talk on baptism and sister mikami sang a song while I accompanied her
and then he entered into the waters of baptism. brother roberts
baptized him. They both are very short men so it was funny to see
them. After the blessing, it was time to get immersed and I believe
steve was excited because it seemed as if he forgot. He forgot to bend
his knees and plug his nose and it seemed as if he just jumped
backwards. Brother Roberts struggled. He barely got steve under and
had a struggle to bring him up and steve almost hit his head on the
font wall. haha. It was a close call but they did not have to baptize
twice. Phew. Wanda Prescott (investigator) came and she said it was
beautiful and she can't wait to be baptized.
Steve came to church and got confirmed and you should have seen
the look on his face. He was beaming! He loved it. The funniest thing
he said that day...i will give background on this. he was surrounded
by sisters, just talking to them and we went up to him and commented
on that. He said, "yeah. It must be the spirit just bursting forth out
of me and people can tell." haha. He is a funny man. He wore a suit
and looked real nice in it. He is going to make a great member. I
think the best part is that he does not want to sit next to us anymore
in church. He has taken flight and is a new member. I am so happy for
that.
So wanda scared us on wednesday. This is a phone call we go after
steve said he still wanted to get baptized. The voiceamil said, "hi.
this is wand. we are gonig to have to cancel the meeting today. My
daughter is taking me out to lunch. we can reschedule later." The
weird thing was, that it was not wanda's voice. It was her daughters.
We got an eerie feeling. We hoped and prayed that she didn't just tell
us to go away. We didn't think if would have been her nature to do so.
But, later that night we went to go see her and all is well. she is
still excited. She just had her daughter say the message for some
reason.
Gladys...We talked about the word of wisdome and she agreed with
it. She drinks coffee but she said that it would be no problem to give
that up. So that was a blessing. But, we got another surprising
phonecall from her on friday. We called her to see how she was doing
and she says, "i don't think i ought to be baptized into this church."
I wanted to be sad at first but then something told me to not give up
hope quite yet. I asked why. She read something and got confused by
it. She read mosiah 15 where is says Jesus is the father and that god
and jesus christ are one god. It does say that in general but what we
know it to be is not what she thought it was. We know it to be that
when it says they are one god that is means one in purpose and that
Jesus Christ acts through the Father. What she thought it meant is
that God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one person. When I
told her that, she said, really? And I explained how Jesus Christ got
baptized. I asked if we could see her again and she never did give us
a strong, i want you to come over, answer. So, we went the next day
and she didn't answer her door. We thought she may have been ditching
us. We went over yesterday though and such a relief! One of the first
things she says is, "I have started back up reading the book of
mormon." Then later she says, "i don't know what to do with myself
when I don't read the BOM. I am bored and I am sad again. I am
depressed. But when I picked up the BOM again, I was happy and I don't
know why. I am very happy that you came by today." She wants to read
the whole BOM before she is baptized which won't take long becuase she
has only had the book of mormon for two weeks and is already in Alma
and she is half blind. I just look her determination and her
willingness to recognize the spirit and when satan is attacking her.
We did not ask her about her W.O.W. but we did notice that there was
no more coffee on the kitchen table. What a relief.
So, all in all, what a tuff week. :) However, we did make it and we
laughed alot through it all. I am glad that is done and over with. Now
it is on to Gladys' baptism and getting her more ready. We both got so
exhausted. I have not been this tired in on my mission. It has been a
very trying time but I AM A SURVIVOR!!!! haha.
we had a real good sunday and I want to write down what all I
learned but I don't have the time. I love you all very very much
though. "No matter what happens, the lord is in it." I forget who that
quote is from but it is good. I love you all. I hope you have a great
week! Stay away from branches mom. :)
Love, Amanda
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