Week 18

What a great week! last monday we had a baptismal interview for a man I have been teaching who will be baptized this saturday! it was a great experience, he's such a wonderful man and is so ready for baptism. It was a part-member family, so his wife's family is all really happy and excited. It's so great to see a family come together like this.

I've had some great lessons this week! We finally got to meet with Kelly again, and this time he came to the church and we had the lesson in the chapel! I'm a big fan of doing lessons in chapels. It was just me and a couple ward missionaries from the singles ward, my two companions were teaching elsewhere. I invited him to experiment upon the word as is said in Alma 32:27 and suggested that he come to church on sunday, and every day throughout the week, read at least a page from the book of mormon, to pray about it before and after, and then come to church the following sunday as well, and then to see if his life wasn't blessed. He then said a kneeling prayer after accepting the challenge! it was exciting. Sunday came, he didn't show up! ugh! actually I had someone go pick him up, which I told him would happen, and he said he didn't know anyone was coming. Oi vey.

I had a great experience that same evening, just before visiting with Kelly, we had lunch at this families house who are less active, they have 2 boys we are teaching, 13 and 11 I think, and they had one of their friends over there who was not a member. Part of our reason for going was to give the 11 year old a blessing for his broken arm, the friend also wanted a blessing! he had already asked his grandparents who agreed! it was a great experience, he was so anxious to learn more about the church, so excited when he was invited to church! and he is just such a sweet little guy, it was so awesome to see his desire to learn about the book of mormon and about the Savior.

Last night we were contacting at a park, and we walked up to a guy on a bench, who said "Que pasa Amigo" so I said we were missionaries, and he said something else in spanish, so I said "Oh, do you speak English" and he said "no, no english" and then this little 8 year old came up and said "Man, he's lying to you! he speaks english just fine!" I started to laugh and said "ah, your son just ratted you out!" and he said "He's not my son" and further blew his cover, so he said "what are you selling?" and we talked to him. Saturday we went on 3 way splits for 2 hours with some people from the singles ward, and again I was at the park talking to people, and was having a great discussion with this lady about the gospel, but found she was probably just trying to confound me, she left when she couldn't, but as she was leaving 6 teenage boys came up and said "Hey, what are you guys selling?" and I said "Nothing, I'm a missionary" and he said "Oh are you Christian?" I said yes, he said "Oh, I thought you were Mormon or something" and I said "Why, I am! I'm Mormon, but Mormons are Christians" and we talked for a minute, but one of his friends said "I don't even believe in God" to which his friend said "WHAT?? Really?" boy #2 said "Yeah, he's never helped me out, I don't believe he's out there" his friend said "Man, he helps you every day! why do you think you don't fall off your bike all the time?" and boy #2 said "I fall off my bike every day." I decided it was time for a comment, so I asked him if he's ever prayed to God, he said no, so I asked how he can get an answer if he doesn't ask a question, and then told him that he does have a loving Heavenly Father who knows him very well, and I told him that if he went home tonight and knelt down and asked if there was someone out there listening, and that if he was in fact his son, that he would recieve an answer, and I gave him a Restoration Pamphlet. I hope something comes of that! I love talking to the skaters and the bikers at the park, they are such foul kids, but many are receptive, whereas so many adults are in no way receptive.

Speaking of Adults at the park, one guy came up to us and said "Hey are you Jehovah's Witnesses?" we said no, we're Mormons, and he said "Oh so you believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers" it turned into a bit of a debate, and then I remembered something I was told in the MTC, so I stopped everything and said "Let me ask a question, are you asking us this question out of a sincere desire to understand us and our beliefs, or are you just trying to patronize us?" He paused and said "Let me start over, sorry" and he shook our hands, and then started arguing some more, but much more nicely. It was pretty funny.

There are so many wonderful stories that happened this week, so many great lessons we taught to our investigators, one of our investigators committed to be baptized in December! it was one of the more powerful lessons we've taught, the spirit was very strong. We have a few new investigators that are really promising, I'm very excited about where things are going here, I really hope I don't get transferred next week! I want to stay.

One of those investigators many of my family should know! Her name used to be Ruby Bartlett, she is now Ruby Hall, its her husband we're actually teaching! They are wonderful and the spirit is working in their life, She is my cousin almost? maybe 1st cousin once removed or something like that, my moms cousin. She told stories about my mom, and about Austin Turley and asked about Joe. It was so fun to talk to her about my family!

Well the church is still true, otherwise I wouldn't be feeling the spirit so strong every day! How wonderful it is to see the changes in peoples lives, I love this work so much, and I can't believe its already been 4 months since I've been here! I have one more transfer til I'm 1/4 of the way done!!! I'm starting to feel like I don't have enough time left on my mission.

Elder Martin