Hey Familia!! This week was really great!
The Lord is really blessing the work here in this area. We met with Therese a few times this week and she is just loving it. It is amazing how the Lord puts people in our path at the certain times of their life that they are willing to listen and accept the gospel. She has been really turning her life around, and looking for a job right now. Sometimes Heavenly Father humbles us in our lives in order to bring further light and knowledge. I love teaching Therese, because she is so willing to learn and accepts everything we teach so easily. We asked her why she accepts everything so quickly even though she was raised Catholic for many years and she said, "I have felt so happy the last few weeks meeting with you, and so everything you share just brings more happiness." That made me smile, and boosted me so much that day. She has made such good friends with a family in the ward and so that has been great.
We went on exchange in Picayune, Mississippi last week, and met some very interesting people to say the least. The first house we went into there were 4 kids running around with 3 big dogs, and all of which were eating raisins and tortillas off the floor. That was nerve wracking, but boy were they so humble and willing to hear the message of the restoration. It was awesome! Beats prideful religious people (not naming any specific religion ;)) any day of the week haha. And then we met this guy named Patrick who is probably one of the most ADD guys I have met so far on my mission, and that is saying a lot haha. He literally told us his whole life story before we even introduced ourselves, like most Louisianians, and then showed us his entire collection of the "word of God" which included any sort of religious book you can think of. Just imagine that. It was so funny! Also, I gave the prayer before we left, and literally after 2 seconds into the prayer he started moving the books and saying their titles out loud. Haha I loved it!
Miracle: We met with the investigator Alvin that we found tracting last week at our gold mine trailer park, and he had read the entire introduction to B.o.M, testimonies, and had tons of questions for us. It was incredible! He then told us that his fiance Desiree knew all about the church and actually mentioned it before we even knocked on the door last week, because they were talking about going back to church for their 7 kids. Alvin then told us that she worked at this Circle K gas station and so we went and visited her there. Turns out, Desiree (his fiance') is literally a member of the church and was baptized in 2008 along with one of her daughters in one of the wards in Baton Rouge. She was so excited to see us and had no idea there was a church in Mandeville/Covington area. Apparently when she moved she lost track of the church. She said she knows we were sent by God, because it was the perfect timing in their life and relationship, and she said she wants it to be a family thing for them. She was also just recently promoted to Manager of the gas station so is going to start getting Sundays off here soon to go to church as a family! Let's gooo!! I am so stoked! I know Heavenly Father really does answer prayers and this is His work. ---Alvin made it to church and loved it :) He introduced himself in Priesthood as well, and it was way cool.
I wanted to end with my gratitude and thoughts for President Thomas S. Monson. He has been the prophet since I can really remember, and has made an impact on me. I remember receiving a book about his life for Christmas a few years back and loved it. It has inspired me so much, and I love the promise in the scriptures that the spirit can bring all things back to our remembrance, because there have been times on my mission where I remember his profound counsel. He shared many experiences of following the promptings of the spirit including visiting the nearest hospital, feeling the need to visit a ward member, and many others. Although the promptings and circumstances were different one thing was the same--The Lord had prompted him to act and a miracle in his eyes or a tender mercy in another's was present. He committed to Heavenly Father that he would never miss a prompting, and that has given me such inspiration. What a man.
Well, that's it for this week. I love y'all so much and hope everyone has a great start back to school! Stay blessed. And of course low and frosty.
Love,
Elder Wilson
