Hey y'all,
This week was another incredible week!! We had transfers this week, and Elder Jensen and I will be continuing to churn some butter over here in Mandeville! We are way excited, because so many amazing things going on and miracles starting to come to fruition. Keeping the ball rolling baby :D Honestly one of the hardest things trying to share highlights, because as a missionary it is all good in the neighborhood!! I'll try my best.
One miracle this week was attempting to track down Desiree and her family, but ending up teaching Alvin's brother and sister Melvin and Secilia. Wow, they are way prepared! We taught them the entire restoration lesson, and they were asking questions the entire time. "If this is the true church of Jesus Christ we be looking for, then you best believe we joinin it." Amen!! We told them about Glady's Knight being Mormon and everything and they become way interested. That has seriously opened up soooooo many doors/ interest levels. It has been way cool! We have made it a goal to invite anyone and everyone to the performance in April, and it has been amazing to see Heavenly Father softening hearts. I seriously love the southern African American's especially, because they are so spiritual and love God. I am way excited to see the outcome of this whole event especially in reaching out to them and continuing to break down those southern barriers. We have been reading in the Book of Mormon with Melvin and Secilia several times this week as well, and they are just eating it up. They even asked us about the priesthood authority, and Melvin has been doing the additional study notes in the back of the pamphlet!! No one ever does that hahaha. Going to keep working with them and try and get them to come out to church this coming week.
Miracle: We have been able to meet with our investigator Chris several times this week as well. One of the lessons we brought our ward mission leader who is a convert and grew up Catholic along with Chris. We talked about the story of Job in the Bible and tied it in with Ether 12 in the B.o.m. Chris has been going through a lot, but is staying strong and remaining faithful as Job did. It was way cool, because in the middle of the lesson Chris texted his boss to request off work for Sunday and his boss was totally supportive.
Chris has a 5 year old son named Roman and ever since we first met Chris he has continued to ask who we were. Chris told him we worked for Jesus and Roman always tries sneaking into the lessons haha :) Later in the week he sent us a picture of his son Roman sitting behind the couch with the Book of Mormon opened on his lap. He can't read, but knows there is something special about the book. I have been thinking about this and just can't help but smile about how precious that really is. No matter how young or how uneducated, anyone and everyone can feel the spirit of the Lord when they read the Book of Mormon or even look through its pages. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ is completely personal to us. I know that He loves each of us individually and can't imagine the joy that he feels when we reach out to Him, even if it means looking at words on a page that we can't even read or understand. I love this scripture, Mosiah 3:19: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit... and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
Chris ended up making it to church on Sunday, and stayed for all 3 hours. It was so awesome! In the Gospel Principles class he commented with the experience of seeing his son "reading" the Book of Mormon and it furthering his desire to dive in. He realized that even his son knew there was something special within. He further told us that he didn't have his Book of Mormon with him, because Roman had packed it in his Spring Break bag and headed off with his Mom, Paige. Haha how awesome is that!?! We are going to bring Roman his very own illustrative picture Book of Mormon. There must be a special spirit that comes when a young child reaches out in faith to a loving Heavenly Father. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it really can be a conduit to Heavenly light in our lives. We just have to have the faith as Roman did to open it up.
Well, I will leave it at that. It really was a great week. I am so blessed to be serving the Lord here in Louisiana! Hope y'all have a fantastic week!
Love,
Elder Wilson
