She was SO promising. I knew she was gonna be baptized.
She was gonna be MY first baptism. I felt such a real connection with
her. The spirit was always so strong in our lessons. She always called
Sister Bazzel to read the Book of Mormon and ask questions over the phone. I
don't get it.
Also another one of our investigators, April, who was kinda
gettin shady, told us through her kids that she never wanted to see
us again. My feelings are just all outta wack.
Welcome to the field, right? This bites.
I do have to tell you one thing. I bore my testimony
yesterday. One of our recent converts made a deal with me
that if I go up, she'd go up. I'm really glad I went up. It was a very
spiritual testimony meeting. Did I ever tell you about Sharon? She's a neat
lady. Crazy. But I love her. And i'm glad I had her to make me go up.
People blame me for the freak snowstorm we got... NO JOKE! But I don't care because it's SNOW!
1/14/13: I really have taken everything to heart and started to,
"Do Work." In fact, the other day I took a few hours and contacted
every, single referral I could find in the phone, the area book, and
the referrals we get in the mail that are scattered all around the
house. I then made a list of all the names and all the information I had of
them and all that jazz. Now it feels like all my ducks are in a row and
everything is running smoothly.
Well Prez also talked to my companion and told him that he
was going to be transferred and that he needed me to train soon so to
accelerated his training. I am happy to say that he really has stepped
it up and things are really looking up. We've been doing actual missionary
work for the first time since i've got here.
Amazing how prayers work and how things can change within
one weeks time.
So I have a couple fun stories.....
On Tuesday after district meeting we went on an exchange
with the Hot Springs elders. I went up to Hot Springs with Elder Jacobson. Cool
guy. He's from Orem. Well that night we went to the gas station to fill up the
car. It was only like 6 pm but it was dark already. We were both
standing outside the car when this really shady, really scary, gangster
looking, black guy approached us. Almost sounding upset he began to tell
us this story about how a couple months ago he asked two of our guys, with
black hair, that were dressed like us, driving this same car for a ride.
They said they couldn't give other people rides.
After asking his name I said, "That's right, Trey, we
aren't aloud to give other people rides."
Well he then told us about how, he didn't do it and didn't
want to go back to jail.
At that point he turned his head and I noticed the tattooed
tear drop under his eye. Seeing this, along with
noticing his growing more and more upset, is when I
started to shake in my Sunday shoes. He asked if we could give him some money,
if we, "really are people of the Lord."
"Missionaries don't carry much money, Trey. All I have
is like 2 cents."
"That'll do," he responded extending his
cupped hand towards me.
In my mind I froze. I did have 2 cents, but it was in
the same pocket as my $18. As I reached for the pennies I prayed that the bills
wouldn't come falling to the ground as I pulled out my hand.
Thankfully they didn't.
But soon as I thought we were in the clear, Trey
stopped in thought and then said, "Wait. How did you pay for the
gas?"
The gas card. We explainded it only works for buying
gas after he asked us if he could use the, what he thought to be a normal
credit card, to buy some chips. His next question, or demand rather, "Buy
me some gas then."
Thank goodness I can talk my way out of things.
I ended up asking him, "You wanna pray? That's all we
can do."
He again extended his hands, one towards me and the other to
Elder Jacobson. "Alright. Let's pray." The funniest/ kinda
sketchy part-- Trey looked at Jacobson and with demand in his
eyes said, "Bow yo head." I was already bowin with my eyes
closed. Kinda stupid to close my eyes but that's what I did. I did, though,
make sure I had his hand tight in mine as to make sure he made no sudden
movements.
He gave the prayer and it was kinda crazy. He prayed again
about how he didn't do it and please allow the judge to have mercy.
We then got in our car with a, "God
Bless!" And got the HECK outta there!
One word, SKETCHY.
1/21/13: We went over to Jennifer's house. the one who returned the
"Mormon bible" to Sister Bazzel and asked if she could tell us not to
come over again.
Well, I convinced her to let us come in and talk about it
only once. She allowed us to come in and we talked about what she was feeling.
She told us that she hadn't read the chapter we gave her to read but she prayed
and that she got her answer to keep attending 1st Baptist in a dream. Right
then I actually used an analogy about the book of Mormon and basketball. Turns
out she actually used to play basketball. It worked and she told us that she'd
give us a second chance and continue to pray for a second witness. sorry for
the brevity of the story but it would take forever to type what I actually
said.
Here is an email I (Dan's mom) received from Bridgett, one of the people out in Arkansas:
. I know it's hard to be away from your family
during the holidays for the first time. I never knew how much a young adult
could eat. I'll have to remember that for when all my kids are teenagers. My
kids love him to pieces. He jokes about coming back and being our babysitter as
long as we feed him. I told him he would die if he had to truly watch
them. They are 5yrs, 4yrs, 1yr, and 3months. Way more than a guy needs to
handle. He has such a sense of humor on him. He talks very highly of you
all. His testimonies are so touching when he speaks of you all. We encourage
him to keep moving forward on his mission. I'm so proud of him for coming and
serving to those who need to hear the messages they bring. If it wasn't for
the missionaries coming to my parents we probably wouldn't be in the
church today. It will be the hardest thing to let my children go on their
missions. I hope to have the strength as you did for my kids. Love, The Johns Family
1/28/13: So this week has been great. We really hit the ground
runnin. We worked HARD! I woke up EVERY morning ON TIME to go
workout. And the best part-- I felt wide awake. I wasn't groggy. I was
ready to get to work! Amazing what prayer can do. I was praying so hard for the
energy. And the drive and energy never subsided. Because of this, we had
the best numbers yet.
Sunday was by far the best day on the mission. Three
investigators showed up to church! 3! John and Vivian and none other than Bro.
Bill! We never would've thought John or Vivian would ever come to
church. They weren't even interested in the lessons. The only reason we
know them is because Sharon (a recent convert) is Vivian's mom. John is
Vivian's boyfriend.
John calls himself an athiest only because his Grandma
"shoved religion down his throat." But he came. And he said he
actually liked it. The best thing... he heard an apostle was coming down and
said, "Wait. There are still apostles on earth?" Holy cow. You don't
know the joy I felt when I heard that. Can't wait to further explain
everything. I think he would now be interested in the lessons. He even wants to
go listen to the apostle! How cool is that?
(David A. Bednar is coming to town! Woot-woot!)
I started this new thing two weeks ago at church where before
church starts I go around to as many people as I can and shake their hand and
talk with them and see how they are doin. All with a big smile on my face of
course. It makes my day go better and starts out my week really good. I
feel more connected with everyone there now. Just being friendly Dan is all I
needed to be in the first place. It's really worked out well. I enjoy it. I
think they do too. We have also received a bunch more referrals lately, when
before we never had any, and I think that's why.
I'm super excited about getting out there and working. My
comp is also working hard now because he doesn't want to leave me here in
Arkadelphia with nothing. So he's showin me everyone he had kinda kept hidden,
for some reason, from me. I think it's funny that now he is workin hard rather
than before but I'm not complaining! We're actually working. Not being lazy or
apathetic. I love it. Dang. Before it was like, I can feel your prayers
helping me trying to feel better but I was still kinda depressed. But now it's
like, Yes! And I take those powers and I'm a machine. I don't know if that
makes sense. All I know is that I'm happy now in a different way. Before-- I
felt happy, but it was a worldly happy. Now I feel a different, fulfilling kind
of happy. Like a, "I'm doin what I'm supposed to and Heavenly Father is
blessing me" kind of happy! I like this one a lot more.
I know it's kind of cliche but if you are doing all you can.
Really, ALL you can. Heavenly Father will bless you so much! I know this to be
true. I know that the power of prayer is crazy real. I also know that it
doesn't matter how stupid you've been in the past-- You CAN make a turn-around.
I know it because it has happened this week. I love my Father in Heaven and I
know no matter what your past is like he will forgive you and help you make
that 180. We have this special thing that His son did for us. It allows us to
be forgiven and puts us on that path to make that change. How wonderful
huh? I am a living testament of this. If I can, you can. I just wanted to bare
that witness to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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