OH MY HEART

OH MY HEART.

This has been the best week of my entire mission EVER. We have found 13 new investigators, and have taught SO many lessons. The Lord just placed them in our paths, and I feel so blessed. Sister Sorensen and I have been working so hard, and it's been so good for the both of us. I'm the most tired I have ever felt.. ever. But it's worth it.

We've picked up a pretty interesting family. It's a mom, and her adult son who is disabled, and lives with her. When we met her on the streets, she told us that she had read the entire Book of Mormon before, and we were way excited. We asked to come back, and taught them the Restoration. They are ready to get baptized, and they came to church yesterday! They are very much interesting souls, and are kind of confused with false doctrines, and are like, super hippie, but they're sweet, and we know that they can make it as we continue to teach them.

A couple (not married) that we've picked up are so tender hearted. Bro L requested a BOM online, and so we came by and taught him and his girlfriend the Restoration. They said they wanted to study a lot more before they got baptized, but he said he is looking for a home, and we all know that home is found in our church! It's baby steps with them, but they've been reading, and listening to the BOM... in fact, they are almost FINISHED with listening to the BOM... AFTER LIKE, NOT EVEN A WEEK. I WAS SO EXCITED. And they love the BOM. :)

Bro J met with missionaries in Roanoke a few months back, and requested for us to come over via the internet. He was almost ready for baptism. He just needs to learn that the Word of Wisdom is a commandment from God. He smokes, and doesn't want to give it up.

We had a really cool experience that really strengthened my testimony of being at the right place at the right time. We were at a return appointment with a referral we had received the day before. As we are teaching her the Restoration, she is totally loving it, and grasping everything we say. She completely understood the need for a restoration, and recognized apostasy around her. As Sister Sorensen was reciting the first vision, a man walks into the room, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him shaking his head as if to say no. I panic a little, because I assumed that this woman was going to be antied by this man after we left, because of his reaction to Joseph Smith seeing the Father and His Son. I'm thinking of all the things that we're going to have to say to her, to prep her for the anti that is going to come from this man. Sister S finished by bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon, and this man asks if we have an extra book that we could give him. Of course we say yes, and hand him one, and he says "My favorite scripture is Helaman 5:12 where it talks about how we have to have a firm foundation in Christ." Our jaws dropped! We start asking him questions, and we found out that he was a less active member that had been baptized in 2005, and had recently moved to Martinsville. We got his information, and have plans to visit with him, but he bore such powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon, and of Joseph Smith to this sister that we had just met. The timing was perfect, and she is so excited to be baptized! We invited her to church, but we didn't prep her as much as we had hoped, so she didn't make it yesterday, but we're seeing her tonight and will continue to help her prepare for baptism.

seriously. I just love what hard work can do for an area. This place was struggling so badly, and within a week, we were able to turn it around, and bless the lives of so many, and in return, have our lives blessed.

I've been pondering a lot about commandments, and why God expects us to keep them, and why we chose to keep them. Ponder this question throughout the week. Do you keep commandments our of obligation, or admiration?

Food for thought. Have a great week everyone!