My last week in Granite Falls was like unto most of my time here: Wonderful. I saw a lot of things that will stick with me for a while. I’ll get to that in a minute. As you may have inferred from my first sentence, yep, I’m transferring outta this place. Am I sad? Yes. I will miss the investigators a whole lot. I love them dearly. They were my best friends in this area.
One of our investigators is a beautiful soul who would love nothing more than to be free. We knocked on her door a couple weeks ago and she’s wanted to come to church ever since. This Thursday we were talking with her in her driveway and she told us she will definitely be coming to church. There were a lot of distractions and people yelling at each other across the different trailers but there was somewhat of a still where we were amidst it all. We taught her the restoration and asked her to pray at the end and had some time of silence to think about what she’s feeling and thinking afterwards. We sat there in silence for probably 15 seconds after the prayer, which doesn’t sound too long but… whatever. It felt long. She picked up her head and we looked at her, smiled and asked, “How do you feel?”
She responded, “I feel this euphoric feeling,” And started to cry before she could finish her sentence. I was filled with joy and peace as I saw the hand of God working through his loved daughter. She is getting baptized on April 26th.
There's someone we tracted into who wants to be baptized. He came to church and we had a couple lessons this week with him. He is very interested in what the “Lord God Almighty has in store for him.” Many great and marvelous things, is the answer to his search. Many great and marvelous things.
This one investigator and his son are some of the most entertaining people I’ve taught. I just love meeting with them. If I lived three life times through I still wouldn’t have the wisdom of the 14 year old son. It’s a real treat just to listen to his insights and questions. I tend to like it.
We are teaching a girl who is still on date for the 12th of April and is moving right along. I like teaching her because she’s YSA age and I miss being in a singles ward. I’m still used to teaching in that style and haven’t fully adapted to being in a family ward. My next area will be a family ward too. Three transfers left. That’s a tough one to swallow. Wait, I was talking about this investigator. She’s more important than that stuff. So, she seems like she’s grown a lot since we first met her a couple weeks ago. She is praying out loud with us. She’s reading the Book of Mormon and understanding it pretty well. All in all, she’s becoming friends with that Holy Ghost whose influence is enlightening and inspiring. I can’t wait for her to have that friend with her all the time. Holy Ghost is my favorite. That sounded insincere. But… Holy Ghost is sick. (Sick=cool)
The guy I met a couple weeks ago is someone I’ll miss the most. I just love him with all this little heart of mine has to offer. We’re in contact every day and he shares his uplifting and beautiful experiences as he reads the Book of Mormon. It’s the most rewarding thing to be able to see the changes in someone from the time we met him struggling and in despair outside his apartment till now where he’s smiling and has hope in a better day. I testify that this hope and comfort is available to everyone. No one would have given him a second look. It seemed there’s no way he can get out of what he’s gotten into. Well, my friends who cannot see, I know that Christ has suffered beneath, around, and infinitely more than what this man has suffered or sinned. Jesus has paid the debt and price in full. We can’t repay that gift. We will never be able to. All we can do is USE the gift of the atonement. That’s what our investigator is doing. It works. I love this man because of his heart. His heart is sincere and broken. I sometimes get tears when I think about who he is, and what he’s willing to do to follow God. He’s my hero. I wish I had a heart like his.
While walking back to our car one day we saw a big group of bearded men yelling all sorts of profane things. I asked my companion if he wanted to go over there and he said, “I don’t have the confidence for that kind of thing,” with a half-smile on his face. I said, “me neither.” And we walked towards the men with the trucks and beers. They all started laughing and pulled out their cameras and phones to take pictures and flipped us off and everything. We talked to them and invited them to Christ and they said not unless we brought them some beer. So, the moral of the story is: Things don’t always work out the way you’d like them too but you still do what you’ve been asked to do. Fear is not the decider, you are. I looked back on that experience later in the day and wished I would have said other things. I wished I could have said more and preached to them more but I usually have thoughts like that. I just look back on things like that and think, “Dang, I won’t have the opportunity to put myself out there for the rest of my life.” I love the opportunities of the mission. I love the lessons I learn. I love the fear that comes and the fear that goes as you feel the presence of the Holy Ghost. I love the moments of unsureness and anxiety. I don’t love them in the heat of things. I kind of hate those feelings, but I like the lessons from them and the unique insights I gain from the pain. I do things wrong. I see my mistakes. I make plans to be better. I make the same mistakes again. I make plans to do better. I make the same mistakes again and then I see a pattern. I thank God for the mistakes I’ve made, but not just in of and in them. I thank Him for repentance and progression that comes through his Grace. I thank Him for even having the chance to come to His open arms when I am not worthy to even speak His name. I thank Him for the reliance I have on him to stay close. “Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it.” That song brings tears to my eyes almost every time. I look forward to the day that I can “be like Him” and truly “see Him as He is.”
Anyways,
Video killed the radio star,
Elder Trent Jay Merrill
No comments:
Post a Comment