we had a good week gave a blessing last night! it was cool but one thing Elder kennington and i have been doing is working with members!
one thing i want to challenge you to do is what we have challenged them to do!
think of a few people you have been pondering about maybe youve had an experience sharing the gospel with them, maybe not!
but think about a few names pray about them specifically ! and heres the kicker!:
i want you to get a Book of Mormon, write a very personal testimony both to you and to the person whom your giving the book to!
and give it to them!
its amazing how things like this that are so simple can be so very effective!
we met a family yesterday the husband is a recent convert!
he was telling us how rough is life was. for example his mum was a harlot for lack of a better term! his father a very abusive man, he said you dont know how it feels to get teeth puched out of your face by your own father, ive been chocked unconcious by him.
he lived with his dad and older brother in an old i forget what kind of camper but it was beat up and retro.
his dad got the bedroom, his older brother got the living area, and he got a tent and slept outside. didnt matter the weather. mind you he lived in pocatello which if im correct is down south and near Rexburg. their winters are rough! and he endured them inna tent!
in this environment drugsd were prevelant! his days were spent getting drunk and high, making poor decisions.
eventually they moved into a mobile home of sorts with lots of animals of everykind. he recounted having a pet raccoon(not his) and this "pet" would get in the cupboards and throw everything out and teear everything apart. he said it was no way to live where animals are their feces will lay as well. so there was fecal matter everywhere!! he said try to imagine crap where you never would have to deal with it! i would reach for a plate to make some food and lone behold there was a pile.
if this wasnt bad enough he said his dad made meth like crazy in the bathrrom so his house reeked with methamphetamine chemicals. rancid was how he described the smell. and to make matters worse his clothing even smelled like this so when hje went to school he smelled of methamphetamine.
eventually he was sent to juvee. he said it was nice actually because he knew that he wasnt goin to be beat there!
and eventually when he got out he was running a crackhouse with prostitutes everywhere and so forth and this lead to a prison sentence.
while in a work release programme he met his now wife. upon getting released he went on a date with her that very night! it went well he said he got a job on a fishing boat in alaska i think. and before he got onna plane she gave him wrapped B.o.M. and said to not read it until he got where he was going. literally as he was walking off the plane he unwrapped it and read her testimony she had written on the inside cover. at that moment he knew he would need to read the book.
they got married and he began to "secretly" take lessons! his wife would ask him something and he would get mad and say " i want to find out for myself, i dont need you influencing my decision."
he said he prayed wether or not he should get baptized and he didnt recieve an answer. until one day he was having a very hard time finding work considering his criminal history, he got on his knees asking for assistance in the buisness world, but the feeling he got, the thought that entered his mind was "get baptized" he shut it out and said ohh noo im asking about money right now ,, funny enough he got the same impression.
now he is a memebr of the chrurch and it fits so well with why we were at their home yesterday.
we loved that spirit, how strong itwas. we were meant to be there. the invitation is still there.
just like his wife gave him a book of mormon with her testimony you too can do the same thing and have a massive impact on someones life. look at that brother and how his life has changed completely! hes been out of prison now i think 3 years and quite honestly his testimony is so powerful the way he looks at the atonement is incredible. hes grateful for juvenile hall and that it was crap but it was a blessing!
weve got alot of snow dumped on us and used that opportunity to shovel snow and the first house we went to was a man who got his leg amputated because of cancer and has had some serious difficulties with insurances and getting his prosthetic. we shoveld his drieveway and his wife came out and tried to help us but i made sure she didnt have much to do she too has difficuties. mind you they are late 70's but very lively.
we werent able to meet with them since i got here. ecspecially because of the bad news and loops theyve been pulled through time and time again!
but again we helped them inna way. we served them and through that we were in there home and out of ther 20 degree weather for an hour having a great time getting caught up!
now we will be able to continue the lessons with them! so grateful for the opportunity to do so!
our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto christ by helping them recieve the restored gospel....
two key word
INVITE and HELP
thats all we can do their will and faith to allow the spirit do the rest is up to them!
