March 15, 2009
Last week the Elders here got a text message saying 'Call me here is my number 123456789 I want to talk to you" so they called the number and found out that there was a girl that was wanting the Book of Mormon. She talked about a vision or a dream she had had about the true church and that it would have a brochure about something called the Plan of Salvation. And on the back of that brochure there would be a picture of a book, and that she needed that book. well the missionaries ended up getting the book to her. She was busy at the time and was locked inside her house with her 9 month old child. So she told the missionaries to put it in the mail box at the bottom of the stairwell. So they did. She also said that she would come to church at 10. So these missionaries never saw her face but just knew that there was an amazing girl that had been prepared to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sunday came around and at 10:05 there were no investigators at church... we started with the prayer and song and had announcements and at 10:15 walked in a member with her husband (who is not a member) and a girl of about 19 years old. I had never seen this girl before but had come to the conclusion that the member had brought her because she was carrying a book of Mormon. I was very pleased as I saw them walk in and new that I had some one that I had to contact at the end of sacrament meeting. Sacrament meeting ended splendidly and this young girl found herself talking with one of the other members in a very fast and very friendly conversation about life and things going on in Alexandria. I leaned over to the member that I thought had brought her with her and asked "who is this?" She replied "I don't know, I was going to ask you!" I was happy but confused at the same time. I didn't want to interrupt the conversation with this investigator and the member so I got my things together to give the Sunday school lesson. Anyways after the lesson I rushed off to go meet this girl but found out that she was doing the same thing. I quickly introduced myself and pretended that I didn't know her situation at all. I came to find that this was the girl that had given the missionaries the text just a few days earlier. Things were great and we set up a lesson that same day for 3:30. We went and ate lunch at the Matei's house and when the time came we went back to the church. We wanted to be early so that we could pray and see if the Lord wanted us to set up a baptismal date with her. so we arrived at 3:10 and found out that she was sitting on the front steps with the Book of Mormon opened to first Nephi 19. I was THRILLED! we asked her how long she had been there. and she replied with... "ooh, only about 20 or 30 minutes!" my jaw dropped! I was so excited. This girl was absolutely drooling for the word of God. She had been reading, and then she not only came to the lesson but she came up to an hour early and was waiting for us and reading the Book of Mormon.
We got into the Chapel and sat down, had the prayer, things went great. and at the end of the lesson about the restoration and where the Book of Mormon came from I asked her, "Will you pray tonight to find out if the things we've talked about are true?" she replied with "yeah, I think I'll pray in May or June sometime.." my heart dropped a little, and my head started going crazy,... here we were sitting with the most amazing girl ever, after one of the best lessons ever, and she didn't want to pray....I was devastated. But I said to her, "Its really easy I can even teach you how to pray if you are scared!" she said "No, I don't want to rush it" then I really had the spirit come over me, I went on a limb and said "Are you saying that you want to be baptized in May or June?" Her eyes lit up and she said "Yes, of course, sorry I didn't know the word you used for Baptism in your church, Yes I think being baptized in May or June will be good...but when is the earliest I could be baptized?"
My jaw dropped, my heart exploded, and the spirit drenched me with his warm love, I was able to form the words "Basically whenever you are ready, if you are ready in two weeks you can be baptized then. but I would say a month would be good time." Her eyes lit up and she said "okay!"
but I still wanted her to pray and have the answer from God for herself. I really didn't want this to become one of those situations where she goes inactive after the missionaries leave. I urged her to pray, we talked about prayer and how to pray. Things went really well, and I am very grateful that I wast directed by the spirit to ask if she was talking about baptism instead sitting there thinking she was stubborn. It was a great tender mercy! I loved that feeling. I also loved the look in her eyes and how excited she got when we talked about having faith and works. and how Joseph Smith was a faithful person, but until he asked, and showed his faith to God was when he truly found his answer. Absolutely amazing!
Last week the Elders here got a text message saying 'Call me here is my number 123456789 I want to talk to you" so they called the number and found out that there was a girl that was wanting the Book of Mormon. She talked about a vision or a dream she had had about the true church and that it would have a brochure about something called the Plan of Salvation. And on the back of that brochure there would be a picture of a book, and that she needed that book. well the missionaries ended up getting the book to her. She was busy at the time and was locked inside her house with her 9 month old child. So she told the missionaries to put it in the mail box at the bottom of the stairwell. So they did. She also said that she would come to church at 10. So these missionaries never saw her face but just knew that there was an amazing girl that had been prepared to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sunday came around and at 10:05 there were no investigators at church... we started with the prayer and song and had announcements and at 10:15 walked in a member with her husband (who is not a member) and a girl of about 19 years old. I had never seen this girl before but had come to the conclusion that the member had brought her because she was carrying a book of Mormon. I was very pleased as I saw them walk in and new that I had some one that I had to contact at the end of sacrament meeting. Sacrament meeting ended splendidly and this young girl found herself talking with one of the other members in a very fast and very friendly conversation about life and things going on in Alexandria. I leaned over to the member that I thought had brought her with her and asked "who is this?" She replied "I don't know, I was going to ask you!" I was happy but confused at the same time. I didn't want to interrupt the conversation with this investigator and the member so I got my things together to give the Sunday school lesson. Anyways after the lesson I rushed off to go meet this girl but found out that she was doing the same thing. I quickly introduced myself and pretended that I didn't know her situation at all. I came to find that this was the girl that had given the missionaries the text just a few days earlier. Things were great and we set up a lesson that same day for 3:30. We went and ate lunch at the Matei's house and when the time came we went back to the church. We wanted to be early so that we could pray and see if the Lord wanted us to set up a baptismal date with her. so we arrived at 3:10 and found out that she was sitting on the front steps with the Book of Mormon opened to first Nephi 19. I was THRILLED! we asked her how long she had been there. and she replied with... "ooh, only about 20 or 30 minutes!" my jaw dropped! I was so excited. This girl was absolutely drooling for the word of God. She had been reading, and then she not only came to the lesson but she came up to an hour early and was waiting for us and reading the Book of Mormon.
We got into the Chapel and sat down, had the prayer, things went great. and at the end of the lesson about the restoration and where the Book of Mormon came from I asked her, "Will you pray tonight to find out if the things we've talked about are true?" she replied with "yeah, I think I'll pray in May or June sometime.." my heart dropped a little, and my head started going crazy,... here we were sitting with the most amazing girl ever, after one of the best lessons ever, and she didn't want to pray....I was devastated. But I said to her, "Its really easy I can even teach you how to pray if you are scared!" she said "No, I don't want to rush it" then I really had the spirit come over me, I went on a limb and said "Are you saying that you want to be baptized in May or June?" Her eyes lit up and she said "Yes, of course, sorry I didn't know the word you used for Baptism in your church, Yes I think being baptized in May or June will be good...but when is the earliest I could be baptized?"
My jaw dropped, my heart exploded, and the spirit drenched me with his warm love, I was able to form the words "Basically whenever you are ready, if you are ready in two weeks you can be baptized then. but I would say a month would be good time." Her eyes lit up and she said "okay!"
but I still wanted her to pray and have the answer from God for herself. I really didn't want this to become one of those situations where she goes inactive after the missionaries leave. I urged her to pray, we talked about prayer and how to pray. Things went really well, and I am very grateful that I wast directed by the spirit to ask if she was talking about baptism instead sitting there thinking she was stubborn. It was a great tender mercy! I loved that feeling. I also loved the look in her eyes and how excited she got when we talked about having faith and works. and how Joseph Smith was a faithful person, but until he asked, and showed his faith to God was when he truly found his answer. Absolutely amazing!
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