As usual, the mission is going by very quickly and I have been very busy. Yesterday was transfer day. We received 16 new missionaries from around the world (Scotland, England, Tonga, Canada, the United States etc.). Three sister missionaries arrived with 13 Elders. I love new missionary day as they always seem so energetic and full of life. They are so anxious and scared, to get to the mission and actually start their service. It is just such a great day in the mission. Yesterday, we had 16 trainers that came to the office, then all the new DLs, ZLs and those that were being transferred. In other words, the office was FULL of great men and women of God. I love being around the missionaries. The work is busy and hectic for me as I am the one who arranges the flights, pays the baggage fees, gets the boarding passes and makes sure the missionaries are good to come home. In some ways, it is incredibly stressful...I always worry that I might not get the missionaries into the correct airports and on their way. I always breathe a slight sigh of relief the day after transfers, today, when the last missionary is actually on their way home. Hah, two more transfers to go and then I really can stop worrying about sending the right missionary to the wrong address.
On another note, last Sunday there was a black gentleman investigator, who came to ourSunday School class. We were talking about how prayer is a two way communication from God., etc. At the end of the lesson, this man says that he was sincere and prayed God that he would save his wife from dieing. Instead, his wife suffered for four months with cancer and then she died. "Why, when he offered sincere prayers, didn't God hear and answer his prayer," he asked? Then he got up and walked out of the class.
I have thought of this man, Larry, all week long. One night, I could not sleep. It was as if the Spirit kept telling me that I just have to talk with Larry and tell him that his isn't really dead, with no after life, but that she still lives and that he will have the chance again to be with her. I spoke with Elder M. and Elder M. and shared this with them. They asked if Elder Lund and I could come and talk with Larry. As it turned out, it was transfer day and I was busy booking missionaries on flights home. But I assured the missionaries that they could share this message with him just as well as I could. Tonight, before we left the mission, Elder M and Elder M called back and asked if Elder Lund and I could go with them to the Rescue Mission tomorrow night to meet with Larry. As much as I really would like to be home this Friday night, Elder Lund and I will be going with them to speak with Larry. I know that I need to talk to Larry. I pray that he will be receptive to me. I know that Larry is so very angry with God about his wife's death, but I think if he understands the plan of salvation, perhaps it will become a comforting thing to know that he can see his wife again. Stay tuned for how this turns out.
And yet, on another note, last Wed. while attending Dallin's science fair competition at Davis Conference Center, Elder Lund and I received a text that a "miracle baptism" was to take place that same night, just an hour from then, and could we come? Being tired, we responded that we would be on our way back up to Ogden and could come. When we got to the ward where the baptism was to take place, there was a man and his wife, her brother and sister, the missionaries, the relief society pres. and her two sons, and Elder Lund and I. Elder M asked if I could please play some piano prelude music. This I did ( I haven't played in 10 years and certainly not since my wrist had been broken). A song was sung, a prayer said, a short talk on baptism. Then we needed to wait for Bishop P to arrive. We waited, testimonies were shared, we waited some more. Now Christina, the woman getting baptized, and her husband Matt, were staying at St. Anne's homeless shelter and they needed to be back there before an 8:00 pm curfew. I whispered to Elder M. to go look in the church bldg. and see if there might be another bishop available that could come witness the baptism. Luckily, there was a blue and gold banquet being held, and Elder M. found a bishop. As they proceeded with the baptismal ordinance, Bishop P. arrived. Then while waiting for Christina to get dressed Matt, her husband, stood and shared the following:
Matt was a member of the church. He had wanted to go on a mission, but when he was 18, he didn't know if he had a testimony or not and didn't know if the Book of Mormon was true. So he started to read and pray. One night he received a strong testimony that the Book of Mormon was true and was the word of God. He bore strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the gospel.Tears rolled down his face. But for whatever reason, he didn't go on a mission. Thru the years, he lived his life. Eventually, he found Christina, who was a strong Catholic. He married her and started to share his testimony of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon with her. He had been teaching her for 6 months previous to the baptismal day.
Now, on that baptismal day, Elder M and Elder M were supposed to go teach someone else. That person canceled. As they were walking by the library, Christina saw them and said that she believed in the Book of Mormon and wanted to be baptized--immediately, that day! The two Elders spent the afternoon talking with Christina and Matt. Because they lived in the homeless shelter, they had been attending another ward. Christina had a strong testimony, could answer all the interview questions and had a deep knowledge of the gospel, due to Matt's teachings.
In talking further with Elder M and Elder M, I wondered how Matt had ended up at the homeless shelter. They shared that sin had come into Matt's life, that he had been excommunicated, but was now back into the church and was awaiting the priesthood once again.
The baptism service was a small, quiet service, but there was a tender sweet spirit that was there. I am glad that Elder Lund and I were a part of that special event. Cristina was truly a "miracle" baptism.
Now the rest of the story. Christina and Matt were late getting back to St. Annes. After the baptism, they were speeding on Matt's motorcycle to get back before the 8:00pm curfew time. A police officer saw them speeding and picked them up. They were explaining the circumstances of the baptism and the reason for their speeding to the officer. The missionaries happened to be driving behind them and pulled over with the police officer, Matt, and Christina. The police officer, it turned out, was LDS so he just gave them a warning ticket. But they arrived after 8:00 pm and the homeless shelter would not let them in. They ended up spending the night with Matt's brother who had just baptized Christina.
Moral: just remember when your teenagers complain of curfew-even Homeless shelters have a time when they are to be in or they are left out in the cold--literally.
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