 |
| Me at Mount Garfield |
So
we had a couple of cool experiences this week that were unexpected. One
is that we are doing something called the "prayer approach" with
people, wherein we ask to leave a priesthood blessing on their home and pray
for their specific challenges. Every time I have done this, there has
been a remarkable outcome. I'll share a couple.
We
were contacting a former investigator known in our records only as the "Padilla"
family. The record indicated that they were very close to baptism a while
ago with other missionaries but that they started going to another church because
their children didn't like our church. Well we knocked on her door early
this week and she opened the door and said she was busy. But I asked if
there was anything we could do and she said that times were rough right now and
just to pray for her family, so we offered to say a prayer in her home.
She accepted and asked her what we should pray for specifically. Her eyes
welled up with tears and she explained how her teenage daughter was on
probation and was constantly sneaking out and that the family was suffering
because of the decisions she was making. We talked a little while longer
and we wrote down everything we were to pray for (we have to do this, they ask
for a lot sometimes). Elder Wallace then offered the prayer, and you
could hear her sobbing during the prayer. After the prayer we asked her
how she felt, and she said she felt "as if a large burden was taken off of
her shoulders." We offered to help clean her house up a bit and she
accepted again. After we left we set up an appointment to return.
When we returned, we asked how things were doing and she said that conditions
in her house and with her daughter drastically improved after the prayer and
she was surprised at that. We taught her some of the 1st lesson and she
wanted us to keep coming back and teaching her more.
The
next experience is similar. We are teaching a less active lady and she
had been blowing us off for a few weeks and even sent a text saying she
"wasn't ready for the commitment." We decided to stop by yesterday
after church, and we found her watering her garden and invited us in. After
our first pleasantries she said sorry for blowing us off and told us that her
family was being torn apart because of differences and her granddaughters were
being hurt by relatives and that her nephew was being charged for murder that
she believes he didn't commit. Again, we offered to give this prayer and
she accepted. Her daughter (also a less active member of the church)
joined us and asked that we pray for her and her husband's marriage to
succeed. I offered the prayer this time, and afterwards we asked how she
felt. She said she felt peaceful and that everything was going to be
okay. She told us that just before we came by, she and her daughter were
talking about the situation and she felt more scared and alone than ever
before. She went out to water her garden and then she heard our voices
call to her and she saw us riding up to her house. She said a prayer of
gratitude to Father in Heaven and invited us in. It was a neat one.
We
also got to meet President Murdock this week. He came to our district and
interviewed us all with his wife. He has 10 kids (all active in the
church) and he served a mission in England I believe. He is way different
than president Maynes. He almost reminds me a bit of bishop Borup.
He is really funny and full of energy. So it was nice to get acquainted
with him.
Well
that's all I have for this week. I love you all and have a great one!
Elder
Bringhurst
No comments:
Post a Comment