Well it has been one busy week and a half.
Let's back up to about two weeks ago on the 15th. Elder
Taylor and I were weekly planning for the following week and realized that the
Saturday of that next week was the 24th of Sep. At the beginning of the month we
set the goal to baptize on the 10th and 24th of Sep. We had prayed about it and
felt that we could do it as we turned more fully to Heavenly Father for help. Well
Cameron was baptized on the 10th and now we had 9 days to find someone to be
baptized since no one had progressed to that point yet. A rule here in this
mission is that an investigator has to go to church at least twice before they
can be baptized. No one in our teaching pool was at that point. As we discussed
what our goal was for that next week in relation to baptizing and confirming
someone we still felt that we had set that goal at the beginning
of the month in faith with Heavenly Father's guidance. So we were going
to stick to it and make a plan to find someone ready. We decided to fast on
that upcoming Sunday. We fasted specifically that we would receive a referral
of someone who was already prepared to be baptized that weekend and that was
moving into our ward. We closed our fast on Sunday night and we were
so excited to see what was going to happen that week. We both felt that
somehow that goal would indeed be hit with the Lord's help. Monday night we got a call from some Elders in a neighboring
ward informing us that they had an investigator named Levi Watters who was
scheduled to be baptized on Friday that would be moving into our ward. I had
actually had the opportunity to interview Levi for baptism the week prior. For
about an hour Elder Taylor and I couldn't say anything but WOW! Over and over and
over. We said many prayers of thanks and gratitude. Levi was baptized on Friday and confirmed this last Sunday.
He is an energetic 20 year old who is on fire for the gospel right now. He
loves to come on team-ups with us and is always bearing humble testimony as we
talk to everyone we see.
God does not cease to be a God of miracles. He hears your
prayers and is willing to answer them as we are proactive in trying to help Him
do so. As a ward we just closed a 40 day fast and during that 40 day span of
time 4 people were baptized in the Raytown ward. 3 of those people didn't
even live in our area before the fast started. God really does answer as we
ask, seek, and knock.
The reason I am E-Mailing on Thursday is because today we get
to go to the temple!!!! Patrick Murphy is the guy who has MS I sent a picture
of a few weeks ago. He is receiving his endowment today and we get to go!! He
is so excited and we are so excited to see a large support from the ward there
with him. He has been talking about it for months. Last night actually we went
over just before going to our apartment to help him make sure he had everything
ready. Just before we left he realized that his temple recommend was no longer
where he had let it sit each day for so long. We searched the apartment for
about 20 min and finally found it in a fire safe he has. He still isn't sure
how it got there and neither are we. It had literally sat there in the same
spot for weeks and then the day before it was moved. haha.
Sorry there are no pictures. I actually had a lot to send
but on Tuesday this week I accidentally left my iPad on top of the car and we
can't find it. So all my pictures are gone :(
But hope all is well!
Love Elder Kelly!!
Always uplifted after reading your blog, Elder Kelly!
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