Dear Mom and Dad,
It’s super beautiful and sunny in
southern Utah right now. This is the perfect time of year. Average temperatures
are in the 80s-90s with nice breezes and clear skies all day every day. We all
know that it will only get hotter though. Elder Campbell and I went up to
Richfield and back a few times this week for exchanges. I do love that town. It
was funny, driving down back into St. George feels like coming home now. We get
really excited. I am sure that Google has some great pictures of the highway
through St. George that can give you an idea of why we love it so much.
But the real reason we get
excited to come back down here is the work. This week, we found so many new
people. Every door we knocked had someone waiting for us behind it and new
investigators rained down from the sky. One day we were studying in the
morning and we had already gotten two referrals to our phone before
leaving the apartment at 10 a.m. There are so many YSAs all over this
place.
A few highlights from this week.
We held leadership meetings with all of the Zone Leaders, District Leaders, and
Sister Training Leaders across the mission. They are a really responsive group
and it was a thrill to talk with them about how to really get the ball rolling
in this mission. Good things are happening in every zone now...the Lord is
really blessing us.
K had his interview with
President Leonard. He passed with flying colors. When they walked out of the
interview President Leonard put his arm around K and said "this is a fine young
man". Life out there is pretty tough though. K started working when he was
10 years old. All I know is that I am going to be friends with this young man forever.
He has such a strong testimony of this church. Baptism is only the first step
for him. He is going to the temple and on a mission after this.
We are teaching about 8 people
multiple times a week now. And we are finding more and more. I feel like one of
the gifts that God has given me is the ability to love all of the people that I
meet, and I definitely love these investigators so much.
Besides K, we are still teaching
B. He went up home this week to tell his parents that he is getting baptized on
the 7th. They kind of "flipped" he said, but he is unshaken. They
aren't active in their church, and so they will definitely see the power of B's
example to them.
We also have a solid investigator
from China again :-) His name is P. He is amazing. He is reading the Book of
Mormon like a champ. He really studies everything out in his mind and marks it
all up. He said this week "I wish that I could say like you that I know
the Book of Mormon is true." We are working hard with him to trust the
spiritual answers he gets and not look for so much evidence. Thankfully he has
already come to know that Christ is his Savior by the Spirit so now we just
need to apply that experience to the Restoration. He will get his answer soon.
Then there is K K we kept seeing
this week. She has moved her baptism up to the 16th of June. She still has
a ton of questions living prophets, tithing, but we had a
really good lesson with her last night. She has gotten strong answers to her
prayers and she knows that this church is true. What impresses me most about K K
is her dedication in seeking for truth from God. She is reading the Book of
Mormon for 10 minutes every day and is praying about all of her doubts and
questions. Whenever she gets other answers to her prayers, we are always just
astounded. She knows that she wants to get married in the temple too. It’s just a tender mercy to be able to teach
her the Gospel.
We are also teaching a Navajo
(yayyyyy!!!!) named B. She is from Albuquerque and lives with a very
active family. She has just about the strongest connection to the Spirit
that I have ever seen...she said she wants to be baptized to "be
pure". There have been moments in lessons where we ask a question and just
sit and watch Brittany get taught by the Spirit. It’s good to teach some Lamanites
again.
Then there is J. She has been
taught by a lot of missionaries and doesn't want to be pushed. Now, we aren't
pushy, we invite with love. I'd say we are lovingly persistent. We practice
friendly boldness. This week, we invited J to be baptized by the end of June,
and she felt way stressed about it. "Guys that’s way too soon!! I'm feeling
anxious just thinking about it." Well, we invited her to pray, and ask God
when He wants her to be baptized, and she got her answer! That was just a
testimony to me that we MUST INVITE!! Not inviting someone to have faith,
repent, or be baptized is holding back from them blessings that they need. Even
though J was uncomfortable thinking about being baptized, we still invited her,
and God answered her prayers. Be bold and fearless!!
There are a couple others we just
picked up this week, a girl who is from California and a Samoan girl too but
there are tons of people just waiting to be taught here. We are always in
finding mode :-)
I just want to bear my testimony
this week that our faith makes a difference. It is so easy to doubt that in
this wide world one man can make a difference or be an effective voice for
truth. One man with faith in the almighty God can change the world. That change
will happen one life at a time, but the effect of the faith we exercise is
huge.
This week, I saw that the faith
that Elder Campbell and I exercised blessed the mission and it blessed our
investigators. One day we prayed to be able to see B at 3 p.m. even
though she hadn't set an appointment for that day, and she called us at 2:55 and
asked to meet with us. God hears prayers. I know that he answers every single
one. This month we are trying to take the mission to heights it’s never been
to, and we are seeing that our faith really can move mountains. God willing, we
will succeed.
I love you so much!! Keep praying
for us to find and be able to teach!! This Church is true. I know it’s true
and I just want to spend my life to spread that truth to all.
Love ya!!
Elder Michael George Stewart
Elder Michael George Stewart
