Completely Changed--August 12
Dear Mom and Dad,
What a week! 11 new missionaries came
and 10 missionaries left. This week was real roller coaster for me. The sister
missionaries who left the MTC out with me and right after me (many that were in
my first district) got on the plane Tuesday morning just as all of
the new missionaries were getting off. It was bitter sweet. We
stayed Monday evening and Tuesday morning with Elder
Matthews who was one of my Zone Leaders earlier in my mission. This was definitely
a group I feel really close to.
As Elder Matthews was bearing his
testimony Wednesday night his parents came to the mission home and it was a
crazy experience. I really love that missionary and his parents were just a
natural extension of him. I felt like I knew them through him. They offered a
place to stay in Boise if I'm ever up that way.
We had some great miracles this
week and we had to do a lot of work!
Let’s start with some
miracles.
Last Sunday we got a text from T
(a former investigator that we taught 2 transfers ago) and she said "I
want to get baptized". That was pretty great. She was in California, but
she got back in town two days ago, and so we started teaching her again and she
has a date to be baptized at the end of this month! She has had some pretty
amazing experiences and you know that Heavenly Father has been working on her
in the months that we haven't seen her.
It was a miracle.
We also have just started
teaching a girl. I will have to tell you all
about it later. We had a lesson with her and her parents. There was some border
line yelling between her and her parents, but she still wants to learn and be
baptized! I was just grateful for seminary, for institute books, and Bruce R.
McKonkie in that lesson. Every ounce of our knowledge was required to answer
her parent’s questions!
Don’t worry too much about me. I'm
working on loving my companion, my investigators, and life itself. I feel completely
changed by my mission up to this point.
Love ya!!!
Elder Michael Stewart
The Best Week Ever!!!--August 19
Wow, I am so happy right now! You
have no idea how happy, THE STUDENTS ARE BACK! Elder Campbell and I had been
doing really well for the summer (we have had baptisms every month this summer which
is really good for a college area.) but our area just got hit by 10,000 kids
who need the Gospel. Already everyone we have found is a good prospect for
baptism. This entire week it’s like heavenly father pinpointed where we needed
to go, gave us referrals we needed to receive, and led us to people we needed
to meet who are ready to be baptized. I am just grateful for the time that I
have to serve in this area now. It’s like we endured the summer months and now
we are hit with a monsoon! Anyway, it’s a lot of fun.
Where to start, well, first we
are back to over 30 lessons a week. PDay started off in the Temple. Elder
Campbell and I spent the majority of our Monday and Tuesday
discussing the things that we observed and learned from the session. It probably
started the tone off right.
Monday night we had a lesson
with T and she "got the chills" as we went over the 1st vision with
her. Later that evening we contacted a referral for an "eternigator"
who just needs some TLC before he is baptized. He spoke at stake conference a
while ago, go figure. Then in the evening we taught S who is getting ready for
baptism too. He ate up all the commandments and is excited to pay tithing.
Tuesday! We taught T and S again.
We are trying to see them every day before they are baptized. We also taught S2
again. It was kind of sad though. She has to go out of town before she can get
baptized. Her parents are great people but they are totally opposed her getting
any closer to baptism. She will probably be baptized in Cedar City.
Wednesday! We taught a lesson
at 9:30 am (we needed to get President's permission to do that). We
taught M. She has a boyfriend on a mission, has really active friends, but like
S2, her parents are strong in their church. Her parents have been really nice to us
though, and she committed to read the Book of Mormon. It is kind of hard for her to have a totally
open heart though because she is afraid of what "getting an answer"
about the Book of Mormon entails. She is such a good girl though.
Also on Wednesday we taught S3,
who is less active but returning to activity now! He is really eating the
gospel up. The whole reason he decided to come back to church was because of
violinist Lindsey Stirling. She inspired him to go back to church!! I guess
everyone makes a difference in their own way!
Thursday! We taught 7 lessons,
including one to a kid on the Cross Country. He knows a lot of the really active boys on the team.
Friday we got a phone call from
another Bishop, "Elders, I have someone who is ready to be baptized."
Gotta love those phone calls. We called
the number he gave us and set up an appointment with F for Sunday at
church. More to come on that later.
Saturday! We got a lot of
referrals and taught lots of lessons.
Sunday! Ten investigators came to church! We started
teaching a wide receiver! And we had a big miracle--- F came
into church and asked to be baptized. He is reading in Alma 48, has been living
the commandments for 8 months now, and knows the church is true. So we will see
the blessing of another baptism on Saturday.
I love you all! I love this work.
This is not just my mission work; this is my life's work. Focusing on helping
others and focusing on ordinances throughout my life will ensure that I am
worthy, attending the temple, and always focused outside of myself. I have a
strong testimony that this church is true. I know the Savior lives and he is
with us every day.
Love you!
Elder Michael Stewart
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