Hello Everyone!
Where do I begin.... what a great week. Last week we had our
investigator (Anthony O.) receive his answer to the Book of Mormon! This is the
first man I taught out here in Pontiac, about the law of Chastity. The spirit
has definitely touched his life! He got up at Sacrament last Fast Sunday and gave his testimony! He has
grown so much this past week. He keeps telling us that he knows that God has a
work for him to do. I truly believe that! He said that he was actually looking
forward to going to church. He says that he wants to pray at least twice a day
and read the Book of Mormon for at least once everyday. He says when he picks up
the Book of Mormon and finishes a chapter he just stops and realizes that
he wants to do nothing else and so he keeps reading!
We met with him yesterday after a Branch Picnic activity. (oh that is
why I didn't email yesterday because it was Labor day and the Libraries are
closed. So President Fenn put our P-day for today) We taught Anthony O. and his
future Father in law (Anthony S. Baptized last year, has a very strong testimony
and does not regret anything about joining the church and his faith) about the 3
kingdoms and about how Anthony O. and his Finance (Anthony S. Daughter) Tasha
and their children can be sealed for time and all eternity. We gave him a
commitment to be baptized on October 19th. They will need to be married before
that. So he said that he would Talk to Tasha and pray with her last night about
it. I would like to have the Baptism on the 21st of September (Because I might be leaving for Denmark
then) but that requires them getting married this week or the next. So we prayed
and felt like October would work for them better. My companion and Zone Leader
will be seeing him again tomorrow to see if they received an answer. Crossing our
fingers!
I will be going on Exchanges with one of the Zone leaders tomorrow. I guess it's a check up on
how I am doing and see how well I've adapted to the missionary life. So that is
why I won't be with Anthony Tomorrow if you were wondering.
My boss back at home, Scott T., might get a laugh on this. After we
taught Anthony O. Anthony S. invited us for dinner and asked if we could help
him. He showed us a box, I looked at the picture and my memory clicked. He asked
if we could help him hang a TV on the wall. The box was the bracket and pieces
to put it together. My training up at Weber State has paid off. I didn't think
in a million years that I would be hanging a TV on my mission. I was so excited
because I could do hands on work, mechanically you could say. We spent the time
after dinner helping them put the bracket on the wall. Best hour of service that
I have had yet! :) I tried to tell Elder Wilcock not to trust the rule of 16"
for the wall studs. He figured since he has been doing construction all his life
that there was not possibility that the rule of 16" could be broken. ( Anthony
S. house and many houses here are in bad condition. These people live on
practically the poorest looking homes on the outside.) Our stud finder was
broken so Elder Wilcock trust his judgment on the rule of 16". He measured and
took a nail to start a hole. He pounded the nail in and Missed! He repeated this
process about 10 time until he found a stud. Luckily the TV will be covering the
holes in the wall. haha
While we were hanging the TV Anthony O. was continuing asking us
questions. Obviously we didn't scare him off with our lesson. He was saying that
he want to teach his kid about this. He wants to share that with them. He asked
us if we could help him do like a "family sit down" lesson. He wants to teach
his kids this and give them a foundation. We is loving this gospel and knows
that it is blessing his life. He has grown so much spiritually these past few
weeks. He knows the Gospel is blessing him because he has 2 job offers and he is
working both of them. And it's only been after he started receiving the
missionary lessons that he has noticed the blessings coming to his life! He and
the Anthony S. Family are going to be one of the reasons why it will be so hard
to leave Pontiac. I love these people. They are practically and feel literally
like my family. I will miss them.
Another investigator we have that has been struggling is Tyler Smith.
He would always come to church with his friend Ned and be in a white t-shirt and
jeans. We have been trying to contact him these past 2 weeks and have got no
progress with him. Elder Wilcock was thinking of Dropping him. We had a dinner
appointment at one of the Bekiatis house. Tyler actually showed up for dinner.
We were able to teach him. I used my fathers folding a piece of paper and
cutting a straight line to make the letter "t" object lesson. Never did that
lesson before so I thought we not. Everyone struggled. Sister Bekiatis did it
origami style, cheater haha. Brother Bekiatis started cutting and realized that
he cut the wrong direction that he was attempting. His paper fell apart. He
picked up his pieces and found out that he actually accomplished it. Lucky
Duck.
I did my part and cut the paper, created the words : Faith Hope love
and Atone. We testified of the Atonement. We used Alma 7:11-14 I believe, might
be to verse 13. We gave Tyler a commitment to be baptized on the 21st of September. He said that he
would think about it. We found out that there are some problems going on at
home. He's been going through some difficult times. But he knows that he's going
to have to put forth the effort. We'll see if this date works out.
Trying to work hard in Pontiac. Some days it feels like it is tough
for the both of us. We keep pressing on because we know of the importance of
this work! We keep saying to ourselves this work is for other peoples salvation.
It is through us that we give them this opportunity to accept to work towards
Salvation.
We are going to teach Rodolfo again tonight. He is the Hispanic man who we met on contacting. We
taught him and he was having a hard time expressing himself in English. He was
able to understand us well. (we hope) But we are going to bring Brother
Astleford tonight to teach him.
He served in Panama and he learned Spanish out there. He's going to be our
translator. We are going to focus more on Jesus Christ tonight, because that's really Rodolfo
wants to learn more about. We are thinking this lesson will go much
better!
Well I'll keep you posted on the Visa haven't heard anything yet.
(part of me is wanting it to never come, funny how that works) We are going to
have a Zone Conference on Thursday, I hope that there are some of the Danish
Elders there! It will be nice to talk with them again. Next Tuesday we will have a new
missionary training meeting. I will for sure see them there. Love you all. This
work is so true. I have seen miracles while being out here in the Field. The
Spirit testifies to me everyday on this work. I know that as everyone reads the
Book of Mormon we will all draw closer to our Savior and God. I know that the
Book of Mormon is the only true book on Earth and that it contains the fullness
of the Gospel. I'm so happy that I can be apart of this work! I am grateful for
everything this Gospel has brought to my life. Until we meet again.
-Elder Jantzen Richard Read
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