My Last Born in the Wilderness

(Letter July 16, 2012)

Ok, so we've got some pretty big news this week. Friday night came around and we received a call from President Jeppson. He asked Elder Ferrell to put the phone on speaker. He did and President Jeppson extended a call to both of us at the same time to be trainers for this upcoming transfer. We both agreed, and what's about to happen is pretty crazy. So there are 4 missionaries in Dover. Dover North and Dover South. Well, the Dover South Elders are getting doubled out, and Elder Ferrell and his Greenie are getting doubled in! Isn't that crazy? So Elder Ferrell and I will still be working in the same ward with our 2 greenies. But get this. The next day we went to the trainers meeting at the mission home, and much to my surprise, my first greenie Elder Jellen was there... He's Training!! Already? Can you believe it? This is his 4th transfer. I'm really proud of him, and he's going to do a great job. So in my family tree this week, I'm getting another son, and a grandson! Yeehaw!

    So that's the biggest news of the week, but I must express and share another tender mercy of the Lord. So at the beginning of July, I fasted that we would be able to find a family to teach and to baptize, because that is one of my ending goals for my mission. This week we went to check out a referral from a member, and we were told that it was a family of 5, which I was pretty excited about. We went over for our original appointment, but they rescheduled for a different day. We went by on Friday, and taught the whole family, all 5 of them. They seemed pretty interested, although the dad and the 17 year old daughter are a little more "duro"(hard). There names are Vicente (Dad), Elvia (Mom), Gustavo (Son, 24 yrs), Rachel (Daughter, 17 yrs), and Auri (Daughter, 9 yrs). The even greater part of it... 4 out of the 5 came to church yesterday for the first time! They seemed to like it, although it was different than what they were used to. We hope that by the next time we see them, they will have read and prayed about the Book of Mormon! 

   Also, we have Makaela and Nicole's baptism this weekend. Nicole passed her "Child of Record" interview yesterday with the Bishop, and showed me her tithing receipt of 62 cents. Isn't that just so cute? Nicole is awesome and she said she wants me to baptize her. So that will be the exciting thing for Sunday. So we just started teaching Makaela's and Nicole's step-dad Samuel (Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico). He's a pretty curious guy, and we teach him in English. He had so many questions, and unfortunately did some research on the web. After we answered his primary questions, he opened a packet of papers that he printed out full of anti-mormon stuff. Before he started going through it with us and said a little prayer in my heart that my testimony wouldn't be shaken by anything that may have come up. We answered the majority of the anti-mormon stuff, and he seemed pretty satisfied with our answers, except for one that he thought was a little funny. But we'll see where he goes. That would be sweet if we could turn this part-member family into an eternal one.

Unfortunately we didn't get to see Soy this past week, but she did end up going to Cumorah with the ward, as well as one of our other potential investigators that we've taught English to a couple of times. You can definitely put your money on Cumorah for helping someone gain a testimony. So we'll see how things go when we see her this week. 

 Hmm... That's about it for big news. I'm really excited for this coming transfer. I can't believe the last one is actually here. I'm sure this next 6 weeks are going to fly by like no other transfer. Actually just 6 weeks ago when Elder Ferrell and I got put together we said, "Man, this transfer is going to cruise by." And look where we are now. It's pretty crazy

   

But I'm happy to be here, and I'm excited to work with a new missionary. I think that will help me immensly with not getting trunky, because I can't afford to with a new missionary, and he'll keep me at my best. It's so interesting to watch how the Lord's will plays out, and I feel so immensly blessed to be finishing my mission here in Dover (aka the Wilderness)  and for the opportunity the Lord has given me to teach a family. If anything wrong goes with the Rayon family that we found, I know that a seed has been planted. And that's what it's all about here in the mission field right? To harvest those that are ready, and then to continue planting seeds to be harvested in the future.  The face of our mission is beginning to change…big-time.  20 new missionaries this month, and 30 more in the next two transfers.  Did you get that?  50 new missionaries between July 17 and October 8.  

 " It’s time for us all to step it up.  We need you all…and we need you “ALL IN”. "
(quote from President Jeppson's weekly letter)  
Definitely some big changes, and it's pretty exciting. 

Thanks again for everything! 

I Love you All so Much!!