That is an awesome story that
happened with Kathy. You would think that more people would, it being Utah, the
Mormon factory, would have talked to him. That was a great chain effect. I am
sure that it made a couple of people very happy. Go Darren!
I AM SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT
MANDA'S MISSION CALL!!!! Tell her congrats for me. That is awesome that she and
Shelby will be in the same mission. I will have to tell her to look out for
Hermana Fillingim in February. And that is awesome that Luke is getting
married. Thanks for the pic, it made me happy to see them :)
And Song Leader in the Primary
Program, eh? I am sure you did a fantastic job, Megan!
I still have not received the
package.... maybe maybe I will be able to see if it arrived tomorrow.
It hasn’t rained, but it has
gotten cold. Ok, I think it is like about 40-50, but it feels terrible after
being so used to the heat :) My companion got sick, the flu. I am just hoping
not to catch it being with him all day. I am drinking lots of water and taking
multi-vitamins, trying to ward it off :)
We had some great visits, and
found a great young man to teach who has never been baptized (usually everyone
here is baptized as a baby in the Catholic), and who is curious to read the
Book of Mormon. His name is Dylan.
Also, we had a member of the
Stake Presidency come and set the ward straight. When we begin sacrament
meeting, there are only like 9 members there, and everyone gets their late, the
majority after the sacrament, which does last very long, as there aren’t many
people to take it :). So when he gave his talk, he talked on the importance and
sacredness of Sacrament meeting. He taught that not even the Temple transcends the
importance of Sacrament meeting, and that it is THE most important meeting in
the church. And then he went strait the point and gave his talk on Punctuality.
I never thought of that as a principle of the Gospel, but now I have a
testimony that it is. He taught that time is a renewable resource, one that we
cannot get back, and that arriving late is a great disrespect to everyone
present as it interrupts the Spirit of this sacred reunion. Wow. And he also taught
the phrase: No Pasa Nada. Nothing Passes or Nothing Happens. In Spanish, it
also means It`s OK. He taught that if we do not arrive on time, nothing
happens. If we do not participate in the activities nothing happens. Our lives
keep moving on just the same. Nothing Happens; the spirit doesn’t happen, the
blessings don’t happen. If we want something to happen, if he want the Spirit
and we want the blessings, we have to come to church and participate of the
sacrament, and arrive on time. Wow. I was blown away by his talk :) It was
exactly what the ward needed. I want to be that in-tune with the Spirit as
well. :)
Even though we had that awesome
talk, it was sad because we did not have a single investigator come to
church... I need to do something about that. I was really happy that the other
Elders were able to bring 3. They were also impacted by the talk, and promised
that they would arrive on time, as they too arrived late :)
After church we had to rest a
little in the house for Elder Hernandez, and when he was ready we went out to
visit a family that we had contacted the night before. Wow. what an experience.
I will have to tell you about it.
So, we entered the house like
normal.. We started talking with one young man, and starting teaching the plan
of salvation when he told us that a few family members had passed away.
Suddenly a drunk guy walked in, and the young man left, and the man started
asking us questions..... then another woman entered the house, and also started
asking us a bunch of questions. The house was so full of people going in out,
and then there was loud music playing outside... it was not a spiritual
environment. As the people filed out and we found ourselves alone with the
woman and her husband, I realized that she had begun to cry. In all the
craziness while I had been trying to answer the questions of one side of the
room, my companion had been talking with the woman on the other side, Listen,
and invited her to baptism. And she felt the spirit. Just in that moment, we
were each offered a hamburger, as the lady who lives there (another who was
listening in the background) sells them outside her house (it was super
uncomfortable). We tried to explain the Holy Ghost to Listen, and quickly ate
the hamburgers as she tried to compose herself. Confused at what had happened,
she then told her husband to sit down in front of us, and told us to say the same
thing to him that he had told her, because she was confused at the feeling and
wanted him to feel it too. So we ended up testifying of the Spirit, of God`s
love, and of the Savior. Then the drunk guy came back in and they left, and
after saying goodbye to the drunk guy, we left. It was a weird experience. Somehow
in the tumultuous noise this woman had felt the spirit as we talked. As she
left she invited us to come to her house the next day, or today. we are going
to see what happens from there. But whatever happened there, it wasn’t us, it
was the spirit. We honestly had no idea how to take control of the situation,
but our prayers were answered in the end. I learned that the Spirit so strong
that it can be felt in situations such as this. Wow. As well as Listen, the
woman, I too felt a little confused at what happened after the lesson :)
We didn’t have anyone to eat
with today, so we went to the Pizza Buffet again ;P
I also wrote a letter to a
family in my last letter asking about my converts, and the letter that they
sent me made me feel super happy :)
Here it is with the help of
Google Translate :
Hi Elder Redford. Hermano
Salazar, Victorino and Guera / Edgar, are very excited. This Sunday (yesterday)
was the primary presentation in Sacrament Meeting, and Edgar and the son
of the family Salazar participated and advanced to the Young Men, and Bro.
Victorino continues to attend faithfully every meeting. Last week we had stake
conference and Saturday was the Priesthood meeting and then the meeting of
adults, and there he was; Like other hnos. That's how it is Elder, by their
fruits you shall know them, they are good fruits of your labor. Congratulations
on that, and go ahead with that humility and sincere smile that characterizes
you. Congratulations.
Continue enjoying the fruits of
the Spirit, and find the elect, those who do not harden their hearts, and
joyfully receive the good news of the restored gospel and truth, through his
servants. With love.
Flores Serna Family
So, I hope to have a great last
week with Elder Hernandez (as I am sure that we are going to be separated this
Transfer, we have 4 together!) and I hope to be able to get some investigators
to come to church next week :)
Thank you SO much for our
letters and keeping me updated.
I love you!
Elder Redford
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