How’s it going everybody!!!
How the heck did y’all all get poison oak?! I remember when
we took that trip to Arizona and I had to give you like 40 bucks for medicine
because your arm was about to fall off from you itching It, when you got poison
ivy. I’m sorry you guys are all itchy. That really stinks. Keep Tony on the
piano so he can be a boss at it when he gets older and get all the ladies. He's
a fast learner, I bet he'll be composing symphonies by the time I get back. That’s
so crazy that Aunt Debi and Uncle Paul showed up out of nowhere! Their trip will be an adventure
for sure. Europe is awesome, I want to go one day. I like the pic of them with
me in the middle, hah.
So this week has been great. We had Al's baptism on
Saturday. It was perfect.
Let me tell you a
little bit about Al. As missionaries one of our rules is we have to be in by 9 o’clock.
The missionaries before us were heading in for the night, tired and a little
discouraged and decided to make one last loop around the apartment complex not
expecting much because that’s what they did every night for the past 3 months
not really seeing any success. (Let me just tell you, do not ever go in early.)
They turned on to their street leading to their apartment and they saw a man at
his mail box, it was 8:55, but they decided to talk to him anyway. They started
meeting with Al and began to teach him the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Al
was telling us his story and he told us that he normally wouldn’t start talking
to random strangers like that at night, but it just felt right. He said it was
like talking to good friends who he hadn’t seen in a very long time. It has
been the coolest thing to see the spirit work through this man and to see him
grow in the gospel. (I’ve come to learn that we really aren’t learning new
things about the gospel, we are really just remembering them.) The Elders who
started teaching him were able to come back for the baptism and one was able to
baptize him, which was really cool to see. I was one of the witnesses. When I
watched Al close his eyes and go under the water it was like it was in slow
motion, I felt something. I felt the love and the joy Heavenly Father had for
this man. He had been preparing him for a long time. We did the "half-time
show", E. Cowan and I shared the message of the Restoration with everyone
there. It was awesome because the spirit was so strong and there were a ton of
non-members at the service. It was a spiritual drop kick to the face! haha. E
Cowan confirmed him yesterday at church and I was able to stand in as well as a
few other brethren. I must have been growing numb from getting all emotional
because I haven’t been for a very long time, but when he was receiving the Holy
Ghost my heart was so full of joy for this man. I was so happy. I can’t really
describe it.
You want to know something kind of cool too? At the beginning
of the transfer I was praying so hard, asking Heavenly Father "please just
let us have one baptism, just one. If we do our part and work as hard and we
can and show you that we are really trying." And He indeed answered that
prayer, He waited till the very last day of the transfer to do it, but He
answered.
I love this work, I want to be a missionary forever. I feel
like I say that a lot, but it’s true.
I love you all, with every fiber of my being.
Stay strong, stay true, and look out for each other while I’m
away, alright?
-Elder Daniel
The District
Al Stroes, coolest guy from the Netherlands you will ever meet.
No comments:
Post a Comment