It started with a trade off. Being a leader I have to switch with other companions and be an example for them and help them. So we traded off with our farthest area. I was with Elder Sautia from Samoa. He was just great!! We have so much fun and saw one of the greatest miracles yet.
As we planed I wanted to follow him. So I asked where we should go to door knock. He wanted to go to a street that started with F. So we prayed about it and looked on our map for an F street. Sure enough we could only find one so we went there and nobody was home or answering their doors. We were persistent and continued on only to find the greatest person ever!! Her name is Astrid. She is YSA age. She used to have a boyfriend who was a member in the Coomera stake and she started to investigate the church there. She was going to church for about 6 months but got pregnant with her member boyfriend so she moved. Long story short she was going to get baptized but could not since she was not living the Law of Chastity. Well now she has had the baby and moved into our ward boundary and is not living with a male. We met her on Tuesday and then again on Sunday. We set her on date to be baptized on the 15th of September. It is going to be great!! She is so awesome and prepared since she has already done the lessons and gone to church. She has just been too scared to come to church since she does not have a friend. Well again at a dinner we were talking with the members and sure enough Brother and Sister Butters were in her same ward where she went to church and knows her. So now she has a friend in the church.
Gold Coast has it’s reputation to never have success or baptize. But we as an area and zone are not seeing that at all. We have really tried to get all the Elders excited about the work and this wonderful area. Last month we got four baptisms as a zone and reached the goal that we set. It was pretty impressive. Out of our six areas none have baptized since February. Something has just changed. Things are really going now.
As of right now as a zone we have 11 baptismal dates set. Three for August and eight set for September. It is just so great to see this work start to hasten. In my area we have five on date right now and they are all excited and progressing in the work. Shelia went two days with no coffee and now she knows she can do it. She is on a detox plan and will be ready to get baptized in September.
Ok before I get too off track I want to go back to the four baptisms last month. President McSwain invited our whole zone to come to the mission home to have a dinner and game night. On Friday night we all carpooled down and had a really fun filled night with our mission President. He called us and said Elders this is a FHE so don’t dress up in suits. Wear normal clothes. Haha I felt naked going to an activity not in a white shirt and tie. We played some really fun games and had a great night with our Zone and mission president. The funny story comes in when we were driving home. President McSwain let us stay until 9:00 and our area is an hour away. So we were really pushing our time limit on being back at the flat on time. With traffic and dropping everyone off we did not get back until 11:00. On the drive back we had Elder Paulino, laspinas, and Sauita in our car. I was driving and pretty tired so we turned on the music to keep us awake. We sang our hearts out on the drive home. The crack up came when we pulled up to a stoplight. We were in normal clothes, it was 11:00 at night and we were blasting church music out of the car. At the light a member just happened to pull up next to us and just lost it with laughter. Haha he must have thought we were so dodge being out so late in normal clothes with other missionaries. We all had a great laugh and you are going to love the videos that we took.
On the more spiritual side, I had something really hit me this week. We were door knocking when we got a frantic call from a YSA member in our ward. She was in need of a priesthood blessing. When we got there she expressed her love and gratitude that we were worthy to hold the priesthood. For the first time in her life her father and brothers were not worthy to hold or use their priesthood and she had nobody to turn to for a blessing. I have never been around someone that is not a worthy priesthood holder, but then to see this sister not have anyone and have it cause such a great scare really got to me. I am so grateful for the priesthood and that I am worthy to use and hold it. I never knew how much it meant to me or someone else until you don’t have it. It grew my testimony so much in the power and responsibility to remain worthy to hold it. It was a really humbling experience.
On the other note of amazing miracles, we got a referral from a member who we helped move last P day. He had run into an old friend named Jessie who was 15 at the time an is now 18. Jessie used to go to mutual and church but never got baptized. He used to be in foster care and there was nobody to sigh the paper for his permission. Now he is living back with his mom and little brother who all have huge potential to get baptized. They live in a pretty scary spot where everyone is on drugs or doing something stupid, but somehow Jessie has always stayed on the right path. No drugs, smoking or doing stupid things. You would think he was already a Mormon. He is just like me too, loves to fish, loves sports and to have fun, goes kayaking and surfing. We have really hit it off.
We met him on Wednesday and got to know him, we tried to start up his car with a jump start but no luck, but we did jump start him with the spirit. With just our causal visit to meet him and see who he was and if he would be interested we set him on date for the 2nd of September. We are hoping to have Jessie and Astrid baptized on the same day. So we might move Jessie back or Astrid forward. Right now we are five on date all for September. It is going to be a really good month.
Another great thing but also sad thing that happened was Tash. She is Shelia's daughter. We set her on date for September but she is moving to Cairns. It is about 24 hours away by car. The good news is I know the sisters in the area. It is SISTER DAY!! From the MTC. I have only talked to her once the whole mission but since Tash is moving there we got to call and give a golden referral. Oh it was so fun to talk to her. I loved giving the referral. Imagine getting a referral from someone where the person has been taught and is set to get baptized. All they have to do it finish the lessons and fill the font. It was so fun, she was so excited!!
I just love this area so much right now. We are hitting it off amazing with the members and the work is hastening so fast right now. It is amazing to see how the Lord is in control of his work.
I love this gospel and I love the people I am serving. I miss you all but know how important this gospel is.
God Bless and have a good week.
Love,
Elder Cahoon
Driving to FHE
FHE with President McSwain
Elder Cahoon with President and Sister McSwain
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