This was a very good week to get to know the area. The sad part is we do not have much going for us. There are 3 really solid people we have to teach. They are a family. The hard part is they are not married. Their names are Dani, Leigh, and then their uncle Robert. Robert just needs to come to church and then he will be baptized. Once Dani and Leigh get married they will be baptized. It is amazing to see how solid they are. The fellowship is there and they love it!!
It is going to be really interesting to see what we can do in this area. Elder Olson has only been in the area for 6 weeks so he does not know too many people we can see. It makes planning very hard because I don’t know who we can see too... The good news is there are a million part member families who are keen to have us over!!
So for the majority of our week since we had no one to see we spent the time following up on people from our ward list to find out who they are, how we could minister, and so forth. As we did that we would also knock the street that they live on.
From that we have been able to be greatly blessed with people to teach at the door and then follow up with. Things are picking up and slowly we are getting people to teach. From our following up we did service for an older lady from Holland. She is at a real low in her life and is really looking for something. She invited us to clear out a shed in her back yard. I was on trade off with Elder Lal our AP. He came with me to the service and after we taught her about the love God had for her and how prayer can really bring her peace. She loved it and gave us her phone number and we are going back to share more. Little miracles happen when we put in just that little bit of effort.
One big thing that I really enjoyed this week was teaching people not lessons. There is such a big difference when a person is taught and not a lesson.
I was with Elder Lal and we followed up with a less active part member family. Only the wife was home who was not a member. We sat out back with her and started talking. She expressed that she believed in God but had no real understanding of who he was, how he worked, or even what it meant.
We started off by taking about how God was our father.... and how we can pray to him. I love how we did it. We said, ”Before we share this message could we start off by saying a prayer and then at the end you will be saying the closing prayer." We stated directly that she would be doing it. She freaked out and said, “Wait wait no way!!” But then it opened it up for us to really teach about how important prayer is and how God wants to converse with us. She was not too on board but open for it. We started sharing the restoration and it is so hard to describe. We taught the same bullet points but in such a unique way that was just for her. The Spirit was so so strong and she kept asking the greatest questions!! I thought at any moment something was going to happen to disrupt the lesson but it did not. We kept going and got to the end. She just loved it!! When we said are you ready to say the prayer she tried to get around it but we were on to it. We reviewed how to say it again and even got up and stood right next to her to help her. She said she would do it so we both went heads down and arms folded. It was silent for so long. Finally she said, “So all I have to do is ask if it is true?” Yup it is as simple as that. God just wants to hear from you. Then she did it!! She said a beautiful prayer and at the end said, “Wow that is it? That was easy.” She was so sincere and true in the prayer. I can’t wait to go back and follow up. Her name is T by the way...
I am just at the point were I want to do all I can to serve God for these last few months!! There is not much time left and I am really feeling it. I am not really that trunky because I want to work so hard. There is just so much to do and so little time to do it. This is the great work of all time and I am so exited for what is happening in this area!!
The members are so helpful too!! We have a great bishop, ward mission leader, and ward missionaries who are activity involved and helpful. Out of all the wards I have been to, this one actual does what they are supposed to do. We had a great correlation meeting on Sunday with Bishop and our WML with all the ward missionaries.
Great things are going to be happening in this area. I am so grateful to be apart of it!! Love you all. Have a great week.
Love Elder Cahoon
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