Family!
Well, it's been another whirlwind week in Vernon. It's actually 4
degrees outside, which is really warm (dealing in Celsius here),
but we were on exchanges in Kamloops earlier this week, and it was windy
and -15, and there's lots of snow there, and it was cold. The elders
there went on an unauthorized exchange, and somebody trying to merge
into their lane and wasn't looking where they were going, and crashed
into their car. It's been in the shop for 2 months, so they've been
having to use bikes in the snow and the cold. So... yeah. We won't
complain.
Anyways! We're seeing a
lot of miracles in Vernon. The teaching pool is just amazing. Except...
there are some people that really, really, really, need to be baptized.
There are 4 people, Toni, Kelly, Vicki, and Melissa. They all really,
really, really, really, need to be baptized. Well, everybody does, but
they do in particular. Everyone that we've been working with has made so
much progress. When we first met with Toni, she had no Christian
background, and she is just an unbaptized Mormon now. We've been working
with Toni for a really long time, and just recently she has committed
to be baptized on December 7th, the same day that Kelly is preparing
for. As far as the work in Canada goes, that's a day of pentecost.
Melissa already calls herself Mormon. She's from a part-member family
that we've been working with. And Vicki! Oh my goodness. Vicki. we've
been working with for forever, but she just hasn't been able to kick an
addiction to smoking. Still. We're praying and working for a "white"
Christmas.
Okay. So... Elder Baker
and I have realized that I have this supernatural power of jinxing
things. It started when a few weeks ago, I would say things like "I feel
like I haven't ever worked with somebody who was struggling with
[insert concern here]" and without fail, within a week we would find out
that one of our investigators would have that concern. I would say
something like "You know what? We just haven't faced any opposition from
people at doors this week at all" and then we'd hit some. So finally,
we realize that I am saying the wrong sort of things. So, I start by
saying "You know, I just have never taught somebody who just has no
concerns with any commandments and then just gets baptized 3 weeks
later" and boom. We find Kelly, who has had no issues with any
commandments and has come to church twice and loves it. She's totally
ready to go and has loved church for the past 2 weeks. Anyways. I wish I
could remember all the crazy things that I jinxed. Anyways. Before
church yesterday, I said "I wish that somebody would just walk off the
street and sit down next to us at church today like Patrick did." Boom.
Sacrament Meeting. We're sitting at the back because we were making sure
that Vicki, Kelly, Melissa, and Toni, and Steven were all accounted for
resulted in us only having time to plop down at the back of the chapel.
Sure enough, half way through the service, this massive man walked in
halfway through the service and just knelt down next to our bench. We
scooted over and gestured for him to come and sit down next to us, and
he smelled like cigarettes and coffee. Man. Turns out he was a less
active who was baptized in Vancouver a few years ago, and he is
currently living from a truck camper in a small town near Vernon. We're
working with him now. Still. Miracles have not ceased.
Our zone had an amazing
week as well. Our mission has been improving a lot over the past few
years. The work has been hastening. A long time ago, the standards of
excellence for the mission were set for 3 member-present lessons and 2
new investigators. That was it. This week, we started a zone challenge
of having each area teach 3 member present lessons, find 3 new
investigators, and set one baptismal date in 3 days. And we followed up
with each area as the week went on. The power of setting goals with
faith and doing everything that you can to accomplish them is crazy.
When as a zone we broke it down day by day and did absolutely everything
that we could each day, the zone did amazing. Man. I love missionary
work.
Sorry this email is a short one! And... family, I hope that you all have a great week! Happy Birthday, Dad and Ness! (I most certainly did not forget, Sister Dear.)
Much love,
Elder Blotter
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