Hey how's everyone doing? This week was awesome! So some Spanish missionaries in our zone were walking down the street in our area and they felt a subtle impression to walk down a sketchy alley way. It just so happened that down that alley way was a lady named Valerie who one day previously had decided she wanted to learn more about the Mormon church. She let the missionaries come back and we came and taught her a lesson. She loved learning about the Plan of Salvation and the Book of Mormon. She struggles with addictions in her life. We taught her all this week. At one lesson Elder Charleson had the subtle impression to ask her if she wanted to go to an addiction recovery meeting that evening. She accepted. So we called up a less active guy in the ward named Paul that always goes to those meetings to give her a ride. He said he could give her a ride. Little did we know that Paul had just gotten off the phone with talking to one of his friends that almost convinced him to do something wrong that night that would prevent him from coming to the Addiction recovery meeting. But all because of the subtle impressions it had been prevented. It was awesome!
We went on 3 exchanges this week. It was horrible. When I first became a zone leader I was like yeah this is sweet I get to go on a bunch of exchanges. Now I feel a little bit burnt out by all these exchanges I want to just work in MY area with MY companion. But its cool because when you go on exchanges you are able to teach investigators AND missionaries all at once. Plus this week Elder Johnson (the assistant to the president) came with us both in our area. He really helped us I feel like I know how to be a better leader and missionary.
We also had Specialized training this week. Whenever President Young wants everyone to learn something new he just calls for another specialized training. This time however it was for me. President must have known that it was exactly what I needed to hear. He talked about how we need to get rid of baggage and shadows from our life. It was cool.
So the biggest news is Manny. Manny is set to be baptized this Thursday. It has been a journey this week though. Ok mostly just yesterday. So Marie is an active member and her Husband Manny are getting divorced. She did know that Manny was taking lessons from us but she was not aware that he was planning on getting baptized so soon. She just knew that he wants to go to church and she didn't want him to go to the same ward.. So instead he went to the ward that starts at 9. Well After church yesterday Marie found out that Manny was planning on getting baptized this Thursday and she blew up. She called us up and said, "Elders you need to tell Bishop that I'm not coming to church anymore!" We were like AGHH. "Why?" "Because Manny is going to the same building as me." We were like ummmm well there's 4 other buildings in the valley he can go to will you allow him to go to one of those? She was like yeah. It was almost a disaster. Immediatly right after Manny called us and said, "I don't know if I can get baptized this week anymore." No why? Because Marie won't let the kids come to the baptism. It was in this critical moment that Heavenly Father had mercy on us and gave us another subtle impression. Meet with him now. So we had to tell the investigator we were meeting with we would come back later and we immediately went to meet with Manny. We talked to him and we read with him a little bit out of Mosiah 23 and 24. We talked about how God gives people challenges sometimes so they can grow. We had a really amazing spiritual lesson that left us all in tears. He said he would still get baptized as long as the kids can come. So we are praying our guts out that Marie will soften her heart and allow the kids to come to the baptism.
I am amazed as I see these people in Oregon. They live in such humble circumstances. The Lord truly has compelled them to be humble. To some it makes them shake their fist at God and scream WHY. But to the truly penitent they ask what can I do? It makes so much since to me as I have been out that God gives us our trials and our weaknesses so that we will humbly ask him for help. He can't help unless we ask him. I mean really really humbly desperately ask him. If we are too prideful to pray like this, then he will compel us to be humble through our circumstances. I know that God reaches out to those who truly seek him. I've seen the difference between those who REALLY seek him and those who don't. I've seen that in myself too. I go through times when I'm too prideful to ask for his help. How great is his eternal plan of happiness. I love this gospel and I love the people. This is his work and I know its true.
I love you all very much.
Love Elder Johnson
