Sept. 13, 2010

I'm so jealous that you're all in Denver!!! That sounds like so much fun! I hope you all had a great time. Give everyone hugs from me! Also, if anyone wants my emails, you're welcome to forward them along. Or, as long as Jared is still posting them, they can go to my blog and read them there: www.nickireidsreads.blogspot.com :)

So this week. How can even begin to talk about it? It was crazy! Miracles happened this week! On tuesday, after I emailed you, we had an appointment with a potential investigator, who had previously met with the missionaries, but then moved. We tracted into her about 3 months ago, and finally got an appointment that she didn't cancel. Her name is Dusti, and she has a 10 year old son named Tristan. She's a single mom. And we taught her about the book of mormon, and she was really skeptical. She kept deferring to Tristan. I think that if she decides to move forward with us and keep commitments, it will be because Dusti does. It's a really interesting situation. But it went pretty well, and we have another appointment with them on Friday. I just think that things are going to move really slow with them for awhile.

We also met with the Bill and Zola Crowder. I don't remember how much I've shared about them... So I'll just summarize here by saying that they're retired, and she's so ready for baptism it's amazing. But her husband, Bill, is close minded and hard hearted. He's super nice and way friendly, and he loves having us in his home to talk about spiritual things, but he refuses to keep any commitments. It's hard to know how to teach them. Zola has read the Book of Mormon several times and agrees with everything we say... But she won't come to church or be baptized until Bill does, which is how it should be, really, but at the same time, I just want to shake her and say, don't let him hold you back!!! Anyway, I love them, and I love teaching them. I just pray that the Lord will help me and my companion know what we need to do and say to help Bill understand the gospel.

On Wednesday, Sister Silva woke up with a killer flu bug. She had a fever and everything. She was just miserable, which was really unfortunate. We had to cancel most of the whole day, and stay in. Not because she couldn't work, which she really wanted to, but because she was contagious, and we didn't want to get our investigators and members sick that we were spending time with that day. So spent most of the day at home. Except... we had a really important lesson scheduled with San, who I told you about last week. She's the older buddhist lady who has a testimony of prayer, and a husband who is not really supportive, but he's very sick. Anyway, our appointment was at 9:00 AM at the park. I called the other sister missionaries in our area, and we did an exchange so Sis. Silva could stay home, while I went to the appointment with Sister Lytle. On the way over the appointment, I was telling Sis. Lytle about San, and I felt very impressed to commit San to be baptized. Which is really crazy. She doesn't practically anything about Christianity, let alone baptism! But I told Sis. Lytle that we were going to do it, if the spirit directed. So we got to the park, and we taught about the Godhead (she was very surprised to find out that God and Jesus Christ are not the same person) and about the spirit, and how we can recieve our own revelation. She offered the opening prayer, and I know that she has been practicing, because her prayers are so simple, but so full of purpose and faith. We talked about Jesus Christ a little bit, and we taught her about baptism, and following Jesus' example, and then... I said, "San, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?" and she said YES!!! And then we talked about what that meant, you know... the remission of sins, membership in the church, and the commitments that she had to make and keep. We talked about how she needed to continue to read her Book of Mormon, Pray. And then I said that she would need to tell her husband about this decision, because she couldn't lie to him about this, and I told her that she needed to start coming to church. She said she would do all of that. Then I said, "We'll be holding a baptismal service on the October 9th. Will you prepare yourself to be baptized on that day?" and she said... "what time?" !!!! I love it!!! And the best part is! She came to church too, just like she said she would! She lives just three doors down from the Bishop, so she's spent some time at their house since she committed to be baptized, and they're doing a great job fellowshipping her. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!!

But that's not it for the week! We are also teaching a young man in our ward, who's mom is active, but because of divorce, he spends weekends with his dad, who is not a member. So he doesn't come to church. He's nine, and was never baptized. But he told his mom a few weeks ago that he wants to be baptized. So on Thursday, when we ment with him and his mom, we told him we'd be happy to help him get ready, but he has to come to church 3 weeks in a row, and then, after he's baptized, if he can't come to church because of his dad, he still has to participate in all the activities during the week. We set a tentative baptismal date for October 16th (the week after San) and we're praying that Joe (that's the kids' name) and his dad can come to church.

But wait, there's more!!!

We met with Pupe on Friday. We've been struggling with what to teach her, because we didn't know how to help her come closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly father without making her feel like she was betraying her Thai culture. We started out our lesson this week with talking about personal revelation, and the nature of God, hoping to find some kind of common ground between Mormonism and Buddhism. We asked her a ton of questions about her religion that helped her to see that, A) she's not getting anything out of worshipping Buddha--he doesn't answer her prayers, and B) she's not Buddhist because she has a testimony of Buddha, she's Buddhist because her family and culture are buddhist... That was a revelation to us too, because we thought this whole time that she had a firm belief in the way of Buddha, and she really doesn't. Then, in the course of this conversation, as she realized she only goes to the Buddhist temple because it's tradition for her, she asked if she could be baptized into our church, but still attend the Buddhist temple, out of respect for her culture, but not because she worships Buddha.

Pause here, for just a second, and realize how crazy that is!!! She just asked to be baptized! And Sis. Silva and I thought it would be years before that would happen! We talked to our Bishop and Ward Mission Leader, and Zone leaders, just to be sure, and they all think that, as long as Pupe recognizes that she has a testimony of the Gospel, and worships God, not Buddha, then it shouldn't be a problem if she attends the Buddhist temple with her family, and lights incense out of respect for her culture and her family... It would be like those Catholic converts who still go to Christmas and Easter mass with their families who are not members.

Anyway, after she mentioned this, she also talked about the differences between when she prays to Buddha, and feels calm and peaceful, because she's forcing it, and when she prays to God and feels the Holy Ghost comfort her. She said that a relationship with God is more personal and real than it is with Buddha, and she wants that in her life. It was amazing! So we didn't set a date with her right then, because we had to check with the leaders about the culture thing, but since they said yes, we're going to try for the 23rd of October! So, in October, we could have a baptism every single saturday! It's so crazy!!! Miracles are happening this week!

We thought our area would never progress! Our investigators were all stalled, and we thought we were stuck. But, all of a sudden, things just started to happen! I'm so glad for the things I'm witnessing, and the changes I see that the Holy Ghost makes in the hearts of the people we teach. It even gives me hope and faith that Bill Crowder will someday change too. :-)

I love my mission. I love my investigators. I love my companion. I love seeing miracles happen here every day, both big and small, and I love that I had the chance to do this! I love the Gospel, and I'm so grateful that it's so perfect and so universal! Thank you for helping me be here, and for all your love and support. Be good, and everyone keep writing me! I crave your mail! I promise to write back!

Love, Sister Reid

P.S. Jared and Daniel--- if you want that tie to be in pictures of my batisms, you'd better send it to me quick... I have only 3 weeks before my first baptism!!!