Holy cats I have a lot to tell you about this week. I am always amazed at the blessings that come when we are diligent. We have been working our tails off and the Lord is continuing to show us his power.
On Thursday I was on split with Brother Wagner and his son Tristan. Elder Coon was with our Elders Quorum President. We were visiting some less active members and tracting on the side. We came to one adress and realized we only had a building number, #106. We didn't know what apartment to knock. Eleven year old Tristan spoke out what I was thinking "we have to knock at least one, let's do that one!" and pointed to the door closest to us with army stickers and American flags. "OK" we said and we jumped out.
The girl who opened the door was very nice to us, and introduced herself as Brittany. We waived further into the house at a couple of young boys who we learned were named Jadon and Tyrez. Their mom wasn't home so we gave her our number and asked when we could come back. "any day between 9 and 11 am" she said, and we left. I was pretty excited because she seemed interested and told us her mother would be also. She also knew where we could find the family we were originally looking for. Apt. B :)
The cool thing about missionary work is that the story I told you could easily have ended there. We might have gone back to no answer, an angry mother, non-interested family, or many other possibilities that we see every day. We went by first thing on Saturday and knocked on the door to no answer. We left a card with our number and a funny little note about the stickers on their door and walked away with plans to try again tomorrow.
Later that day while we were visiting with the R family we got a call from a random number and it was the mother, who's name is Dorothy. She sounded nice and expressed that she was interested in us coming over.... today. We were super excited! We went with one of our youth, Mark, and had a beautiful lesson on the Restoration. She was so prepared....like uber prepared. She grew up in the Virgin Islands, and when she was 16 she got pregnant and was super guilty and everyone in her family was giving her a hard time and she was way depressed but she saw a commercial from the church and she felt solace for the first time and called the number to get a Book of Mormon. She already knew it was true and had read up on Joseph Smith and knows he is a prophet. When we shared the first vision the first thing she said was "I know that he saw God and Jesus" It was a moment for sure.
She came to Church yesterday and loved it. She fit right in. I am TELLING you, people are being PREPARED out there. WHAT IF WE HADN'T KNOCKED ON THAT DOOR?
I am thankful to our Heavenly Father that he allows us, as his children, to be instruments in bringing his other children unto him. Especially the ones he has hand picked and prepared for the harvest. The fields are WHITE, WHITE, WHITE.
The second miracle is going to be explained quicker than the first miracle :)
Kimberly, the one I told you about the lesson we had on the Doctrine of Christ. (I LOVE THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST) Her one concern about being baptized has to do with her birth parents. They have to know about all of this and they might not even let her get baptized. Even if they did, she might go back with them and we would never see her in church again. She has 2 years until she can go to church on her own and we would hate to just rush her to baptism if she will just fall away. Yet we also want to give her the Holy Ghost if that's what she desires, because that will help her more than anything during this process.
Yesterday in P.E.C. Brother W told us that Kimberly really took the Doctrine of Christ to heart. She has one hour of visitation per week with her birth parents, and this week she strode right in and said "I'm going to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, what do you think?"
Her father was uncaring and said "you can do whatever" but her Mom said "wait wait wait, how can you just be baptised into a church you know nothing about"
Kimberly said "mom, being baptized isn't about knowing everything or being ready. It's about being worthy and willing" I could have just cried when I heard that, but Kimberly went a step further and pulled out her journal. She turned to a page where she had re-drawn a picture of a man in a hole, with Jesus Christ standing there handing him a ladder with five rungs, "mom, this is the Doctrine of Christ. If you look here you can see that baptism isn't the end goal, it's only the beginning" Her mom was quiet after that.
Have I ever told you that I lOVE THIS?!?!
I am humbled and grateful, in awe and adoration for the matchless gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is only one way into the Kingdom of God, and that is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There is only one way to apply the Atonement in our lives, and that is through Baptism by immersion. We can't just be baptized though, we have to repent of our sins. We can't just say sorry though, it has to be with real intent through Jesus Christ. Thus, we see the Doctrine of Christ, Have faith in Him; a sincere trust and belief enough to drive you to change for the better and ask him to forgive you for the wrongs you have done. Then, as the scriptures tell us, the firstfruits of repentance is baptism, not only by water but by fire also, the gift of the Holy Ghost. THEN we are clean enough to enter the kingdom of the Father. Then and only then have we applied the atonement to ourselves. Then, saith the Father, he who endures to the end will surely have eternal life.
A knowledge of the Docrine of Christ changes attitudes and behavior. It changes everything.
I love you all!!!!! Have a good week and dont' forget to pray!
Love,
Elder Andreasen
P.S. I choose Christ.
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