Monday, July 21, 2014

Boom!



The cool thing that lots of humidity will do to an Iowan sunset.
As if out of no where the work here is booming!  Things are coming out of the woodwork and I am continually reminded that this is really the Lord's work.  Since I got here almost 9 months ago, we've been lucky if we can teach maybe 12 lessons a week, but this week we had already taught 12 lessons by Thursday!  We had already completed all of our goals by Wednesday!  Our numbers went from having 1 or 2 people set for baptism to having 5 and with two of them set for the 2nd of August (AKA 13 days!)  This is the Lord's work and I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a part of it.  
I'm 100% convinced that the success we are having all of a sudden is because of the fun that we are having while we do it.  I've never been happier.  We go out of our houses every day and serve people and laugh the whole time while we do it.  We walk down streets beat boxing and making jokes and just talk to people and have a good time.  The way I see it, there shouldn't be "work time" and a separate "fun time" on a mission.  The work should be fun, and that's exactly what's happening here in Sioux City.  This work here is only going to continue to grow and this week we've increased all of our goals and we're trusting in the Lord that he will help us fulfill them.  

I don't have a lot but I want to share a story.
This week, while on exchanges with the ZL's, Elder Pulver and I were reminded about how important it is to follow the Spirit.  We were working in our area while Elder Shipley and Elder Jensen were in the ZL's area and we had decided, since none of our investigators in a certain area of town were home, that we were going to go Tracting and find some new investigators that were prepared for us.  We came to an intersection and Elder Pulver said, "Right or Left?"  and I said, "I like the way those houses look over there." to which he replied, "I was thinking the same thing." 
So we began to knock them.
Door #1- A nice Guatemalan lady, kind of interested, told us to come back later
Door #2- A nice Mexican man, sort of kind of interested, told us to come back.
And then we came to Door #3.
I knock the screen door and a lady at the kitchen table sees me and says, "hello," in a really spanish accent.  I said, "Hola" which drew her attention closer to the door when us and screamed, "MI AMIGO!"  
I thought she was talking to me and I was extremely confused since I'd never met this woman before in my life.  
Apparently she's the Zone Leader's most golden investigator who was just visiting her friend who lived in our area! 
She came to the door and said, "You'll never believe this but I was just barely telling my friend about you guys and the message you share and not 5 minutes later you knock on the door!"  To say that our minds were blown would be an understatement.    They let us in and we had an AMAZING Restoration lesson with them in which they both committed themselves to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true.  
We really are just instruments in the Lord's hands.  I'm thankful that we were guided by the Spirit to be able to find people that the Lord is preparing.  I'm just grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a part of this work.

I love you!  Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Paddock
Elder Shipley trying to stay awake during the Restoration Video at our
Branch President's house after a couple games of soccer.





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