26 January 2015

Transfers brought lots of fun changes to our District.  Elder Kummerman and I stayed the same so I'm excited to finish up his Training this transfer and watch him continue to grow.  I pray that I can continue to develop patience, which is an attribute of Christ that I've always struggled with.  I'm excited for the opportunity I have to still be a District Leader for such an awesome district this transfer.  Last transfer our district was just us and Lincoln Spanish.  This transfer 3 other companionships were added to our district, so now we have the Trendwood Elders (Elder Johnson and Elder Royal), the Yankee Hill Elders (AKA the Zone Leaders, Elder Lambert and Elder Lloyd), and the Holmes Lake Elders (Elder Waite and Elder Myers).  Over half the Zone is in our district now, which is a little intimidating, but I'm excited for the solid group of missionaries that I'll have the privilege of serving with this transfer.

This week was pretty slow actually.  There was a LOT of driving from one side of Crete to the other trying to find at least one of our investigators who was home and available.  Elder Kummerman said that we were like Forrest Gump going from one side of the city to the other.  But one of those nights I learned a very important lesson of diligence.

As missionaries, the time for us to be done and go home every night is 9:00.  We're not supposed to be home before that or else  we'd just be wasting the Lord's time.  8:00 PM rolled around and we had just spent the last hour and a half driving across Crete trying to find someone at home.  I knew we would be able to if we kept our heads up and kept diligently looking.  

"Lets just call it a night.  No one is home," said Elder Kummerman

"Not yet.  We're still on the Lord's time," I replied.

"We're just wasting time right now.  We could probably do more good at home planning for the next day and getting a little extra sleep."   He said.

"Not yet."  I replied and kept driving.

8:20 we had the same conversation

8:35 we had the same conversation

8:40 I also began wondering if we should just call it a night.  But something inside of me (The Holy Ghost) kept saying, "Just keep going.  Just wait a minute."  So I did.  We turned a corner, and there was one of our new investigators cars right outside of his house with all the lights on inside.  "Well there ya go"  I thought.  I parked the car and we walked up to the door.  

Our investigator, Carlos, answered the door and said, "Man you guys are lucky.  I just got home.  Come in."  We went in and had one of the very best lessons I've had since I got to Crete six months ago.  We read the Introduction with him, walking him through it.  He expressed some questions that he has about Joseph Smith and we talked to him about them.  In the end we gave him a Restoration pamphlet to read and pray about.  Before we left we told him we'd like to have a prayer with him and invited him to say it, asking if the things that we'd taught were true.  He gave one of the greatest prayers any investigator has ever given in one of our first few visits with them.  You could tell how much he really wanted to know if these things are true or not.  

And to think that none of that would have happened if we had just gone in early....

I know this work is true.  I know this is the Lord's work.  His plan is so much better than ours.  Our responsibility is to be obedient and diligent and to follow the Spirit, which "will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5) 
 

I hope your week is good! The one we've got coming up is going to be pretty fantastic, with our first exchanges with Holmes Lake on Tuesday, District Meeting on Wednesday, and SPANISH CONFERENCE on Thursday (I could not be more excited!)

I hope all is great!  Have a great week!

Lots of Love,
Elder Zack