Take Five

The greatest miracle of the transfer happened this week. Up until this week, we really struggled to find new investigators. We hadn't found anyone (Except for a bro who seemed semi-solid and normal, but when we came back, answered the door with disheveled hair, a jacket and plaid button-up shirt on, and.... no pants or anything other than that. It was a little strange. He then proceeded to spew forth a bunch of pathetic anti mormon stuff he had been pumped with from the internet).

Anyway, my companion and I had been praying to find a family that we could teach and baptize (I had been specifically praying for a family of 5). Well, on Thursday, we knocked on a door and a black man answered, and the first thing he said was: 

"I've been reading your book."

My companion, a little taken aback, responded, "The Book of Mormon?"

"Yeah. I'm on page..... 28, I think. One sec, let me go  get it."

Elder Quinton and I exchanged a surprised look, and then he returned, and soon a wonderful Gospel conversation developed.

He had met missionaries before and been given the Book of Mormon. He really respected some white missionaries that he had met in "the Hood" when he was living in California. He also really wanted to come to church now. He also happened to have a wife and 3 children, ages 16, 14, and 12. We invited him to be baptized, and he asked; "Is the water gonna be cold? I guess even if it was I could do it."

We reassured him that the water would indeed be warm.

Anyway, it was a very tender mercy. He does not have a specific baptismal date yet, but we assigned him to read Moroni 10 and pray about it, and he did it. We will follow up with him more at our first scheduled meeting this Tuesday.

He and his wife even came to church this week, but they came at the wrong time, thinking we had said it was at 11 instead of at 1. They had to leave because his wife had work, but it was still way cool. I am very grateful for our loving Heavenly Father, who does indeed hear and answer our prayers. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. This week was a good one, and I am so grateful we finally found someone to teach! Now we just need to go out and find some more.

The area here in Gig Harbor is very beautiful, despite the fickle weather. It alternates every 20 minutes between pounding rain and effulgent sunshine. Sometimes we even get a 20 minute hailstorm followed by unimpeded sun. A lot of the time it is raining while the sun is shining brilliantly upon us. It is very intriguing.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?

Jacob 4:10-12

Seek not to counsel the Lord, but instead be reconciled to his will through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Wow. What great principle. What a great scripture. There is a lot you can learn from that. Attain to a perfect knowledge of Christ through the Atonement. That is how we become reconciled with God.

Adios.

--

Elder Benge