A great experience

            This week I would like to share a great experience we had.  First, though, this week was zone conferences; we held four from Tuesday to Friday.  Since we usually combine zones for these conferences, we have three more to finish by the end of March.  We have enjoyed them and hopefully the missionaries have also enjoyed them and received information to help them be better missionaries.

            One afternoon we went to an appointment with two elders from Santa Cruz.  The young man they are teaching had decided he needed to change his life before he even heard of the missionaries and had stopped smoking and drinking.  The purpose of the lesson we participated in was to help him learn about the importance of baptism.  He had said he wanted to be baptized in June to make sure his family understood and supported his decision, but during the lesson, after we read and discussed scriptures from Alma, the elders asked him to be baptized on March 26 and he agreed.  It was a privilege for us to share in that special moment. 

That is the nucleus of what we do—invite people to share our belief in the Savior and join with us through baptism.  Through all the discouraging moments of slammed doors or uninterested contacts, an experience like this renews enthusiasm, and helps us realize that the Lord has prepared people to receive the gospel and through the Spirit we can find and teach them.  This young man will not only be able to move further along the straight and narrow path, but also will be a strength in the branch.  Also, hopefully his family will follow his example and also join the church.  I testify of the importance of missionary work as part of the work of salvation and I love being a missionary!

This week’s pictures are from leadership council, and zone conferences.  The three senior sisters are doing a great service by repairing the elders’ and sisters’ clothing.  The last picture is from a RS birthday celebration we attended in Peralillo.

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