Monday, August 9, 2010

Dag-gum!!!

Hi!

I'm in Oklahoma (as you may already know) and it's wicked fun! Like, totally righteous! Get it? WICKED fun?! Totally RIGHTEOUS!! Yeah, I don't get it either.

This past week was a doozie of a good time! And guess what, time is already going a bazillion trillion miles an hour because it's like I breathe and an hour passes! So does that mean every time I breathe I've moved a bazillion trillion miles? Hmmm.... interesting....

Uplifting story time!

The other day I was trying to take apart my rear hub on my bike. There was a rattling sound as I turned the wheel slowly (a sign that some of the ball bearings had fallen out of place). We had an appointment to give a blessing to an investigator in the Sisters' area a few miles from where we live at 2 PM. I was taking apart the rear hub as best as I could with the tools I had, but soon realized I needed some wrenches. I prayed to be led to an adjustable wrench. As I looked for it, I was led to the heating and A/C repair guy for the apartments. We lent me a pipe wrench (I think that's what it's called? The big red one? Monkey wrench?) Anyway, that helped me get the cassette off (the cassette is the gears on the back of a bike), but I didn't have another wrench to disassemble the hub.

I was getting a little frustrated since without our bikes we're a A LOT less effective. And it was already after 2 (we called them and told them we'd be late). I got on my knees and prayed and told Heavenly Father that I have no idea what to do and asked to know what to do. He told me to give the blessing, so I put my bike together, told Elder Jackson, "The Lord will provide!" and we went to give a blessing.

When we got there, the Sisters were in there already talking with a man, a woman, and a young boy. They all wanted blessings, so we gave all of them blessings. We gave the man, Kevin, a blessing to help him overcome his addiction to coffee so he can be baptized. We blessed him with a bunch of other stuff and then afterwards we all sat and just talked a little bit.

Kevin just sat there with a face of awe and wonder, stroking his long, wavy, black hair every once in a while, staring at the ground a few feet in front of him. After a few minutes, he looked up and said, "So this is real." YEAH!!!!! We talked about his feelings and that he was feeling the Holy Ghost right then. He said, "It's like all of you know something that the rest of us don't. It like, you just know it, and it's different. And I think I know it. It's like I really KNOW it. Like, I didn't know something before and now I KNOW it." Hallelujah AMEN Brotha! He KNOWS! Clap yo' hands togetha! Sing PRAISES! Sing it wit' me now!

OK. I went a little Gospel Choir on you there. My bad :P

Anyway, it was really cool and I couldn't stop smiling the whole time and I love that guy and I just want to give him a big hug. Maybe I will sometime! Hmmm......
So that's that.

OH! I remember something else that's awesome and amazing and going to completely change everything about missionary work (not COMPLETELY, but definitely make all of us missionaries more effective). There are going to be 8 lesson/section things that we're going to be trained on over the next year. They're short and simple, but very powerful. I think eventually it might be added to Preach My Gospel (at least that what the MTC Admin Director (who's basically in charge of all of the training missionaries go through and was a big part it the development of Preach My Gospel) said at a fireside while I was there).

This past Thursday we had a trainers meeting. It was for all of the new missionaries (me and the 4 others I came with) and our trainers. President Taylor taught us about part of one of the lessons. The lesson was called "Teach People, Not Lessons". He outlined 4 steps and we trained on them. The 4 steps are:

Ask inspired questions.
Listen in love
Discern which way to go
Teach the doctrine

Basically, we focus on listening to the Spirit more and being comfortable with silence while we listen for what to say. AND IT'S INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Missionary work is about to get SWEEEEEEEET!!!

Also, he asked all of us to study and reconnect with our purpose as missionaries, "To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." So Elder Jackson decided to use that as we contact people and it works crazy good! People are like, "Okay, that's cool" and then we teach them a little and Elder Jackson committed a lady to baptism right there! It was INCREDIBLE! So we're going to do that more and more. The gloves are off! The gospel's comin'!!!

I think that's about it for this week. Thanks for anyone and everyone who's praying for me. Prayers are an act of faith and things happen when faith is practiced. So thanks! :) Keep true to the faith! Read the Book of Mormon!!! A lot!!! Really, A LOT!!!! It'll make you happy :)
Ok, I love you! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Woolley

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