Weekly Letter -- 07 MAR 2011

Hello Everyone!!!

This past week involved a lot of tracting. A really cool thing happened yesterday!

We were teaching a couple (the Thackers) who have been reading and praying a lot. We were teaching them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we were talking about it with them, Brother Thacker said something that stood out to me. I felt like Mosiah 3:19 would work well for the situation. I turned to it as Elder Phillips was saying something to them. Brother Thacker started talking some more and that's when Elder Phillips also turned to Mosiah 3:19. We read it and went on with the lesson.
After the lesson, we were talking about it. I thought he had seen me open to Mosiah 3:19 and followed suit. He thought I had seen him open to Mosiah 3:19 and I was following him. In reality, the Spirit told us both to go there. How awesome is that?!

Brother Thacker has been baptized before in the past, and he's having a really difficult time with all of that. He keeps on saying that it doesn't matter who does the baptizing because it's the person going into the water that counts. We've explained the need for baptism by priesthood authority a couple of times. He's just naturally a skeptic, since he's been to so many other churches with their twisted "dogma" (which is probably one of Brother Thackers favorite words). Anyway, as we were finishing up the lesson, we read Moroni 10:4-5 with them. We told them that everything we've talked about it hanging on those two verses: eternal life, the plan of salvation, Sister Thacker being able to raise her three children she lost at birth, being sealed together forever, baptism, the priesthood, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, modern prophets. We plainly told them that they have to read and they have to pray about it. (It was almost a rebuke, since they haven't prayed about it consistently). We were pretty straightforward about it, but we actually care about them, so it seemed they realized the seriousness of it all and they made sure they had those two verses marked. We were straightforward and bold, and because we love them, they took heed to our words!

We had also done a few Real Plays this week for a couple who are living together. She (Cheyenne) has met with missionaries a lot over the past couple of years, but can't seem to quit smoking. He (Jeremy) is a less active member. As we Real Played, we felt prompted to ask Jeremy if he wanted to join in quitting smoking (we weren't really sure if he still smoked or not). When we were at their house yesterday, we asked Jeremy if he wanted to join in quitting smoking. He said he really did. That shocked Cheyenne, since other missionaries had talked to him about it and Jeremy gave a response like, "It'll happen when it happens." So now they're quitting smoking together! How awesome is that?!

Yesterday at church, we had 3 less active members and an investigator come to church. They were Brenda and Lexi (Brenda's daughter) and Jeremy and Cheyenne! Lexi told Brenda on the way to church that she wants to go through the temple and Brenda was SO happy to hear that! Jeremy and Cheyenne are both progressing, and it's AWESOME! We haven't baptized anyone in Elk City yet, but people are coming back to church! I love being a missionary! :)

That's all for this week. Thank you for all of your support and love and prayers!

To the families of Nigel Olsen and Carlos "Chuck" Aragon: thank you. God loves you and He is mindful of you. I miss them and I like to think they're both serving their own missions right now, too. We will see them again :)

Love,
Elder Woolley