minute of it!!
This week I went on two splitz with the Elders in Hamm. One was
with Elder Cole from Flowermound, Texas and the other was with Elder
Nilson. They were great, it always fun to go on splitz and see how
other missionaries do their work and get new ideas on how to better my
work.
We got a chance to have interviews with the Mission President this
week. He has been interviewing the entire mission this week, about two hundred missionaries.
Afterwards Elder Nilson and I went on a split in Dortmund. We ended up back at the church with an
investigator, Fatti, and ran into President Stoddard again right as he was
leaving! He saw us and immediately introduced himself to
the investigator and he had his dinner in his hand. Then he looked at
us and said "Are you about to teach him?" we told him yes and he got
this smile on his face and Elder Nilson knew he wanted to take part we
asked him and he said "yes!" By this time my heart starts racing a
little because we are about to joint teach with our mission president.
This is when the rubber hits the road. We sat down in a circle and
began to teach. President Stoddard gave us the reins and we started
teaching the first lesson. Everything was going great the spirit was strong
and President Stoddard was just supporting us with testimony. Then it
had been 30 minutes and it was 8 oclock and he still had a 3 hours
drive back to Frankfurt and his dinner was cold. He had to
leave but before he left, he looked the man in the eye and bore one of
the most humble and powerful testimonies I have ever heard. It was
like this over powering spirit, then got up and gave us a hug and left.
We were all speechless as we sat their quietly let the spirit speak. We
asked Fatti what he felt and he said "I cant describe it" it was so
cool!!!
This is picture of Elder White with Sister Jones a Sister Missionary from Centennial, Colorado and a friend of Grandma Van Wagenen. This is at the Mission President Interviews.
Later that week we ended up teaching Frau A. again. The lady I
called my German Grandma. We decided that this time we were going to
invite her to be baptized. We started off finishing teaching the
first lesson. Then I felt like it was time. We invited her to be
baptized and she said " I don't want to be a Mormon, I have my faith
already!" I was heartbroken and Elder Basinger started to talk trying to
get to the bottom of the problem. Both of us were taken back, then the
thought popped in my head "She is not becoming a Mormon, she is
accepting the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ." I told that to
her and then she said well "My faith is already strong I have already
accepted him." Then I had another idea, I took the Bible out and laid
it on my hand then said we have no doubt that you have a faith in the
Bible and Jesus Christ. We have seen your faith. We just want to make
it strong. You already have a strong foundation, we just want to
strenghten it. Then I put the Book of Mormon on top of the Bible and
then the pamphlet of restoration. I told her about how that with
these three things her foundation is secure and rooted deep and that
when Satan tries to attack she will be ready. She then finally said
that when she figures it out that she will get baptized!!! It was
awesome!!!
Sunday was a mad house we had to get to an appointment in Stromberg on
the other side of our area. We rode the train there to Oelda and then
rode our bikes 6km (3.5miles) to Stromberg, then we taught had a super spiritual
lesson with the F. family and then rode back 6km to Oelda. We got
to the Bahnhof and all the trains had fallen out because one had been
derailed. We had an appointment in about 1 and 30 minutes so we
thought to take the bus but knew that would work. So we looked at each other and said we
are going to have to ride, so we rode from Oelda home which was about
28 km (17.5 miles) all together and took about an hour and 20 minutes. We ended up
on being 15 minutes late to our member appointment with the K. family and
they were shocked that we had ridden that far! IT was funny. But
overall we rode about 50km ( 31 miles ) yesterday and we were dead!!
It has been a great week and I'm super excited this next
week we are going to get to hear from an apostle of the Lord, Elder
Bednar. This is a once in a life time opportunity that I'm really
looking forward too!!! The Frankfurt mission is moving into the
digital age!! We will be phasing in IPADS after training from Elder Bednar.
I'm loving it here on a mission, I'm learning so much everyday and
growing and progressing and really learning what it means to feel the
Holy Ghost. I have to say that the experience that we get here out a
mission can not be faked or altered, there is no replacement for it in
the world!! You will never learn to trust in the Lord more then on a
mission. Your faith grows beyond your imagination. Things you thought
were important before the mission fade into the background. All of
your time, talents, energy are focused on the work and it will change
you, only if you let it!! You will never feel so close to your Savior
then when wearing his name on your name tag 24/7. You will never be
able to go back and do it again, I only have once chance to take it and
then make the best of it! I have never regretted a day of choosing to
serve a mission for my Savior and Redeemer. Yeah, people may laugh,
people may joke, people may stare, people may hate. But it was only
because they hated and laughed and pointed at the Savior, first. Everyday
someone makes fun of me or laughs or cusses at me, I take pride in
that chance to experience just a glimpse of what he felt, bleeding from every
pour in the garden of Gethseme or carrying his cross to Calvary. Or
walking the streets in Jerusalem. People call us a
"Jesus freak" or a really lost and confused kid or that I'm brainwashed
or that I'm nuts. But I tell everyone that I know that my Redeemer
Jesus Christ lives, it is because of his gospel that I serve today as
a missionary.
Love yall tons!!
Elder White
No comments:
Post a Comment