November 12, 2013
Tell people I am sorry I could not respond this week, but I only had 30 minutes on email today. I will get to them next week, promise!
Sorry I am a day late! Because of Veterans Day, the library
where we email was closed! It’s the only place on the res with computers... but
this last week was such a great week! My companion and I really focused on
being effective with our time and it really paid off! Each day was chalk full
of appointments and we had a TON of our less active "investigators” come
to church. We had just over 120 people there! It was great!
 |
| The Fort Apache Crew |
We had a ton of really great and spiritual experiences. I want
to share one. So, Saturday we went to a former member of the Stake Presidency's
house to see if we could get a couple referrals of some people who might want
to listen to us. This man knows everyone on the reservation and everyone knows
him. We knocked on his door and a 20 year old man opened the door. He turned
out to be a less active member who wanted nothing to do with us. We still asked
him if he knew anyone that would be interested, because that's what we came
for!! He couldn't think of anyone, so I finally just asked him "who is the
first person that pops into mind?" He said a man named John who lived down
the street but that he wouldn't be interested at all. Did that discourage us?!
nooooo, we went to Johns house. When we got there, he was an angry looking man,
with a chain saw.... nope, still not discouraged. We went up to talk to him.
His name was Jeff, he is Johns father. We talked with him for a bit and soon
enough His wife and John were all outside on their porch talking with us. All
three of them have already been baptized but haven't gone to church for many,
many YEARS. Each told us real personal and spiritual stories they each had
experienced within the last 2 weeks that made them want to be closer to God.
Jeff had been praying every day for the last week straight because he has been
struggling and has been asking God for help. His wife saw us at the grocery
store last Monday and had been praying for us to stop by, and John has been
going through a lot of health struggles and wants God in his life. The spirit
was so strong and everyone was tearing up. They had to go out of town this
weekend, but they said nothing is stopping them from going back to church. I am
so excited to work with them and get them to go to the temple too! What
miracles happen on the mission! People are truly out there, being prepared to
receive or come back to the Gospel! You never know how you will find them
either, but the Holy Ghost does, and if you are searching, he WILL lead you too
them!
 |
| Elder Vete and Elder Clark |
Elder Vete and I teach about 40 lessons a week! We teach mostly
to less actives (members who no longer attend). That is what we have decided to
focus on! I absolutely love it! We do a whole lot of service in the mornings. Everyone here heats their houses with wood
burning stoves, so we spend a lot of time chopping wood. I thought I would get
out of that coming to Arizona...
So drinking is a huge problem here, since there is really
nothing to do out here, everyone resorts to drinking. Every day there are
drunks walking around, just walking. Not really going anywhere, just slowly
walking, or sitting, or sleeping on the side of the road. It really looks and
feels like zombies everywhere, walking aimlessly around. We call them walkers.
Not a day goes by when we don't encounter them, and they get crazy. But hey, it
makes it interesting! I love it! I love the mission, and I love this Gospel!!
 |
| Preaching to all the Apache People |
No comments:
Post a Comment