Well, the only way that I can really describe this past week is that it was a "good, bad week". We had a lot of lessons cancell, but we were busy all week long, and we still saw miracles. I would like to share one miracle from this week.
Thursday started like any normal Thursday, we did our weekly planning, we had lunch. Looking on our totals for the week we were behind what we normally are, but we were confident that we could still reach the same standard that we had set for ourselves. We had a lesson set for 2:30 that afternoon, and we took one of the prospective elders with us to the lesson(he has been waiting to turn 19, now he doesn't have to...). We walked up to the door, and there was a note that said she was unable to make it, and wanted to reschedule. We let out a sigh at another cancelled lesson(probably our 7th one that week), but we decided that we would go tracting on that street.
As is common for tracting we knocked on doors for almost an hour with no success. There were a few people that we were able to talk too, but they weren't interested in the message we shared. The very last door we knocked on the lady answered the door, said that her sons were sleeping, but that she wanted to listen, and she invited us upstairs. We were able to go in, because we had our soon-to-be elder with us. She told us about herself, and her life. She had grown up mostly on the streets. She had been a drug addict for a long time, but had been clean and sober for the last two or three years. She had been praying the night before, and she wanted to join a church, and be baptized.
We shared with her the message of the restoration of the Gospel. So many of the things that she said when talking about her beliefs beforehand tied in perfectly to our message. She recognized that her Catholic baptism was incorrect, and she wanted to do it right, and gain direction in her life. We told her about the chance we had to hear from our current prophet and hear his words. She committed to joining us for a session of conference on Sunday.
We picked her up just before the afternoon session on Sunday. She loved conference, and we were able to introduce her to a few members in the ward, including our ward mission leader. After conference we went over what she thought about it. She had loved the messages of repentance and forgiveness, and how to be converted. She mentioned that she just needed commitment in her life, and we extended a baptismal date to her for November 3rd. She accepted.
We are going to see her on Tuesday this week. She does smoke, but she seems truly commited to bettering her life, and this is the way that she can do that, and gain control of her life. She is looking forward to coming to Church next week and getting a new family there. It was a miracle. We were able to answer her prayers. We had a lesson cancell yes, but without that we wouldn't have gone tracting, and who knows if we ever would have found her, and we wouldn't have been able to get her to conference. I am truly grateful for the hand of the Lord in our work. We are truly blessed in this area.
Friday we were able to attend the temple, one of my favorite things. It was truly one of the most interesting visits though, and Elder Crockett forgot his temple recommend. Thankfully we were able to get in contact with you over the phone, so that we could still go through. I took my patriarchal blessing with me, and was able to read and ponder that while I was in the Celestial Room. It was a marvelous time to reflect.
General Conference this week was truly incredible. I would share with you some of the impressions and notes that I took, but to share all of them I would need more that an hour. Here are a few things that have stuck in my mind though.
There is a difference between a testimony, and a conversion, and it is true. We can know the Gospel, we can know the commandments, and the expectations that our Heavenly Father has for us and not be converted. Conversion is a lasting devotion to our Heavenly Father. We must do what Jacob counsels, and "...be wise...". Wisdom is applied knowledge, or in other words, wisdom is conversion. We have to use the testimony that we have, and live by it. Only then can we become converted.
This week is looking good. We have many lessons set, and hopefully they will all go through. If not, I trust we will still have success. These last 5 weeks have been incredible, and I have truly loved serving with Elder Crockett thus far. If one of us is to be transferred I will look back on this time together with no regrets.
Love Elder Schultz
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