Trainers in training

Oi familia!  

Yep, still partying.  Elder Weaver and I are having some interesting times together.  We're still not 100% sure what we're doing, and we think it's super funny that President stuck two missionaries together who haven't finished their training and then instruct them to train each other.  But, President Bell isn't one of those people that would just do it because he has nothing better to do.  We're confident that President Bell would only have put the two of us together if he was sure it was the will of the Lord.  Sure, we're inexperienced, but in the past week we've already been learning a lot and trying to take advantage of every opportunity.

This past Saturday was a prime example of that.  We had prepared a list of names of people to see down in Caldwell.  As we were going, we went through more than half of the list in the first hour we were there and we were planning on 4 hours of proselyting down there plus dinner.  Every single person we went by was either not home, or didn't answer the door.  We were totally at a loss for what to do and as we left one of our potentials doors I felt like we needed to pray.  So I turned to Elder Weaver and I said "I have no idea what we're going to do.  But, there's a reason these people were unavailable and I think we need to open our minds to all the possibilities the Lord has in store for us."  He agreed so I said the prayer for us.  In it I said that we would continue to see the names we had prepared but we would visit anyone we felt directed to see.  As we ended, Elder Weaver pointed in a direction and said "we need to go that way" so we did.  As we were going that way we passed by a house that I had contacted with Elder Sutherland a few months prior. The lady had very bluntly told us she was not interested so we moved on. So, I was quite hesitant to contact her again.  But as we walked by I felt nudged in that direction so we went.  The lady (whose name I seem to recall is Lana) came to the door and this time was much more open to what we had to say. She listened to us talk a little about our message and said she would have interest in learning more about the "Mormons".  It's really quite amazing how the Lord can change people's hearts to be more accepting, even just over a little bit of time.  Now, this is just one example of this kind of event, but this happened all the time this week.  We would be traveling by a house that we had contacted endlessly that had entertained us briefly, but they had no real interest. As we were traveling by, I would feel a little nudge in their direction.  I wanted to say "no.  They weren't interested before, they certainly won't be now" but we would try anyway.  This past week, we were able to teach 17 other lessons, received two new investigators, and increased our pool of potentials, simply by following the Spirit.  So, while we may be inexperienced and don't have a complete idea of what we're doing, it really helps me to see how the Lord takes the weak and simple and helps them to become strong.  This week has been a very humbling week where I've really been able to learn how this is the Lord's work.  This is not Joseph Smith's work. This is not Thomas Monson's work.  This is not the work of any ordinary man, woman, or child.  This is the work of our Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ in bringing souls into the fold.  What a thrill it has been to be a part of it. I have 21 months left, and believe me, I'm going to make it count. 

This is the Lord's work.  His kingdom has been reestablished on the earth in these Latter-Days for the benefit of all of his children.  I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration and in an unbroken chain of authority stemming from Jesus Christ himself, Thomas S. Monson is the prophet for the world today.  The Book of Mormon stands as the evidence of this work.  I know that every word of that book is bursting with truth and light which will save the world if they choose to accept it.  I know I am a servant of the Lord, and I love it more than I could have ever imagined.

Ate mais! Eu vos amo!

Elder Evans

This is the Lord's work. Jesus is the Christ.