One more marked for Baptism

Well I would have to say the highlight of the week is that we have someone marked for baptism! It’s a bit iffy and hard to say what may happen. But we are praying and hoping for the best! It’s this lady that is like 50 something years old. She is super nice but she can talk you ear off. We had a lesson with her and we were teaching her the importance of Baptism and how she can be completely clean of all her sins and of everything she has done. It was a great lesson and the spirit sure was strong. And I also just know that she was feeling it too, its just she is really nervous because she doesn’t know enough. And we were just like ummm well we are here to change that! And we just kept telling her that we would like to set a date for baptism and she is like "oh I dunno. I don’t know enough, I need to know EVERYTHING first." I was like "Lady, I don’t even know everything." Then we just explained how she can be baptized and continue to learn, she just has to have a good feeling about it and know what we are teaching is true, then she can continue learning from there. So finally she is like "Well Okay." It’s going to be a bit hard, she is marked for the 16th of May, which is a little while away, but its for a good reason cuz she is getting surgery this week and will be in Lisbon all this week and next week so we cant even get to her. So after she gets back we will continue to teach her and I just hope that everything goes awesome and she gains a testimony of the Savior! :)

So a little about our investigator Adilson, the one from Brazil. He seems to be progressing very much and very well, it’s just that he is nervous about the commitment and about knowing for sure what he needs to do; even tho we and he know what he needs to do. Its just tough cuz he is also visiting lots of other churches and talking to lots of other people so it’s just kind of hard cuz he has so many different things going thru his head. The last time we met with him we invited him to read 2 Ne. 31 and he did and he liked it, but the only thing was verse 14...He said that verse 14 makes him scared. Which makes sense! It should! So we talked about that then he had some other really good questions about the reading and what not. One of which was pretty tough for us to answer. BUT, the Spirit was there helping and guiding.

His question was about "Speaking in a new tongue" I think that’s how it is in English..."New Language"...I dunno..But about that and what does it mean. I know that some churches actually do something like that where someone stands up front and blabbers on trying to speak Chinese or something, and some other guy is translating what he is saying. So we had to explain that it wasn’t that and then we just gave him our vision of what it means. And at first I was just stunned, like I have no idea what to say....But then I just was thinking for a second and just started talking and came up with like 3 different great explanations! It was awesome! I have never been asked about that before so it was a good opportunity to rely on the Spirit to guide me. It was really neat and a great experience for me. And by the end I was like "Does that help? You have more questions?" And he says "Nope I don’t, that all makes sense." So it was just awesome! Now also remember I had to come up with all this in a new language ha ha! Pretty intense moment I would say. But yeah, it was really cool and we had a great lesson with him. I really want to get him baptized, but its just he has so many doubts and so many things that make him feel NOT worthy or something. So we just need some time with him. But we will just keep on going day by day! :)

The downside of this week is that we didn’t get anyone in church. Well any investigators. Its so frustrating. I hate when I give our numbers at night and I have to say zero for investigators in church. It just makes me feel bad and like we didn’t do a good enough job that week. But I guess on the other hand it’s a booster to make us have a BETTER week the next week. So we are hoping for a better one this week. Its just tough cuz on Saturday and during the week our investigators all said that they would go and we can go pick them up and stuff, then Sunday comes and it’s like they died. Its lame! But its also life and we just have to keep going and keep trying with a SMILE. :)

I hope all is going good for you all back home. I want you all to know that I am so grateful for the Savior in my life. We all know how UN-perfect I am, but through the Savior and his Sacrifice for me. I can be free. I can be Happy from all the wicked things in life. And that right there brings us true happiness. This world that we are living in sure does try to get to us, make us think that this and that is better and just things of the world will bring us happiness. Well I know cuz I have seen both sides of the river. And I know that when we do what is right and keep ourselves disciplined and do what is right, we really do find happiness, and NO ONE can ever take that away from us. I am grateful for my family and for my friends. I know that I have been SO blessed with an AMAZING family and UNBELIEVEABLE friends, all of them. Thru good and bad you have ALL been there for me and I’m SO grateful for that! I love you all so very much! I hope you all have a great week and I hope you guys are getting some sun over there, cuz we sure are!! Miss you and LOVE YOU!!

Elder Gray