Week 68 (7/21/14)

So guess what...? WE HAVE A BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!!!!

I am SO excited!

I can remember if I have ever mentioned Nataniel... But I'll tell the

story anyways ;)

The sisters before us were biking and saw Nathaniel. He's a big black

man that sits on his porch waving and talking to every single person

that goes by. He's REALLY nice and friendly. Everyone likes him....

Including the Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Venice, and the baptists.

Annnnndddd he was studying with all if those guys. So of course he'd

study with the Mormons! Especially because his son and grandson are

Mormons.

So we started teaching him. It really didn't seem to be going

anywhere, but he always let us come over and we'd have a lesson on his

front porch while he waved at every car coming by laughing and taking

to them.

It was pretty entertaining and hilarious to be honest ;)

We developed this really close love and friendship with him. He even

started telling us that he loved us!!! It was awesome. But he really

wasn't progressing and didn't seem to be taking anything seriously and

we didn't know what to do.

I went on an exchange one time and the sister that I was with came

with me to Nate's. We decided to crack down and have a super serious

spiritual lesson with him. So we talked a lot more about Joseph Smith.

Both of us turned our serious spiritual faces on and bore a firm

strong testimony (yes, we had done this a million times before because

he'd always look at us and say, "you KNOW" talking about the things

we'd borne testimony of).

He was taken back. I think for the first time he felt the spirit. He

even stopped joking around and said- "this is serious." We told him

that this gospel is the most important thing. We then asked him to

pray about what we'd told him right there and to wait for the answer.

He said a really heartfelt prayer and then just waited.

Okay. So you all know how much I absolutely HATE silence. That's why I

talk so much because I hate it when it's quiet... so I've got to do

something. It was a good 3 minutes of silence (I know a lot of people

exaggerate the time of silence... But for reals. That's how long is

was) after he'd said the prayer.

Then after he said, "something is going on here" Hahah I guess that's

how he feels the spirit.

Long story (that has already been WAY too long) short....

He's getting baptized!

Well... here's a plug! This has taken a lot more work than David! It's

been a struggle! But I've really learned that not everyone is the

same. People that we meet are prepared, but they are also at different

levels of being prepared.

Yesterday he told us that he told Jim Woods (we hear this name all the

time. Nate loves the guy. He's a baptist preacher) didn't act very

Christian when he told him that he was getting baptized. So I guess

that confirmed his decision!!! He loves the gospel. It's amazing.

Especially because right now I really feel like he's taking a leap of

faith. He doesn't know everything (not that anyone does) but he just

knows he needs to be baptized.

I know that his confirmation will come and that he will feel different!

He wasn't really wanting to give up his coffee. On Saturday he said he

hadn't had any! It was awesome! Then we told him that he should just

throw it away because he said that he'd still smell it. hahaha he said

he wouldn't drink it. But then randomly he just went inside, grabbed

his coffee and gave it to us! It was awesome!!!! And kind of hard for

him, but he did it!!

It was awesome.

Our whole zone has been praying for him and we can really see how much

it has been helping him. I love it! Ever since they started the prayer

thing for dates set he's been progressing even further!

Well. The world is awesome.

But missionary work is even awesomer!!!

I love it! :)

Love, Sister Calder