G'day Mates!
So this has been an awesome week, lots of little miracles.
First off we were out one day and tried to see this one family but they weren't home, so as we were walking from the door we were talking about what we should do and why we were in this area. So we looked around and saw a house across this field and decided to go knock on it. We got there and no answer, so we started walking back and talked to some people here and there but nothing was really happening. So we decided to head back to the car. As we were walking back a man came outside of his house with a hatchet and started chopping at this bush. We decided to talk to him. We walked up and said hi and he said ohhhh church boys... How can anyone know which church is true? and started talking about how when he grew up in Africa all the churches were corrupt and he has been trying to find one that felt right. We told him we share a message about the restored gospel and Jesus Christ. He invited us to come in. We went inside and his family was playing video games and one was on the computer and it was noisy and a little crazy We sat down and he motioned for us to start. We asked if we could pause the game for the prayer. And they just turned it off and the whole family just came over to us to listen. We were kinda surprised but it was awesome. We taught the restoration. At the end we said a prayer and then invited them each to say a prayer. They said they had never prayed before so we taught them how to pray and they each took a turn. The 14 year old son started. First he said dear Heavenly God..... and went on to his simple heart felt prayer. When he finished tears were rolling down his cheeks. Each of his brothers and sister also prayed. And the dad also. They each felt the Spirit so strongly. Then they invited us back over later in the week. So we show up on sunday afternoon and the dad isn't home so we can't go inside and teach so we weren't sure what to do but we felt we shouldn't leave. So I busted out some magic tricks and entertained the kids for a while. And finally we were like, we just gotta go. So we started to wrap it up when the dad pulled up. He had just gotten home from work! We said hi and the kids pulled us into the house for a lesson haha. We sat down and the kids all grabbed chairs and came right up to us for the lesson. The dad was busy though so he said to start without him. So we taught with these little cut outs and just had an awesome plan of salvation lesson. They had awesome questions. We were teaching about the 3 degrees of heaven and one of the boys looked down and seemed worried. We asked if he had a question and he said, "what if you have messed up really bad can I still go there?" We taught him about the atonement in more depth and how he really could be forgiven. We then invited them to be baptized and they said the would. Then the dad came into the room and said ok im ready to join! So we said awesome! We will have your kids teach you:) So the kids walked their dad through the plan of salvation telling him how important it was to be baptized and to get to the celestial kingdom. We pitched in here and there but at the end we invited them to be baptized as a family and they said definetly. Their baptism day is February 20th 2016! I'm so excited for them.
Im loving my mission and am so happy to be where I am today. I know the experiences I'm having will change my life forever.
“‘You can’t tell the character of an individual by the way he does his daily work. Watch him when his work is done. See where he goes. Note the companions he seeks, and the things he does when he may do as he pleases. Then you can tell his true character.’
He said: ‘Let us take the eagle, for example. This bird works as hard and as efficiently as any other animal or bird in doing its daily work. It provides for itself and its young by the sweat of its brow, so to speak; but when its daily work is over and the eagle has time of its own to do just as it pleases, note how it spends its recreational moments. It flies in the highest realms of heaven, spreads its wings and bathes in the upper air, for it loves the pure, clean atmosphere and the lofty heights.
“‘On the other hand, let us consider the hog. This animal grunts and grubs and provides for its young just as well as the eagle; but when its working hours are over and it has some recreational moments, observe where it goes and what it does. The hog will seek out the muddiest hole in the pasture and will roll and soak itself in filth, for this is the thing it loves. People can be either eagles or hogs in their leisure time.’
This little story from one of President Gordon B Hinkley's talks has really effected my mission so far. I wants to spend my time like the eagle and always seek for the higher and better.
Love you all!
Elder White
