April 2, 2012

Ok so this week was awesome. Last sunday when reporting numbers I was examining the district goal we had all set. Near the end of the month we are supposed to adjust the goal depending on what the projections are. Well I was looking at the numbers and we had baptized 7 so far for the month and nobody was on date for the last week. I felt to set the goal at 9 even though nobody was on date to be baptized. At the time it didn't make sense to me but I did it with the faith that the Lord would provide a way. Monday morning we had companionship study with the sisters because they were struggling to baptized and had only baptized 2 in the past 7 months. We went over all the investigators they were teaching and discused what could be dont differently. The conclusion was that they needed to be more bold. They took the advice to heart and executed. The mission was pushing super hard to get 200 baptisms in March and we were extremely close so everyone was trying to get last minute baptisms in on saturday so we could reach our goal. Friday I get a call from the Sister Hermansen and Sister Meyers and they asked what I was doing the next day at 12:30. We had a lesson at the time but I asked what I could do for them and they yelled out "A BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW". They had run into a couple whose had just moved to Murray that same day. They had been meeting with the missionaries in West Valley and the bishop had recently married them. The sisters went in for the first time, taught them and then put them on date to be baptized the next day. It was a miracle! I interviewed them
on saturday and they were baptized that evening at 5. The rest of the night I could not stop smiling because I was so happy for the sisters. They had been on the edge of just giving up and then they saw the hand of the Lord work a miracle and reward them for their hard work. It was not until sunday that those 2 baptism had made us reach the goal of 9 baptisms as a district. This is a work of miracles.

We went over on tuesday to teach a young couple, Ana and Jesus. They had been meeting with missionaries for more than a year and were progressing very slowly. The week before they had accepted a baptismal date for April 15 but they did not seem so sure. When we went in and started to teach Jesus told us how the other day he was thinking about his life and realized that every time his life was going bad and everytime he was about to start drinking again the missionaries would show up and help him. He noticed how his life was always easier and blessed when he was listening to the missionaries. He told us that he doubted baptism when we had extended the date but now he was sure that it was something he needed to do. They prayed at the end that they would be ready for baptism on April 15. We are still working with them but the work schedule makes it hard to meet more than twice a week but the should be getting baptized in April.

Wednesday we went over to teach Gabby for one of the last times before she goes back to Mexico. Her little baby boy is super cute! Anyway, we talked about all that she had learned and about the Sabbath Day. At the end she prayed and it was an amazing prayer in which she began to cry when she gave thanks for her kids and for the missionaries. Then she began to cry harder and she said thanks for letting me have a relationship with you (God). It was amazing and you could feel the sincerity of her prayer. She had learned that God exists and that you really can have a close relationship with him even though we can't see Him.

So on Saturday night I had the opportunity to go to the Priesthood Session of Conference. It was an amazing experience and as I was walking out someone stopped me and asked how I was doing. At first glance he looked so familiar but I could not remember his name or where I had seen him, He told me that he had served in the Totem Lake Ward and then it all clicked. It was Elder Biseger (spelling?). He served with Elder Mitchell and then he told me that he had returned and served in the ward after I left. They were the first missionaries I started to go out with teaching. We talked for a bit and then we parted.

This week was full of miracles and wonderful experiences. I have come to understand the Savior's love even better. I pray we can all come to this same knowledge and realize the love our Savior has for every single one of us. I pray that we may all see the miracles that occur daily in our lives, which miracles are blessings heaven sent.

     Hey so yea. Wednesday I will be picking up a new missionary to train him. I am going to be a daddy!!! I am excited but super nervous.

Love,

Elder Jolly