This week was awesome! I heard that everything got rainy in Missouri, but here though we had some storms, it wasn't anything too bad. Also, drivers here are horrid! They do relatively well to avoid accidents, but it is a mess. Especially in the deep city. They also do this funny thing out here in the East. They have tons of parking/ no parking signs and for some reason people think that if they pull off just a bit and then turn on their hazard lights that they can park. Also, if they are about to do something they shouldn't, they raise their hand up and waive. This week though, was great! It started with Monday. We went to a family home evening after visiting Jose and Glenda. We were able to meet a new investigator who had come to church the previous day and had just moved from Puerto Rico. His family are all converts and are super solid. We had a wonderful lesson that just amazed me at how essential it is to feel God's love. When someone feels how loved they are by our Heavenly Father, there is no stopping the Spirit from guiding their thoughts and actions. Giovani is the same. He is ready for the gospel and is excited to learn. Friday was pretty great! Some other Elders had arranged for a tour of the church for some Juniors in high school. We were able to participate and it was a cool opportunity for people to see what we actually do and believe. I had the chance to share my testimony there and I was grateful for the power of the Spirit to carry the message across. Saturday was the Baptism! I love how things somehow always work out. Even when you are prepared, something goes amiss, but it always turns out alright. I had the opportunity to baptize Jose and got very wet myself because he is a pretty big man. He is like a gentle giant. The first try though his toe came up so we had to do it twice. The second time he went down, but coming up I basically hugged him as I hauled him out of the water. Despite all that, the look on his face and the smile in his eyes were enough for me. My companion Elder Patience baptized Glenda. She was good the first time and it was wonderful to be by Jose as he watched his loved wife go down as well. After the service, I had a meeting, then we were given pizza by a member, then we went to visit another to discuss some upcoming events and our day of course ended up not how we thought. We did make it to another appointment that day with a man who his wife is an inactive member. We were able to teach him and though he has been taught before, some very key parts were missing. We were able to share them with him and it started to make all the difference. It did get to the point where he had a lot of doubt and all I could do was bear my testimony. The Spirit was with me as I shared my feelings about the restoration, about the prophet Joseph Smith and about the Book of Mormon. It is interesting to note that whenever I get strong feelings from the Spirit, my language becomes clearer. My grammar no longer is a barrier and the words fill my mind as to what I need to say. Sunday came and we had a combined meeting with both sides of the branch. It is strange, we meet in two different groups, but are part of one branch. We had combined meetings and Jose and Glenda were able to be confirmed. I am just very grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve these people and help them find happiness in this life, and in the life to come. I love you all lots!
Sincerely,
Elder Haynie
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