Howdy from Corvallis!
This week was a pretty intense week. We had a lot of meetings to go
to. on Tuesday we had our apartment inspection (which in the past the
missionaries never passed.) we passed everything with flying colors.
After the apartment inspection, we taught one of our investigators
online since she is halfway around the world. She was supposed to have
the missionaries stop by this past week but she messaged us saying
that they had never came. So we are still going to teach her until the
missionaries stop by and then we will pass her along to them. We have
to teach her in the morning because where she is at is 8 hours ahead
of us. Then we had dinner with the Burts. they are an old couple and
they picked us up for dinner. On the way back, when they were dropping
us off, brother Burt pulled into the parking lot and he hit the curb
and hopped up on it then went back down and banged up the bottom of
the frame, and then hit it with the back tire as well. All he did was
turn the corner too tight and that happened. Then he looked at his
wife and said, " I told you to remind me about that corner..." it was
pretty funny because when we drove by that corner. We could see MANY
marks on it, indicating that he had done this several times before as
well.
After the dinner with the Burts we had to rush back to the church
(because we forgot that older people drive slower than usual) for a
lesson with C. We have been having really good lessons with
C. the past couple times. the spirit has been in the room. I'm
sure you remember the last lesson that I described in my last letter.
This week however was a much more powerful lesson. We met at the
church and we had brother Kearns with us ( a member of the bishopric). All
we did during the lesson is answer her questions and figure out how we
can help her. Brother Kearns taught most of the lesson and he
testified to her a lot. at one point in the lesson I had the
impression to look up a video to show her. I showed her the video and
she said that it really helped her. That is a testimony to me to
follow promptings whenever you get one. At the end of the lesson I
asked if there was anyone that feels inspired to pray. brother Kearns
offered it as we all knelt together. at one point in the prayer I
heard something that I had never heard before. brother Kearns said,
"father, by the authority of the priesthood that we hold. we ask thee
to evoke the blessings of heaven upon C. to give her the answer
that she needs about Thomas S. Monson." that was the coolest thing
that I had ever heard someone pray for. Anyways, after the lesson
C. was very emotional. and she said, "see ya later." and then
left the church immediately and got in her car and drove home. It was
such a powerful lesson.
On Friday we had to drive all the way down to Helena for a zone
conference with a general authority. We had the privilege to meet
elder James B. Martino of the 70 come. We all got to shake his hand
and meet him. We talked a lot about how we can get members more
involved in their missionary work. When it was over, we had to drive
the 3 hours back to our area. The next day was Saturday, we had a stake
conference with two more 70's there. I had the opportunity to meet and
shake hands with elder Michael John Tay and K. David Scott of the 70.
The reason they came was to reorganize the stake. But they talked a
lot about the missionary work that was going on in this stake, and
Elder Tay had all the missionaries stand up, then he proceeded to ask
how long we are here. Then he told us to sit down and then have the
REAL full-time missionaries stand up. (then the whole congregation
stood up.) Something that was real cool during the conference was
this, Elder Tay said, "I dont think all of you know the greatness of
the work that you are doing here, so I am going to call on some of the
people that we baptized in the last year to come up and bear their
testimony." then he said," would Brother O.... Gold from the Corvallis
ward come up, as well as brother K.... Jessop from the Corvallis ward
come up." (he also said some other names as well) brother Gold is the
father of the Gold family baptism that we had two weeks ago, and here
he is getting called by a 70 to bear his testimony in stake
conference! Brother K.... Jessop was another recent convert that is
going to the temple this weekend to get their endowments and to get
sealed in the salt lake temple. Maybe you could go there at the time
that they are going and you could meet them. haha that would be funny!
One thing that he talked about was part of his conversion story. He
said something like this, " When I got baptized its like somebody told
me 'It's about time you got off your butt, your 50 years old." he is a
funny guy.
On Sunday for the last session of the stake conference. They called
who was going to be the new stake presidency. The two new counselors
of the stake presidency are both from the Corvallis ward. the second
counselor is our bishop. but he is done being a bishop now. I'm not
sure who the next bishop is going to be but I think I have an idea.
The last thing that was cool this week was yesterday with our lesson
with the A. Family. We asked them how they felt about being baptized
and the parents said that they are fully committed to be baptized and
they are letting their kids make that choice for themselves.
Well I know that this letter is kinda long, but it was a really good
week. I am so excited for the baptism that we have coming up soon. As
well as the A. family taking the lessons as well.
Elder Daniels