Hi ya Fam!
Maureen is on date for baptism! May 16th!
We've had an interesting week this
week.
It's been very difficult, really.
We've only got Maureen as an investigator, and it's difficult to set up
appointments with her. So we spend all week doing Finding. But so far we've
gotten almost nothing from our own efforts.
However, we have gotten some things
from Heavenly Fathers' efforts!
For instance, on Friday we were
heading out to a Members home (the Hamiltons) for Lunch and some service.
Unfortunately, I got us on the wrong bus! We didn't realize it until the bus
had turned around and was heading back to the town center, where we'd caught
it. So we decided to just ride it back to town, and catch the correct bus from
there. We had just gotten off the bus when this woman asked if I was an Elder.
I said I was and she started telling me how she was a member of our church, but
hasn't gone in a long time. She's got a 19-month old child that she wants to be
baptized (I think she's forgotten that we baptize at 8 but oh well), and we
scheduled an appointment for this Thursday! I think we were led to go on that
wrong bus.
Friday in and of itself was pretty
different! After we were at the Hamilton's we were back in town when Elder
Carter suggested that we go by Maureen. So we got on a bus (the right one!) and
headed towards her. This sweet looking old woman was talking with us about how
we need to get away from Mormonism and start reading the Bible and be Born
Again. Anyways, we got off to Maureen's,
and knocked her door. After a minute or two, we realized she wasn't in. I
remembered that she sometimes stays with her neighbor, so we started walking
over there. We hadn't even knocked before the door flung open, and there was
Maureen, looking completely and utterly distraught! "Oh thank goodness
you're here! She's fallen down!" Her friend said. Maureen was lying sprawled out on the floor
of her bathroom. Elder Carter and I picked her up and put her in her armchair,
and basically made sure she was alright. After that, we were heading back to
the flat. On the way we met a man that was completely and utterly drunk. I've
never seen anyone so drunk! We gave him some Mormon.org cards. Hopefully he
finds them when he's sober. Or maybe he'll give them to someone.
So yeah. What a week. Ward Council
was on Thursday, but because it's Easter Break here, which is two weeks long,
it was just us, Bishop, one of his counselors, and the High Priest Group
Leader!
Ben Clark, our Ward Mission Leader,
is going through a really rough time right now. He asked us to pray for him,
and if you could too, that'd be great.
Yesterday Gail popped by and gave us
our "Easter Baskets"! It was a bag full of stuff, like two massive
chocolate eggs, a six pack of root beer, and some homemade popcorn kernels! We
popped some last night, ate them with the root beer and watched one of those
"Animated Stories from the Book of Mormon" videos! It was about
Ammon. He was such a bro. Let's give him a hand!
I gave the lesson yesterday in
Priesthood. It was about Joseph Smith. I'm assuming you had a similar lesson.
HE was awesome. I've learned so much about him on my mission!! The more I learn
about him the more awesome he is! I made a challenge for the Elders and High
Priests there, which I'm in turn asking you to do: If you haven't read the
Joseph Smith History part of the Pearl of Great Price within the past week or
two, READ IT. There is so much that is in there! As missionaries, we are not to
memorize any part of the lessons, so we can adapt them to the needs of the
investigators. The only exception is the First Vision. We memorize that
scripture passage, and recite it during the lessons. You don't have to do this,
but you can, and it's something I want to do soon: go through the History, and
write down every doctrine or principle that it teaches. No matter how small or
huge, everything. I think you'll realize, when you look at the list, that a
large portion of the doctrine contained just in those few pages, are only to be
found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I once met a man who
seemed to feel it was his duty to inform us that we belonged to a Satanic Cult.
He said so much stuff. The missionary I was with, Elder Moller, who was
from Denmark, asked the man if he'd prayed about the Book of Mormon. He hadn't.
Then Elder Moller asked if the man believed God could answer prayers. The man said
he didn't believe you could hear God's voice. Elder Moller, who's quite bold,
then informed the man that he didn't believe in the Holy Ghost then. He didn't
like that. But it goes to show you, we are EXTREMELY blessed!
Anyhow, looking forward to this
week! This past week has been so sunny and warm until Saturday and Sunday,
which were sunny but bitter cold wind. But this week is supposed to be in the
50's! Farenheit.
Sunday is Moves Call! Next week, I
could have some pretty big news for ya! I don't know if I told you, but in
July, Elder Holland is coming!! He's only gonna speak to the Missionaries
serving in East Scotland though! Which means it's unlikely I'll be there for
it. But I'm hoping!
Love you all! Love this church! It's
so happy! I'm reading King Benjamin's speech. Let me tell ya, if you want to be
humbled, read I think chapter 4. He calls us "unworthy creatures"!
And we are!
Elder Bates
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