Transfers happened! Elder Coleman and I both stayed in Hermiston. This will be my third transfer here. All but one member of our district stayed here in Hermiston, and we added another companionship to our district: Elder and Sister Rathbun! They are a senior couple serving a proselyting mission down in the Monument and Fossil Branches. (It's about two or three hours away from Hermiston). They live in the Tri-Cities, but will be coming down here during the weekends. Our district is by far the biggest geographical district in our mission (it covers probably a little less than half of the mission. :)
This week was awesome! We're teaching a man named Joseph. He's in his early 30's and he's an incredible guy. He's served about three years in Special Forces, he has multiple degrees, has owned several businesses, and wants to be baptized!!!!!!! (We all know what's most important there... ) Unfortunately, due to his military service, he is in the process of getting several knee surgeries that will prevent him from being baptized until probably the end of December. But he knows that this is Christ's Church on the earth! The biggest thing that helped him with that was the service that our Church renders to it's members. As the Body of Christ, we truly do take care of each other, and seeing that is what helped Joseph to accept the Gospel. So serve, and do it with joy! :)
We had a cool experience this week. In Elder's Quorum, our Elders Quorum President was teaching about missionary work last week, and he was telling us about an experience he has with giving a Book of Mormon to one of his neighbors. Well, on Saturday night, we were walking around in the dark (don't get me started on how dark it gets at nighttime here. We are dreading daylight savings time this week), and we start talking to a lady, and it is the same lady that our Elders Quorum President was working with! So we taught her about the Restoration, shared the First Vision, and set up and appointment for tomorrow night! It's not everyday you get a bio on your new investigators in church the week before you find them. :)
Also, we were sitting in the Hermiston Ward's sacrament meeting, when in walks an investigator that I had taught in Yakima! She was baptized in August and had just moved to Hermiston on Saturday! It was so cool to see her and get to talk with her.
Anyway, this week was awesome, but it always is when you are in the service of the Lord (Mosiah 2:17). As we serve those we love, our hearts are softened, and we are more able to reach out to more people in love. We are also able to discern the promptings of the Spirit more readily, which is something I've been noticing this week. I also wanted to follow up with the invitation I extended a few weeks ago. I asked everyone to pray and ask these five questions:
- Heavenly Father, are you really there?
- Do you really have a body of flesh and bones?
- Am I really your son or daughter?
- Do you really know me?
- Do you really love me?
What experiences have you had? I would love to be able to hear about them from you.
Love, Elder Plehn
