"Through the Atonement comes permanence of purity!"

We got our transfer calls earlier today. I'm going to be transferred back to the Pasco North Zone, which I just left two transfers ago. This will make three transfers in a row where I have been transferred after serving for only one transfer in an area. This will also be my 12th companion and 9th area. As disappointed as I am to leave Richland, and all the investigators we have been finding over the last few weeks, I am excited to be back in Pasco (for the 3rd time). My new companion's name is Elder Torgersen. He's been out for about seven or eight months. I'm really excited to work with him. I've never really interacted with him much, but I've heard a ton of good things about him. 

We had an absolutely fantastic week! One investigator accepted a baptismal date of the 28th of April, and three more committed to be baptized on the 30th. The first one, Jacob, is nine years old. He's number 4 of a 6-kid, single parent, semi-active family. We've been working with the whole family, trying to get them to come back to church, for about a month now. We had Stake Conference yesterday, and all of them came! One cool moment with them was a few weeks ago, we taught them a lesson on family prayer and scripture study, and committed them to read and pray as a family every day. Since that lesson, the only times they have missed are when the 16 daughter was in the ER with kidney stones. We're super excited for them. 

One of the other investigators we have, Tanner, is another 9 year old in a semi-active family. His mom and brother both came to Stake Conference as well. He's the funniest 9 year old ever. He's pretends to be super stubborn and difficult, but really he's just waiting to be baptized and to feel the Spirit more in his life. 

The other two investigators are a mother and a 10 year old son, Elena and Angel. Elena's parents are on date for this Saturday in Omak, WA (used to be in our mission, it's up near Canada). Their missionaries sent us the referral. We contacted them on Wednesday night with our High Priest Group Leader out with us. We had an absolutely perfect lesson with them. We taught simply that God loves them and that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ will bless their families more than anything else, then extended an invitation to make that Gospel a permanent part of their lives by being baptized by someone who had the proper authority from God. They were so excited! As we were leaving, Angel said to his mom "can they come over every day?" It was one of the most spiritual lessons I've had on my mission. Brother Rose, the member we had with us, was absolutely incredible. He helped a ton by providing his testimony and inviting Elena to church. 

We also have been in a tri-panionship since Friday. One of the elders in our zone went home before the actual transfer date, so we have had Elder Meteer with us, covering both the Crestview and Duportail wards. It's been fun to be with another elder. When I got to my second area, I was put in a tri-pan for four weeks, so it's been a lot of fun to do it again. 

All-in-all, it's been an absolutely incredible week, filled with all sorts of changes and miracles and little experiences that have deepened my testimony of a loving Savior, who invites us every day to repent and to "yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit." I studied Mosiah 3:19 this morning, and learned more about how the atonement can change us from fallen man, into the glorious beings we are capable of becoming. In companionship study, the three of us came up with this quote: "Through our own efforts comes temporary improvement, but through the Atonement comes a permanence of purity." 

I know that this Gospel is true, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior, the only one who can give us the personal peace that we need day to day to make it to our Heavenly home.

Love, Elder Plehn