What a week. The weather has been crazy. It was about 70 degrees on WEdnesday and then Thursday it dropped back down to 30, and now today we're back up in the 70s. It feels good to finally not have to wear a suit everywhere.
It's probably been one of the most successful weeks according to the numbers. We set a baptismal date for the first time in a transfer and a half with a single mom named Emily. She has three kids and is working on getting her GED. She accepted a baptismal date on the first lesson, which really surprised Elder Mendoza and I. We really hope she'll progress, her fmaily could really use the gospel in their lives. Well I guess everyone needs the Gospel but she's the first one that's really softened her heart to baptism.
We've had some inspired tracting moments. For example we felt inspired to go to this one corner street, turns out the first house we knock is hispanic (and we're tracting in largely american neighborhoods). Even though this man ended up completely rejecting the Restoration yesterday (he wouldn't even take a Book of Mormon). I still think the Lord led us to this man to raise a voice of warning.
But the funny thing is this, as we were riding to his house, I felt prompted to later that week go tracting on another street. We go try this street and we contacted another lady who had met with the missionaries before and was interested in us bringing by a Book of Mormon. The Lord works through our thoughts in small and simple ways. Just last night, we found another potencial investigator simply because I looked at the house, noticed that it was painted bright blue and had a Dora the Explorer sign on the porch. In my mind, I thought "Oh it must be hispanic." We knocked on the door, and it turns out that the lady had met with missionaries before and has family members who are members in the South. She loves the missionaries and spicfically said "Siento algo muy fuerte cuando viene" (I feel something very strong when you come). She mentions how she's seen us ride our bikes a lot and each time she sees us, she feels super good inside.
Imagine if I hadn't felt like knocking on this door because it was painted bright blue and had a Dora the Explorer sign on it? I know its a stretch, but the Lord many times works through our natural thought processes. As long as we are being obedient, we will be led to where we need to go and what we need to say.
This reminds me a scripture I read this week in Alma. There's a verse where and angel talks to Alma just as he is leaving the city of Ammonihah after facing serious rejection. The angel says to Alma (and I paraphrase here a little) "Lift up thy head and be of good cheer because thou hast great cause to rejoice because thou has been faithful in keeping the commandments."
The principle here is that it doesn't matter how much rejection we face: we can find happiness in being exactly obedient.
So Elder Mendoza and I are going to to serve another transfer here in the North OKC 4th branch! I'm pretty excited, we work really well together. I've been able to improve with my spanish a lot while with him, and also learn a lot about not over-thinking too much.
I'm glad the family is doing well. Send me pictures of Jane's Birthday and give her a big hug and kiss from me:)
Have a great week!
Con Amor,
Elder Powley
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