Baptizing Cara

This week was pretty average again. We have been doing a lot of contacting and tracting in an effort to find more people to teach as well as trying to visit everybody on the ward directory so that Elder Hohmann and I can get to know them better so that we can increase our efforts in helping the less-active members return to church and so that we can help the active members in their missionary efforts. Its been going pretty well and we are starting to feel the benefits of our efforts and to realize that pretty soon something good is going to happen. 

I'm going to highlight the cooler things that happened this week because they stand out a lot more in my memory as compared to everything else. 

On Tuesday we met with our one investigator, Raul, and we were able to have a good lesson with him. When we found out that we would be training Elder Hohmann, Elder Butler and I got Raul to agree to let us start all the lessons over again so that Elder Hohmann can have the chance to teach them and so that we can review everything with Raul to see if we can deepen his understanding since he hasn't really been progressing. When we met we taught him the Restoration and it went pretty well and as we were wrapping up and talking about praying and receiving answers as he keeps commitments he opened up about how he is struggling right now because he can't find a job and how hard it is and how it is really testing his faith and as he talked about this I felt a prompting that I should attempt to set a baptismal date with him again, something we haven't tried to do for a while because his interest and efforts were low. As I began to extend the invitation I realized I needed to be pretty bold with it and the thought came to my mind to tell him that if he commits to that and if he does all that he needs to progress towards gaining a testimony of the restored gospel and towards baptism that the Lord will begin to bless him and he will see his needs and wants be met, including getting a job. As I spoke I could feel the power of the Spirit and I knew it wasn't me making these promises to him, but that as a representative of Jesus Christ I was just speaking on His behalf to Raul. He agreed to a date of October 8th, which is kind of far, but it gives him the time and chances to work for it. I just hope that he took our counsel seriously and that he lets the Spirit work in his life because I know that by keeping the commandments we truly are blessed temporally and spiritually. 

Another highlight of this week was receiving a text from that little girl Ashley's mother about her birthday party. Even though we weren't able attend it was still a huge miracle that she even remembered and texted us to remind us and now that we have her number and a friendship with her it opens up a huge opportunity to meet with them in our area and help them come to know more about the Restoration and to accept it. 

Probably the coolest thing that happened this week was being able to baptize Sister Loveridge and Sabolsky's investigator, Cara. This was the first time I've had the opportunity to physically baptize somebody and I was very grateful to have the chance, although I was a little nervous. Its kind of scary to be given such an important task. Being able to perform the ordinance was amazing and it reminded me of how I felt entering the baptismal font when I was 8 and also of how it felt watching people I have taught out here get baptized. The Spirit is always so strong at those events and I can always tell that Heavenly Father is truly proud of those who make the choice to be baptized. 

On Sunday we had an entire ward fast for missionary work. It was so great to know that we were all united in that effort and putting our faith towards gaining help in bringing the joy of the gospel to those in our city of Laguna Hills. Bishop Flora bore his testimony at the very end of sacrament meeting and talked about some of his recent missionary experiences and then he mentioned that this fast isn't so that us missionaries can be busy but its so that the members of the ward can have the courage and guidance they need to be able to share their testimonies with their neighbors and friends so that they can share the happiness that they have felt with those around them so that others can partake of it as well. Hopefully y'all can remember to pray daily for opportunities to share the gospel with those around you and to help them partake of our Father in Heaven's love and the blessings that He offers us. 

Its been crazy being with Elder Butler as he approaches going home. He works super hard and is a ton of fun to be around and it will be sad to see him go home and it will definitely be strange to no longer have him. Its led me to think a lot more about how little time I really have left. Even though 10ish months is quite a while, it goes by way too fast. The last 8 weeks have been a blur and May, June, and July have gone by even faster. My hope is that I can maintain the fire that we have built through the rest of my time in the field and then use those things I learn to be who the Lord needs me to be at home. But until that time comes I'm going to go as hard as I can, because as Elder Butler says when people ask if he's trunky yet, "My bags aren't packed!"

I love it here and I love this gospel with all my heart and I know that its through faith in Jesus Christ and by obedience to God's commandments, no matter how much or how little we may understand them, that we can truly be happy. These people are so good and I love being with them.

Love

Elder Cheever