February 22nd, 2010

Bueno

Sorry about last week. I guess it’s a common error among the missionaries and well I just had to learn. I know to copy my letter before I send it now. Torey is having a boy?? Haha I liked dads explanation why. What is Parley going to do with a baby brother? And Rachelle, you still need to tell me more about this guy you’re going to prom with before I can approve, got that?

We had 7 investigators at church yesterday! It was sweet, they just kept walking in! 5 of them are due to a recent convert in the ward that has been on fire with the missionary work. He had a friend come to him (named Edwardo) to ask for help. Edwardo has had a really bad drinking problem for a long time and he was finally at the point of losing everything because of it, so he went to his friend for help. His friend just so happen to have had the same problem when the missionaries found him almost two years ago, and the solution for him was God. Edwardo stopped drinking and went to church with the member (where we met him) and we set up an appointment to see him the following Tuesday. We taught him and inviting him to start praying and reading, (he can’t read so he has his daughter read to him) and we set up an appointment in a couple days. At the third appointment Edwardo’s wife came with him and wanted to know what had changed his life completely around. She came to church with him the next Sunday and it just so happened the lesson was on families in the gospel principles class. So we started teaching both of them. Yesterday they came to church with two of their children and stayed for all three hours. The recent convert had brought another relative. It’s so cool when the members help us!

I gave a talk yesterday in church and my talk was well, the help of members. I first talked about the importance of the gospel, being the only way of salvation. Then I gave examples of contacts we do with people. Almost all replies to the people we talk with are 1. I’m too busy, 2. I belong to another church, or 3. I believe in God but not in religion because religion comes from man. Then I explained how every once in a while we get a contact that says they know a member of the church and they are good people and would like to know more. I hope I got my message across, many told me they liked it so I hope so.

Yesterday in the gospel principles class we talked about eternal marriage. My companion couldn’t go with me which was not good because many questions came up and I wasn’t 100% sure. Dad, make sure I’m right on this one. The first thing I didn’t agree with was the 3 levels of the celestial Kingdom. The teacher was teaching (to all our investigators!) that the scripture in D&C 130, the three levels, were the telestial, terrestial and celestial kingdom, and you can’t go to the celestial kingdom unless you get married in the temple. I then taught that the celestial kingdom has three levels and that only the top can you get to with marriage, right? Then she, one of our investigators (that are married by not in the temple) that if they get sealed in the temple but their son doesn’t that they don’t get to be with. I told them I didn’t think that was true either. But couldn’t really explain much more. Then questions started coming up like what if I get married then my husband died, can I get remarried, and which one will I be with in heaven. In the end I think the class ended good but there were still unanswered questions that I didn’t know.

Another miracle we had was a family we recently found. The husband has been looking for a job the past year. We came and taught them how to pray and committed them to pray as a family. The Dad has since had three job offers and has already started. I love it when people take those steps of faith! The only problem now is he is much more busy and harder to get appointments with :)

I don’t know if I already told you about what happened with the 7th day Adventists but we aren’t teaching them anymore but we are teaching the people that they were teaching. To make a long story short. We taught the whole lot of them, arguing with the Adventists, setting up another appointment. When we came back they had a whole list of things to fight against us with. My companion said he felt sick so I had to teach. So I taught the restoration again all the way to the first vision. They then started saying stuff from the bible, I told them I didn’t know much about the bible, they told me I shouldn’t be a preacher then, I told them I’m not here to teach about the bible, they then asked us to leave, so we left with a prayer. The one that wasn’t an Adventist but was investigating their church was crying at the end of the prayer. It just so happens a few days later, we run into her in the street and she invites us over and we have been teaching them now.

The mission is full of miracles! I love it! It has a price though. We are on the 2nd to last week of the transfer and I really hope I DON’T GO, but I have already been here 4 transfers. Keep me in your prayers because I need them! Love you all!!!!!

Elder Tryon