Dear Family and Friends!!
Today
I am extremely grateful for the revelation we are able
to receive especially as missionaries! Revelation is key to everything
we do. From the Presidents email today, I was able to receive powerful
revelation for our area and zone. Concerning having effective studies
and ministering with love! There is an excitement thriving throughout
the zone at this time and I can promise miracles are coming in the
amazing month of May!
This week Elder
Torres and myself were able grow and increase our faith in Jesus
Christ dramatically. Overall this week was fairly crazy, we had many
things with the zone to accomplish as well as in our own area we had
many progressing investigators. So we went out this week and worked as
hard as we possible could and knew that God would provide the rest.
Throughout the week we saw many mighty miracles. On Monday, we went on a
fire exchange with the Royal Palm and Wellington Elders. Elder Neilson
and myself were together for the last appointment of the night, to see
these kids of the family that they were teaching. We went there but the
mom answered the door and said the kids were not home. So we testified,
got in and began teaching her. It was amazing to see, as we tied past
spiritual experiences, to God sending us there to help her be baptized, a
light came on in her eyes. After the lesson she was basically begging us
to be baptized. Tuesday, I learned even more to talk with everyone. We
were going to an appointment with a member and I saw this teenage boy on
the street. So we walked over to him and contacted him. We then went
and blessed his home and he accepted everything readily. Wednesday, I
learned of the power of the Book of Mormon and of being obedient. We saw
this investigator that we have been teaching since I got here and she
got antied about the Book of Mormon, by here friend. But we didn't let
that stop us, during this lesson as we likened Alma 57:21 to her being
an example mother, she felt the Spirit from the Book of Mormon and forgot
about everything she had heard. Also, it was seven o'clock and we only
had one blessing due to craziness throughout the week. But we had many
people that we needed to see. So we looked at each other and decided
harvesting to be obedient and get eight by Wednesday was the first
priority. So we went out with faith and got seven harvest blessings in
one hour. Five of which said yes to baptism! Thursday I was on exchanges
in Jupiter South with Elder Free. I was able to learn a lot concerning
faith and as we have faith we can overcome all things. Friday, I went on
exchanges with Elder Plowman in Fort Lauderdale and I learned
an incredible amount. I learned most importantly how we must trust,
establish high expectations, and then train and re-train. We saw many
miracles through harvesting throughout the day and found many of God's
elect children. Then Saturday, I was able to learn of the power of
charity and true Christlike love. Elder Rockwood came to interview our
investigators, who were preparing to be baptized Sunday. After the
interview they were all set to be baptized the next day and I could see a
light in them. As I expressed my love for them and most importantly the
love that God has for them, I could feel the Spirit very strongly. Then
Sunday, we were able to increase our faith in Jesus Christ the most. We
saw a miracle of having four people come to church in our area, but had
many more that were set to come but did not come. As we were eating
lunch after church we were both fairly discouraged, because our baptisms
fell through as well. So we had a companionship study, to plan for our
investigators. We made specific plans to go follow up with everyone. As
we were leaving the apartment Elder Torres offered a prayer that changed
my life. Humbly asking God to give us the faith and spiritual power to
help our Brothers and Sisters come closer to baptism today. It was
amazing to see that as we went to see these children of God after church
on Sunday, God filled our mouths with power, authority, and charity. We
were able to see huge miracles with helping people prepare for baptism
and set 16 baptismal dates this week! We saw as we exercised complete
faith in Jesus Christ, he gave us many mighty miracles!
The Zone is
doing absolutely amazing. These past three weeks it has been amazing to
see the conversion of our District Leaders grow. I know the things we
have been doing these past three weeks will allow us to see miracles in
the month of May! But Elder Torres and myself are in the Stuart Zone, definitely the biggest zone in the mission. We have twenty four amazing
missionaries in our zone that I love very much. I am eternally grateful
for the opportunity God has given me to serve my fellow Elders and
Sisters.
Well God is our Father. Jesus is the Christ. I know these things to be true, and I love both of them!
With Love,
Elder Pond
