Tuesday, August 13, 2013

WK81 'Elder Pond....STAYS!!'

Dear Family and Friends!
Another week full of miracles here in Opa-Locka and the amazing Hialeah Zone! Ya'll definitely have to look up Opa-Locka on Google it probably one of the most ghetto places in the US.. I love it! But just reflected upon this past week reminds me of how much I love missionary work. It is an amazing opportunity to step away from the world and focus on what is eternally important. My mission has molded my life already and I am definitely going to make sure that the rest of it is even more life changing than it has been so far! This past week changed my life with the miracles that we saw:
This week we saw many miracles harvesting. As we were out working hard a lady stopped us in her car to tell her that her neighbor, our investigator, is not home right now. So we contacted her and blessed her. Immediately she opened up talking about things she was struggling with and accepted baptism without hesitation. The next day when we saw her again she thanked God for sending us there to her side. Another was a door next to our recent convert family. Every time we passed by that door the spirit told me to knock it but unfortunately I kept ignoring it. Until the other day I listened, we knocked, and a lady answered. After the blessing she was so extremely happy and talked about how she needs to come to church. We invited her to be baptized and after she pondered on it for a couple of seconds, she gave a resounding yes! God always guides us in many different ways we just must listen! So this week when ya write me, will you send me one experience that you had with listening to the spirit and the results of you being obedient? Thanks!!
 
Another huge miracle we saw was with a lady that came to church on Sunday and is set with a hard baptismal date for this upcoming Sunday. It all came out yesterday as we were teaching her a lady walked past and asked about us. We got her information and told her we would stop by later to pray for her because we were teaching one of our baptismal dates. But then our date jumped up and said, "Elders, we need to go pray for her now!" She then led us down the stairs and we prayed for the lady. After we finished the pray our baptismal date began to testify. She talked about how we are one of the greatest things God has sent to her. How she was in darkness, she prayed for God to send her someone, and then we came. She then began to testify of church and baptism and invited the lady to come to church. By the end of the lesson the lady was set with a date and for church, as well our baptismal date was even more solidified as she bore her testimony. So with that being said, will you share your testimony with one non-member this week and write me about that as well? Thanks again!!
 
Also last night we got the transfer calls from the Assistants and I will be staying in the beautiful land of Opa-Locka and Elder Rugg will be leaving already! I am pumped for this upcoming transfer and for HUGE miracles to come in Opa-Locka and the Hialeah Zone!
 
This week I also was pondering a lot on conversion and how to create lasting conversion. A huge principle of lasting conversion comes from a talk by Elder Bednar and is learning by faith. In this life we learn the most when we act upon the testimony we receive, this is whereby conversion comes!
But I don't have mucho time so I'll talk with ya'll next week!
 
With Love,
Elder Pond