Dear Family and Friends!!!
What is up!? Elder Pond reporting in to the 801 from the 561!! This week has been amazing out here in sunny Wellington Florida. The temperature here in now around 92 with humitity!! Safe to say I hardly ever wear long sleaves anymore.. And I am soo glad that this week is a car week cause now we can get around faster, its not as hot, and my bike has a flat tire that I have to fix! But life is great here in the mission field I love it and truly never wanna come home!! haha. But don't worry I will eventually..
This week was very sweet and sour. The sour part was all the dates that we had for this weekend fell threw and one of our recent converts is in jail for some reason.. But we are working threw it and know that once we get threw the trial of our faith, then we will see a miracle! We had a ton of SWEET parts of this week as well though! Yesterday we met an amazing family that came to church! We saw the miracle of having 16 investigators in sacrament yesterday it was amazing!! But anywase this family was a referal from the Oaks, and yes Brother Oaks uncle is Elder Dallin H. Oaks! They are an amazingly strong family in the ward! So they brought this family who is their neighbor and I talked to both of them after church and they expressed the love and spirit that they felt at church! We then had dinner at the Oaks with them and they totally opened up to us and told them that this is exactly what they need in their life right now. I gave her the Book of Mormon that you wrote your testimony in Mom and it was absolutely amazing! We had her read it and she expressed this is exactly what she wants for her family and what they need in their life right now. She then got up and gave me a hug and thanked me soo much for the special and sacred gift of a Book of Mormon and we were both about in tears! They then told us that they would absolutely love a blessing on their home and said come over anytime and that they cannot wait for church services next week. This was a testimony to me that as we get threw those tough times, MIRACLES ALWAYS COME!! You just must push a little bit father, work a little bit harder, even when it may seem impossible you have to know that with Christ all things are possible!!
We also had an amazing experience harvesting, which is just like tracting except we don't ask if they would like to hear a message but if they would like a blessing on their family and home, this week!! We have been teaching this Haitan family who is absolutely amazing and their friend next door just got out of jail so they told us sometime we should stop by. I stopped by when we were on exchanges this week and I was with Elder Hoole and we just started talking and we identified ourselves as representitives of Jesus Christ. She told us that she knew we were and are more than welcome to come and leave that blessing when her entire family got home. We went back later that day and after the blessing she was in tears because of the Spirit that she felt and the love from Jesus Christ that she felt. She thanked us and told us she would consider baptism but would absolutely love to come to church! I absolutely love harvesting it is a tool for the "above average missionaries" and works amazing when used with exact obedience and faith!
Once again we are teaching SOO MANY investigators and preparing them to be baptized hopefully here soon! But I love my mission so much cause I not only help other people grow soo much but I myself have grown more than I ever thought I would! I now KNOW what Helaman meant when he said "it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation"! Threw daily studying the Book of Mormon I have firmly planted my foundation in Jesus Christ! Just like Joseph Smith said, the Book of Mormon can get any man closer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other book!
But I'll be skyping home this Sunday for Mothers Day and it will be at 8 PM here so around 6 PM in the 801! First of all I need everyone there at 6 PM sharp!! That means all my friends and family that would love to come I would absolutely love to see all of your gorgeous faces! And then Dad I need you to send me your skype account number in the mail posted tomorrow so it gets here Saturday and then any other information I may need to connect with you guys on Skype! And I am pumped to see ya'lls face and I promise by Tuesday when I email home Elder Shaffer and I will of found a family to write you about! But nothin really else goin on just workin hard in the Lords work. I will be sending pictures soon!! I just have to find my camera cause I kinda lost it.. Oh and transfers are next week so beware I could get transfers but I pray I don't! Oh and the bugs don't really bug me to much cause the Lord protects His missionaries!
Jesus Christ is there to strengthen each and every one of us threw every single day!! Keep the "sunshine in your soul" and always have the Spirit with you! I love ya'll and write letters as always!!
With Love,
Elder Pond
