Dear Family and Friends!!
It was really good to hear from ya'll this week! We had an amazing week here in Wellington South! Elder Chamberlain and I were talking last night about how truly these are the best two years of our lives, for two reasons! First of all we get to bring the gospel to people who need that happyness in their lives. Second it prepares us for so much more later in life! I wouldn't rather be anywhere than Fort Lauderdale and especially Wellington right now!
As you can see the work is going forth here in Wellington! We have full faith that our zone will hit 21 baptisms this month and that this is the month for 100 baptisms as a mission once again! I cannot wait for our faith and obedience to be shown. This Sunday we had a baptism and the Spirit was very strong as always! It pierced me to the very soul and brought that same Spirit into our lessons that we taught after church!This week I also went on exchanges with Elder Torres, District Leader that serves in South Bay, and it was an edifying experience for both of us! We hit the pavement and went to work preaching repentance unto the people of Wellington! We both learned a lot and especially that we need a balance with finding and teaching. We just have so many amazing people that we are teaching to prepare them towards baptism by the Spirit! I love bringing souls closer to our Savior Jesus Christ, there is no greater joy! I decided that it is my dream to stand on a podium in the middle of a busy street and preach repentance unto everyone just like the olden days! I know it wouldn't work very well but its something that I think would be soo sick!!
I absolutely love seeing people recognize us as representitives of Jesus Christ! There was an amazing experience that we had the other day with that! We were following up with investigators that didn't make it to Church this Sunday and a lady was walking a dog and said "Hey Elders". So we went right over there and began talking with her! Her dad is a member of the Church that lives in Utah but she just never got baptized. She began talking about the Book of Mormon and said she knows it is true! We testified that if she acts now, her life will be eternally blessed! We blessed her home, testified of the Spirit, and she will be preparing to be baptized here soon! All that happened because the Spirit led us to the right place at the right time and she saw us as representitives of Jesus Christ! I love it!!
Another amazing experience that we had this week was actually while I was on exchanges with Elder Torres! We went to do an interview for the Sister that was baptized this week. She is in a part-member family that we baptized her two sisters a couple of months ago and she was absolutely ready to be baptized now! She read the entire Book of Mormon Stories and started reading the actual Book of Mormon and got to 2nd Nephi in two days!! So she passed her interview, but when she took her record in for her mom to sign it she wouldn't. Automatically my heart dropped! So much was running threw my mind and I was terrified becuase she wasn't going to be able to experience the blessings of the gospel because of something out of her control. So we knocked on her moms door and asked if we could speak with her for a little bit. She came out and the first thing she said was "Why does she even need to be baptized". So Elder Torres and I went to work testifying of this is the way. We probably invited her mom to be baptized three different times. You could see the Spirit truly testifying to her and softening her heart! Then at the end she signed the record because she could not deny the Spirit that we brought! And finally she got baptized and we couldn't be happier for her!
I have also seen The Book of Mormon work miracles this week! We have so many people that we are teaching that just tear apart The Book of Mormon and love it! It truly speaks miracles!
I absolutely love our Recent Converts and members and investigators here in Wellington! I have become a part of them and they have become a part of my family! They are such blessings in my life! And will always be a part of my life!
I cannot wait to see even more miracles here in Fort Lauderdale! They are coming I can feel it!
But as for your questions we have a pretty nice apartment here in Wellington. It definetely has air conditioning, it's actually a requirement for all missionary apartments! If the apartment doesn't have air conditioning then we can't live there. But we are just working very hard here in Wellington South and have some amazing baptisms coming up! On the fourth of July we did the same thing we do every single day, went out and helped people come closer to Jesus Christ! It was actually an amazing day! But I gotta go I love ya'll and can't wait to here from ya'll!! Letters are amazing and packages are even better!! And yea I got the treats mom and gabs they were amazing!!
Always With Love,
Elder Pond
