Week of February 15th through 21st

It was a great week, in many respects busier than some of the others. We have more fun at Family Home Evening than any other time. We feel we are making some kind of contribution at Institute each Tuesday and we truly love every minute we can spend with our students. They are brilliant, fun, strong, and they teach us more than we teach them. We love them. 

We took the Sisters to District Meeting as Sister Mitte has injured her back and couldn't drive. Elder Bearnson was there and it was wonderful to see him again. He is amazing and it makes us so happy to see him. The meeting was very good and Elder Wood did a great job of conducting it and presenting better ways for us to succeed.  

Teaching investigators with the Elders and the Sisters is a privilege I can't begin to explain. It touches me deep within my soul to watch investigators learn of and accept truths of the Gospel. I feel the love of the Savior for these investigators as they commit to do His will. 

Flat inspections are fun and it strengthens me to see the strength of these dedicated missionaries.  

We went with Elders Wood and Gerber again this week to teach Peter and Peter was as remarkable as ever. He can hardly wait until he can be baptized. He is such a special person and he was so happy when I gave him the picture I took of him and Elders Session and Gerber. He thought abstaining from alcohol and tobacco was good and had no problem with that. But when they mentioned tea and coffee, he said, "Tea and coffee?" The missionaries said, "Yes. We do not drink tea and coffee. Will you live the Word of Wisdom and not drink tea and coffee?" He looked up and simply said, "Yes. It is a commandment." That's the way he is about everything. 

But of course the highlight of the week was Saturday night when Kurosh and Ben were baptized. Luc, our wonderful Luc, baptized Ben and Ben was deeply touched by the experience. He will be a great member of the Church. His parents and both Nanns (grandmothers) came. Kurosh, on the other hand is all alone in the world. He has no family, he is here as an assylum seeker, he is very shy and withdrawn. He now has people in the Church who will care for him. Elder Gerber spent a lot of time learning the baptismal prayer in Persian.  When he baptized Kurosh he said the prayer first in Persian and then in English, then he baptized him. It was very impressive. Right after the baptism the Zone Leaders took Kurosh with them to teach an investigator. He was so happy to be able to do that. 

Second Week of February 2009

It is amazing how many things can happen in a week. In addition to Ben, we learned that Kurosh wants to be baptized and it looks like that will happen on the 21st also.  Elders Session and Gerber stopped Kurosh on the street and talked to him about the Church. He had only been in Wales a few days, he listened to the Elders, and has accepted the Gospel. It appears to be true, the future of the Church in Great Britain and Europe is with the 18-30 year olds. It is an amazing privilege to be able to work with them.  

We have spent a tremendous amount of time this week studying the Gospel, part of the time preparing our Institute lessons, part of the time preparing a lesson for Relief Society, and a lot of time reading Preach My Gospel and reading and marking the scriptures referenced in PMG. I also finished the Book of Mormon for the second time since we started our mission. I only mention this to encourage my grandchildren and children to read, read, read the Book of Mormon.  I have gained an even stronger testimony of its truth and power. 

We had transfers this week and lost Sister Morris and Elder Sessions.  We will definitely miss both of them.  

I especially liked Institute this week as the students responded to the lesson and volunteered many, many comments regarding the Holy Ghost as a teacher of truth powerful enough to confound the mighty.  It was thrilling to me to see and hear them open up.  Their insights are deep and spiritually powerful.  

I gave a pass-along card to a Jewish Israeli at a stand in the mall in Cardiff. He said he hoped it wouldn't hurt his sale to me of products from the Dead Sea, but, "I am an atheist." I told him that it wouldn't. (I bought things I don't need.) We talked for a few minutes, I told him to look us up on mormon.org and he said he would. He said I could come back and talk to him any time and added, "And you don't have to buy anything." I told him I would like that. When we left he said, "God bless."  Interesting comment from an atheist!

Any time we can go with the Elders to teach Peter is a highlight. He is thoughtful, bright, serene, confident, studious and has such a simple and direct testimony of the truth.  I am continually amazed at how powerful the Spirit testifies when the Elders are teaching him and I believe it is because Peter has such strong faith and is so receptive to the teachings of Christ.  I hope and pray that his wife in Sierra Leone will receive the missionaries and join the Church too.  Peter is scheduled to be baptized soon and we are all looking forward to that. He could be such a powerful strength to the Church back in Sierra Leone, or anyplace else for that matter. 

Ben Edwards

Great News!

Ben Edwards has decided to be baptized on the 21st of February.  He has been coming to Family Home Evening and Institute for quite some time. He participates in all the YSA activities and has even gone on the Stake Temple trip to the London Temple the last two excursions. He waits on the grounds or in the visitors center while his friends do sessions and then talks with them between times and just enjoys being there. When he came to Church Sunday morning he showed me his new scriptures, a quad, that he bought while at the temple on Saturday and he was so excited to have them. He has been taught by Sisters Morris and Martinec and we are all thrilled at his decision. So is he.  As soon as he made the commitment, he sent text messages to all of his YSA friends.  He has asked Luc Rasmussen to baptize him. 

First week in February

Baptisms, Missionaries & Institute Students

Raymond Shepherd and Elder Cable

Elder Cable and Norland Kapler Mohoukou

Elders Toolson, Burtenshaw, Gerber and Sessions

Elders Gerber and Toolson, Elder and Sister Cable, Sisters Morris and Martinec, Elders Sessions and Burtenshaw

Elders Sessions and Gerber are our District Leaders.

Sisters Morris and Martinec are in our ward.

Elders Burtenshaw and Toolson are our Zone Leaders.

Dai Hole, Terri-Ann McKenny, Jess Witts, Luc Rasmussen

Ben Edwards and Elder Burtenshaw

What a great experience. Elder Cable was able to baptize Raymond Shepherd, a sweet man who is very sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. He told me that when he was baptized, "The Spirit was so strong. I could feel it all around me. When I came up out of the water, tears came to my eyes." And they did. Raymond was tracted out by Sisters Morris and Martinec. He has been a Jehovah Witness for 22 years and the break was very, very difficult for him, but he knew this is what the Lord wanted him to do and that he had to do it. Missionaries had tried to teach him years ago but he would not listen. When the Sisters knocked on his door he thought, "I need to let them in. I think God has brought them to me again." 

Norland Kapler is a student who was befriended by Syr Mambou, a recent convert. Syr talked to him about the Gospel and got him to listen to the missionaries. It has been an incredible experience to go with the Sister missionaries when they teach Norland. If he didn't quite understand a concept, Syr would often explain it to him in French or any one of a number of African languages. Norland was very accepting of the doctrines and principles and so determined to have a better life which he believes the Gospel can give him. And it can. Syr and Norland are now friends and will be a great help to each other. Norland came to Family Home Evening last week and he absolutely loved it. Syr and Norland come to Institute whenever possible (transportation is a problem) and they have both told us how much they have enjoyed the experience. Syr said, "I love the Apostle Paul, so I really enjoyed your lesson." They have so many challenges and trials to overcome and I pray for them daily. 

Our missionaries are great. You hear so much about goof-off missionaries, after all they are still very young. But I don't see it with the missionaries serving in our area. They are dedicated, obedient, humble, spiritual, hard-working missionaries. It is a blessing beyond measure and really unexplainable to be able to accompany them when they teach investigators. We have had some of our most spiritual experiences at these times. They have a way of bringing the Holy Ghost into the center of the discussions and it permeates the lessons. It is a privilege to know them. 

These are some of our favorite Institute Students. It is amazing how much we love them after such a short time. They surprise me daily with their goodness. For instance, Luc bore his testimony at the baptism (after apologizing for his scruffy appearance due to his impossible schedule) and said, "I was having a very hard week at Uni. I was just walking around listening [on his iPod] to a talk on the Fruits of the Spirit. As I did so someone's name came to my mind. I felt I should visit this person, so I did. I found that they were having a hard week also. We were able to share and when I left we both felt better. I know I was guided by the Spirit." I love that. First, how many university students walk around listening to talks by Church leaders on their iPod instead of music? Second, when he was prompted, Luc went straight-away and did as he was prompted. That's the way they are. Dai misses his mission so badly that he still wears his name tag on the inside pocket of his suit where others cannot see it, but it is still close to his heart. He shows it to me once in awhile, but adds, "But it has lost its power." But Dai is still powerful. He baptized Norland and was happy to do so and has taught incredible FHE lessons. Terry is the sweet and enthusiastic girl who talked about how Institute had "saved" her and was such a blessing in her life. Jess is very capable, talented, smart and spiritual. She came up to me a few weeks ago with a sparkle in her eyes and told me with excitement that she is going to General Conference in Salt Lake in April. It is a dream come true for her and she is just the type of person who should have the privilege. What a blessing and joy each of the young adults are in our lives. 

And another hope and blessing is Ben Edwards, a non-member who has decided to listen to the missionaries again. Ben has been very active in Institute and Family Home Evening for quite some time and we are very hopeful that he will actually join the Church. His comment after the baptism was, "There was a very warm feeling in my heart tonight." Dai said, "That's the Holy Ghost, Ben. Listen."