On Wednesday last week, nothing really
went as planned. We had set up a bunch of lessons to be taught, and had to have
district meeting that day amid all of the craziness. A lunch with some less
actives, then district meeting, which was focused on the temple, and then
lessons for the rest of the day. We had a great lesson with I. about the Plan
of Salvation. When he came to church, we gave him a copy of the Gospel
Principles book in Spanish, and he had been reading it since then. The book
begins with the premortal life, so we were able to teach him the Plan without
too much hassle. We then went and had dinner with B., and ate pizza at a
park. Now, about a month ago, I had this dream, that we were at a park, eating
with a member, and just over behind the member was a group of fat people
fighting each other with swords. When I woke up, I told my companion, and
commented on how outlandish that dream was, and how it couldn't possibly ever
happen. While we were eating with B., I had a very stark deja vu, and
remembered that dream, for lo and behold, over behind B. was a bunch of
fat people fighting each other with Nerf swords and shields. I about died. I
couldn't just bust up laughing, since B. was telling us about something
that had happened this week. But, once we were in the car, I died laughing.
After that, we went and met with a referral named A. Her brother-in-law
and niece are members, (but the bro-in-law is less-active), and she had talked
to her niece about the church. When we got there and met her, the first thing
she said was "You have a book for me, don't you?" So we sat down, a
little surprised, and taught the Restoration. At one point, she got very
emotional, and said that all she wanted was to be able to feel the love of God
in her heart, and feel that joy that Christ mentions in the Bible. So we
promised that she could feel that by reading and praying, and that God would
tell her the truth of all things, and give her that unspeakable joy. In the
closing prayer, the Spirit got very, VERY strong. I'm not sure what happened to
make it peak in strength like that, but it was awesome.
Thursday, we had your average day of
weekly planning. Not much happened. We went and tried to prepare to write our
talks for Sunday, (since we had been asked to speak). We then met with Hna.
G., and read from the BoM with her. After reading, she told us that she had
been at work, and her boss told her to do something that she utterly refused to
do. They argued, and Hna. G. went home crying in frustration. She said that
she said a prayer, and went to sleep. She had a dream where everything was
white, and she said she heard a voice saying that she should be humble, be
silent, and do as her boss had told her to do. The voice then told her that He
had suffered torture, humiliation, and finally on the cross, had to suffer the
sadistic sneers of the Pharisees as He suffered. And He did it silently. The
voice told her to be silent, and be faithful. So she went and did as she had
been instructed in the dream, and everything worked out. I thought that if
anyone could take something from this, it would be me, so I hurried and wrote
down the dream to share in this email. We then went and visited the B.'s.
Their family from Guatemala was here for the Thanksgiving week, and they are
all non-members except for our members A. and A.L. We talked for a
bit, and we started talking with Hna. B. about the temple and how she
would be able to get there with her family, (since A. hadn't quite shown up
yet). We then went home for the night.
Friday, we had MTE's. Once again, we
got a zone leader coach, and this time, it was Elder H. from up in Ramona. We
went out and started working by doing some contacting, and added and
investigator. We then went to visit a potential investigator. When we got
there, she told us that she was on her way out, (but was wearing sweats and a
t-shirt, so she probably wasn't), and we started up a conversation about Alex
Boye, since he was here in San Diego for a concert for Sunday. We then got onto
the topic of the Restoration, taught it, and committed her and her son to
reading it before we came back. After that, and for the rest of the night, we
tried contacting some other members to visit, and contacted in the streets for
a while.
Then, on Saturday, we ditched the zone
leader, and went to lunch with the Twin Peaks Elders. Afterwards, we worked a
bit more on our talks; mine being focused on the testimonies of the prophets,
and Elder G.'s was on the sacrament. We then went and visited with L.,
our investigator. We had the Plan of Salvation lined up to teach, and when we
got there, his eyes were a bit red, and he seemed really concerned. We started
the lesson, and got all the way to the end, when I felt a strong prompting to
ask what the matter was. I asked him, and he didn't answer for about a minute,
then began to cry. He said that his brother-in-law had died on Wednesday, and
he wished that he could have received the Gospel before he died. We then taught
about vicarious work for the dead, and how it provides the chance to hear and
accept the gospel to every being, whether living or dead. We told him that he
could know that the Lord was helping his brother-in-law to receive the gospel,
and that he could receive great comfort from prayer. We then went and ate
dinner, and proceeded to L.'s to visit him and R., since R. is
going to Mexico for two months. We got talking with L., and he finally
opened up to us and told us the whole reason for why he doesn't want to go to
church. He believes that the church isn't true, but that it's the best that he
can find. Some very horrible things happened to him at the hands of his church
leadership, and it pushed him away, and hurt his testimony. Now that we know
the core of his pain, we can pray and search and work to help him soften his
heart.
Sunday, we didn't have much of anything
happen. We went to branch council and shared the "He is the Gift" initiative
that's being released this Friday, and how the church would be using it to
further the missionary work all over the world during the Christmas season. The
leadership was geared down to share the video at the ward party on the 6th, and
we have been given some assignments for the party. We then had church, and
F. came again. We talked to him a bit, and found out that his family had
come for a visit this last week, and that was why he couldn't meet with us on
Saturday. We then gave our talks in Sacrament meeting. I gave some thoughts as
follows. We forgot all that we knew and loved, including Heavenly Father, when
the veil was placed upon us. I mentioned how painful it must have been for
Heavenly Father to do that willingly to His children, and watch them forget who
He was. I then mentioned how all of the prophets gained their testimonies the
same way; through the Holy Ghost. They were called in visions and visitations
of angels, and so forth, but that their testimonies had come through the Holy
Ghost, and not through any vision or revelation. And at the end, I shared how
our testimonies are merely us remembering those things that we knew before this
life, and that they are revealed through the Holy Ghost. After church, we had
dinner with some members, and went to visit a less-active member with the
second counselor in the Presidency. We shared the Restoration, and called it a
night.
Yesterday, we had three investigators
drop us in a row. I. called us to tell us that he wouldn't be meeting with us
on Wednesday, because he was going to Honduras to be with his father. His
father is in very bad health, and it's very likely that he will die, so I. is
going to Honduras for an undetermined amount of time, thus we have to drop him
until he comes back. Another investigator then told us that he was moving to
another state, and that he was very thankful for us having shared the gospel
with him. Right after that, we found out that another investigator had moved
away. I realized, after some prayer and pondering, that these people never were
my investigators. They were the Lord's, and the He would take care of them no
matter where they went. We then went and tried to see some potential
investigators, and ended the night at a member's home.
I guess in this time of year, I'd like
to say that I have marveled several times over my family. The fact that my
parents have raised me and my siblings in such a way that all of us are active
in the church, that we all have strong testimonies, and that we all have love
one towards another, and that I can't even remember arguing with my siblings.
(I mean sure, I remember fighting a bit with Ashley when I was little, but that
was because she always started it. ;) ) But I've been astounded by that fact
alone, that we have all been so strong in the Gospel, and that even though we
didn't have the best that the world had to offer, we had the best that the Lord
had to offer. And for that, I am forever grateful. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for
teaching us to love the better things in life, and for teaching us to love one
another. I'm glad to say that I can rise up and forever call you both blessed,
for you both have truly paved the foundation for my life, and have put me on
the right path. Thank you.
To my siblings, I express my thanks for
the constant support that I've had from you all. Even though I made stupid
teenage mistakes, none of you ever judged me, and instead, gave me shoulder to
lean on, and carried me through hard times. Thank you, Ashley, Camille,
Melissa, Rachel, and Matt. I love each one of you so very much.
That's about it! We have three places
to eat at for Thanksgiving, so we'll be quite full indeed. Who knows? I may
even gain weight. (Fat chance. HEHEH. Fat. Chance. Get it? Yeah....) I love
you!
-Love, Elder Crook
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