People Finding the Elders in Lake City

Hello everybody!

        It’s been quite the blessing of the week here in the Sunshine State! Not as much sunshine this week as some weeks before - there was a huge thunderstorm on Tuesday and then again yesterday. I’d forgotten what Florida rain, lightning, and thunder are like since last summer! I love the rain because that just means that everybody is inside - what a perfect time to visit people in their homes!

If there’s one day of this last week that stands out, it would be Wednesday. Such a crazy day! We had a tradeoff with some of the elders in our district until 2:00, then Elder Jenkins and I were back together and drove back to our house to pick up some things before we went out for the day. We got a text from some other missionaries, telling us about a man who wanted us to go and visit him to help his family life the gospel more. We go see him, sit in his warm, small home, and talk about the blessings of the gospel to families. He was very grateful and asked us to come by again in a few days. His two middle school aged kids came home from school and they sat, cross legged on the floor, and listened intently as we talked. Such a good family, and so ready for the gospel!

So, we are on cloud nine (finding somebody who wants to change and learn is the BEST feeling on earth), and bike back to our house because we need more copies of the Book of Mormon. As we’re about to leave, a guy drives past in a beat up old white sedan, and as he passes, yells “Elders!!” We wave, thinking that it’s a member, but then he flips the car in reverse and backs up. We meet him in the middle of the road and talk with him for a second - he has met with missionaries in the past and asked us to come by that night to talk.

So, 6:00 PM comes around and we go to his place. He felt like he had a lack of direction in his life, so we taught how the gospel will “point us in a straight course to eternal bliss”, as the Book of Mormon helps us see. He was really grateful and also asked us to come by later.

We felt like we could bike 80 miles an hour, we were so excited! It built my testimony that God prepares people to change - we didn’t do anything to find any of these people, but they all found us.

I’m being transferred to serve in Jacksonville with Elder Masino, who I’ve served around a lot before! I’m really excited to be able to finish my mission there. 

The last picture of our district before most of these missionaries break up and head to other parts of the mission. Transfers and change is always sad, but also really exciting as we look forward with hope.

Elder Berg and I! I respect him I a lot - he’s hands down one of the most kind, caring, patient people I’ve ever met.

Us and “Peanut”. One of our investigators has a lot of dogs, and this is just one. Actually, all of the people we teach have a lot of dogs...

Brother Waters and Kirky. We’ve been meeting with them for the last three months and I love them.

All of us missionaries + Missy! She received her patriarchal blessing on Sunday and let us come to be with her - a really special experience!