6/10/13

Dear Family,

 

This week was an exciting an interesting one. We were DAN JONES missionaries this week! To be a Dan Jones Missionary, you have to communicate with your ward mission leader everyday. Find a new investigator who says a prayer at the end of the lesson, attends a church tour before the first sunday they come to church, and then come to church! 2 out of every three of those type of investigators eventually are baptized! Many miracles occurred this week as well. Edrianne, the Dan Jones investigator, attended church and agreed to meet with us 3 times a week. Please pray for her. All she needs, is a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and she'll be baptized.

 

Aside from Edrianne, this story is a fun one to tell. Elder Basilius and I went to a part of town yesterday that was... less than well-kempt. As we entered the appartment building we planned to tract in, Elder Basilius looked at me with a sort of discusted look to which I chuckled. I knew he wasn't really as grossed out as he looked, at least I don't think so. As we knocked doors, one cambodian lady answered. She was shaking from head to foot. She obviously had some sort of pathogenic chill.

 

"Are you ok?" I asked.

 

"No," she said, and with broken english continued, "I'm sick."

 

"What's wrong?" replied Elder Basilius.

 

"I don't know." She answered. "I hurt all over."

 

I thought she was going to fall over with how hard she was shaking. The room, not to mention the appartment, was pretty warm. Elder Basilius look at me.

 

"Blessing?" He asked as he reached for his oil.

 

I wasn't too sure. She didn't ask for one. I explained to her as best I could what the blessing was. She looked desperate. She agreed to have one. We had another Elder from the Ward with us so we were able to go inside. As I stepped in I looked around. A cocroach trap sat on the table with several tiny roaches glued to it, where they eventually died of starvation. I looked to my left at the sink, and lo and behold, a pig head starred back at me. A cooked, pink, wet-looking pig head... And then a roach climbed out of it, which drew my attention to the other roaches crawling in, out, and around the sink. It made sense why the individual was sick. I looked at the Elder who was with us, who had a bewildered face, and Elder Basilius looked like he was going to vommit. I don't know what my face looked like, but it was probably similar. As we approached the woman's bedside, I noticed a hospital bed on the other side of the room where her ailing cancerous mother slept. It was a sad scene. I turned back to the woman, as Elder Basilius opened his oil container. She was shivering more than ever. He found out her full name and annointed her, afterwhich I pronounced a short blessing on her from Heavenly Father.

 

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" I asked.

 

"I don't know," the woman replied. "I need to call my sister and have her take me."

 

I wanted to call and Ambulence. Do something to get her out of that place. We stepped outside and made a few phone calls. We resolved that we should try again to get in contact with other family members who could help. We went back in and her a man was standing in the door way. I turned to him and said,

 

"I really think she needs to go to the hospital..."

 

"No..." I heard her faintly from her bed over in the corner. "I'm fine now..."

 

Her voice had changed from stern and tense to calm and exhausted. We approached her bedside, she had stopped shaking. She was about to fall asleep. The priesthood had blessed her. I don't know if she fully recovered that night or not. I think we saw her sister come to pick her up several minutes later. God loves His children. His priesthood is here to bless them.

 

Another Miracle. Sister Hauser in the ward approached us this passed sunday. I had never met her previous to this occasion:

 

"If my kids are unbaptized, do I talk to you or bishop?" She asked.

 

"How old are they?" Said Elder Basilius

 

"10 and 13." she replied  "Im moving out of the ward in a couple weeks and I'd like to have them baptized as soon as possible."

 

"Well we can take care of that!" I exclaimed.

 

She is moving away from these kids' step-father who previously didn't allow them to be baptized and now they can be! They're lives will be changed! TO ZION!