I just witnessed a miracle! Before we came to the church to email we went to walmart to do our shopping for the week. On the way out we were stopped by the greeter guy. I have seen this same man every week that I have been in Galesburg and I've always said hi, but today as we were leaving he asked to come over to him. He is confined to a wheel chair. He asked us if we knew how he could be baptized. LIKE WHAT! Umm yes sir I know exactly how you can be baptized. I would have done it right there. His name is Geoffrey. He said he has a friend in the ward, the name didn't sound familiar, but we gave him our phone number and the address to the church and he said he wants to come. It was so awesome.
This week we had a mini-missionary from the youth of the stake come out with us for 3 days. His name was Mathias Cash, but we called him Brother Cash since he wasn't yet an elder or set apart as one. We picked him up late Thursday night and he helped us out til Sunday. He was awesome, he was super into it and wanted to learn about what missionary life was like. I hope he had a good experience. I sure thought it was fun to have him with us and I'm sad that he's gone now.
On Friday we did just about some of everything, so it was good to show Brother Cash all the aspects of missionary work. We knocked on some doors in the morning, not too many people answered, but there was a yard sale going on and we talked to a few people there. There was a full horse skin and I really wanted it, but I didn't have any money with me and I decided that I don't have any room to take it with me if I get transferred ): We ran into a less-active member who was there and were able to talk to her for a while, even set up an appointment to go do some service for her. Then we taught a few lessons to recent converts.
We also got to meet with David and Viola again! That was a miracle because I thought they were done with us. Turns out we just needed to back off for a few days and let things settle. But when we went back he was glad to see us and apologized for not coming to church, but the brakes in his car went out and he didn't want to risk anything by driving all the way in to town. He lives 45 minutes away from the church so I don't blame him I guess. But I learned a really important lesson from that: never give up on anybody, but sometimes you just need to take a step back and let them figure things out because everything that we teach is so new and different to people that it may take a while for it all to sink in. It seems like such an obvious thing, in fact all these little lessons I learn seem so obvious after I learn them, but I guess that I have just been too stupid to figure them out until now. But at least I know them now and I'm sure there's lots more obvious things to be revealed to me (:
Then we went and did some service for Sister Wiley, who is moving out of her house back up to Minnesota. She used to cut my hair for free, now I'll have to pay someone to do it. What a bummer! We also gave her a blessing before we left. I love to give blessings and participate in them. You can feel of the Spirit so strong because you are literally speaking what God wants you to say to them! So that all happened on Friday with Brother Cash so he really got to experience it all.
Saturday we attended a baptism for an investigator that Elder Butterfield taught in his last area. So Brother Cash even got a baptism in his 3 days! He was so eager to take part in everything about missionary work. We even asked him before we took him back if there was anything else he wanted to experience or learn about and he said that he wanted to stand outside of the car and back us out. He was so great. He is only 16, but he is eager to serve.
Thursday before we got our mini-missionary the whole Peoria zone got together and we met our new president, President Griffin. He is pretty cool, he is all about making the work fun and finding joy in doing what you do and I think that is going to be great to learn from him. He sure is a lot different from President Fenn, but I'm sure he will be just as good because he was called of God to be here and to lead us.
We taught the gospel principle class yesterday in Sunday school. We taught about sacrifice. My favorite scripture that we used was Abraham 3:25 "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;". All things means ALL THINGS. Whatever we will be called upon to do we are expected to fulfill what we are called to do. That's part of this test of life, to see if we will do whatever God asks of us.
A man (or woman) cannot live in heaven if they do not strive to live a heavenly life. We live a heavenly life and are a "living sacrifice" as Paul puts it, if we do the things the Lord commands of us and put off the "natural man" (Mosiah 3:19).
We were looking through some former investigators to visit in our area book and this one had me rolling on the ground!
Elder Bolton trying and my companion participating in Sister Griffins object lesson.
Us and Brother Cash
G. Franklin Scherer
1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515
USA
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