Miracles Happen! 10/2/12

Wow, it's been so good to hear all the fantastic things that are going on back home.  Thank you so much for sharing those experiences with me! 

But man, this past week we had an incredible experience.  So I don't remember if I told you guys about a man named Shaish that owns an Indian food restaraunt?  When we first met him he actually asked us for a Book of Mormon and then we were supposed to teach him 2 transfers ago, but he forgot and Sis.Benson and I ate free Indian food anyways.  We haven't seen him again until on Saturday.

Saturday started out pretty crummy.  We ran into a Jehovah's Witness man out knocking on doors too and he preached to us for like 45 min. and wouldn't let us say anything.  Anyway, he killed the spirit of the morning and we were just walking around Newcastle Emlyn trying to find people to talk to.  I prayed in my heart that someone would stop and listen and then Shaish came walking out of a shop.  He started chatting to us again about what we believe will happen after death.  Then Sis.Benson brilliantly asked him if he had a few mintues that we could sit down and teach him for a bit.  Shaish said, 'I have all the time in the world!'  So we went to Yasmin's, his restaraunt and we sat down at a table and taught him the whole Plan of Salvation.  It was the best lesson we have ever had.  We were able to teach clearly and in unity and whenever Shaish asked a question or brought up a concern we were able to answer in a way that he would nod and agree that it made sense.  Oh it was just awesome and he was getting excited.   Towards the end of the lesson he said that in the Qur-an it mentions some gate that we must go through to enter into God's kingdom, but it doesn't tell us what the gate is.  He was wondering if he needs to go to Jerusalem and go through a special gate or something. Ha ha!  So we pulled out 2 Nephi 31:8-9 and showed him that the gate is baptism.  After he read it he said, 'The gate is baptism! So I guess I need to get baptized!'  We were like YES!  Then I tried to extend the formal baptismal invitation found in Preach My Gospel, but I only got through, ' Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized...'  And he said Of course! Oh man!  I didn't know what to do! So we invited him to church on Sunday and he siad he would love to come, but he was going to London for the weekend.  We invited him to come watch General Conference this weekend at the church and he said that he'll come for sure and that he'll even try to come for both days.  SWEET!  It is truly a miracle.  I have yet to meet someone in this country so ready to accept the gospel.  We're lucky if we can make it to a 2nd lesson with people let alone commit them to baptism.

Shaish is about 35 and has a 12 yr old daughter.  He considers himself a christian muslim. Ha ha!  He believes that the Qur-an, the Bible, and the BOM are inspired from God, but he thinks that the Muslims don't quite have it all and he has been looking for the missing puzzle pieces for a while now.  It was cool to teach him the Plan because it filled in some of those missing pieces that are left out of the Qur-an and that he has had questions to.  He is a very happy, positive, friendly guy and I know that if he were to join the church that he would be able to stand on his own two feet where as some investigators really need the fellowshipping of members to be able to come to church.  And that is fine that some people join because of their good friends, but then if they have a falling out with their friend, then they stop coming to church.  Shaish is one who would come to church because of the gospel and the Spirit.  I am so excited for him to come to conference this weekend!

This transfer is a Thomas S. Monson transfer and the mission has set a goal for every companionship to have a baptism.  And I think Shaish could be it.  So we've been sharing with all of the members our story about Shaish and we have been asking everyone to pray for him so that the adversary will not get to him and that he may continue to learn more of the gospel.  It is a really good way to unite the ward and help build their confidence in us.  We are really going to work closely with the ward and try and get them excited about missionary work as well.

And we got free take away Indian food after the teach (:  Shaish is the man!   After we tell members that part, they all want to come teaching with us. Ha ha ha! 

 We've had other small miracles happen this week. Just a lot of good things happened.  We taught Vincent that we met last Saturday and his wife Gloria.  It was a good lesson, but he's Catholic and doesn't believe the priesthood was ever lost after the apostles were killed.  But we gave him a BoM and he said we are welcome to come back any time.  So I pray that the BoM will touch his heart. 

 Most of our previous investigators seemed to have dropped off the map.  It's really hard because we can usually get one or two lessons with people and then for some reason they stop answering their phones and are never home and just disappear.

 I am excited for conference this weekend!  They'll broadcast the relief society one right before the Saturday morning session on Saturday, which starts at 5pm.  Then on Sunday we'll watch the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.  I'll have to wait for the Ensign to come out to read the Sunday afternoon.

 Thank you so much for all of your prayers and love and the pictures (:  And if you guys could keep Shaish in your prayers as well, that would be even more awesome.  I'm am putting a lot of faith and trust in the Lord that Shaish will be the one to be baptized this transfer.  It's hard not to doubt that he'll disappear as well, but I want to really rely on the Lord on this one and hope as best I can that things will work out for the best.

I love you all and have a wonderful week!

Sister LeFevre