Pretty okay week this week. We got a new investigator! And we finally got in contact with Dusty again!
Anna is doing well. She's stubborn as always. But we helped her to recognize this week, through some of her past experiences with receiving answers to prayer, that she will have peace about a decision to join the Church at the moment when she finally prays about it and gets an answer. She's just not ready to pray about it yet though. She knows what the answer will be.
We saw a bunch of less-actives this week and had some really good lessons. We saw a guy who I had been griping about just before the lesson, that he would probably not come back to church anytime soon, and then in the lesson he told us that one of the things he was prompted in Conference to do (he watched part of Conference - hooray for revelation through Conference!) was to start coming back to church, so he was going to start coming again. Awesome! And a dose of humble pie for me! Haha
We finally saw a couple of recent convert kids that Elder Hoff and his last companion baptized! We've been trying to see them since Elder Lambert got here but they just keep cancelling. They're kind of punks and don't like to give straight answers to questions (they're 9 and 13) but at least we finally saw them.
We also saw David, our excommunicated member, and shared the What Lack I Yet story from Matthew 19. He said it was what he needed right then because of some things he was struggling with, so that was good.
We didn't see Jon this week because he isn't answering the door or phone. Which stinks, but isn't terribly unusual for him, so we are a little frustrated but not too worried.
We had interviews with President Griffin this week and he gave me some counsel that is going to be really helpful for me. That was good too.
And! Yep, you read me right. We got a new investigator this week! His name is Fred. Actually he's a former investigator that Elder Lambert stumbled on in the Area Book. He has been taught for years and has even had a baptismal date in the past. He believes Joseph Smith is a prophet but he doesn't seem to realize the connection to this being the true Church. He has Word of Wisdom concerns but that can be overcome. He has a lot of potential. Definitely led there by the Spirit. We even saw him with a member, one of the youth who leaves for the Arizona Tempe Mission in 8 days!
Also - we finally got in touch with Dusty again! We decided on Friday to text him one last time and give him a week, and if he didn't respond, to drop him. Well, he texted back that day. He and Amber are going through a reeaally tough spot right now. They could use a lot of prayers. We stopped by when we were in the area (another prompting - this week has had a lot of promptings from the Spirit) and caught him home finally and were able to give him a priesthood blessing. We've put his name on the nearest temple prayer roll too.
My message for this week is that hope is never lost. For anyone. I was reminded of that this week by Dusty - who finally got back to us - and by our less-active - who is going to come back to church despite what I thought - and by our new investigator Fred - who was a former investigator. Christ never gives up on anyone, including YOU, and including everyone around us. So neither should we. No matter how bad things may seem or how far you may have wandered you and all of us can come back because of the Atonement of Christ. Reach out to Him! He's reaching out to you!
"...I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts." -2 Ne 28:32
I love you all!
Elder Alex Swindler
Glam Shots for the Fan Club:
1) Featuring Elder Swindler, Elder Lambert, and Elder Baird, demonstrating the safe and proper way to ride in a mission vehicle.
2) Featuring Elder Nelson, Elder Swindler, Elder Lambert's cheek (yes, his face) and Elder Baird's chin.
3) And here we see the Lambert in his natural habitat.
4-6) Some selfies.
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