Eternigators and Female Hogs

Hi Everyone!

This week's had some ups and downs, I'll get the worst out of the way right now. Our family of 3 kids and their mom who had a date for the 7th moved, and wouldn't answer their phone, then hung up on us when we called from a private number. The good news is, every time one door closes, another better one always opens. That's wise counsel my grandma gave me when I was 16, and it's proven to be true in my life. Although we had that rough spot in the week, we've been having a lot of success in tracting, including a lady and her daughter who were taught a few years ago by my trainer's trainer's trainer Elder Cerda! (on a tangent, his last name in Spanish equates to something like "female hog", and is unfortunate and really funny. :)

Also, one of our investigators came to church this week who hadn't been in over a year! It's a part-member family, the wife was baptized several years ago but went inactive, and her husband's been an "eternigator" since then. We finally realized what he needs, which is TONS of homework reading in the Book of Mormon/Bible/Gospel Principles book, because to him it means almost when somebody "teaches" him something, so lessons are useless, but he's a voracious reader and is on fire with feasting on the scriptures. He also took a massive step of faith by coming to church, which is super-hard because they have a 2 year old with more energy than a red-bull drink. :) He was running around and screaming the whole time, luckily at the end of church they found out that he'll actually stay in the nursery and be happy, so it's just sacrament meeting they have to deal with him. This is the coolest thing though, the entire family's reactivating and he's progressing towards baptism, and they're feeling the spirit and seem 5X happier! Also the ward stepped up and half the members said hi, including the bishop who took some time to talk to them! I never knew how big a difference it made to have people just come up and smile, shake your hand, say hi and leave, but this family was just glowing even that night when we visited them!

I'm coming to appreciate this opportunity of a mission more and more, and as I'm taking my mom's excellent advice to focus on the positive and let go of the negative I'm seeing so many more blessings than I realized I had. I'm finding it easier to love the people and lose myself in the work, and I'm starting to become a different person as a result. I'm starting to gain an appreciation for the 2000 stripling warriors who listened to their mothers, and then when they were out in the field they obeyed their leaders with exactness, and as a result miracles happened. That's a pattern for success in these times as well, and I'm just beginning to experience that.

I hope all of you have a great week, but more importantly that you stay close to the Lord and have His blessings in your life! I know that this church is true and that the gospel works, I've seen it in my own life and I get to be out here watching it do the same to others! This is the best and most important thing in the world, the church and work of God, and we get to be a part of it!

Love,
Elder Damon Janis