Letter

This was an amazing week! A LOT has happened. We did a lot of finding, knocking doors and just talking to everyone.  I absolute love it, even though people can be rude sometimes. This week our mission president was guided by the spirit to have us use a specific video in our finding efforts. It is Thomas S Monson's testimony of Christ, it is so spiritually powerful, I LOVE it. Anyhow I was a little hesitant to use it at first, but we had a guy ask us to, "come back tomorrow". Which is normally code for, " I don't want to talk to you, and I bet you're too lazy to come back." Obviously we went back the next day and he was genuinely surprised we actually came back. He started to ask us to leave and I went for the long shot and asked him if he had literally one minute to spare (it's a pretty short video). It really hit him. When I asked him what thoughts came to mind as we watched it he spoke for about 4 minutes without stopping. He invited us inside and we left him with a Book of Mormon that he said he'd read, and we exchanged contact information. The spirit is so strong and when it's there it is easy to teach, because I'm not the one teaching at that point. 

This week we got to go and teach a lady named Michelle. She has some trouble grasping the concepts of the gospel, as well as hearing what we say. We've had some communication issues in the past, so we decided to talk really loud and to focus on the amazing gift of the Holy Ghost, and the blessings it brings to our lives. She loved it and really wants it and recognizes that we can obtain that gift after baptism. She is so sweet and she wants to do what God wants her to do in every facet of her life. She asked us," will God give me that good feeling if I get baptized." I know she will and she said she'd pray and ask God about baptism. It was an amazing lesson because of the spirit that was there. 

This week we had exchanges and I made my first trip to the urgent care as a missionary. Elder Johnson came to my area while elder Poston went to his. Elder Johnson had some kind of infection in his thumb that was creating a lot of swelling and pressure and therefore pain. We called the senior missionary over health and she told us to go to the an urgent care. I was kind of bummed because I had a lot of stuff I wanted to do in my area, but the second I thought that i got the feeling that something was going to happen while we were there that was gods will. That feeling (which was the spirit) was right. After we got there (we had to bike for about 20 minutes out of my area to get to the urgent care) I sat in the waiting room while the other elder did paperwork. I sat down next to a lady and had a really long conversation with her, she was a less active member who hadn't been to church in 17 years. I made a friend, and I don't know if that is going to make her want to get back to church, but it helped her feel gods love for her to have a friend to talk to. And that is just as much gods will as someone reading the Book of Mormon. Anyhow after that cool experience I got to go and watch a doctor cut into my temporary companions thumb, which was pretty interesting.  

The last thing I'm going to talk about is the lady who decided this week to get baptized on the 28th. She is amazing. She hasn't been progressing or doing any of the commitments we have left with her for a while. She has been going through some really tough trials lately. But while we were at her house this week we were talking to her and something amazing happened. Elder Poston is no doubt writing back about this same experience but I'm going to talk about something he won't. Elder Poston has been meeting with this lady, Reina, since before I got there. He started meeting with her just as these trials were beginning. Reina is a very tough lady, she has 4 sons and I have never seen her cry. But she could barely speak through the tears as she spoke about how much it has meant to her to have "the boys" (us) meet with her, and how through everything elder Poston has always been there for her since the very beginning, even when her own sons weren't. She decided to follow this light and be baptized. To show her sons, through example, how important God is, and should be in their lives. Elder Poston is an amazing missionary. He doesn't give himself enough credit, but he has changed lives because of his love for people, and will continue to do so throughout his mission. I've been ridiculously spoiled. I have an amazing area, great weather, an apartment with two showers, and then my companion is a childhood friend I've known most of my life. I've loved all the lessons I've learned so far and I look forward to all the lessons I will continue to learn. God loves you all and everyone has infinite potential in his eyes. Love You All!

-Elder Andrew Deppe