Andover week 20

Well we had quite the week! 7 people came to church with us yesterday! Our most progressing investigator, Brother Z, got up and bore his testimony!! I was grinning ear to ear.

We had a few lessons with Brother and Sister Z this week that went quite well. We talked about the 10 commandments and the Sabbath day came up. Our joint teacher told brother Z he absolutely cannot watch football on the Sabbath. he kinda flipped out and the JT got a little bit stern. But we calmed the situation down by saying the Sabbath is something you need to determine between yourself and God. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning or promoting watching football on the Sabbath, we just have to set our Sabbath day with God. It is one of the biggest commandments with the least amount of detail about the correct observations.

He is well into second Nephi and going strong. His wife got work off finally and was able to come to church. :)

We taught a man named B that the Sisters gave us. He is 52 years old with a 3 year old son and also recently divorced. he liked the message but his son went berserk and absolutely wrecked the lesson with a lot of screaming, throwing things, interruptions, and whatever else you can name. But B still got some good stuff out of it and wants to read the BoM!

We also taught a 21 year old Kenyan named M. The Sisters gave him to us too. We went over with a priest in the ward and we were going to teach him about the Restoration. he then informed us he was atheist and the lesson changed a tad. The priest's eyes got a little big and he had no idea what to do. ha ha. oh man.

We went over to try and contact another person the sisters gave us (they seem to find a LOT of single males...) and a woman opens the door. We hear a man yell "are they talking about church/ SHUT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!" The door quickly shut. So that was a fun experience. The sisters forgot to mention he was like a sophomore or something. That changes the approach a little bit.

So it rained most of Thursday. The rain then turned to snow. I do not recall ever seeing rain snow before but it was pretty cool. The snow flakes were bigger than quarters and the city just got covered. So we went to go talk to Brother F. Now I have had a few run ins with brother F before and they didn't go too well. he wont accept the BoM and says God told him it was false, even though he has never read it. he watched some movie that proves the BoM false and he wants us to watch it with him. Anyway, Brother F. called the mission office and talked to the assistants for 45 minutes then requested we go see him. So the assistants called us about a referral. i got excited! Then I heard the name and just shook my head. But we had to go see him. So we went and he flipped out about how the bible says Christ was born in Bethlehem and the BoM says Jerusalem. Therefore the book is wrong. He kept saying he knows that faith is required, but then demanded to see physical evidence. i actually really like Brother F. But seeking answers from God with a  closed mind does not work.

We helped Brother G clean out his garage this last week. it is super cluttered and he wanted to get the car in it. so Sister O came out, his roommate, and things got western real quick. She was screaming to throw all his stuff away and leave her stuff out. he was throwing her stuff into piles. it took all I had to keep the situation calm and appease both parties. but hey, we left her stuff out AND got the car in the garage. so it all worked out!

Saturday we biked most the day. it was in the 50s! And so hot! Sunday was 60 degrees. I wore a short sleeve shirt and we had the AC on in the car. but now the temp dropped again and it will snow again. yay...

Sunday the Bishop asked us missionaries to teach the youth about missionary work. He asked me to lead the discussion. the whole thing went pretty well. We talked about how we are ALL children of God. I personally think this is one of the most trite sayings in the church that we as members don't actually think too deeply about. but really, this is a powerful statement. we talked about not judging and getting a testimony of the BoM. I introduced a role play to all the youth in the ward and had them explain to people they meet in the hall ways of their schools something about our church using the Articles of Faith card. I think it went pretty well!

D&C 100: 5-8

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; ^aspeak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be ^bconfounded before men;  6 For it shall be ^agiven you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.
 7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye ^adeclare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.
 8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the ^aHoly Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

I like this scripture a lot. There are so many promises! If we open our mouths God will give us the words to speak and the holy Ghost will testify of these things to the people we talk to! What we say will not bring people to a knowledge of their redeemer. But what they feel will!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Damron