I Love This Gospel

SO MUCH TO WRITE SO LITTLE TIME @ ^ @

Baptisms. We're baptizing this month. Things are kinda chaotic since all the missionaries in Jonesboro are baptizing this month (YEAH), but what it ALL COMES DOWN TO is that by January 27, I will have 2 more baptisms, and there will be much rejoicing in the land.

First we've got Emuobor, whom I talked about last week. He talked to us after church, and the conversation kinda went like this.

M- "So, were you able to read since we last saw you?"

E- "After you guys left the last time you saw me, I decided to pray if the LDS church was true. After I prayed, I felt peace and warm... Is that what you guys call a testimony?"

M- :O

After much composure-keeping and sweating, we told him that he needed to hang onto that testimony he just gained and continue moving forward. GOSH WE LOVE EMUOBOR. He'll also start attending Institute when that picks up again, because, y'know, he's already attended the Institute in NIGERIA. Seriously, this kid knows more than we think he does, or even HE thinks he does.

As for Troy, we will see if he's back this week. He's hard to contact since he has no phone (and the people at his address aren't too friendly towards us), so we're hoping he's back from his trip and ready for baptism.

We've also been going through some contacts. One is named Dan. Dan has a sister that married a Mormon and converted to Mormonism herself. Dan has a nephew on a mission in Virginia. Dan is a busy man and was dropped because he had to keep rescheduling with the missionaries, but he loves the missionaries very much. Dan last read the Book of Mormon two weeks ago because his sister keeps telling him to study. Dan loves the family values of our church and would like to attend. We love Dan.

I feel... very undeserving of all the blessings I've received lately. I need to change in many aspects when it comes to working and studying. But someone as imperfect as me is being blessed on all sides, and it's truly miraculous...

I love this gospel. It's a gospel of happiness, of confidence, of love and of hope. I don't know where I or anyone else would be without it. Each new experience and teaching makes me really giddy for my own future. I'll admit, the thought of being a husband and a father crosses my mind, and I have learned principles that will bless my family for eternities to come. I cannot wait to have my own family. BUT, I just have to keep learning and working.

OH YEAH. Why did I forget!? We were having dinner with a family called the Chandlers. We were wrapping up our visit, talking about people and things, when the 11-year-old boy of the group pipes up a conversation with me.

He says, "Hey, there's a kid at school I eat lunch with that calls himself a Mormon, but he doesn't come to church. "

"Oh really, what's his name?"

"Cy."

Cy.
CY.
CY.

I flipped a wig. Did a pirouette off the handle. Cy Orey. Son of Michael Orey from his first marriage. Michael Orey from WEST MEMPHIS. After a few quick calls and many excited exclamations that evening, I set up to meet with the Oreys as they dropped Cy off at his mom's in Jonesboro. Cy has our phone number and will talk to his parents about coming to church or being baptized or SOMETHING cool like that. Not only did we get Cy set up, but I saw the Oreys again, and I'll get to see them again in two weeks! :3 I'm a very happy missionary.

Ok, I gotta wrap up. Love y'all! Be safe in the freezing temperatures I hear Utah is getting.

-Elder Staib