This week... Let me see if I can actually recall it all right now. It's always so difficult to recount enough memories for these things.
I'll recount the most recent day. Sunday.
But before I do, I'll introduce a couple people. I may have talked about them before.
Jay and Karen were in our area book as former investigators. We knocked on their door a couple months ago and found Jay, a 22-year-old. He said that his mom was away, helping an elderly woman for a couple months. We taught Jay for a month. It felt like butting heads with a brick wall. He had no intention of doing much of anything with life. He woke up at 7 pm and went to bed around 4 or 5 am. Complete night owl. We tried multiple times to help him make goals, read the Book of Mormon, maybe run a couple laps around the block, ANYTHING. But he lived in his recliner.
About a month ago, we finally met Karen, Jay's mom. She's friendly and lives a normal life in terms of sleep. We had a couple more visits with the two of them, and it finally came down to a lesson about being motivated. We read scripture. We asked Jay what his goals were. He has a boy about to be born from a girl he no longer sees, so he wants to raise him, but that was it. Elder Whetten and I went away that night not knowing at all how to go any further.
A couple Mondays ago, we went to the library to email, and Jay was there with his mom. In the morning. The sun was out and everything, and Jay wasn't asleep. It was like seeing a unicorn. Elder Whetten and I figured, "Hmmm, if he's out, now, maybe we can try seeing him in the day."
We went to see him the next afternoon, and he was up, playing with his nieces. We invited him to attend church. He said he wanted to come, and his mom said she might want to if she felt like it, and Jay stood up, pointed at her and said. "We are going. I need to get off my butt and do something with myself, and we can start here."
Elder Whetten and I looked at each other. We felt lost. We weren't in Jay and Karen's home anymore.
They came to church last week, and Jay came to church this week. They love it. They want to come every week, if they can. They love how our church members practice what they preach. Jay asks questions about tithing and commandments to make sure that IF he is baptized (Elder Whetten and I kinda giggled when he said that), he can know what is expected of him. So Jay came to church on Easter Sunday. He and his mother are working on quitting smoking. We're right behind 'em.
We visited them on Good Friday, and Jay said, "Guess what we found?" He pulled something from behind his back, and in his hands was a baby jackrabbit. O ^ O I about died. That thing was beyond adorable, and so soft to pet. It let us handle it like nothin'. They're keeping it. Its name is Bumper.
Other investigators... Kristy came to church. She is the daughter-in-law of some members, and her husband is a member, but he's not fond of church at all. She has been taught all the lessons in the past, but her family didn't support her, so she stopped. It was a miracle to see her there. In fact, Kristy works with Ashley Kern.
Kristy asked Ashley if they can study the Book of Mormon together. We're having dinner at the older Rings' house where the Kerns and the younger Rings will attend as well. We're having a family home evening after dinner and I'm pretty sure there will be spiritual tears. I can't imagine a better scenario set up for Kristy and the Kerns' progression. We're so excited.
We're having a baptism this Saturday! Brianna Cope and Zac Hopkins (two of the Rasdon's kids) are getting baptized between the evening and Priesthood session on Saturday. The Kerns really want to attend Conference, as well as John, Jennifer, Jay, Karen, John Hart, and a few other great people. Like I said, it's hard to recall everything cuz we have like... 8 progressing investigators right now. It's a lot going on. And we're excited.
(Elder Whetten goes home in 3 weeks. He's nervous, but I'm also nervous, cuz it means I'm taking over the area.)
Well, gotta go!
Love y'all!
-Elder Staib
No comments:
Post a Comment