March 30, 2015

Dearest All

Miracles! Faith Driven Miracles, First through another Less-active family we have been teaching The W's (who came to church this week, acting in faith on a promise we felt inspired to leave with them that if they attended sacrament meeting they would see a miracle in their life this week) they refereed us to their daughter and grandson who are also less-active members, and her boyfriend (of 8 years) who is not a member, they welcomed us and we left them with a similar promise from the spirit and C (the 18 year old grandson) came to church on his own this week, the ward was absolutely overjoyed to see his un-expected return,

We were also able to teach another less-active part-member family the H's, with another active member, the spirit was so strong as we used the power of the pamphlet we read through it together and answered her question, and it was a perfectly balanced lesson we weren't just simply giving a generic plan of salvation lesson but really teaching her or rather the spirit was teaching her (the non-member wife T) after we discussed the atonement the spirit quietly said, don't turn the page...go back and talk more about the pre-earth life...to which she had an aw-ha moment and accepted that it was possible, and then the spirit directed us to talk about priesthood authority to which she then was fascinated by the organization of the church and expressed her desire to pay tithing and receive the blessings of the promise from heavenly Father. It was incredible, she eagerly and openly set another return appointment.

All-in-all the lord has been trusting us with more and more less-active and part member families who we are discovering the ward when they see these lost friends of theirs returning have been excited to come with us, we have 4 member present lessons planned so far for the week ahead as a result of the LA work we have seeked through our own efforts. 

I am also discovering the power of seeking the questions and commitments that the spirit promises them each is a little different but enables them to simply feel the spirit in a short powerful promise and to act in faith and receive the blessings and power that are promised.

In other news:
I have been told that Sister L from back in Kentucky has been called to speak in the Saturday afternoon session of Stake Conference in Huntington WV! Many of you remember her o as recent converts Elder Cluff and I Baptized together, when we heard this news at the mission conference both Elder Cluff and I were amazed, not really surprised but amazed to see her continuing conversion at such a rapid pace! She is an amazing missionary!

​Full of faith we went forth and declared the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in Big Draft (a hollar in WSS)

​This was after district meeting in Covington VA...District Hug around Elder Williams, who will be departing the mission next week. He has certainly served well and has been a righteous companion for both Elder Sawyer and I. 

​Epic Door Bell...it was pretty neat this woman had this with a sign on the ground pointing to it "please ring doorbell" haha.

​The WSS sunset from John Campbell's Hollar

​So with sister L on a business trip in Chicago, We did what men do and bought pizza for dinner for with Brother L and H then went out on several visits with him...both Saturday and Sunday...thank you for wonderful member families...oh and Little Caesars is really pushing their bacon wrapped pizza...the cashier is wearing a bacon suit.

Playing a little Golf (well fishing the balls out of the creek) with H (who just made his high school golf team, he is rather excited about it, golf is quite the big thing here in wss) at the L farm after dinner before heading out to a number of lessons.

​Not sure it I sent this before, but this is my Titanic Pose on our deck that we built with John in a few hours. 

​Us helping John get his truck and trailers out and around in his mud...during a good downpour...helping him move cinder block...getting buff...haha it was quite the rodeo...their is a video that illustrates this better that I will send some soon enough.

We also met with a potential investigator Whitley we met while seeing another potential investigator play guitar at a restaurant in Lewisburg he actually is friends with E and M (members from Parkersburg, who I ate dinner with regularly and live two doors up from Vicki) anyhow he showed us around his farm but the wind was rather chilly so he just showed us his car collection and invited us back again when it gets warmer.  Tuscuwilla farm is a very large farm in Lewisburg that we have passed by quite a bit...I think it is fun, to go see new places. it is kind of like a video game that you spend so much time on one level then you get to move to the next level and you all of a sudden have access to a new space to explore.  The car is the actual Hudson Hornet (like in cars)...I can think of a few little boys who would enjoy seeing this car.