Monday, March 3, 2014

March 3, 2014

The Elder Poe Report

 This week in the Youngstown area was packed full of miracles and too much stinking snow. 

 We started off the week on Monday (bet ya didn't see that one coming) where we had three excellent lessons with less active members on the Atonement, scripture study, and the blessings that come from obedience, and it set the tone for the rest of a great week. So last week Elder Betzold and I set a goal to talk to at least 10 new people each day about the Gospel, because Elder Ballard said in the most recent conference that if the missionaries want to teach more people they need to talk to more people. So we set a goal in faith and worked hard towards it, so we do it Tuesday, Wednesday, and we aren't seeing a ton of success, almost no one we talk to is really interested but we kept persisting at it. So Thursday evening rolls around we finish dinner and my companion decides he needs to use the restroom, so we go into a nearby PetSmart and while he is using the bano I try finding some people to talk to but the part of the store where the bathroom is, is deserted. At this point we were at 8 people talked to, so we walk out to the car and I decide that I need sugar, so we drive over to the nearby gas station and my companion and I have a brief deliberation on the Twix v. Snickers controversy (Twix is superior by the way). Then we walk up to the counter to begin our transaction and the cashier asks me if I want a Get-Go card and we don't really have any appointments so I am all like what the heck let's do it, I like saving 3 cents a  gallon. Then we found her standing right behind us, purchasing three cans of beer and some cigarettes was Sara. We say hi to her and then she looks real intently at out name tags and says "oh my [expletive deleted] more church people." Then she looks at us and says "Okay so I have never been to church in my life and never felt like I needed it but in the past 7 days God has been bombarding me with church people, a Hindi guy tried talking to me, a Muslim guy, three non-denominational Christians, the Mormons, everyone. So I am thinking God wants me to join a church." Then she asks probably the second greatest question any missionary on the planet can here "Can I talk to you guys for a few minutes about God?" At this point inside I was like "HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH" and so then we step into our car for about 15 minutes in front of the gas station, because it is only like 20 degrees outside. So she starts asking us some questions about things like prophets and what not, and every time she gives us an answer she is all like "Yes, yes that just makes sense!" So we have a wonderful conversation and we get her number and give her a Joseph Smith Testimony Pamphlet and a Book of Mormon and ask her to read and pray about it and she says she will, then she calls later that night and tells us how she feels exactly like Joseph Smith and it was awesome. She will probably be getting baptized soon.
 Another major miracle that happened this last week was spawned on Tuesday at District Meeting. District Meeting was about Former Investigators and we were promised that if we would do our best to stop by every former investigator we could in the next week we would find at least 1 new investigator. So Saturday we stop by a ton of former investigators. We are going through stopping by stopping by, most of them aren't home, some of the houses are abandoned. It is getting later towards the evening and we stop by one more former, we knock on the door and wait, and wait. Then someone comes and we ask if Leslie is there, the girl looks at us and she is all like nope, not to be dismayed or turned back though we start talking to the girl who answered the door, Christina about the Gospel, and ask if we can come back the next day because she was in the middle of homework and she is gives a kinda hesitant yes, but says yes nonetheless. So we come around on Sunday and we hear incredibly loud music being played, and we knock on the door, no one comes, we knock again, no one answers, I am bummed but knock again in a half heart effort..........nothing. So we start moving back towards the car, I glance up one last time hoping against hope for something, but alas it was all in vain. Then we see an old lady across the street slip on some ice and we run over to help her and talk to her and she was alright but told us she was Catholic and had already met with Mormons before and wasn't interested. So I open my car door and I hear a house door open behind me and I turn around and see Christina open the door and BAM! I grab my scriptures and practically bolt to Christina's door. As my companion catches up and she lets us in and we are just about to have the opening prayer when he friend walks in and decides to sit in on the lesson and it was an awesome lessons where we talked about her needs and the Gospel and about how it blessed us and it was AWWWWEEEESOOMMMEE and then we asked if we could come back and they said yes so we got ourselves two new investigators right then and there. The Lord truly does open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room to receive it. All because we were faithful enough to believe in a promise made by the Lord's authorized servants. 
 I know that Jesus Christ is the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, I know that only by following his Gospel can we find peace and happiness in this life and I know that as we seek first the kingdom of Heaven true joy is poured out upon us in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
-Elder Hunter D. Poe

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