Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A Mighty Change of Heart

Transfers are this week and I am staying here with Sister Gochnour! We are getting another companion, Sister Curtis, who is from Alberta. There will also be two Elders coming to Amherst, one to serve as the second counselor in the branch presidency and the other to serve as the branch clerk. It's going to be another great transfer! It's hard to believe that this one is already practically gone. Time goes by faster and faster, which makes me nervous about this upcoming transfer. More than ever I feel a great sense of urgency to share the gospel. 

This last week was incredible! I think I mentioned last week that we met a man Sunday night that we gave a Book of Mormon to? He was pretty skeptical about it all, but had questions that he wanted answers to. We testified of the Book of Mormon, gave him a copy, and then on Monday night we called to follow up with him. He had read Alma 34 (the chapter we left with him) and then started at the beginning. We met with him that night and he told us that he prayed for the first time in a long time and that he felt what he read answered his question. We met with him every day last week and he is preparing for baptism on April 18. It is incredible to see the light that has come into his life this last week as he received revelation through prayer and from the Book of Mormon! He has been through a lot in his life and recently hit rock bottom. When we first started meeting with him, he didn't believe that God loved him, but now he KNOWS that God loves him. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and it is real! It has the power to change each of us.

Reflecting back on meeting him last week, I am amazed at all of the little things that led us to his door that night. The week prior we had a fast as a zone to find new investigators. That day we had to change some of our plans and had questioned when we should go knocking. I felt an urge that day to share the Book of Mormon with someone after asking a member to write her testimony in the front cover of it. The testimony she wrote particularly applied to him. Heavenly Father is so amazing! All these small and simple things would be easy to overlook, but I know that they were subtle promptings that lead to miracles! Never push aside a good thought, especially to do something for someone else! God works through each of us to meet the needs of His children, our brothers and sisters. I feel so blessed to be a part of God's work and His glory!

Walter came to church again yesterday, despite feelings that he should just go back to bed that morning. Yeah! His friend who is a member has been reading the Book of Mormon with him between our visits. He is happier and full of life now. We are so excited for his baptism in a couple weeks!

I love this quote from Ezra Taft Benson:
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature...Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world."

The gospel of Jesus Christ empowers us to change and to become! I know that this is true for I have seen it in myself and in the lives of others. Christ lives and He loves us. He came to help us. Through His Atonement we can be changed, renewed, enlivened. He is the reason!

Love,
Sister Renda

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