Saturday, April 25

Today is Laura's Birthday!!! I sure hope she has a happy time in all the things that she does. I love that girl!

We are having such interesting times here in the mission field. I just think things are going so well, and the Lord kicks it up a little for us. Actually it is usually just what we need!

Yesterday was interviews with the president. It is always fun to go and visit with him. He never asks us "how we're getting along with each other," like he does with the other missionaries!! We just sit and visit and chew the fat. Yesterday he was very complimentary to us. He also said that he was recommending that they call couples who live within this mission on full time proselyting missions to this area. He would like them to live at home and serve. He asked us if we would be able to go around and help them and train them in any help that they may need, rather than send them to the MTC. Of course, we were excited: 1. First of all that he would ask us to do that! and 2. That we could have the opportunity toi help and work with the couples a little closer! We were excited. Of course we know that it will take a while to see it implemented.

Our meeting was very good. Elder Cragus has been really sick with the flu, but had to come because he and his companion were in charge of the training while the Pres. was interviewing. I could see he was miserable and he kept going out to throw up some more. I sure hope we don't get what he had.

This morning we went to teach Monica. She was baptized two weeks ago and comfirmed last week. It was a good lesson and the Holy Ghost was very strong. Monica was telling us that she has decided to write her term paper in English on the Baptist Faith and Mormonism and how they think we are not Christians. Already her former friends are stirred up about it. We are teaching Donnie, Johnny and Juho who are also from her school. But good for her for not being afraid to tell them the way it is. I think our lesson helped her a lot today. The Holy Ghost prepared us to cover those things that might be important to her.

The second thing today is that we picked up Boyd Franklin, who was baptized and confirmed last week, and took him to the park to the Spanish Potluck the other missionaries were having. When he got in the car, I ask him how he was, (he just got laid off his job.) He said, "great!"
He then proceeded to tell us that this afternoon the Jehovah Witnesses came to his door. He told them there was only one true church on the face of the earth and it was our church. He also told them about miracles and several other things. Basically he bore his testimony to them over and over and called them on their "cherry pickin." Then he went out in his back yard and thanked the Lord over and over for the true Gospel.

He told us Elder Whiting later that he wished he had been in the church for 30 years, but if he had he didn't think he would appreciate it as much as he does, (like some people.) At the picnic, he sat on the bench and cried and told Elder Whiting how thankful he was for the true Gospel. The Holy Ghost has born witness to him over and over and he is on fire! Now we just need to get his wife, Christi, baptized. They will be wonderful members.

Tomorrow the Stack children should be baptized. Katelyn and Luke are being baptized at 6:30 p.m. We are having a harp for the musical number. It is one of their relatives. These people requested that it be a small baptism. So what do we do, tell people not to come? We'll see how things go. They may have their egos a little over inflated because the Dad is a ER doctor. I sure hope they can stay active.