My Heart is in Texas: One Huge Leap Forward...to almost figuring out this thing called missionary work

Meet my Friend Craig

So this is some experiences and characteristics of one of my favorite people in the Sam Houston 2nd Young Single Adult Ward... So sad that he is moving today! :(

1. Found out that a man who likes watching my little pony is called a "Bronie". Yes, Craig is a "Bronie" along with a couple other members in the ward. I for reals had a hard time not cracking up laughing my first Sunday in the ward when Craig shared this as his "interesting fact" about himself in Sunday school. Apparently there are also comic-cons just for Bronies. Ridiculous. All throughout dinner he said, "I mean its A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The comedy and songs are just so great!"

2. Well now Craig has another obsession... Root Beer Float Cookies. He was telling us all about them and how they actually taste like root beer floats. They even have the carbonation effect to the, He was freaking out.

We asked, "So Craig do you have some at home?"

"Pshh!" he responds. "No I ate them all! When I get them they go so fast, that's how good they are."

3. I told him to wear his Star Wars tie to church next Sunday and he says, "Which one?" and then proceeds to explain in detail each one- he has 2.

I say, "Well which one's your favorite?"

He says, "What kind of question is that? It's like asking me, a nerdy guy, what gadget is his favorite in his house. You just can't choose.

"Well I don't know then Craig."

"Well what do you want? If you want a certain character then I'd choose the first. If you want a full display of the entire movie then I'd choose the second."

... So I picked the second and got a pic with him on his last Sunday at church.

Heavenly Father IS listening...

Kristin texted us while we were working out Friday morning telling us that she found her REAL birth certificate! I was so excited I was actually able to run a mile! :) The night before I was saying my nightly prayers and asked Heavenly Father what we needed to do to help Kristin and I asked that if it so be his will that a miracle would happen to help her to progress to baptism (she has a baptismal date for August 23rd). I know that this was a miracle and another testament that Heavenly Father truly does answer our prayers.

Inspired Knocking... brings forth New "friends"

BTW... I hate the word "investigators". I like the word "friends" much better. It just sounds really weird and when members come up to our "friends" asking if they are investigators, it just makes them really uncomfortable. So please don't do that to the missionaries in your ward.

Anyways...

We were early to a dinner appointment and Sister Walker and I decided to pull into a street and picked 3 doors to knock on. The first one was a bust. But we moved on to the second one and this black lady answers the door and we asked her if she would like to hear a message about the Book of Mormon. She said "YES!" So we talked about the Restoration of the gospel and the spirit was especially strong as Sister Walker talked about the First Vision. We shared a prayer with her and then told her about the YSA ward and asked if she knew anyone who would be interested and she said her son might be.

So we walked back to our car and were turning around in the cul-de-sac when we see her and her son on her porch. She waves at us and so we got out of our car to meet her son, David and invite him to church! Sister Walker later told me that David had been standing behind the door for most of the Restoration lesson with his mom.

We returned the next day and taught David the Restoration in his backyard on a blanket. Halfway through the lesson his mom brought us out cake, chips, and water. It was like another little picnic!

David was able to come to our ward BBQ on Saturday and also attended church with us on Sunday! He is really interested and has been thinking about all that he has experienced and been taught in the last couple of days. He told us that his mind was being pushed past what he thought was possible and what he had grown up believing. He is so excited to read the book of Mormon!

Trust & Faith

Wow! Heavenly Father has been blessing this area and the Sam Houston 2nd Ward. This week we found 3 new investigators and taught 11 Restoration doorstep lessons (a personal week record for me)!

Through my recent study of recognizing the spirit in Preach My Gospel and the experiences from this last week I have realized that Heavenly Father really trusts us. He doesn't need to direct us in all things. When we act following the inspiration from the Holy Ghost, Heavenly Father will then let us know that we are doing the right thing & confirm our actions.

So many times I have prayed asking where to go and have wasted time trying to discern what the spirit is trying to tell me instead of acting with faith and trusting that Heavenly Father will let me know quickly if the decision I've made is right or wrong.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation- If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment."

Later Sister Walker shared with me this scripture in D & C 58:27 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;"

Yet another equation that works miracles! Church is true!