Email April 23, 2014

Hello All! Well, this week was Easter! Woo! I don't know about you guys, but I had an incredible Easter and I hope you guys did too! I'll close with my testimony so I can save the good stuff for last. But let it suffice, for now, that I had a great Easter weekend and season! Not a lot happened this week partially because I think some allergies hit me hard and I was out of commission for a couple of days so I don't have a ton to report on. The biggest thing, which is actually pretty big, is that Rick is getting so much closer to baptism! He came to church yesterday and is getting a new job and will be able to come to church every Sunday! He is getting so close. Please keep him in your prayers! He's an awesome guy and he already believes everything we believe, his only hold back is a living prophet, which he is slowly coming to understand and realize that we need! And also last Monday night we taught a less active husband and his nonmember wife, the Francis family, the Restoration. They've had it multiple times from multiple sets of missionaries, but they both said that something was different this time. That the testimonies seemed more...real, I guess is how they described it. It's amazing how The Lord works! Please keep them in your prayers! With Jim, we had a lesson and for the second week in a row he said he'd come to church. And for the second week in a row, he hasn't come to church. Darn it! We're going to try to see him tomorrow. A few weeks ago we also kind of picked up a new investigator who wants to learn about the Church and our beliefs. Very first talk we had he asked about our basic beliefs so we gave him a 13 Articles of Faith pass along card and a Book of Mormon. He wanted to come to church this week but said he might be busy. So when he didn't show up, we figured he was busy. We'll try to see him this week. Well, there was more to report on than I thought...so I guess I will share my testimony and close for the week. I don't know if you guys know that the church made a video this Easter season about Jesus Christ and how what he did affects us. It's called, "Because of Him." The first time I watched it I never wanted it to end. If you haven't watched it yet, do what you can to watch it! It is incredible! I watched that a lot this Easter weekend and I also watched the last week of the Savior's life in the Bible videos that the church has been putting out. It helps me so much to be able to visualize what the situations might have been like and really helped being the scriptures to life that much more. Another thing that I did in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John was mark the chapter headings of the things Christ did from Palm Sunday to His resurrection with the days he did them. And then I planned to read them, all four accounts on the same day of the week they occurred. I did start, but I only read the four accounts of what He did Thursday - His anointing, the last supper, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His betrayal by Judas, and other things based on which book you read. It was all amazing! My testimony has been helped so much by all of this! The Spirit has touched my heart in a way I can't explain. I just know, can't explain how or why except by saying by the Spirit. I know Jesus Christ lived, suffered, and died for us. I know that He was resurrected that all His and His Father's mighty work might be finished. And that because of Him, we can do all things. I love you guys! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and for Christ's gift to me which is freely given to everyone! Thank you for all of the support it means so much! Have the best week! And don't forget to always remember what Easter really means! Love, Elder Jacob Cevering