Email June 2, 2014

Hello Everyone! This week has been pretty exciting! This week was the week the actual transfers happened and Elder Rosenbaum didn't get here until Tuesday night. We did have a really, really good lesson with a man named Pao (sounds like "pow"). He has been taking lessons for about 8 months from a bunch of different missionaries because he was moving around from ward to ward a ton. But he has been in our ward now for substantially longer than anywhere he has been in the past 8 months so we stopped by and had a great lesson with him! He believes everything we teach and loves the gospel! We were able to set a baptismal date with him for June 21st and he accepted! WOOO! (so that's part 1 of the title story) So we set up another lesson, set up a ride to church, and headed out. And later that day we were suuuuuper guided by the Spirit to a less-active man who just barely earlier that day had been doing something with people and they reminded him of his youth in the church and it made him want to meet with us again! It was so cool! He said, and I quote to the best of my memory, "I want to meet for real this time." (because in the past he had not shown up to lessons or wasn't home when he said he would be. And that was the success of that day. So Thursday we tried to stop by Bonnie who we haven't been able to contact in FOREVER and she was home! Oh yeah! Haha. And we set a return appointment so that'll be awesome too! And we were able to pick up 2 new potential investigators. Crazy thing is that when we started to talk to these people, and mind you this is just talking to people in neighborhoods and whatnot, they were not interested at all. So we just started talking with them about them. And soon enough when we reintroduced our purpose and what we do, they invited us back! It was crazy awesome! The Lord definitely blessed us to talk with them about what was needed to be talked about, see connections with ward members who could connect with the potential investigators, and softened their hearts! People who didn't want to hear from us from the beginning invited us back! And one of them was a strong Methodist whose family has been Methodist since their grandma! hahaha, it's amazing to see what can happen out here. We also stopped by Pao's house again that day, had a lesson with him, and actually moved the baptismal date to the 14th because, if he keeps the word of wisdom for 2 weeks then he can be baptized because he has attended church multiple times. So the 14th was set for 2 weeks away. We started talking with him about the baptism, like who he would like to baptize him and confirm him and say the prayers and stuff, and he said he would like me to baptize him!!! :D Which was followed up with, basically, "Because he has been here longer." Haha I don't care, it means a ton to me! So that was super amazing. And well from that point on not much else happened, that was good anyway. Part 2 of the title story is that the ride we had set up to pick up Pao for church (which he said he wanted to come!) went to his house and Pao wasn't there...that is the second time this ride went to pick him up and since he hasn't shown up both times that ride isn't going to try to pick him up for church anymore. So we have to find a new ride for him. And that frustrates me. I know that it's frustrating and annoying to go try to pick someone up and they aren't there, but come on, really? Especially since this man says that he is always willing to help people out. I don't know how to feel about it. But since Pao didn't come to church, he has to push his baptismal date back again. And to make matters more interesting we got on Facebook while waiting for the Gospel Principles class to start and I saw that Pao was at a different church, his caption on the post sayinig "home now". I was like -> :D -> :) -> :/ -> :( -> :'( True story. Minus the crying. But I kind of wanted to, because I'm getting so super frustrated that NO ONE IS COMING TO CHURCH. They have all felt the Spirit super strong, want to receive the ordinance of baptism, but for some reason they don't want to take probably the easiest step of the process. It's so, so, so, so, so, so sad. :( I want them to come to church, to be able to receive a remission of their sins! But they just aren't committing and it's getting so old! I want them to be able to find the full happiness that can come from the gospel, but they can't without taking the steps to reach it. It makes me so sad because so many times people say they'll come and they don't. GRRR. :( But hey, it's all in the Lord's timing. That's all I can say. I have great hope in that, that it'll be their time sometime. I love this work and I'm very grateful for the opportunity I have to be out here. Every time I look at a picture of me with my name tag on, I think, "Whaaaat? No, I'm not a missionary. There's no way. This can't be real." But I am! And it is! And it's sooooo amazing! :D It's tough for sure, but trying to rely on The Lord, especially when it is all you can do, brings happiness sooner or later. I know it does. Scripture stories show it all of the time. So I'm just waiting and hoping for my time like all the rest of us do in times of hardship and trial. :) I love you guys! Rely on The Lord and all will be well! Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God" :) Love, Elder Cevering 2!