Email August 4, 2014

Hi Family, Well, this week was full of twists and turns. Surprises, you could say. Some good, some bad. But the good definitely outweighs the bad by far. I guess I'll start off with the bad surprises: So we had a referral this week from the Nevada City elders (the elders we live with because our areas touch each other) to go help someone move something big into their home. Sweet! We went and met a guy named Giovanni (I know, he has a sweet name) and helped him move a $30,000 printer into the house he shares with a "business partner" as he described it. Her name is Holly and apparently she is a less active member. She is the one who initially called for our help, and we only saw her for a split second through an upstairs window. We moved the printer in, he asked us if we had a Book of Mormon for him as well as for her because he wanted to learn more about "Nephi building an ark to get from Jerusalem to America" and "Moroni (he said it like moroney) appearing to Joseph Smith to tell him where the gold plates were." We grabbed some copies and gave them to him and set up a return appointment. He was really nice and seemed like he truly wanted to learn more. Everything seemed promising! Like always, "seemed." Return appointment rolls around. We get up to the door only to see an upside-down cross hanging from the window on the door, animal hooves, bones, and jawbones hanging from the doorbell, and a pile of flower petals on the ground beneath the bones. It was weird. We knocked, rang the doorbell, no answer. We left and tried again another day and the things were still up so we have decided that we won't go back until the stuff comes off because it was just weird and we were not getting good vibes from it. We asked our Ward Mission Leader and he said that google said the bones are probably part of Voodoo practice so we have decided to steer clear of there for a little while. Sadly, things there seemed so promising. So that was definitely interesting and surprising! And another surprise that isn't the best, but is still good in the long run is that Nick Sparks, the boy we had on date to be baptized on August 30th, has said that he wants his dad to baptize him. And his dad is the nonmember who we are working with as well. "Well, that's no problem!" You might say. True...if only his dad was ready to be baptized. He isn't quite sure about being baptized yet, though... But that is where some good surprises come in! We invited Steve Dooley, the dad, to pray about being baptized and about the church on Wednesday night and he said he would. So we went back on Friday night, I think, and had another great conversation/lesson with them. He told us a funny story that goes like this: He didn't pray the night or following night after he said he would and while he was at work he had the primary song "Follow the Prophet" stuck in his head. All day. He even tried to play his own music over it and the three worded chorus only got louder! Haha it was pretty funny and amazing. He has told us that since beginning reading the Book of Mormon and investigating the church on his own, his thoughts and take on things has started changing. Like, lyrics to songs he loves that he never thought would be about God or religion, he started thinking COULD be talking about those things. It has been an incredible change. He is an amazing man. And then on Sunday Elder House had to use the restroom after Gospel Principles, which Brother Dooley went to, and he actually came in when we were about to head out. So to be funny, I started humming "Follow the Prophet" and we had a good laugh. But then he told us something amazing: Although not completely ready to be baptized, he emailed a friend of his who converted about 14 years ago and asked him, if he decides to be baptized, to baptize him!!! SO CRAZY FLIPPIN' AMAZING!!! House and I walked down the hall after hearing that, pulling our jaws along with us. It was incredible. Then that night we had dinner with them because no one else signed up and they invited us over. And while we ate, they were like "Hey let's watch some of the last General Conference." And you know what we did? WE WATCHED SOME OF THE LAST GENERAL CONFERENCE. And it was awesome. So even though Nick's baptism is going to be put off for a while, things are happening to help them both progress incredibly. Keep up the prayers for Brother Dooley and Nick Sparks. Miracles have happened because you guys are praying for them and they will continue if you continue! This week has been great! I love you guys and I am so thankful for your support. It means the world to me and has helped me more than any of you could know. I love you guys! Love, The One and Only Elder Cevering (now, at least :))