Every weeks a Good week with a Baptism!

Richard February 13, 2016

Well what can I say. It really can't be a bad week with a baptism!! Everything went smoothly with the baptism of Richard. It was awesome! Richard chose the first counselor of the bishopric to baptize him. If you ask me it's better for Richard. He has friends in the ward and it's obvious that he loved going to church. He told me he feels like he's at home and can speak freely and ask questions. This week I was teaching the Gospel Priciples lesson on the Holy Spirit and I asked Richard to tell his story of why he decided to be baptized. It's hard to tell exactly what he said, but basically he just laid a powerful testimony of the beginning of his conversion. He said that he was searching for a long time for the truth, Something that not very many 19 year-olds do these days. He said he just didn't feel right at any of the Churches that he went to. But from the very first time that he talked with us, he felt different. He didn't know what it was but it felt good. So as we were teaching him the lessons, we could tell that the spirit was with him. Hearing him testify of his conversion was incredible for me. It was amazing to see growth in such a short amount of time. But it works! It was incredible being able to teach him. It was a true honor.

As I was thinking about Richard last night and I was thinking that as a missionary, in the past 18 months, I haven't converted a single soul. I have only been an instrument in the hands of the Lord to help people feel the spirit. I feel that this advice is specifically for Dallin who is preparing to leave on a mission this summer. So Dal, Just remember you won't convert anyone. But you will see the spirit convert. It HAS to be done by the spirit. Because if it is done by any other means, they won't end up being converted to the Gospel. You just have to invite the spirit to be with the investigator and let the investigator choose. Do it for Christ Dal.

Other than that, I had a cool experience yesterday also. I was just sitting in the Sacrament meeting, by the back door to be the "usher" and a member from the other ward tells me that there were 2 people wanting to listen. So I step out into the foyer and I start talking with Oscar and Maria Franco. I could tell that they probably lived in very humble circumstances. I understood that they were from the interior of Paraguay and mostly spoke Guaraní. But from what I understood, They had come to Asunción to go to the hospital and they wanted to listen to the Word of God. So they just entered and sat down in the foyer until the member told me about them. as I explained to them what was happening, we entered and they started listening, During the middle of a talk, I could see Oscar whisper to his wife something and tears were streaming down his face. I'm almost sure it was the spirit. Then after the meeting, the Bishop starts talking with them and I never saw them again. but it felt good helping them!

My verse of the week is Alma 37:7 love it!!

Love you all

Elder Jared