Hello!
This week was so great! Elder Black and I went forth with faith, in
the hopes of finding someone lost souls to teach. We found 2 new
investigators!!! :D
Our big push this transfer for our area is to improve member relations
tenfold. To do that, we're teaching them the members the discussions.
Preach my Gospel promises that if missionaries are "Strengthening
their (members of the church) understanding of the doctrine of Christ
(it) will do more to increase their trust in you (the missionary) and
to build their excitement to do missionary work than ANYTHING else you
can do."
We thought that was pretty profound. :)
So on Monday, during dinner with a member family, we asked if we could
come back to teach them the Restoration.
They said, "why don't you teach us right now?"
So we did!
Elder Black told them, after they had asked what we wanted to do for a
living, that he wants to be a mechanical engineer, and it's because he
had always played with Legos growing up. The Sister got excited and
recruited him to help build her son's destroyed Lego StarWars X-Wing
fighter right before teaching. So I talked with the parents while my
companion sat on the floor building a spaceship, trying to yank a
piece integral to its structure from the mouth of a drooling 1
year-old.
Trust officially increased!
The lesson went really well, though, because they texted us the day
afterwards and said they invited one of their non-member friends (a
whole family of 5!) to their home for dinner and a discussion next
Monday! It was so tremendous to hear that, I nearly jumped and shouted
for joy!... Wait, I did do that. In the middle of District Meeting. :)
Too bad they live in the other Elder's area, though. We won't be
teaching them, but we're enthusiastic that they will at least be
taught!
Later that same night, we parked our car and set out to do some
tracting. Members pulled up in their Ford Taurus and just handed us 2
referrals. Freebies! We walked up to the door of the first one and we
saw a guy in the window yell something vulgar and wave us off with a
beer in his hand. The second, we haven't been able the find because
the address is all messed up.
Later in the week, Elder Black and I went to a place we had
prayerfully selected to do some finding. We did intentional tracting,
which is when we knock on a door we feel prompted to. We also talked
to everyone we saw on the street. Not many people we talked to on the
streets were interested, but we did have a cool experience with our
intentional tracting method.
Elder Black saw a house with lights on and said we should try it out.
I was a bit skeptical, but I obediently followed his example. An old
Ethiopian man answered and let us right in! All we did was tell him we
were Mormon! It was super cool.
We started teaching the Restoration, but only got as far as prophets,
because Elder Black had an appointment with the Chiropractor in 15
mins. He was receptive, and showed curiosity by asking us why we do
what we do, what we teach, etc.
I've learned a lot about (and I know I saw this a lot), how to
recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. My companion
is a wonderful example of that! We will be 10-15 minutes early to a
dinner appointment, and we'll just walk around their neighborhood,
talking to everyone we can. We'll follow the thoughts in our minds and
our hearts, and we'll see miracles crop up left and right.
5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this
people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you
shall not be confounded before men;
6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment,
what ye shall say.
D&C 100:5-6
We had another miracle on Friday night. We went to visit a potential
investigator in this dumpy, somewhat creepy part of Alexandria. We
knocked on his door but nobody answered. I was about to turn around
and head back to the car, but Elder Black felt like we should knock on
his neighbor's door. A young man from India answered, and basically
told us to shoo, as politely as he knew how. While we were speaking, a
door behind us opened and out popped a potential 'new friend!' (AKA
new investigator). I let Elder Black handle the polite Indian, while I
started to speak with the dude behind us.
He didn't speak very much English, he is from Guatemala, but he did
accept a copy of the Book of Mormon! We said a prayer with him and
invited him to be baptized, and he said we could come back anothe time
to teach him more! How neat is that?!
We had a really rewarding week, filled with lots of miracles. Thank
you for all of your prayers!
Love,
Elder Hansen
This week was so great! Elder Black and I went forth with faith, in
the hopes of finding someone lost souls to teach. We found 2 new
investigators!!! :D
Our big push this transfer for our area is to improve member relations
tenfold. To do that, we're teaching them the members the discussions.
Preach my Gospel promises that if missionaries are "Strengthening
their (members of the church) understanding of the doctrine of Christ
(it) will do more to increase their trust in you (the missionary) and
to build their excitement to do missionary work than ANYTHING else you
can do."
We thought that was pretty profound. :)
So on Monday, during dinner with a member family, we asked if we could
come back to teach them the Restoration.
They said, "why don't you teach us right now?"
So we did!
Elder Black told them, after they had asked what we wanted to do for a
living, that he wants to be a mechanical engineer, and it's because he
had always played with Legos growing up. The Sister got excited and
recruited him to help build her son's destroyed Lego StarWars X-Wing
fighter right before teaching. So I talked with the parents while my
companion sat on the floor building a spaceship, trying to yank a
piece integral to its structure from the mouth of a drooling 1
year-old.
Trust officially increased!
The lesson went really well, though, because they texted us the day
afterwards and said they invited one of their non-member friends (a
whole family of 5!) to their home for dinner and a discussion next
Monday! It was so tremendous to hear that, I nearly jumped and shouted
for joy!... Wait, I did do that. In the middle of District Meeting. :)
Too bad they live in the other Elder's area, though. We won't be
teaching them, but we're enthusiastic that they will at least be
taught!
Later that same night, we parked our car and set out to do some
tracting. Members pulled up in their Ford Taurus and just handed us 2
referrals. Freebies! We walked up to the door of the first one and we
saw a guy in the window yell something vulgar and wave us off with a
beer in his hand. The second, we haven't been able the find because
the address is all messed up.
Later in the week, Elder Black and I went to a place we had
prayerfully selected to do some finding. We did intentional tracting,
which is when we knock on a door we feel prompted to. We also talked
to everyone we saw on the street. Not many people we talked to on the
streets were interested, but we did have a cool experience with our
intentional tracting method.
Elder Black saw a house with lights on and said we should try it out.
I was a bit skeptical, but I obediently followed his example. An old
Ethiopian man answered and let us right in! All we did was tell him we
were Mormon! It was super cool.
We started teaching the Restoration, but only got as far as prophets,
because Elder Black had an appointment with the Chiropractor in 15
mins. He was receptive, and showed curiosity by asking us why we do
what we do, what we teach, etc.
I've learned a lot about (and I know I saw this a lot), how to
recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. My companion
is a wonderful example of that! We will be 10-15 minutes early to a
dinner appointment, and we'll just walk around their neighborhood,
talking to everyone we can. We'll follow the thoughts in our minds and
our hearts, and we'll see miracles crop up left and right.
5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this
people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you
shall not be confounded before men;
6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment,
what ye shall say.
D&C 100:5-6
We had another miracle on Friday night. We went to visit a potential
investigator in this dumpy, somewhat creepy part of Alexandria. We
knocked on his door but nobody answered. I was about to turn around
and head back to the car, but Elder Black felt like we should knock on
his neighbor's door. A young man from India answered, and basically
told us to shoo, as politely as he knew how. While we were speaking, a
door behind us opened and out popped a potential 'new friend!' (AKA
new investigator). I let Elder Black handle the polite Indian, while I
started to speak with the dude behind us.
He didn't speak very much English, he is from Guatemala, but he did
accept a copy of the Book of Mormon! We said a prayer with him and
invited him to be baptized, and he said we could come back anothe time
to teach him more! How neat is that?!
We had a really rewarding week, filled with lots of miracles. Thank
you for all of your prayers!
Love,
Elder Hansen