"I know that it doesn't matter if the person you try to teach doesn't commit to anything, it just matters if you're doing your best at inviting them to come unto christ."

Monday 28 November 2011

Weekly update 10 October 2011

Hello!

Well starting for Monday, october the 3rd I need to update you all on
alot of recent events. That Monday unfortunately my previous companion
Elder Misbach had failed his driving test (Jeralee I'm sure you will
do well, no pressure) he had failed during a roundabout in the first
five minutes of his test, it was excruciating to see him have to
continue his test in vain.

We are expecting to have many baptisms this new transfer, I am so
excited! Elder Lintusaari and I have planned to take the Rochdale ward
to a whole new level, we have asked for an updated ward list, and we
have asked our ward mission leader to go through all the names with
us, we plan to make contact with all the less- actives and re-
activate them, Rochdale is like the Staines ward, it has alot of less
actives and they need visiting, we have alot started to explore our
map in our flat and make out our areas of focus aswell as make where
investigators, less- actives, members and many other people live.
Rochdale is being taken to a whole new level!

During our first lesson together Elder Lintusaari and I visited a
less- active family as we taught, we taught in unity and we taught
well together, the Less- active family consists of a father, a mother
and three young children, two boys and one girl. As we taught well and
supported each other, the youngs boys told us that they "want to be
missionaries someday"

Elder Lintusaari is allergic to sugar, so he has the potential to
become my favourite companion, the reason being: after a dinner
appointment when members bring out dessert he tells them that he
cannot have any sugar, so I get twice the amount of dessert, one
member in particualar offered Elder Lintusaari some Fruit (he is very
allergic to any sugar, so he can't even have Fruit or Juice or
anything) so then they give me the fruit. I tried to say that me and
Elder Lintusaari won't both have dessert because of his allergy and I
was willing to give up dessert but, he tells members that I love sugar
so yay! more dessert for me!

By the way, a little surprise here: Elder Misbach said he was good
friends with Elder Martin that served in our ward. Elder Lintusaari
came into the mission as Elder Kassinen but had a name change to Elder
Lintusaari, and he says that he is Melissa Kassinen's counsin. He says
"say hello to Melissa"

During my first day with Elder Lintusaari the first person we had a
conversation with is a man called Akin, from Nigeria. He was in a rush
and so we only managed to tell him where our church was and when it
started, alot of people will not come to church even if we tell them
where it is and what time it is. Akin showed up to our Church on
Sunday, it was such a miracle. We taught him after Church and he is
now dated for baptism for the 5th of November.

John is amazing as usual, he is still our most progressing
investigator, the first time I met him he told me that he wouldn't be
joining any church, he was quite the skeptic. But now he has totally
changed contenance, let me recount on his progress so far, John was an
alcoholic, he lived on alcohol when we first met and he didn't believe
a word we said, but we continued teaching him anyway. In one of our
recent lessons he said "I just can't put the book (the Book of Mormon)
down, if feels like I'm drawn to it, I don't know what it is" he has
been diligently reading the Book of Mormon and praying for an answer.
He has also been clean from alcohol for almost two weeks now.

He is seeing these changes in his life and last Sunday, yesterday, he
even came to Church with us. John has social avoidance disorder and he
doesn't like sitting in groups, so he said he had to leave, so he left
after Priesthood meeting (Rochdale has Priesthood first, the Sunday
school and Sacrament meeting last) at 2:53pm after church he left us a
voice mail. I was scared that John didn't like Church and didn't want
to learn anymore. It was the total opposite.

Now let me share the biggest miracle of my mission so far. During
Johns voice mail he said: "You have accomplished in a few weeks what
doctors have been trying to do for 30 years now" John isn't able to
sit in large groups, doctors have tried to help him through this
problem for over 30 years now, but he sat with us in priesthood in a
large group. Heavenly Father saw his willingness to go to church and
blessed him with Strength and Courage to stay even for one hour of
Church. At first I was a little disappointed because our investigator
didn't manage to come to the Sacrament meeting. But now I am happy
because he is taking BIG steps. I have no doubt he will be able to get
baptised pretty soon.

Doctors have tried to get him to sit in large groups for over 30
years, simple 19-20 year olds with Gods help, allowed him to sit
contently in a group within a few weeks.
During that voicemail he also said one line I will never forget: "I
want to join your Church" with God all things are possible!

This has been the biggest miracle of my mission so far, it brings me
to tears even recounting it in this e-mail.

Brothers and Sisters, I know this Church is Gods Church, even the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints!

Elder Sapaden.

1 comment:

  1. I just found this blog when I typed my name in google! How exciting to be able to read this, thanks for sharing (even if it was a few years ago!!) x

    ReplyDelete