This past week has taught me a lot about the importance of sacrifice. When we had mission tour we were taught that sacrifice is what brings stronger faith. I have really seen this principle come to life as I have made several commitments to myself based on what I learned. So the way I figure I am going to grow more as a missionary now is always choosing to make the biggest sacrifice. There are always choices to be made as a missionary and sometimes there is no real way of finding out which of all the choices is the right one. You can try to rate it on a scale that I like to call, good, better and best; you can determine what choice is good, which one is better, and which one is the best. I learned that the best choice always has the greatest sacrifice attached with it. So I have been making myself choose the choice that requires the most sacrifice. And things are slowly paying off!
The other day while we were out walking around trying to find people to teach we had a less active member pull over on his Harley and chat with us for some time. Brother Richards, when he first pulled over my thought was that he was some one who likes to create trouble and that I better prepare myself for what was coming, but I was wrong. Latter that same day we had an amazing lesson with one of our recent convert's sisters. This is the family that I taught in Springdale that moved here and were found again and were baptized, the Landert and Jackmen family. Candice is one of the family members that took the lessons but didn't want to act on what was taught. Now she is slowly getting back interested in the gospel and has really been thinking her life over and is willing to make changes. We taught her about marriage and divorce, because she has some concerns about it, and it was a wonderful lesson. Earlier last week we taught her about charity and committed her to teach us about charity, so later this week she will be teaching us about it, and she is going to be using the Bible and the Book of Mormon to teach us. This is amazing because a few weeks ago she told me very bluntly that she doesn't believe in the Book of Mormon and that she believes that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God.
Michael S. is solid and is ready for baptism. We taught him after church in the chapel about praying often, studying the scriptures and obedience. He is sweet!
We got Sou to quit her job! Now we are back teaching her kids everyday! The other day we had a lesson that was amazing! Elder Buhler and I taught a lesson about sacrifice and we read the story of the Ammonites burying their swords. We had a little activity planned out for this lesson, we brought an empty peanut butter jar and we put what we were willing to sacrifice in it and buried it in their front yard! They absolutely loved it! We are going back this Tuesday to have another activity with them.
Something we are starting to do is focus on part member families. We have been able to start teaching two families this week. We dropped by the Thomas family on Saturday and had a very inspired lesson with them. When we first knocked on the door we just talked to the mother on her door step, as we kept talking to her we were guided through out our conversation and we ended up on the topic of Xango, she is in on the loop of selling and using it. I talked to her about Megan (my sister) and that she uses it and how I used it after my surgery on my hand. She invited us in to give us a little drink of it and while we were in their home we taught them what we call the "rocket of faith." The lesson is we talk a tea bag and empty it out and place it on someone's hand and light it. When the fire gets close to the persons hand the bag floats away. The whole time we build the suspense up and tell the person to trust us and to not move their hand, if they move their hand they will be burnt. So we had this lesson with their two kids, BJ and Christopher, then we committed BJ, who is the older brother, to read a paragraph from a pamphlet that we gave him to his little brother Christopher. We are going back this week end to follow up with them.
I've got to go, we have to finish our laundry and we are playing basketball with some friends later today before we drive to Tulsa. I love you Mom!
Love-
Elder D. Kelly Conrad
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