Happy Fathers Day Dad! We had some missionaries call us last
week and asked us if we get to call home and talk to our fathers on father's
day, like we do when we call moms on mother's day, but we had to say we
don't. But I'll be home in two months and we will get some time then to
talk.
This week we had some pretty rewarding things happen. We had
dinner with that part member I mentioned last week. It was good, we found
out that he has essentially been going to church for the past nine years. He
lives the gospel and reads and prays everyday! He told us that he hasn't
received a testimony of the Book of Mormon yet because he said he didn't
want to pray and asked directly if the Book is true. We technically weren't
supposed to have dinner with him because he is out of the area that we cover
within the ward here, but today we found out that next transfer we are going
to be taking over the south area of New Haven and will be the set of
missionaries that will teach him.
So with the news that we are getting a whole area to ourselves I
have had to change some of my plans and upped the time tables of turning in
my application and essays for school. I spent some time on it just now and
printed off my ecclesiastical papers and the essay questions and will get
those done soon.
Along with this rewarding experience we also had another one
with our new friend Sister West. On Wednesday we were out visiting people on
the ward list that haven't been contacted in a long time and we came to a
Sister Passey. We walk up to the door and knock. The door opened and we saw
through the screen door a lady and heard her call out, "Elders!" She seemed
more shocked and happy to see us then people normally do when we come
knocking. We began talking to her and stated our purpose for being there
when she began to tell us about her story of conversion when she was 21
going to college in Stillwater, Ok and getting married, then later divorcing
and falling in active and how she kept herself away from our church. She
told us that she doesn't normally talk to anyone about religion and that one
day she had a possum find its way into her house. She called a pest control
man for help and while the pest control man came over to help her she said
that she knew within the first two minutes that this man was a member of the
church by the way she felt the Spirit around him. She said that she hadn't
felt that feeling in so long and asked the man what church he went to and he
replied, "The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints." This event
happened two weeks ago. She then told us that two years prior she was
talking to a non-member friend in her home about the gospel and had two
missionaries knock at her door. She didn't open the doors to the elders at
this time. Then she said that a few months after this event she was talking
to this same friend about the church and once again two missionaries knocked
at her door, and her response was the same, she didn't open the door. This
happened one more time a few months later and ended with the same results.
After the third time of visiting with this friend of hers and having the
Elders come by , her friend died of cancer. She now regrets that she didn't
get the chance to have her friend be taught by the missionaries. She bore
her testimony to us right at her door and told us that she wants to get back
into church. After we talked for some time she invited us over for dinner on
Saturday. Saturday came and we had a very spiritual experience there. Sister
West (West is her maiden name that she goes by) had one of her co-workers
come over and we taught her. It was amazing! Sister West came to church
today and told us that her and her friend that came over on Saturday talked
on the phone for several hours about what her friend experience during our
lesson. After twenty years of inactivity she came to church after two
visits. There is a lot more to the background of how the Lord got her to
come back, but I will just simply say that it has taken a team of servants
over several years to bring Sister West to this point. I will say that this
is my most memorable missionary moment that I have had this far on my
mission. We have another dinner appointment this Saturday where we are going
to teach Sister West and her friend.
I am excited for these next few weeks here. I am learning a lot
about myself and the capabilities that I have.
Thank you for the pants! They are perfect! I sent you a picture
of me in them to show you. I also sent a picture of what the clouds look
like around here. They are the most magnificent clouds that I have ever
seen!
I love you and thank you.
Love
Elder Kelly Conrad
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