Things Ramping Up

Marko May 30, 2012 3 Comments

Dear Family and Friends,

Last week, I had Elder Worrel cut my hair. Not a good idea! But we got to go to the Mountain of Ties last P Day so all things considered it turned out alright!

“We Are Going Through a Really Hard Time”

Last Tuesday, we were checking up on our appointments on South San Circle, one of the streets I selected that we should knock after prayer. Not sure if I said this last week, but after knocking on 11 doors, we had 11 contacts. Anyway, we were following up on one of those contacts, named JoAnna. So at 4:30 we knocked like she told us to and a young lady I didn’t recognize answered the door. She was acting really weird. She told us JoAnna didn’t want to talk to us. I’ll admit, I got a little impatient and asked “how do you know?” “Because she told me,” she said. She was being really cold. Then, just as I was getting ready to walk away and be done with it, she invited us in, and just sat down quietly – waiting. You could tell something was up. So, I started talking about our purpose as missionaries. Big huge tears welled up in her eyes as I talked, so I just stopped and waited. She started off by saying “we are going through a really hard time.’

She asked us to share something out of the scriptures so I read part of Alma 7 to her and it really seemed to help. We talked a lot about coming to Jesus Christ. She cried a lot. I think we helped her. She said it couldn’t be a coincidence that we passed by when we did. She said that her sister hadn’t wanted to talk to us, but it’s crazy that we came there. We told her it was because God had sent us there. She said that that wasn’t true, because we came to see her sister, not her. “But we didn’t know that God really wanted us to talk to you today.” She started bawling! I couldn’t believe what was going on.

Marizela and My Mom’s Book of Mormon

So it gets even crazier… earlier this morning, I grabbed a Book of Mormon that my mom had written her testimony in and sent to me. It’s been sitting on my desk, waiting for someone right to give it to. This morning I felt like I’d need it. So, I told the lady we were teaching (Marizela) about it and gave it to her! Through her tears, she said she’d read it tonight. It was just a crazy experience. When we came back, she had read! We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and this week we will talk more about the restoration with her.

More Investigators

In all, we have 8 investigators on that street, after knocking only one side of half a block. We are also teaching a man there named Sergio who is really suffering the consequences of mistakes he has made and is really looking for help. It gets crazier.. the other day we were knocking more of that street and a huge man with long hair let us in. I was confused at first. He said his name was Jaime Ruelas. Immediately, I asked him if he was related to Jaime and Nora Ruelas. Why would I ask that? His name was Jaime Ruelas. Turns out, he is! He is a very inactive member, and his parents are Jaime and Nora Ruelas. Suddenly, I remembered why I had subconsciously asked that question. Our bishop gave us the address TWO TRANSFERS ago for Jaime and Nora, who were less active and needed help, and they weren’t living at that address. And now we had found their son. I have no idea how I remembered but I did. This man couldn’t remember the exact address of his parents, but said he will let us now. He gave us the general area. Guess what? That same area, is another one that we had marked to knock after prayer, and that we have yet to knock. You better believe we will this week! Man I get goosebumps just typing this! Never again will I knock a street I haven’t prayed about. The Lord definitely knows better than us where his people are. The crazy thing is, I hadn’t even known that South San Circle even existed till I was directed there on the map. It’s nuts…

So.. there are a couple other investigators that we are teaching that have real potential. The funny thing is.. with three of them, we were only able to do the first half of a restoration lesson. So, this week we will be sharing the second half and hopefully we will be able to commit them really well! I’m excited!

Riveras

There is a family in our ward called the Riveras. They are less active but we have been visiting them and helping them a lot and now Hermana Rivera has the goal of going to the temple to get her endowments!

Haydee is Doing Great

I got to see Haydee this weekend at a stake primary activity. She’s doing really well! She is doing her visiting teaching and she still wants to go to the temple before I go home. She’s also got a boyfriend – who’s in jail – but she sent him a Book of Mormon and he reads every night and says he wants to be baptized and marry her in the temple when he gets out!

President and Sister Stewart (Temple Presidency)

On Sunday, the Houston Temple 1st Counselor and his wife came to speak to us. Ruth Morales, the sisters’ investigator who is looking solid for baptism, translated for Sister Stewart. An investigator translating a talk about the temple! It was awesome.

I got to translate Brother Stewart’s talk. It was awesome.

Church on Sunday

Salvador and his family, and the Rivera’s came to church this week. I feel like in this ward I have been having more success with helping less actives. It’s different, but just as important.

Yesterday, we got to play soccer for P-day, Jackie came! She had a good time, but she still has her same ideas. We will keep visiting her.

Dang, I guess it was a really eventful and exciting week! Looking forward to the next one! Love y’all.

Love

Elder Viitanen

p.s. IT”S GETTING HOT!!!!!!

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