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| Elder's are so easily entertained |
Sooooo....remember how I thought that I was going English? Well they pulled a big one on me and they kept me Spanish. I thought for sure i was going english because they told me that I was staying zone leader and being transferred. Well turns out they turned my old area Stone Mountain into a zone leader area and sent me back and now i have a new companion who i get to train to be a zone leader. Yep I'm back in the Chamblee Branch for the THIRD time hahahaha. I'm not complaining though I love it here. I really do miss the Shenandoah branch though. I loved it there.
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| Watch your head Elder Charlesworth |
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| Family from the Shenandoah Branch |
It was a great welcome here though. On Thursday we went over to someone I had taught and got baptized right after I left and was not able to come back. She now lives with Alex and another member that we helped activate when I was there last. They are doing so great!!! They do "family prayer" together every night. Read together and do Family home evening each week. We also met up with someone else that I found last time I was here. He was baptized shortly after I left as well. He came out of his car and gave me big hug. He is so legit. He showed up to our lesson with his white shirt and tie on and his scriptures. He got baptized only like three months ago! What a stud! We went and taught someone else that I found last time I was here. Her name is Marta she is the one with twin girls. When she opened the door she did a double take and her little girls came running out to greet me. She told me she was very happy that I was back and then as we sat down she told me she wants to be baptized!!! We were having a great lesson when suddenly this man walked in and ruined it by trying to argue with us just for the sake of arguing. It was cool though cause Marta stood up for what we had been teaching her and basically told the guy he was wrong and that she believed what we taught her and what he said didnt matter to her. She later also texted us and apologized for him. No big deal... that happens all the time. Its really hard for me to hold back and not tear into them with the bible. I've been really good and keeping my cool, smiling and telling them to read and pray about it. Dang thats hard sometimes its so easy to prove them wrong, with the same bible they are trying to use against us I can prove it all to them...But that really does not go any where does it? If they don't have a witness from the Spirit it means nothing and does no good for them. The Spirit really is the most important part in missionary work
This week must have been a test of my patience when someone tries arguing. We were teaching a family when there came a knock at the door. 3 people came in, one came over and set his Bible on the table for us to see....yep he was a pastor from another church and two other people. He asked the typical thing that most of them do. "tell me about Joseph Smith" then did the typical thing and interrupted me half way through. He was trying so hard to pick a fight. I nearly lost it on him. He quoted scripture after scripture and said nothing to do with what what he was trying to prove. So I just bore my testimony about the church and the priesthood authority and told him to pray about it. (he's Evangelical, they think the holy ghost is the same thing as authority) and then I asked to bless them with a prayer and we left. Well no real damage was done by them thank goodness cause we saw that family last night and they welcomed us in and the wife was actually more open than she was before. We were expecting the worst and got much better haha.
Church was great! It was full, everyone was so friendly and nice and welcoming me back. One of the coolest things in the world though is when your recent convert comes up and gives you the biggest hug ever. Kenny a guy that got baptized 3 days after i left the area and literally cried when I left saw me as he was walking in late and stopped dead in the aisle and stared at me for a good 30 seconds. Afterwards he came up and wrapped his arms around me. He is looking so good! He shaved his nasty little chin scruff and was in a white shirt and tie. Such a cool sight. Sitting there next to his wife and new baby. I have been blessed to just see a couple fruits of my labors and it made every thing worth it. As sad as I was to leave my last area this made it all worth it. To see the change that the Gospel has in the lives of people is so worth every hard day. A day like yesterday is more powerful than even 2 weeks of the worst days ever! Clearly I have been sent back here for a reason, and with the little time I have left I need to figure out what that is!
Have a great Thanksgiving. I love you all
Love Tanner
