Elder Benjamin Michael Conover Mission Blog : Week 48: The Gospel Changes Hearts

Hey Guys!

It was a good, challenging week, and the Lord blessed us with a lot of progress with the investigators we have.

One monday, we played soccer and ultimate frisbee as the elders in the zone, and it was a really fun pday.

Then, on Tuesday, we buckled down in the afternoon, because we got to teach the Law of Chastity to our investigator, Elias, who´s girlfriend is pregnant. Let´s just say I wasn't jumping up and down giddy with joy to teach that one haha.

When we went, he invited us in, and we pulled out the law of chastity pamphlet. We explained what it is, and he said, ¨Ya, I know that Jesus wants us to be married first, he wants our lives to be in order.¨ We taught the lesson, and he turned to his girlfriend, and he said, ¨Flabia, looks like we are done!¨ It was incredible how fast he accepted it. We explained that it would be better to get married than seperate, and they are thinking about it, and reading the scriptures and praying together to know what they should do. It is incredible!

We were also blown away because Elias has now gone 9 days without smoking a cigarrette, when he used to smoke 20 every single day. It is a miracle, and he is praying, studying the scriptures, and is working to be able to go to church! It is amazing to see his progress.

This week, we were also blessed to have the baptism of David Maldonado! It was such a beautiful moment, and just seeing his family together was amazing. Now, their family can take the steps to be sealed for eternity in the temple of God! Such a miracle to see!

This week, we didn't get to teach Analia very much, because her friend´s baby is in the hospital, so she has had to take care of the other kids, and hasn't really been in her house. She took the Book of Mormon to her friend, so she can find peace, which is a miracle, because it shows that she desires to share the gospel! Unfortunately, she didn't come to church, and we aren't sure why, so we will go figure out what happened tonight.

Finally, we had a couple of other miracles with Elias this week. We usually just teach him, and his girlfriend doesnt have much interest. We asked her to sit down, and we gave a lesson, and at the end, we changed Elias´ baptismal date to the 20th of August. We then turned to her, and I invited her to baptism. She rejected, so I asked why. She said that she wasn't prepared, so I explained that she is right, she is not prepared, but that we will prepare her. I invited her again. She said no, so I asked her why. She said that she needs to ask God for forgiveness first. I told her that setting a baptismal date would be the first step to showing humility before God. I invited her a third time, and the silence that followed could have killed a horse. THEN, SHE ACCEPTED WOO! Such a miracle!

Then, last night, when we went to his house, Elias had taken out his piercings in his face and his earings. As we finished the first prayer, I asked him why he did it. He told me that he was thinking about the word of wisdom, and felt like he should take care of his body and not have those piercings. I almost died.

When we first met him, he came out smoking a cig, super gangsta´ looking. Now, he is reading the Book of Mormon, keeping the Word of Wisdom, cleaning up his language, and changing his life. THE GOSPEL IS TRUE AND CHANGES LIVES:

Funny

We taught a member this week the word ¨Freaking¨ Gosh I Love Spanglish

We had a dog follow us all around the city for 28 hours, and then we went to the church. She then got stuck in the fence. It was so stinking funny.

I, trying to be a good District Leader, wanted to make crepes for the district, and I made all the batter and we got to the chapel and I started making them. Epic fail. Burned a lot of really ugly crepes. Hermana Sayer had to help me save the crepes.

The Gospel is true and changes lives when we have an open heart and sincere desires!

Con Amor,

Elder Conover