18 May 2010

This has already been the weirdest transfer ever! We have a potential Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde investigator. We contacted someone in the street about 4 weeks ago and he wasn't really interested but said we could stop by if we are around. However, he lives at the north of the area so we never go up there. However, the other day someone with the same name called us about wanting to come to the VC. It turns out the English sisters up there (one of them from Argentina) set up and appt with him. When he couldn't come he called us (I don't know how he had our number) so we set up another appt. He was awesome and said "Sisters, I really want to learn more about God, I think it is time, when can I come." However, when I called to confirm at the number I had for him, he was really different and was like "I'm up in Payson, kind of busy, we can do it later." That's when we started wondering if there were two people, so I went through caller id and called the number that called us (it was a different number) but it was no longer in service. We talked to the English sisters and confirmed that it is the same address. We still haven't quite figured it out... and weird things keep happening every day...

We continue finding more and more investigators and doubled the amount at church last week. All of the stake centers were booked with baptisms last weekend- Mesa is becoming the new waters of Mormon! And this week is the Gila Valley temple dedication! I am super excited to be able to go. Plus, there is the cultural celebration the night before, which will be really cool. Get to learn a little more about where I am serving. Really crazy things keep happening in the area, and by really crazy things I mean miracles. It is super exciting and I hope that I am here next transfer, but we'll see. Yesterday was our last zone conference with Pres. Bassett. It was kind of a "back to the basics" conference, and I wish I had had it at the beginning of my mission. We talked about basic things like planning and studies, and I learned tons that I didn't know before. Hopefully it will make a big difference in the future.

Our investigators are doing well. Sunday we did everything we could to get them to church so it was a little sad when some of them didn't come. We even went to Juan's house after church and invited him to an English ward at 2, and he said he would be right there, but he never came. Last week, we taught a new investigator who was a referral from a Bishop he works with. The bishop came with us and it was a really good lesson. We have been working on testifying more in lessons, because that is what invites the Spirit. We have our next lesson with Lupe tonight and I hope it goes well. We also found another miracle investigator. We got a referral for the trailer park in our area but it didn't have the trailer number, so we decided to tract the trailers and look for him. The first door we knocked we found Rogelio. He had been meeting with missionaries before he moved to the trailers and was more than happy to have us over. We taught him last night and he had a lot of great questions. I told us how he really wanted to change his life but that sometimes it is hard, because when he was into drugs and alcohol he had friends and now that he has left those he doesn't feel like he has friends. Armando, the recent convert in the trailers has told us almost the same thing. He said that it was easier to make "friends" before being a member, you just had to call and offer them beer. However, as we explain to Rogelio, they aren't real friends. We got to talk a lot about baptism to him, about how that is an important part of his change and that he will be able to again find happiness in his life, this time a healthy and lasting happiness. He is excited about coming to church and accepted to be baptized when he knows it is true. We have faith and hope that he can be baptized at the beginning of next month. I am super glad he lives in the trailers, they are awesome! Hna. McBride and I are working on forming the Paradise Palms Branch down there!

I know that this Gospel is true and that it can solve any problem that anyone is faced with. We have a loving and merciful Father in Heaven and through His Son all is possible. We also talked about miracles and our zone conference and in the Bible Dictionary it says that Christianity is founded upon the greatest of all miracles, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that knowing that, all other miracles cease to be improbable. I'd like to add that I think part of the foundation of the true church of Jesus Christ in the latter days is the miracle that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to the boy Joseph Smith. If we know that then all else is possible. God still talks to man and to each of us personally. We can live with our families forever. We will be forgiven for our sins when we repent. There is a prophet on the earth today. All that Christ taught and established, all that was lost, is now restored, we just need to open our eyes and see it.

Desde Mesa, con amor,
Hermana Ladd