Hey everyone,
This has been an absolutely blessed week, once again. I have to keep it super short though so I will go ahead and do the boring bullit points again. Sorry... I meant to upload some pictures to make up for it but I forgot my camera, so I will try to do that next week.
- Barbara and her great grandson were both baptised and it was one of the greatest experiences of my mission so far! A couple weeks ago I told everyone a little about the dream that she had that basicaly sealed her commitment to be baptised, but I am going to elaborate on it a little more now. We had asked her to be baptised the end of October, which she had agreed to work towards, but then she had a dream that pushed that back. She said that in her dream she was baptised in November by a man in white, but also that there were two people looking down on her and one more man in white at her head, also in the font. Most of the dream made sense so of course we pushed it back to November 6th. As we talked to her about her dream we told her that the man baptising her will be in white, as she will be, and that the two people looking down on her will be the witnessed, my companion and I. But we couldnt figure out who the other person in the font was so we just pushed it aside thinking maybe it was supposed to represent her husband who passed away years ago. The Friday before her baptism we went over with the Ward Mission Leader to discuss the finer details as well as practice what was going to happen in the font. Since she is terrified of water we all decided to have her great grandson go first, and then he would be able to watch from the side of the font. At the baptism it all went as planned until Barbara tried to go under the water and came back up before she was fully submerged and choked on water for a couple minutes. We tried again, and once more she came up short choking on water and looking a little discouraged. I said a short prayer and comforted her and her great grandson moved back into the font, at her head, to tell her she can do it. This time she went under all the way and then left the font with a huge smile on her face. Wow, that answers who the other man in the font was going to be in an amazing way!
They are both now baptised by water and fire and are very happy to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She is already preparing to enter the temple and is also getting ready for her cancer treatment with a new sense of optimism and stregth. The ward has come together to take care of both of them through the treatments and I cant imagine a greater success story. The Gospel really has changed their lives and I have never seen her so happy, even with the approaching surgery and treatments! Miracles like them are why I am out here :-)
I wish I could say so much more, but that took longer to write out them I had anticipated so I better wrap this up now. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and encouragemnt though, because I know those are helping the work progress here. I am growing a greater understanding for what is meant when we are told of the joy that comes from bringing souls unto Christ, and that is making me want to work harder and harder to find more who are prepared. The Lord is working true miracles in this area of his vinyard, and I get to witness them, and even be a part of some of them!!!
I love you all,
Elder David K Inman
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
2 weeks in one
Note from mom:
Sorry I did not get his last week's letter up! During the week Bill and I received 2 letters from President Miller (David's mission president). One of them stated that he is being made a trainer and one said he is being made a district leader.
Letter from today;
Hey everyone,
It has been another great week in the mission field :-) Last Tuesday I picked up my new companion, Elder Krahenbuhl (Sounds like Cranbule), and we got strait to work. Much of this last week was spent doing physical service so we literally had to roll up our sleeves to get it done. I am guessing we spent 20 hours or more moving people last week, and my body ached to prove it. But we both had a lot of fun and my companion said that he is happy to see missionary work isn't just knocking doors all day. We also had the baptism of a 9 year old boy on Saturday, and we are scheduled to have Barbara and her great grandson baptised this coming Saturday. Barbara just found out that she has cancer and has to start treatments soon, but she said she will do her best to have those treatment stalled until after the baptism because she understands how important it is for her and her great grandson to make that sacred covenant. It is so amazing to see the change that has taken place in her. When I got here I was told not to bring up baptism with her because it might scare her away, and now she is pushing back cancer treatments so that she can be baptised as soon as possible. Wow :-)
The ward's excitement here continues to grow for missionary work as well, which I know will have an incredible affect on how many people will be brought to conversion in the Belen area. On Sunday Elder Krahenbuhl and I gave the 5th Sunday lesson to Relief Society and Priesthood about missionary work. I was sick so I sounded horrible the whole time, but my companion did a great job of stepping up in his new ward. The lesson went great and I hope that we were able to ease a lot of the fears many of the members had about missionary work. After we finished teaching, the ward mission leader introduced the 40 day fast to everyone. It is designed so that for 40 days strait, leading up to the 23rd of December, there will be at least one ward member fasting on each of the separate days. Everyone in the room rose their hand when asked if they support it, which means that starting next week we will have someone fasting every single day for 40 days for missionary work specifically. I am so excited to see what miracles are going to come from it!
Well we have to bring the truck in to get some work done on it so I better close this now.
I love you all,
Elder Inman
Letter from last Wednesday;
This week is going incredible. My new companion is amazing and is very excited about the work here. I dont have much time but I just wanted to let you know that we are being extremely blessed. Yesterday I brought him to meet the ward mission leader and the spirit was very strong and we all know that now is the time for the missionary work to explode in this area. I cant really think of anything I would want any other way :-) I would tell you his name but its really hard to spell and I can barely remember it right now so I will have to get back to you on that next Monday. Oh, and this weekend we have our first baptism in this area, pics later, so that just adds to the excitement.
Well I gotta get going, I just noticed that the person I am sitting next to is looking at a page with Gordon B. Hinkley on it and they dont appear to be LDS so this might be a good chance to spark up a conversation, even if it is anti she is looking up, lol.
Letter from last Monday;
Hola,
The news came on Saturday that I will be staying and Elder Thatcher will be leaving and going to Los Crusus tomorrow. I still don't know who my new companion is and won't find out until tomorrow morning. Both Elder Thatcher and I were pretty sad about him leaving but we are sure it is the Lords will so we are both excited for what ever comes next for us. He had a great good-bye from the ward and whoever comes into the area should be really happy about what they are coming into. During transfer calls I had quite a few missionary friends call me telling me that word has spread about the success in Belen and they were hoping to get sent here. Its amazing to see the change from last transfer to this one. I have been so blessed to have served here with Elder Thatcher and know that the coming transfer will continue the momentum that we were a part of building.
I had to keep this email short because Elder Thatcher has not finished packing yet. I am pretty sure I'm sounding like a broken record with how many times I say that I have to keep it short but it feels like we are always busy or running behind, which I guess is a blessing compared to the alternative. This one is just extra short :-) But I will probably be emailing tomorrow as well because my companion has not been able to email yet so hopefully I will be able to get on and give a little update of the area and of my new companion.
I love you all!!
Elder Inman
Sorry I did not get his last week's letter up! During the week Bill and I received 2 letters from President Miller (David's mission president). One of them stated that he is being made a trainer and one said he is being made a district leader.
Letter from today;
Hey everyone,
It has been another great week in the mission field :-) Last Tuesday I picked up my new companion, Elder Krahenbuhl (Sounds like Cranbule), and we got strait to work. Much of this last week was spent doing physical service so we literally had to roll up our sleeves to get it done. I am guessing we spent 20 hours or more moving people last week, and my body ached to prove it. But we both had a lot of fun and my companion said that he is happy to see missionary work isn't just knocking doors all day. We also had the baptism of a 9 year old boy on Saturday, and we are scheduled to have Barbara and her great grandson baptised this coming Saturday. Barbara just found out that she has cancer and has to start treatments soon, but she said she will do her best to have those treatment stalled until after the baptism because she understands how important it is for her and her great grandson to make that sacred covenant. It is so amazing to see the change that has taken place in her. When I got here I was told not to bring up baptism with her because it might scare her away, and now she is pushing back cancer treatments so that she can be baptised as soon as possible. Wow :-)
The ward's excitement here continues to grow for missionary work as well, which I know will have an incredible affect on how many people will be brought to conversion in the Belen area. On Sunday Elder Krahenbuhl and I gave the 5th Sunday lesson to Relief Society and Priesthood about missionary work. I was sick so I sounded horrible the whole time, but my companion did a great job of stepping up in his new ward. The lesson went great and I hope that we were able to ease a lot of the fears many of the members had about missionary work. After we finished teaching, the ward mission leader introduced the 40 day fast to everyone. It is designed so that for 40 days strait, leading up to the 23rd of December, there will be at least one ward member fasting on each of the separate days. Everyone in the room rose their hand when asked if they support it, which means that starting next week we will have someone fasting every single day for 40 days for missionary work specifically. I am so excited to see what miracles are going to come from it!
Well we have to bring the truck in to get some work done on it so I better close this now.
I love you all,
Elder Inman
Letter from last Wednesday;
This week is going incredible. My new companion is amazing and is very excited about the work here. I dont have much time but I just wanted to let you know that we are being extremely blessed. Yesterday I brought him to meet the ward mission leader and the spirit was very strong and we all know that now is the time for the missionary work to explode in this area. I cant really think of anything I would want any other way :-) I would tell you his name but its really hard to spell and I can barely remember it right now so I will have to get back to you on that next Monday. Oh, and this weekend we have our first baptism in this area, pics later, so that just adds to the excitement.
Well I gotta get going, I just noticed that the person I am sitting next to is looking at a page with Gordon B. Hinkley on it and they dont appear to be LDS so this might be a good chance to spark up a conversation, even if it is anti she is looking up, lol.
Letter from last Monday;
Hola,
The news came on Saturday that I will be staying and Elder Thatcher will be leaving and going to Los Crusus tomorrow. I still don't know who my new companion is and won't find out until tomorrow morning. Both Elder Thatcher and I were pretty sad about him leaving but we are sure it is the Lords will so we are both excited for what ever comes next for us. He had a great good-bye from the ward and whoever comes into the area should be really happy about what they are coming into. During transfer calls I had quite a few missionary friends call me telling me that word has spread about the success in Belen and they were hoping to get sent here. Its amazing to see the change from last transfer to this one. I have been so blessed to have served here with Elder Thatcher and know that the coming transfer will continue the momentum that we were a part of building.
I had to keep this email short because Elder Thatcher has not finished packing yet. I am pretty sure I'm sounding like a broken record with how many times I say that I have to keep it short but it feels like we are always busy or running behind, which I guess is a blessing compared to the alternative. This one is just extra short :-) But I will probably be emailing tomorrow as well because my companion has not been able to email yet so hopefully I will be able to get on and give a little update of the area and of my new companion.
I love you all!!
Elder Inman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)