What A Great Week

Hey family and friends! Good to hear from y'all again. 

There are some really exciting things going on in Michigan. The Lord is in the work and things are going really well. Yesterday was a wonderful Fast Sunday, and we're already seeing results of the fast for mission work throughout the whole mission.

I was in Holland earlier this week with Elder English. It was a good, busy day and I got to meet Bro Rose. Bro Rose's wife is an active member and he is an active investigator. He's been coming to church for a long time, but didn't want to get baptized until he had read all of D+C and the Pearl of Great Price. He's wonderful and knows the Book of Mormon is true. Yesterday, I found that he wants to be baptized this Saturday! That was way exciting to hear.

I don't remember if I told you about Alicia, but she's a college student who has studied the Bible and showed up to sacrament meeting a few weeks ago. We taught her for the first time this week on Halloween. We taught her the Restoration and talked about the Book of Mormon. She is way stoked to read it and pray about it. Woo!

We also taught Jasmine Malcolm the Restoration and invited her to read the Book of Mormon. I am so excited to teach her the Plan of Salvation next time we see her.

I was on trade-offs with Elder Leavitt (one of our zone leaders) this Friday in Wyoming. He is an amazing teacher. The first appointment of the day, we went to go see an inactive member, Gary. Before we sat down, we saw his wife (nonmember) Peggy in the hallway. She told us she wasn't feeling well and that her sister was dying of cancer as we spoke. Before she could leave to her room, Elder Leavitt asked her if she had ever talked with missionaries about the Plan of Salvation, she said she hadn't. He then told her that was exactly what she needed at the moment, and that talking to us would bless her life. She seemed off-put, but said she was going to go lay down for a while then she'd come out and talk. We talked with Gary for a while about the Atonement until Peggy came out. We then taught them the Plan of Salvation. It was amazing to see- when we started teaching Peggy was indifferent and clearly upset and angry. Within the hour, her countenance completely changed. She cried and expressed her love for God and her family. Her heart had been softened by the Spirit and she accepted an invitation to baptism. That was an amazing experience.

OK, here's a kinda funny story. Last night we went to try and start teaching potential investigators. Pete and Jessica, a young couple, invited us in which we were way stoked about. As we were preparing to sit and teach, their pitbull Rosco escaped out the back door and ran off. So, instead of teaching we helped them find Rosco. Elder Reheis and I ended up walking back behind the house for an hour in some deep woods. I fell into mud which was pretty hilarious. When we gave up and headed back to their house, we saw that they had found him and were sitting outside with him on a leash. They saw me and the muddy mess that I was and felt bad for me. We're going to go see them and actually teach them later this week. 

Well, that's about it, folks. I love you all and you're amazing. Thanks for all of the mail and packages, I don't deserve all the kind things you do for me. I pray and think about you all the time.
 

Much love, 

Elder Schmutz