Josh's Mission Blog: I Can Always Feel the Spirit Confirming to Me the Truthfulness of the Message

Pues (Well)... we had yet another stellar week here in the land of many bueys (oxen). (Not to be confused with the endearing term "güey", as in "¿Que onda güey?" or "What's up, dude?).

On Tuesday we went to MLC or Mission Leader Conference. I had heard that it's the best meeting in the mission, and that was confirmed. Super uplifting and full of inspired counsel from President Mortensen. Then, later that day we had a family home evening with the Sosa and Zacarías family and talked about the Restoration of the Gospel through the eyes of investigators. I've taught that hundreds of times thus far on my mission and it never ceases to amaze me how powerful and true the message is. I can always feel the Spirit confirming to me the truthfulness of the message.

On Wednesday we knocked on doors for a long time. We found a new trailer park which we had never knocked on before, but was unfortunately filled with mostly grumpy white people. On the last door before getting to our next appointment, we met this couple outside named Chris and Daisy. They mentioned that they had been going through some stuff and were looking for more hope and guidance. We were able to testify to them that that's the reason we were there. They were in tears for most of the lesson and told us that hours prior to our arrival they had been talking about how they needed to start going to a church. They took it as a sign from God that we stopped by and we are going back this week to see them.

On Thursday after weekly planning I went on exchanges with Elder Pogroszewski down to Louetta in preparation for Zone Meeting on Friday. I've always enjoyed his passion and determination to win in missionary work. He doesn't try to be diplomatic and non confrontational, but rather tries to win, to find those who are ready to be baptized. At the beginning of my mission I was always too afraid of offending people, of introducing something new like the church or the Book of Mormon, but now I realize how our role as missionaries is to teach and testify of the Restoration. If we go around to people and never talk about the Restoration, they're never going to have the opportunity to accept it. There's many that won't accept it, but we need to be bold and find those who will. There are a lot of good people who go to good churches with nice pastors, but not one of them talks about eternal families. Not one of them talks about continuing revelation to guide us in these difficult times. It's our job to help these people understand that their church and belief in Jesus Christ is good, but that there's more that God would have them receive, like an eternal family, and the ordinances of salvation.

Come Sunday, we were expecting a lot of our investigators to come to church. Every Sunday morning we go knock on the doors of those we are teaching so that they don't sleep in or anything like that. At 10 o'clock we went and knocked on the door of the Rivera family, and they were about to leave to take 2 of their daughters to Catholic classes as they're getting ready to do the 1st communion. They told us that they don't get done until 11:30, so they wouldn't be able to make it to our church at 11. We were pretty bummed about that because they don't even go to the actual Catholic Sunday services themselves, they just take their kids to classes, but they haven't been able to find anyone else who can pick their kids up from the classes. At 11:15, we get a text from them telling us to wait outside the chapel for them. They came for the first 2 hours and loved it. The branch helped them feel right at home and in Gospel principles talked about how they received answers to their prayers asking if the church was true. When the teacher asked Fabian, the father of the family if he had prayed about the message the missionaries share, he said he had, and he felt that it was true. Wow! We are sooo excited for them and are looking to set a baptismal date with them this week!

Elder Josh Barrus