I and her daughter A are having their baptismal interviews tonight. I is still nervous and feels there is still so much left to learn, but it looks like she's going through with it. She's been to church six or seven times and I am so excited for her baptism on Saturday.
A is getting super solid. He met with the bishop on Sunday to talk about getting married to T and came out pretty excited. For some reason, T didn't come to church so he went home to go talk to her about it. We met with him last night and it sounds like she didn't really give an answer. He told us, "Just between you and me, she'll be here Friday morning. I'll be at work, but you should come talk to her and encourage her." He wants to get married and baptized as soon as she is willing. Pray for them!
C came to church again! She loved it even more this time. She's starting to put a lot of effort into getting an answer from God that this is where she should be. We'll be meeting with her tonight to review the Restoration and help her understand that this isn't just some other church but it is the very same church that Christ established when He was on the earth. She is also getting closer and closer to baptism.
And finally V and most of his family also came to church! (We had 8 investigators there) They loved it, but could only stay for one hour. The rest of the family is going to come this week and they will stay all three hours. They love the Spirit they feel when we come over and love how we explain things but they confided in us last night that they are confused because they have grown up with Catholic traditions and faith and a part of them feels it is wrong to change religions. They want to come to the baptism on Saturday to see how it is and how they feel and then decide if they want to set a baptismal date. Pray for them too!
I heard recently about how a while back (probably 20 years ago), President Eyering spoke at a stake conference here. I'd heard the part where he'd said that thousands of people were ready in Visalia to be baptized that very day, but I heard that he also said that one day there would not only being multiple stakes in Visalia, but multiple Spanish stakes. I thought, "Well if there were to be a Spanish stake here, we'd need a ward in Farmersville!" There is a good foundation being started here and it actually probably wouldn't take a ton more work to make a Spanish branch out of Farmersville, Exter, and Woodlake to make a branch at the Exeter building. That's my vision right now: Laying the foundation for a branch in Farmersville. I'm praying every day to find the future leaders of that branch.
We had a fantastic district meeting on Tuesday about being united with the Godhead. I find it interesting that in 3 Nephi 11, Christ teaches that the doctrine of the devil is contention and then immediately teaches His doctrine, which is the opposite. That doctrine is being one with the Father. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20-21). The goal is complete unity. It is achieved through Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As we seek to "repent, and become as a little child" (3 Nephi 11:37-38), submitting our will to the Father's (as King Benjamin explains beautifully in Mosiah 3:19) we will become one with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Holy Ghost and obtain eternal life which is to "know [Him] the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [He hath] sent" (John 17:3). I know that when we are striving to do that, the Spirit enters into our lives with greater power. I know it, because I feel it.
I love you all so much! I pray that each of us may be more united with our Heavenly Father, that we may become of one heart and one mind because there is no happier way to live.
Love,
Elder Lofthouse
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