Getting In Tune: Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/5/13 (with pictures!)

It has been quite a week! I've probably had my faith grow more in the last five days than I've had it grow in the whole rest of my mission. I am blessed with an amazing companion, Elder Crawford. Before I talk about what's happened this week, first I'd like to apologize if I don't convey very well how amazing it was. I was up all night with irregular bowel movements because of some bad Pasole I ate last night, and I feel completely dead. Hopefully I'll be back into the swing of things by tonight.

So, Elder Crawford and I got back together on Thursday morning after exchanges and went to work. After a few minutes we stopped and started talking. Our mission president has mentioned, but hasn't pushed very strongly, focusing on baptizing weekly. My companion and I talked about faith, whether it was the will of the Lord and how it would be possible. We discussed Mormon 9:21 and we prayed. We felt confident that if we kept a constant prayer in our hearts, tried to follow the Spirit and worked hard and stayed humble ("Work hard and stay humble" is one of Elder Crawford's favorite phrases) that someone would be baptized that Sunday. We had 3 days and we had a few ideas of who it could be.

That night, we stopped by N's house, whose two kids (M and L) got baptized last week, on the 28th. It was one of the greatest lessons I've ever had. She started out talking to us about all these problems she's been having with her ex-husband. She kept going and going, and a part of me was worried that we wouldn't get anywhere in the lesson. But we both felt prompted to just listen, both to her and to the Spirit. "Why does got put trials in our life?" asked Elder Crawford. "To try our faith and our patience," she said. Elder Crawford's face lit up, because the scripture he was about to share was Mosiah 23:21-22, which says exactly that. And it says that whoever puts their trust in Him will be lifted up at the last day. We asked her how she thought she could put her trust in Him. She then told us a story of something that had happened that day. I didn't catch all of it, but it had to do with her husband and some people coming over to the house (she lives with a member now) with these papers she was supposed to sign, and it was really stressful for her. But she noticed that Lupe, her daughter, who in the past would have been scared, was completely calm. N asked her, "Why is God doing this? Have I done something wrong or is this to get me to be baptized?" L didn't say anything, she just nodded her head. And N new exactly what she needed to do to put her trust in God. She said she wanted to get baptized soon. We invited her to be baptized that Sunday and she said yes. Miracle!!

But that's not all. Saturday, we knew we needed to set a date for next week if we were going to be able to keep baptizing weekly. After a great lesson in a member's home (who had called us that afternoon saying there was a family who wanted to be taught that evening in their home) we went over to a recent convert's house, J

. We were planning on meeting with him and his mom in another member's house, but she didn't want to go. So we ended up talking with him, and his grandma came out to listen. She's 74 and in a wheelchair because of a stroke she had, but she seemed perfectly lucid and understood everything we were talking about. Elder Crawford started talking about baptism. I thought, "What? She's 74! And in a wheelchair! Are you crazy?" But, supporting my companion, we taught her about baptism and asked if she would like to be baptized on the 28th of August. She said, "How long did it take Jorge to get baptized?" "15 days." "Well, if God wants me to get baptized sooner, I'll do that." Elder Crawford looked at me. "How about next week?" She said okay, and she came to church yesterday! Wow!

I can't believe how many miracles we've seen this week, both small and large. There have been lots of disappointments too, but something good always comes up to replace them. I love being a missionary! I love my companion and I love my area! I know this is the Lord's work. I know that as we follow Him and just try to do our best, miracles happen. And when we ask in faith, nothing doubting, it is given to us whatever we desire, if it is right. Don't doubt that! I have such a strong testimony of that promise now.