Well, transfer calls were last Saturday evening and we did not receive a call about us leaving they
just said, "Hey you're staying and Elder Bowen you're district leader. Have a
good night." So we are staying for another transfer and Elder
Stufflebeam and I get to continue preaching the gospel here in Lufkin! I'm really glad too because I would like to see another baptism in Lufkin
and this week we found two new investigators! We have been so blessed
the last few days! We have gone out and worked hard and the Lord has
blessed us for it.
On Wednesday evening we were
planing what we were going to do for Thursday. So we were looking at
some former investigators in our area book and we looked at
the teaching record for Will. We had stopped by his home many times at
different times but we never meet him there. We looked for his phone
number but it wasn't on the record. Then we found his number saved in our
phone and we decided that we would give him a call and see if it
worked. And it did! We scheduled an appointment with him for noon the
next day and we knocked on his door and he was home! He works at the
chicken factory in town and from what it sounds like he has had a crazy
life. He is 24 and has already seen broken families, broken
hearts, drugs, and pretty much a life without the gospel. But he was
very nice and friendly. He asked us some questions about Brigham Young
and it was pretty easy to answer those. He also asked how he can get in
touch with the missionaries who used to be teaching him. We talked to him
for a while and we are going to start teaching him again.
On Friday we did service at
the Christian Food Bank in town and afterwards one of the volunteers,
Bill, took us out to eat at a really nice restaurant. Its called Ralph and
Kacoos and it's high priced. He is so generous! He wanted to take us
out to eat before any of us got moved with transfers. He still remembers
the missionaries by name who first came to do service for them. He is so
kind and friendly. He got a plate of fried alligator for us all to try
so we could say we had alligator. It was really good to! We talked to him
and even answered questions he had about the church over lunch. He said
that he was going to do it for Thanksgiving but he wanted to do it with
us before we left so he said that this is your Thanksgiving meal from
me. I love Bill! I'm so happy that I will continue to be able to serve
with him every week at the food bank.
Yesterday was amazing! We had a
surprise miracle fall right into our laps! At church in ward council
the bishop said that his son Trice had invited a friend to church and
that she had been asking more questions about the church too. Well she
came! We met her before sacrament meeting and talked very briefly and I
realized that I had met her before when I was Elder Koenen's companion,
my first transfer in Lufkin about 3 months ago when she came to church
the first time with Trice. The crazy thing is that when she came the
first time Trice told us that she didn't like going to church and He just
wanted to help her but didn't know how. Elder Koenen and I told him to
just be a true friend and keep inviting her to do things that will help
her be happy like reading scriptures, going to church and praying. Well apparently Trice has kept up on it and she came back to church with him.
After our gospel principles class we were in the hall getting ready to
go to priesthood when Trice and his friend come up and say, "Savannah wants
to know more about the church - can we have a lesson now?" We said, "Of
course! Let's grab a room." We then went into an empty room and taught the
first lesson, the Restoration. It went really good. She is quiet and
shy but having her friends there helped so much. Having Trice there to
bear his testimony to her really brought in the Spirit. At the beginning
we asked her about what her basic beliefs about God were and from there
started to teach. She is 15 yrs old so we told her after the lesson that
in order for us to teach more we need her parents permission. We
invited her to read the Book of Mormon and to pray and to come back to
church next week. I'm so excited to be able to be a part of the Lord's work
in Savannah's life and hopefully in her family's as well. What a blessing
it is to be a missionary!
On Saturday we had a lesson at
Lin's house. It was good but his dog was a huge distraction! She was
jumping on the couch and practically into our laps. She was running back
and forth and back and forth. Brother Bryce was trying to contain the dog as we taught the entire time which helped a little but it didn't take
it away. During the closing prayer she jumped over Brother Bryce right
next to me and licked my ear. Then the spirit was gone, at least it was
for me. We taught the Plan of Salvation but we will probably be
reviewing it next time. Lin hadn't read though and he didn't come to
church yesterday. He said that he would read this time though and pray.
Till those happen he isn't going to get very far though because those are
the things that help us gain a testimony and show our desire to have
one.
Well I hope y'all have had a
wonderful week! Keep doing the little things. They make the biggest
difference in the long run! We start with the small and simple and then
move forward and things fall into place. God uses the small things to
change the world. That's why the first principle in the gospel is faith.
That's where the small things start. Reading, praying and going to church
those are all acts of faith. As we continue to act in faith that's when
the miracles come. I love y'all so much! Have a great week!
Love your missionary,
Elder Drew Bowen
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