Letter #48

Hello everyone!

 

Well this week was really incredible. I keep thinking that eventually these blessings are going to stop but they don’t! They just keep on coming. It has gotten to the point where me and my companion really wonder where they are coming from. We have no idea what we are even doing to deserve them.

I think I told you all about Shane, the Chinese guy that accepted a baptismal date, he is progressing and very fast. We went over to his house and visited him with our ward mission leader last Saturday. It was so nice to have a member there to help us teach. That is one thing that we do not get a lot up here and I really wish that we had more. But, our ward mission leader was great. He taught so clearly and bore some great testimony. When we followed up with Shane about his book of Mormon reading he said that he has been reading and he feels something very special as he reads that book. He explained that it is a feeling that he has never felt before. He also said that when he prays, he really feels like some one is there and listening to his prayers. I felt so happy when he said that words couldn’t even explain.

Jing is also doing great. Last Thursday she called and asked if I would come help her buy a computer. She wanted me to translate for her at the store. It ended up being so stressful! To start everything off, I had to follow her to the place in our car. She is such a scary driver! She would start drifting into the other lane or try to do a u-turn in the middle of a busy road, or randomly flip on her turn signal and then not turn! It was crazy! But luckily we made it to the store alive! When we got into the store was really when the magic began. She was buying a new computer and wanted the programs from her old computer transferred on to her new one. When the man at the store said that she couldn’t do that, she became upset. Then the man was not able to get the computer she wanted in red, which also made her very mad! It was crazy! I felt bad for the guy in the store. But then finally after spending over an hour in that store she purchased her computer and we left. When we got back to their house we had an opportunity to teach her a lesson and it went really well. She accepted a baptismal date as well, but I don’t know how committed she is quite yet. She does not fully have a testimony yet that these things we have shared with her are true. We are going to meet with her again tomorrow and I am excited.

We also received a referral this week from the Portuguese elders. They told us that it was a family and they seemed very interested! We called, set up an appointment and they ended up being very interested. A man named Ernie and his wife Lu Lu with their 5 boys. They also had a friend over when we taught them. We taught them the first lesson and the spirit was so strong. When we were talking about apostasy, the dad chimed right in and started to tell us how he has seen this in the world today. At the end of the lesson, the spirit was so strong I and my companion gave them baptismal dates. They all accepted to be baptized! That was our first time meeting with them, so they still have a long way to go but we are very excited for them. They will be a great contribution to our ward.

It has been so crazy with all of these things going on. I have to be honest; it really does not feel real. I have spent so much time out here working my tail off and really have not seen to many results. And then now I feel like I am getting hit with this wall of blessings. The cycle ended today and yes I am still here! I am not sure how much longer I will be in Connecticut, but I am loving it here. I am learning so much… it is incredible. Well, I hope that you are all having a great week!!! Thanks so much for all that you do!

Elder Barton