Monday, May 27, 2013

Davi - 5/27/13 email

Whoa, Batman!

Ok, let's just say - this week was INCREDIBLE!!!  Two of our investigators were baptized and confirmed.  It was so cool.  They really love this gospel.  You should have seen how excited they were!  Niki and Derrik.  Sweet little angels.  Derrik was my first ever start-to-finish investigator.  I got to be there for every step of the way.  He was my very first invitation to baptism too.  



We met Charlie on Thursday, and had a lesson with him on Saturday.  He is a 25-year-old guy, and is out-of-this-world amazing.  After the lesson, I sat in the car not being able to talk because I was in such awe.  I was just busy basking in the Spirit.  It was so cool!!  Right when we started the lesson, the scripture came to mind about those who are kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it.  And as the lesson went on, it was so clear that that was so him it's insane.  When we talked about prophets, he responded to some question we asked by saying that he believes there would have to be a prophet to have faith, because there would have to be someone to either follow or ignore.  And we were like, yea, totally, you're brilliant.  And then he kept saying things that were so Joseph Smith it's crazy.  So we read a lot of verses from Joseph Smith History with him, and he was like, I've never felt like someone understands me in this way before.  And proceeded to tell us he has been feeling confused all of ten years, and had just decided to choose no religion because he didn't see a true one.  And then he said that he believed that this was his answer!!!  And proceeded to thank us profusely and tell us that he was so grateful that we didn't judge him and that we listened to him, because he wouldn't have listened otherwise and he is so glad he was given this opportunity to listen.  And he wanted to meet with us again asap.  He is amazing.  After that, I just was like, I can't believe that I got to be there for that.  That I got to feel that crazy Spirit that was working with him, and that we were the ones who get to participate in his process.

This is so cool.  Saturday was for sure a patronus day (you know, the really awesome memories you draw on when a dementor comes).  Our ward mom here, Nicki (fancy that), told me once that on her mission, the days she wanted to talk to her mom were the super hard days and the super incredible days.  And I had felt that on the hard days (sorry, but it's true!)—but then Saturday I wanted to call my mom because it was so incredible!  I wanted to be like, "Baptisms!!  And Charlie!"

Oh, TherBear!  He talked to his parents, and he is getting baptized on June 8th!  He is so excited.  He is the dearest little thing.  He confessed to us that he did have a tiny thing that was scaring him about baptism—you know what it was?  He thought we wouldn't get to meet with him anymore after!  How cute is that?  

This ward is seriously the best.  I love it SOOO much.  Everyone is amazing.

There are more really great investigators, but I am getting tired.  

So, here is something I have been studying: Faith.  It has made all the difference in the world for me. That's really what it's all about, isn't it?  But it's not just the surface level.  Analogy time :)  On a mission, you have to get out of the car and back up the person driving.  So, it's one thing to know that there is a person backing you up.  That's probably good.  Then, it's a whole other thing to choose to look at the person.  Then, it's a whole other thing to take the direction you are being given.  But oftentimes, I think we think that is the highest level of faith. And it's not.  Because I am a culprit of knowing Heavenly Father is there, and looking at Him, and even taking His direction, but I usually check all around me as I’m backing up.  Thus, making the person backing me up, guiding me, the failsafe, instead of the everything.  Like, yea, I will take your guidance, but I am going to act like you aren't there because I am going to check everything all around me anyway.  Instead of being comfortable and happy and knowing that I need nothing more than the guidance of God, I am stressed and frazzled because I am scared of backing up into stuff even though I have the best person ever guiding me.  So, do we let ourselves have enough faith to trust, and see only God, and not all the scary things that we could back up into?  Or do we make Heavenly Father the bystander, and pay more attention to the scary things instead of feeling the peace of knowing you are in the hands of God?  [note from Mom:  At this point, Davi asked me to fix this part so that it makes sense.  But I think it’s beautiful, so I’m leaving it as is.  It’s very Davi, which, of course, is dear to me.]  

So that's the challenge of the week.  Doesn't it seem like that's what it keeps being about?  But it's true. Learning to trust Heavenly Father is a lesson that is indeed a blessing to learn.

Anyway, I am forgetting a million things (I have misplaced my journal and I am panicking).  But basically know that everything is awesome.  And if you are praying for me to get my visa, please pray for the visa to magically get here right after Theran's baptism, or something like that :)  Thanks team :)  

I pray for you all every day, and love you dearly.  Thank you for being my angels, even still.

Whoa, Batman—long email!

Davi


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