What a great week Elder Adriano and I have had. I am having such a good time right now on my mission and really everything has just felt like a dream. I still walk around and think "Man I am in London!" It doesn't feel real. I feel like that youtube video "David after the Dentist" when the kid asks his father, "Is this real life? Is this ever going to end?" The new title is now "David during his mission."
Elder Adriano and I have been praying for new people to teach. The area in Hyde Park, where I am assigned, is fairly new so there was not many people to teach. We have been spending entire days just talking to people on the street and we were not having much success. So Elder Adriano and I decided to step it up. We were more obedient, and we fasted and prayed for people to teach. After doing all of this suddenly things immediately changed for the better. Last Thursday night we were on our way to teach this man named James. And as we were walking this woman stopped us and asked us, "Hey are you Mormons?" We answered her then she began to tell us that her daughter is Mormon and that she wants to learn more. She then invited us over and we have taught her twice and has accepted to be baptised! Woo! We will also start teaching her other daughter and grandchildren that live with her.
Then the next day we were talking with one of the recently baptised members and he said that his sister and mother want to learn more from us. We went and taught the sister with him and she has accepted to be baptised as well! We will meet with the mother this week too and then she will most likely follow suit.
Then yesterday! Wow what a day. So we have been meeting with this man who is a less active member of the church and helping him through his various addictions. And yesterday he brought a friend who had been asking him questions on what he believes and his friend is searching for a church to join! His friend, on his first time being to church, bore his testimony during fast and testimony meeting yesterday! He is so cool! So he invited us over to teach him this coming Thursday! Then later on in the meeting I said hello to this woman thinking she was a member (because I do not know the ward very well since I have only been to 2 Sacrament Meetings here) and she then responded saying, "Hello I am Margaret and I want to join this church. And I want my son to join as well. We are teaching her this Thursday. All of these miracles have come from stricter obedience to mission rules, and from fasting and prayer. I know that God wants to reward us but we have to show effort and desire to receive these blessings. We have to work harder and be more diligent. I am thankful for being able to learn this principle on my mission because it will help me for the rest of my life. If I am not getting what I want right now. Work harder.
Before my mission I didn't really understand how important baptism is. I really did not understand it as well as I should have. In the Bible in John 3:5 Jesus is teaching Nicodemus about being born again or, in other words, about baptism and He says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, unless a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Even Jesus Christ, being absolutely perfect, was humble enough to obey His Fathers commandment and to set a perfect example on what we should do. Jesus Christ also traveled to one who had authority to perform such an ordinance. Wouldn't you say that the one to be performing this important saving ordinance must have the authority or permission from God to act in His name? This is why Jesus traveled to John the Baptist. To be baptised by one who had the authority. I know that these two things are so important. To be baptised by immersion for the remission of sins and the one to be performing the ordinance must be one holding that Priesthood Authority. These two things are only found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jesus Christ's same church that he established on the earth once again restored in this last dispensation. I love these truths and the restored gospel. This is why, for those who may not know, baptism is so important. It is the first step in we take to returning to live with God again. It is the opportunity to be cleansed of all of our sin and to start a life devoted to living like Christ.
Here is a funny/creepy story for the week. So like I sad last week, we have roof access and next to our flat complex there is a taller one. So one night I was leaning out the window talking on the phone because our flat has terrible reception. And I look up and see the man standing in his underwear looking at us from his window above us! It was terrifying! And he does this like every night! I have to make calls every night to talk and take reports from the other missionaries so I am always leaning out of the window on the roof terrace and he is always just standing there starring at me. So last night we decided to have a little fun with this guy. So all of us missionaries turned off all the nights then snuck in the room and had Elder Dominguez from spain ready to turn on the light. So we counted to 3 and then turned on the light and jumped up in an attempt to scare the weirdo stranger. It didn't work. He just stood there and kept starring. Yep he is a weirdo in London.
Have a great week and I will talk to you soon!
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