R...

February 27, 2017

This week has been an amazing week!

We spent a lot of time with our investigator R. this past week. He needed a lot of help with things around his house. He would stop us all the time to give us life advice. :) His wife died just 2 years ago, and he told us that this is the happiest he's ever been since then. The ward next door had a baptism on Saturday, and we asked R. to take us and also invited him to watch. It turns out he got up late; he was able to take us, but he was still in his pajamas. :) He told us that he would just wait inside his car. I had to play the piano so we went inside. After being inside for a few minutes we really felt that we should go back out and specifically invite him in. We went out and did that and he said that he felt bad about how he was dressed, but that he really wanted to see it! We told him that no one would care about how he was dressed and that he should come it. He decided to come, and loved the service! He started praying for us during it! What a miracle! R. is so cool! He keeps buying us stuff which is not okay. ;) He is such a kind man.





We had a neat lesson with A. this week. We were talking about our potential as sons and daughters of God, and how he loves us and wants us to return to him. After talking about that for a little bit A. opens up to us and tells us how she really feels like she is not going to heaven. Of course that broke our hearts at first, but we went on to read the scriptures and testify that God's work and glory is for us to live with Him again, and He's going to do all he can to help us achieve that! We asked her if she'd be willing to start over with a new mindset and begin to believe that she can make it to heaven. She said she would do that. The next time we were there with her, during our conversation she told us that she is going to heaven! She really had changed her mindset and her heart! There are people out there who feel like they are not good enough or God's grace, but His grace, love, and mercy extend over us all! No matter what we have done He loves us, and when we repent we can make it to live with Him again.

I have gone on a couple exchanges these past two weeks, and they have been really neat experiences! When I was in the Granite Hills ward last week we met with a woman who I helped to teach a tiny bit when I was in a trio three months ago. Back then this woman just liked meeting with the missionaries for fun. We asked her about baptism back then and she was like "no way" we asked her to say the prayer back then and she was like "no way!" When I was on exchanges we talked with her about being ready for her baptismal date in 3 weeks! What an amazing change!

The second exchange is similar. Four months ago I went on an exchange in the Sunset Hills ward. There was an investigator we met with whom we dropped at that time. During the drop lesson he was drinking a ton. He complained to us about his family, job, and life the whole time. I went on exchanges to sunset hills this past week and we again met with this man who had been picked back up 2 months ago. At this time he has stopped drinking beer completely (which is super hard for him) He talked about how he loves his family now and is so grateful for his job. What another amazing change! The gospel truly changes lives when applied. Although we might be members we can still be changed for the better as well!

I know this gospel is true and brings true joy into our lives when we live it!



Love,

Elder Petrie