So this week has been pretty great! A lot of miracles!
So In a picture I sent you will see a pic of a black guy. His name is Derante! He is a miracle! So we were talking to Angela, the woman getting baptized this week, and she was like I feel like you should talk to that guy over there(Derante). We were like okay??? So we went up him and started explaining who we are. He was so excited! He was saying how he just was thinking about coming closer to God and making a better life for himself! So We invited him to church. In this area it is notorious for false promises. So we weren't expecting him to really come. Well at 8:30 am we knocked on his door and he was all ready to go last week! He had an awesome time!
We barely got to see him at all last week so we were a little nervous that he wouldn't come. We we showed up at 8:30 yesterday and he came to the door then shut it in our face. We didn't really know what to do. I am super sad about it. Well were talking to another person across from him and we were about to leave at like 8:50 and then we hear,"Are you guys ready to go?" It was Derante! He was changing for church! What a miracle of a kid. He is 24 and is just so committed to what we teach him. We had the most amazing lesson with him last night. He talked about how all of his family was putting him down and telling him to stay away from the Mormons! HA! I asked how he felt when he was inside the church. He replied ,"Every time I want through those doors I forget all my problems and I can't seem to remember what things are wrong with my life." I asked why that was? He said," I have no idea why, but that's why I am here to find out." My heart was on fire I was so excited. Then Later that night we talked about "Standing Alone". Having the courage to stand up for what you believe. He then said he wants to go on a mission?! I am not even kidding. We have known this kid for like a little over a week and now he wants to be a missionary? He is on fire! Man I am so pumped for people that want to be better!
I have been thinking a lot about why this missionary work isn't easy. And I why I feel like I am constantly being pushed,stretched, and pressured. A talk by President Holland has come up more than once this week for me. The line I want to focus on is this,"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?" I have decided that I do not care anymore if someone slams the door in my face or tells me to get lost or any hurtful thing, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS TRUE! SO I WILL FIND SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO HEAR THE TRUTH! I too am convinced that this work is not going to be easy, in fact it is going to be really really really REALLY HARD. BUT, I know that I do not have to experience anything close to what the Savior did in terms of hard things. This life will never be easy, but it wasn't designed to be. So when you think your life is hard, and you're tired, and angry, remember that there was someone that had it much much worse than you or I.
I love you guys! Congrats to Loyola for the National Championship! Shout out to my boy Thomas Jaeschke for winning! Also James Shaw for killin it the whole season! Love you guys.
Have a Great week!!!
Elder Patch
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