January 4, 2016

Wy-oh-Ming!

Tuesday was like an emotional roller coaster. But it was all golden in the end. So it started good with an amazing personal study. I don't know why but it was just phenomenal. It was like I just understood everything all of a sudden. Anyways, the day continued on great too. We went and did some service for an active member family. They are finishing up their basement that has been sitting unfinished for a long time, kind of like our house in Snowflake. So we went and helped them do some work there. Me and Elder Wylie painted the ceiling and one of their closets. Elder Potter tiled their bathroom because his Dad lays floors for a living so he knew what he was doing. And I've painted a few times so that wasn't anything new for me either. So we did that from 10-3. My shoulders were a bit sore from painting a ceiling for 5 hours straight. And Elder Potters knees were killing him from tiling the whole time too. But it felt good to work on a project like that. I can't wait to see the finished product, if I even do! I might be transferred by then.

So we have that awesome service right? Then guess what I do. I lose the mail key. So we get back and look for it for about an hour. And to add to the frustration is that I have my mission card in the mail. So I can't buy anything because I can't get my card! And the Guptils have a spare but they are out of town so I can't get it open until they get back. It sucked. It made me so frustrated.

Then, we have have an amazing miracle after that. It's a long story but it's super cool so I have to tell you guys. So you're going to need some background here. There are two parts that come together and make it cool. So… It starts about 2 months ago. And this first part is freaky but it turns out awesome. Ok, so we me and Elder Wylie are walking through a part of town called River Rock. We were out tracting and street contacting people. So we're just walking along doing great and then we see this guy up ahead of us. And as we get closer I start to notice something funny about him. He's totally wasted or high, or both! So he can barely even walk. He's stumbling so hard. And as we get closer he sees us across the street (because we were of the other side of the street). And as soon as he looked at us I just thought, oh boy, here we go. And he was like, "hey, come talk to me". And said it short and snappy. And I was like, "what?" trying to act like I didn't hear him. And he said it again, "come talk to me!" So we're like umm ok. So we cross the street and go and start talking to him. And this guy was so gone upstairs, like wacko. We were having a hard time even get a point across to him because he was just so disoriented and his mood kept changing! One minute he was chewing us out for not knowing the story of King Solomon and then the next he was praising us for doing what we do. So this goes for like 10 minutes. And finally I'm like ok, let's just get our point across and go on our way. So I just say, hey man we just have a message about Jesus Christ and his restored gospel. And this is where it gets freaky. So he says back, "Jesus, I know Jesus. I have Jesus in my heart but I will still kill everyone in this whole valley." And that's when I'm just like ok let's go! So I'm trying to transition us to our farewell and parting words but he's on fire now. He starts looking at us and is like, "you don't know the things I've done or will do!" Then he points to me and says, "you don't get it do you, but you (and points to elder Wylie), you get it!" And I'm just trying to leave. I'm like okay may the Lord be with you, hope you have a good day. And we are both super scared of course. And then he says this as we try to walk away, "I'm gonna kill myself, because of you! I'm gonna be dead tonight! Just watch!" So we are walking away with haste at this point. And Elder Wylie looks backs and I'm like don't look back just keep walking! And he's screaming and swearing and freaking out behind us in the middle of the street. And we get a ways away and call the police and tell them of this crazy dude talking about suicide and killing people in River Rock. Super scary. It was a story to remember. The feeling I had around him was unique. I remember thinking very clearly and even saying, "I feel like that man needs help". And of course he does, but I felt the spirit tell me. It was a different prompting from what I'm used to. So that happened 2 months ago right? Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago. Me and Elder Wylie have a great night planned. We have two lessons planned. One with an investigator and one with a member. So they end up both falling through. But I was determined to keep working that night. And it's really hard to find anyone past 8, but I was determined. So we have a member take us out to River Rock to go find some people. We check on some potentials and what not. And here we are again walking down the street. And we see this lady shoveling her porch at 8:30. And I'm like, what the heck, who's out shoveling this late? So we go talk to her. She turns out to be super interested and wants to learn more. We set up a lesson and are all pumped right? Ok now fast forward another week. We go to the lesson we planned with her and she's not home. It sucked. So for the rest of the week we knock on her door several times to try to find her, no success. So about the 4th time we knock on her door someone finally comes to it. And guess who answered the door. It was crazy guy!!! I was like, no no no no. Haha it was so funny but scary at the same time. Anyways, he tells us she's not home. He obviously didn't remember us from the incident we had with him 2 months ago, which doesn't surprise me. So we come back another day and she's home, finally! So she tells us she's sick and doesn't feel good, and Elder Potters like, you want a blessing? And she said yes! We end up explaining to her how it all works and give her the blessing. By the end of it all she is crying and we are bearing out testimony of the truth and power of what she felt. And she continues to tell us all these things she's going through and how her husband (crazy guy) is sick and how she needs help from us and God. After that we set up a lesson to come back and teach her what she felt and about the gospel. And the lesson happened. And let me tell you, I've never been in such a good lesson in my whole life. We had such good unity and we and we all flowed so well. The spirit was there strong. And we put her on date for baptism! And it just all came together. And I could see how the series of events came together to make something amazing. Starting with the crazy guy and feeling the prompting that he needs help and then finding her late in the night shoveling the snow. There was a reason why I ran into both of those people. And now we are able to give these people the beautiful message of the gospel. It was such an amazing feeling. I'm so thankful to have been able to been a tool in the hand of the lord in this experience.

And that was a HUGE miracle this week. Her name is Angela by the way. But here's a plot twist. Guess what? I'm getting transferred to Thermopolis Wyoming! I'm both excited and sad that I'm leaving. Because I want to keep teaching Angela but I think I did what the Lord wanted me to do and now I can leave. He wanted me to find her and help her, now someone else gets the pleasure to keep going with it and baptize her. I've done my job in Belgrade, it will always have a place in my heart. I've grown to love this Ward and area but I'm excited to get to go through the same experience in a new area. And I'm gonna miss the elders I'm with too. Me and Elder Wylie have grown so close and I'll miss him. He's grown so much, it's crazy to see how much more confident he is and how he's turning into a strong and powerful person. I can't wait for his family to see him when he gets home, he's like a new person. But it was an honor to train him. I learned a lot from him.

But that's most of the stuff worth mentioning this week. There is so much I wish I could tell you but I can only write so much. But anyways, I love you guys and want to hear from you! Here I come Wyoming!

     -Elder Schneider