Elder Drew Schneider: April 4, 2016

Spiritual Overload

Hello Everybody!

It's been a good one, especially because of General Conference. I loved hearing the words of our prophets and apostles as well as everyone else who spoke.

First off, got transfer news. Me and Elder Palmer are staying. I'm glad we are because we are enjoying things here. Me and him are like brothers in arms, it’s a blast. There is so much that is developing that I want to see happen.

As far as people, we are doing good. We have one person, Augie, on date for baptism that is pretty solid. She has come to church and has had the first three lessons and is really liking the journey of learning about Christ. This is the first person who we've taught that doesn't have a Christian background so it was a bit different explaining the Godhead and teaching her simply so she can understand who her Savior is. But she’s had some pretty cool experiences. She told us how one night she just couldn't sleep because she felt like she needed to read the Book of Mormon for some reason. So she did it, and she said she could sleep after. It was just an interesting story of how God makes things happen if he needs it done. So she has had some promptings and spiritual experiences that have really helped her feel that God is real and that her savior Jesus Christ truly loves her. Oh and another cool thing to add is the process of how we decided which member to bring to the last lesson we had with her. So we knew we would be teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ so we prayed for which member to bring. We just said a quick prayer in the middle of our nightly planning the day before and we had someone come to our minds to bring, didn't know why, just went with it. So we invite this member to the lesson and from the very beginning we knew why the lord has us bring this member. So Augie, our investigator, had had some close family die in a tragic way not too long ago. And when she told us that the member we brought then explained her story of how she had the exact same thing happen to one of her family members not long ago either. She then bore her testimony of how the lord had helped her through that hard time and how obedience to the gospel made a huge difference. It was so powerful and hit home to Augie. After the lesson me and Elder Palmer were like, revelation is real! I love seeing miracles like that to tell us that God very much has his hand in things.

I'm very excited for the future work of this ward because our stake president, President Cottrell, is making a big push on having each family of the stake have their own family mission plan. And we as missionaries are the ones to visit each member to set it up with them. We have just started the process, but I can already feel some of the joy that comes from working closely with these amazing members. I can’t wait for them to see the miracles that come from this work. Many of them have already seen the miracles that come from missionary work, like the sister we brought to Augie's lesson, but there is so much to gain from sharing the gospel. There is nothing more amazing than seeing someone come to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and then having the opportunity to receive the blessing that come from living his gospel. I could just say it all day! But of course, life isn't always cake. Just like President Monson said, choose the hard right instead of the easy wrong. Wisdom of a prophet right there!

That's most of what I wanted to share with you guys. I could write every little thing I do, but that’s not what we all need to hear. But hey, it’s what’s most important and basic, just like Nephi Says:

“6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself."

Nephi has got my back! I love you all! Keep being awesome :)

-Elder Schneider