September 13, 2010

Hello everyone!

So last week I had a surprise baptism and this week we had a surprise baptism too! We were going to just baptize Bonnie Bushey but Billy Bushey was approved by the Stake President to be baptized the same Saturday! It was so cool!

I'll tell more about that later. As for the week it was one of the slowest if not the slowest week I have ever had on my mission. That is ok though because that is just the way things go sometimes. I know that the Lord was pleased especially with the Bushey's baptisms. The rest of Tuesday was cool. Nothing super exciting happened but it was still cool.

Wednesday I had my first district meeting of this transfer and it was really good! We had a good discussion on prayer and why it is so important to our investigators and to us as missionaries. The Zone Leaders also had been asked to practice teaching the first lesson as a example. With this new curriculum Pres. Van Komen was nervous that some personal beliefs and not pure doctrine would be thrown into the teaching appointments. The practice was so so so good. They practiced with a sister from the district and when it started out she was pretending to be someone else and it turned into her at the end. She said Satan had been working on her very hard and that this practice helped her become even more converted. I was so happy that me and the Zone Leaders decided she would be the best one to practice with! We found out from the Zone Leaders that the Stake Pres felt like Billy should be baptized on the same day as his wife, so we were way excited! I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders afterwards. I went with E. Riley to his area. It was really cool and he filled me in on everybody and the situations in the district.

Thursday was pretty cool we switched back and then me and E. Aydelotte worked in our area. We got to see Billy and Bonnie and that was cool. We showed them the Between Heaven and Earth DVD, it is about temples. They are so excited to be able to go be sealed in the temple! I am so happy for them. We then tried to visit a lot of people that day but without any luck. That night we had to spend at another set of elders apartments because I had a leadership counsel the next morning and I was to ride with one of those elders.

The leadership counsel was so amazing. It was just like the one in Olathe Kansas that I just went to last month. They are going to be holding one each month so we can get accustomed to the new curriculum as a mission. I received a lot of revelation on how to improve the work here in the area and how to keep me and E. Aydelotte getting along. It was so cool! I also got to meet a lot of people I didn't know because I have been in Missouri for me entire mission before this transfer. I am so greatful to be blessed enough to partake in amazing trainings like that.

On Saturday was the big day of the baptisms. We went over the church first thing in the morning because Billy and Bonnie were getting interviewed. They passed of course! Then we went and mowed a lady's lawn for her and had to come back to fill the font for them. It took over 2 hours to fill it! When you fill the font you have to be in the building the whole time so we did that until the baptism. The baptism was so cool. E. Aydelotte got to baptize both of them but I got to be in the font for Bonnie's because she is usually in the wheelchair and she has a hard time walking so she needed extra help. She was so brave because she had to take her glasses off and then rely completely on us. She did great. We were just nervous because we wanted to get her done the first time. We did and then E. Aydelotte baptized Billy and that went very smoothly. After the baptism the last person in that family who isn't baptized is Billy Jr. and he said he wants to be baptized so that should be coming up soon!

As you can see I am being very blessed on my mission. I am seeing miracles like I was told I would and I am so very thankful for them. Thank you all for the support you are giving me and will give me. I love you!

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Sincerely,
Elder Zachary Taylor

  

This is Billy and Bonnie and their family. The girl has been baptized but the boy in the yellow shirt is the one who wants to be baptized.

Us and the Busheys