July 17, 2017 -- All Is Good In The Hood

What is good with it everyone!?! This week has been amazing!! It almost felt like Elder Rice and I were floating on a cloud all week -- at least that's how it felt most of the time.

James got baptized this past week!!!! The baptism went perfectly! There were tons of ward members to support him and the water was warm this time. James' two boys were there plus his friend that introduced him to the church.  And to top it all off, the refreshments were delicious thanks to the Relief Society. He was confirmed on Sunday and all went well with that also. I asked him how he was feeling after he was confirmed. He smiled and said, "I feel great." He is so solid.

Elder Rice and I have been teaching this really cool guy named Jay. He has an awesome story. I found Jay about a month ago when Elder Sutton was on exchange with me in Troy. We saw this rough looking guy with long hair and a scruffy beard waiting at the bus stop. I started talking to him and he didn't look happy. Over the course of the conversation he opened up and told us his story about how he found God.  After about a ten minute conversation with him, we read him Ether 12:27 and left him with a Book of Mormon.  He sincerely said he would read it and got on his bus.  I didn't think we would see him again because he didn't give us his address.  He said he was hardly at home.  One day, about a month later, Elder Rice and I were driving in Troy and I saw Jay.  So we parked, went up to him and taught the Restoration. As it turns out, the night we gave him the Book of Mormon he started reading it and loved it. He said he feels the Spirit when he reads it. As we've continued to meet with him, he has told us more of his story. He admitted that the day we talked to him at the bus stop wasn't the first time we had talked to him that day. I don't remember this but he said that morning in south Troy Elder Sutton and I had offered to talk to him about the Book of Mormon and he told us to get lost in some words a little less kind than those. I hardly remember the people who tell us to get lost but Elder Sutton and I were working in south Troy that morning. It just goes to show that the Lord is preparing people to hear our message all the time. Sometimes people have to be invited to hear the gospel multiple times before they will hear it. In Jay's case it was only two, but by the second time, he said he felt like God was trying to send him a message that he should read the Book of Mormon. So that's what he did. I know the Lord is at the head of his work and guides us each and every day if we will just strive to serve him.

Well, as I like to say, all is good in the hood. The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.

 

Have a great week everyone,

Elder Carlile

 

James' Baptism