A LONG BUT GOOD DAY

Mike

 







Yesterday was an eventful day at the Visitors Center. It wasn't supposed our morning to be on duty, but we had a training mtg. We planned on going to the temple after the meeting then starting our shift at three. Following the meeting, a man from Nigeria came in with his wife and some family members who were going to the Temple. He told me he wasn't a member and was just waiting. I asked "what's holding you back from being a member" He said, "I don't know," Things moved quickly then. I took him and showed him the Joseph Smith movie, then afterword's talked to him about eternal families, and him being the priesthood leader of his family. I showed him the display of rooms in the temple and ended with the sealing room picture and asked him to visualize himself and his family kneeling around that alter all dressed in white being sealed by priesthood authority as a family for eternity. He said that would be wonderful. I asked him to have the missionaries over to teach him and said ," as you learn more about the gospel and come to understand it better, will you be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He  said " That's a definite possibility." I said,' When you come back to the temple with your family, I would like to be there with you. He said that would be wonderful. I got his name and address to follow up. He lives in London and is a retired mechanical engineer. We ended up doing both shifts at the center, but it was worth it.

Lynda

April 1, 2014 - Happy April Fools Day

 

We just thought we had most of the day to do what we wanted.  The Lord had other things in mind.  We had our training meeting at 10:00 a.m. Then we were planning to go to the Temple.  Sister Berati and Sister Stewart asked if I could go with them to teach a Hungarian lady English and a lesson, at 1:00.  We weren't on shift until 3:00 and thought we would get in the Temple session. A Nigerian gentleman came into the Centre and Mike started to visit with him.  He was a non-member and so Elder took him into the Joseph Movie.  He was waiting for his Wife that was in the Temple.  They had come down from London and he needed something to do while he waited.  That meant that I had some time on my hands as well. So I went with the Sisters.  The Hungarian Lady was not home when we got there so the Sisters knew another less active sister they have been working with that lived near by and decided to check up on her.  She is quite a heavy smoker and has a 13 year old daughter that they had been teaching.  So off we went to Dawn's house.  As we pulled up to the house there down the street was a lady in a pink blouse that kept looking at us.  So I waved and she waved back.  I got the feeling that we should go talk to her. So I asked the Sister's if we could go say hello to her.  They at first weren't sure because they had knocked on their door before and her husband was quite agnostic.  But we went over anyway.  Her name is Pauline McMurtry and is from Ireland.  She has lived in England now for a year.  Anyway Sis Stewart finally after some chit chat told her that this was their full time job as Missionaries for the Church to tell people about their church.  She said that she was Catholic and asked if we were talking about the Mormons.  She then told us that as a girl she would go to her friends homes for Family Home Evening every week.  She loved it and had even been approached about baptism at one time.  She went on and on about how much she loved the Mormons and her friends that took her with them to lots of things.  She also told us how disappointed she is in the Catholic Church with the Priests and the young boys and  how they swept all the bad things they were doing under the rug.  She said she was looking for another Church to go to. She had even thought about the Episcopal Church down the way.  But was not quite sure.  It didn't feel right.  I asked if her friends had given her a copy of the Book of Mormon. She said no. I then asked if she would like a copy and she said she would.  I was praying that the Sisters had one in their car. Which they did.  So she walked us to the car to get it and was excited to get something new to read.  We invited her to the Easter program on the 20th with Savannah Stevenson - Mary in the new church movie, and Glenda in Wicked, and she sounded like she might come.  Then I invited her to come to the Visitors Center.  She said that she would in a couple of weeks.  I wish the sisters had shown me how to get the contact number for her but I left it up to them this time.  We will see if she does come to the Centre.  I hope and pray that she will.  We then went to visit Dawn and found that her daughter Ashley - the non-member was home as she had missed her bus to school today.  Anyway we were able to sit on the lawn and teach her the Plan of Salvation lesson.  She is a very sweet girl and accepted the challenge to be baptized in May. the week after the 10th.  The sisters will return and teach her now the rest of the lessons.  That was very cool.  Sister Berati has such a calm but sweet way of teaching.  She has limited English but her spirit is giant and she has a way of teaching that you really feel the spirit very strongly and know her testimony is strong and pure.  Then the Hungarian lady, Adrianna called back and felt bad she had missed us.  So we went over there.  She was taking her English test today. I'm not sure what that is about I'll ask tomorrow.  She was a very nice lady and spoke very little English.  She used her computer at times and Sis. Stewart would type in a response and it would translate into Hungarian for her.  Most of the time we made her speak English, which is the best thing for her to do to practice.  She has a really cute little boy - William that is almost one.  He has problems with skin rashes and allergies.  She is frustrated with the doctors and health system here because she can't communicate very well.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation lesson as well. She accepted the challenge to read Alma 40: 11-end.  This teaches about the need for Baptism?  It was a great lesson again and the Sisters will go in the next few days and teach her again as well.  I really am seeing that if you open your mouth and share with your neighbors and friends it is not as hard as I was trying to make it.  Just be yourself and The Lord will do the rest to inspire you to know what to say.  Just put yourself in the position.