Success Stories - Feb 23

Here are the latest success stories from the elders.

There is power in this work - particularly through the Book of Mormon



Elder Holtz – Suriname
This week we've found some incredible potential priesthood holders that have all had incredible experiences with the Holy Ghost as they have put forth their effort to come closer to Heavenly Father. One of them said that he felt "Glorious" and "the hair on my arms stood up while I was reading [The Book of Mormon]." Another said that while he as in church he could feel that this church had that truth and that he wanted to go farther. It's great to see the blessings from the Lord as we keep his commandments.

Elder Schroath - Suriname
This week we had a success in getting recent converts to institute. I heard that the class was normally one person. This week we invited all the recent converts (a lot of them are between 20 and 25) to come and even our investigators. With the help of that one person that went always, the class size increased to 6 this week and hopefully more next week. Everyone loved it and are excited to do the homework and talk about it with each other during the week.

Elder Koenen – Suriname
yesterday we saw something wonderful happen with this 16 year old kid ***. we taught him about the Book of Mormon and he read some scriptures and he was smiling all the time. He said he felt like he was praying. We explained him that it was the spirit from God that made him have those feelings. He smiled again and he asked what he needed to do to follow God. we taught him parts from the word of wisdom and the entire law of chastity and he said he never new those things. He said he was happy we told him so now he was able to repent and live like the Lord wants him to live and prepare for baptism in march! the Lord prepares those around us and they are in the dark, they rely on us to see and find the light! shine your light! those prepared are not far from us!

Elder Olsen – Guyana
Every now and then you have to drop a good investigator. It's sad, but they just aren't progressing. We had to let go of *** last week, but we were up for quite a surprise last night. As we were teaching a lesson to some investigators who are to be baptized on saturday *** and his friends came in to join us. When we finished we asked if anyone had any questions or comments. Imagine my shock when *** asked if he could bear his testimony. He did and it was very sincere. The spirit has greatly softened his heart. Prayers are answered!

Elder Shakespear – Suriname
WE had a really cool experience Saturday. WE were in-between appointments and planned on finding for a few minutes. Elder Lubberink stopped a lady carrying a table on a dirt road. WE offered help. It was her birthday, and she couldn't find any help to set up her party. WE helped her and her sister for the next few minutes. She was so happy. WE set another appointment. The next appointment was great. I know if we look for opportunities to serve, the Lord will set good people in our path.

Elder Tholen – Suriname
Last night we were finding with a member and having a little trouble due to a couple appiontments that fell through. After consulting with my compainon and finding that the next best place to go was a 20 minute bike ride I asked this member where he wanted to go. He pointed down THAT street, the one you have tracked 6 times in the last 3 weeks, and instead of saying uhhhh lets go this way i decided to take that advise. There was noone on the street, so we started to klop houses. At the 4th house a simple old man came tothe port to talk to us, quickly he invited us in. Every single restored principle that was shared the light in this mans eyes grew. You could feel that he was want to learn more and wanting to know the truth. Every question we asked he sat straight up in his chair and if he couldnt answer it waited and accepted our answer. The spirit was so strong, afterward the member told us that he had never taught a lesson like that before. He said he has never taught the about the church in such a way that someone readily accepted it. I know that through following the spirit and working with the members EVERYONE gets blessing from it.

Elder Jestice – Suriname
This week we had an awesome baptism of one Brother ***. He's a quiet, soft-spoken, shy man, with a heart of gold. We went by his house later that day to see how he felt and shared a great lesson with him about missionary work and his task to share the gospel now. It was already 7 o'clock in the evening on Saturday night, but we committed him to invite someone to come to church with him the next day to see his confirmation. The next morning we waited by the church and sure enough, 15 minutes before the meeting started, up walked *** with him mother.

Elder Harris – Guyana
The Lord really blessed us this week. It never ceases to amaze me how much the Lord blesses us. We have been working hard all week long. We have been doing everything to try and find new investigators. We found about 10 new investigators this week who said they were going to come to church. We pray all week to get the investigators there at church. When church was starting none of our investigators we were planning on came to church. There was one man though. ***, we never taught him. We just stopped at his shop one night and got some water after a long day of tracting. We went to visit *** after church, him and his wife, ***, decided to be baptized. The Lord alwyas answers our prayers. Not always the way we want it to be answered though, but it always works out.

Elder Fox and Elder Biver – Guyana
ELDER BIVER FLIPPED THROUGH THE AREA BOOK AND SELECTED A FEW PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN OUR FOCUS AREA AND SEEMED TO BE SINCERELY INTERESTED PEOPLE. I TRIED TO CALL A MAN NAMED GRANTLEY CAIN, HOWEVER, IT WAS A WRONG NUMBER AND THERE WASN'T AN ADDRESS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT THIS MAN. WE WENT THROUGH THE DAY AND AS WE WERE CONTACTING 2 MEN A LITTLE GIRL (9 YRS OLD) CAME UP NEXT TO ELDER BIVER AND ASKED MOST SINCERELY "WHO IS GOD?". HE ANSWERED HER QUESTION AND SATISFIED SHE SAID, "DO YOU KNOW GRANTLEY CAIN?" MY JAW ABOUT HIT THE ROAD. "THAT'S MY DAD!" SHE CONTINUED. WE FOUND THE MAN AND HE'S SINCERELY SEEKING FOR THE TRUTH. MIRACLE.

Elder Green – Guyana
This week we worked really hard on getting our contacts every day, so we were able to see so many miracles come from that. One night we were walking home and I was on the phone with one of the Elders in the zone and ELder Marshall contacted a man. At first he seemed alright and so the next day we called him to see if we could set up an appointment that day and he told us that he had been waiting for us to call him and he was so excited to hear from us. We met with him and he was just a great, humble man willing to learn. Unfortunatley he was in the interior Sunday...

Elder Averett - Guyana
Success: This week we bumped into a former investigator family that Elder Youngyen and Elder Wiederhold taught while they were together. they are part of a really huge part member inactive family. So we decided to set a return appointment and go and visit them to see the progress that they had made sense the drop. We went over and sat with the whole family and taught a good lesson and then we left as we were walking away Elder Wiederhold turned to me and said wow that is the first time that we have ever been able to sit with the whole family. This got me really excited so we went back and we had a few appointments with no member set up so we took one of the young men of the family with us. As we were walking he turned to me and thanked me for bringing him out with us I said why are you thanking me. He told me that if he would have been home right now he would just be getting into trouble. On Sunday he came to church and was really enthused about missionary work again he was really happy and he brought his soon to be sister in law to church with him it was a wonderful blessing.

Elder Dayton - Trinidad
Elder Noah and i spent our first days in the area of sparia this week. we didnt have much preference as to which area to work first, so we just went to a near by street and tracted it out. one of the very first homes we called into was that of a lady to whom we taught a restoration lesson. after the lesson we asked her to pray about joseph smith. she didnt know how, so one of us spoke as she repeated what we said. the only thing that we had her say in the prayer was, "is joseph smith a true prophet? in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." after the prayer she couldnt beleive the feeling she was getting. she went on and on about the feeling in her body and heart and began to cry. she cried and cried and attempted to describe her wonderful new feelings as she said she knew it was true.

Elder Riding - Suriname
So this week we had a sweet experience with one of our investigators which was really refreshing being opposed to much opposition we've been seeing in our branch. *** forced himself to just pick up the Book of Mormon and read beginning where he had left off in 3 Nep 11. He has read now almost all of Christ's ministry in the America and has talked about how his whole attitude about life, work, study has changed. His perspective is totally different because now he believes. That's what he told us. There was such a light in his countenance. The spirit we felt that night was undeniable even though neighbors across the street were blasting music (not efy or motab) His long planned marriage will be taking place saturday, then we're just waiting on his girlfriend/wife to believe in these things and it's coming.