Success Stories - March 23

Here's the latest Success Stories (a little late)

Elder Damm - Trinidad
The gospel really changes peoples lives. We were teaching a man who had a scruffy beard and had lost faith in Christ. He just wasn't put together. Well Sunday morning came around and he was dressed nice, clean shaven and told us he really felt a difference and was gaining his faith back in Christ.

Elder Findlay – Guyana
Well this last saturday I got the privalage of seeing the other half of a family enter into the waters of baptism. It was so good to see a full family that had entered into that covenant with our heavenly father. I know that there are more prepared families out their like ***'s family. It was strengthening to me to here the mother of the family say how grateful she was to have her whole family baptized into the true church of Jesus Christ. The work is moving forward at a rapid pace. I know that if we are diligent seekers of those who are looking for the truth that we will cross paths and rejoice in this glorious gospel.

Elder Riding - Suriname
There is a lady that lives near the church, that has never been too kind to us, and also the other missionaries that have been in this area, but she was taught a long time ago. Don't know what went wrong, but she came to church all of a sudden and couldn't meet with us after, but we're going there tonight. That was sweet and we just never know how the Lord will prepare his people to hear the Gospel and I'm excited. Her name is Graciela.

Elder Barker – Guyana
this last fast saturday we fasted for our investigator family, 888 and her family, that her husbad would come home and that they could get married, well we went over there yesterday (sunday) and our prayers were answered, they informed us that he is coming home today(monday) it also ends up that one of the daughters also prayed that he would come home. it is amazing what fasting and prayer does.

Elder Nielsen – Trinidad
The other day Elder Palmer and I were tracting around an area that was full of Hindus. We'd been hittin it hard for hours with pretty much nothin to show for it, but we tried one more home. Can you guess what we found there? More Hindus haha, but they referred us next door to a Christian home. There we met 888, a 19 year old girl who was prepared beyond belief! She read 150 pages of the BOM and then fasted and prayed (something she learned in Relief Society) to see if she should be baptized. The answer came, and she is going to be baptized this Saturday, only 11 days since we met. There are prepared people out there.. . . You cant catch fish without your line in the water :]

Elder Young – Trinidad
bro. 888, the head of one of the families we are teaching is the highlight of the week. we are reading with he and his wife, or rather they are reading together and we are following up and discussing what they read every day. he is already to 2nd nephi after beginning the book at the beginning of the week. he is recognizing the power in the book and it is laying a strong foundation for his testimony, he is sharing that excitement with his wife and helping her to find that same joy. my testimony of the book grows as i share in his excitement and hunger for learning from its pages.

Elder Parrish – Crabwood Creek, Guyana
The sister of a member here in crabwood came from orialla to stay for a week. This sister from orialla is amazing, her daughter was baptized here in crabwood about 4 months ago, she went back to orialla and converted her whole family. The mother demanded to be baptized. However she needs to be married, so she is going back this week to get her husband and come back to be married, and then she wants her whole family to be baptized. She has read the book of mormon, and knows its true. We sent her with a box of tracts, and copies of the book of mormon, and gospel principles books. She said she will give out all the materials so the church can start in that part of Guyana. Who knows what the result will be?!

Elder Jones (Benjamin) – Trinidad
This whole week we have been praying to find some really good new investigators. Well, the Lord answer's prayers. On Saturday evening we were tracting and both Elder Guy and myself thought to go up this one road, and then up this long set of stairs, and then even further up the hill. Eventually we wound our way around the top of this hill until we see this man sitting on the ground with about 4 children around him flying paper airplanes. His name was *** and we taught him and his wife the restoration with the spirit really strong. When, towards the end of the lesson, they learned that families can be together forever they got really excited because they were always taught that after death you won't know/remember your family. They committed to come to church the very next morning to learn more- they are definetly a prepared family.

Elder Huntsman – Tobago
This Sunday as we were about to start a man walked in I didn’t recognize. Elder Barton talked to him and they sat down. I was able to talk to him and get his full story after. He was contacted on the street about 4 months ago and that Sunday he decided to show up to church. This was a great testimony builder about contacts. Often times I think if nothing else I am getting my contacts because we have been commanded to do so, but what I realized is that sometimes people promise to come that week, then don’t, still may come later, when that are more prepared. Thanks Elder Marshall for contacting!

Elder Scott – Guyana
so this week we had ***'s baptizm and another investigator of ours we'll call her "betty" was at the baptism. she had fulfilled all the requirements for baptism but just felt like she couldnt do it. she saw the baptism...and felt the spirit so strongly that she had to get baptized too. we got her interviewed and long story short she was baptized! dont you just love happy endings? getting investigators to baptisms is such a great way to help them along.

Elder Olsen – Guyana
The Thirst Park Elders gave us a referral the other day for a man who was moderately interested. He had a nice family and seemed alright, but he was a "Try-er". You know the type- "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises now buddy." Well, he came to church and LOVED IT. He asked me during Gospel Principles how he could be saved and I shared about the gospel. After church he said that our church had filled in an empty space that he had inside of him for his whole life. He quoted preach my gospel in a Guyanese way. I am so excited for his family!

Elder Koenen - Suriname
we are the light of the world. we had this miracle. we were biking to a random place and this man across the street said, hey friend help me with my bike, i have flat tires!. i thought , o boy. for a second i thought to say we were busy but i decided to turn around and help the man. i helped him with the tires and inflated them with my bike pump. i never saw there was this man right by us. He sad in a busstop and started to talk to us and asked if the church from us was still in the same place it used to be. that was more then 10 years ago he used to visit it. not he had a great problem. he lost all he had because of drugs. he said his life was dark and it was time for a change. The spirit was so strong when this man started to talk he allmost gave up on life and started to believe there was no more love in the world. He said when he saw us turn around to help this random man on the streets he saw the love of Christ. He had to think of Christ leaving the flock to rescue on lost sheep. He explained his life and that the entire week people told him to change his life and now he knew what he had to do when we explained him about church and the gospel that will heal his soul. We found this man because of service and living the way we need to show we follow Christ. It was a very special experience and we will keep praying for opportunities to help others and find those prepared who wait for us out there!

Elder Holtz – Suriname
So every Monday we play soccer with a lot of kids from the city and last week Elder Pence (somehow) got the address from one of the kids and set up an appointment while we were playing. Went to the appointment and shared a quick lesson with him and told him we'd come back Sunday morning before church to pick them up. Turns out we showed up on Sunday morning and ask them if they wanted to go to church and the answer was anything but what we wanted to hear. Anyways we left to got to church and set things up and about 3 minutes before church starts one of the kids from the house walks into church with his KJV Bible and a Book of Mormon! He said the Book of Mormon is from his mom and we've got a return appointment to go back this week!

Elder Kinghorn – Suriname
One of our recent converts, ***, has had some really bad family problems in the past couple weeks. However, on Sunday, she was the first person waiting outside for church. As soon as the other members got there, we couldn't even talk to her. They were all talking and laughing with her. It was amazing to see. The church has become her second family. And its a place where she feels loved and welcome. That's the true church of Jesus Christ!

Elder White – Trinidad
Late a few nights ago, we were left with not too much to do, so we
decided to visit an appointment that fell through earlier in the day,
and talk to everyone on the way. we ended up walking with most of the
people, and they were all going the same way. We overshot the street
we were going to turn down and kept on talking with people walking the
wrong way. Then we met ***, a soldier who we spoke with who
recieved the message quite well. We taught him a restoration lesson in
front of his house by a busy road because his wife was putting the
children to sleep, but the Lord took that road a cleared it for us and
the spirit was very strong. At the end of the lesson, I testified--
"the Holy Ghost has told me here tonight that this message is true by
the feeling in my heart"-- *** said that he could tell the message
was true and promised to pray to ask the lord to tell him that this
message was true. The Lord does really put people in our path.

Elder Romney – Guyana
prayers do get answered. the elders quorum presidents niece came to live with them for the next few years and she just loves the gospel. missionaries tried to baptize her before but right before the baptism her mom called from the interior and said she can't get baptized so i guess she just wasn't ready yet. so as we were there for a Family Home Evening we challenged her to pray about getting baptized. She got an answer to her prayer! that night she prayed for a sign that she should get baptized and that night she had a dream...in this dream everyone at church was going to heaven but her cause she wasn't baptized, so she started begging her uncle to baptize her and he said it was too late. but then right before she woke up she heard a voice that said its never too late! ITS NEVER TOO LATE! she woke up and called her mom and got permission! elders its never too late!