Success Stories - March 9

Here are some of the latest success stories from the hard working West Indies missionaries:


Elder Kinghorn - Suriname
We had a random man show up in church yesterday. None of the missionaries knew him, so I asked him where he came from. He said that one of our recent converts, ***, had told him that he needed to come to church and that he was going to feel amazing there. He was so excited to come to church and he did feel amazing. It's great to see how excited recent converts are to share what they've been given.

Elder Jackson – Guyana
It was like a roller coaster ride this weekend. Saturday night we were rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord for the sweet family we'd been working on. The whole family committed to come to church and were very excited to come. But, they didn't! Oh we were let down bad boy. But, the Lord blessed us in a subtle way. A woman we just tracted into and didn't think much of came with her three kids. We immediately went to their house after church and taught the family. At the end of the lesson, we committed them to come to FHE. They hesitated then the wife said they would be busy, but then the husband interrupted her and said, "No, it's about time we take some time off and have family time. We need to start focusing more on the family and contention will go down." They committed to come to FHE, church and prepare for baptism at the end of the month! What a blessing.

Elder Olsen – Guyana
Since I came into Albouystown we've been working with a less-active family, the ***. They are a great family, but with so many excuses, I didn't think anything would get them back to church. I learned a valuable lesson from Elder Ficklin. Every excuse that sister *** would drop down, he would sincerely help to solve it, rather than rolling his eyes or laughing. He ordered Sister *** a large print Book of Mormon and gave her a challenge to read it. To my everlasting surprise, she did! I just about passed out when I saw the whole family come to church after nearly two years away. Brother *** is even teaching with us tonight. Never underestimate kindness!

Elder Fox – Guyana
WE CONTACTED A 17 YEAR OLD KID THE OTHER WEEK AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. HE SHOWED UP AT CHURCH AND IS SOLID. HE SHARED WITH US THAT HIS LIFE WAS LOUSY AND HE FELT DEPRESSED AND THAT'S WHEN WE SHOWED UP. HIS GREATEST DESIRE IS TO KNOW FOR SURE WHETHER OR NOT GOD IS REALLY THERE. THE OTHER NIGHT HE WAS TELLING US OF HIS FUTURE PLANS AND HE SAID "I HAVE TO FINISH UP THIS YEAR OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THEN SERVE A MISSION, THEN I'LL START UNIVERSITY TO BECOME AN OPTIMOLOGIST." HE'LL BE A MISSIONARY JUST NOW.

Elder Croese – Suriname
one day this week when we went power finding I had an amazing experience, because we were talking with every one we found this great family that happened to just moved in the area and that we're looking for a church we shared this wonderful finding lesson with them and committed them right then and there to get married, baptized, come to church and read and pray about this message. I really felt this spirit during the lesson.

Elder Cronin – Trinidad
this past week we met a man named *** and he has prostate cancer and he is bed ridden but we decided to share the restoration with him and we said a prayer for him because he asked us if we would pray for him and in the prayer i felt prompted to say that according to his faith he would be able to walk again and we began teaching him and the spirit was really strong and at the end of the lesson he said he was healed and we at first did not believe him and then he stood up and started to walk and then the tears welled up inside , i know that miracles happen and i know we are called to spread the gospel with the lords children and to bless them and i am so very grateful for this wonderful blessing i had to witness such a miracle .

Elder Kelly – Guyana
This week, while we were teaching ***, his friend ***, who has been coming to the lessons with us, explained to us a problem that she had with one of the commandments. We taught the lesson for it, and even though she wasn't sure about it, she told us that she wanted to ask God if it was true. She gave the closing prayer for the lesson, and prayed so humbly for specific help and guidance from her Heavenly Father that Elder Ison and I were amazed at her faith. We have no doubt that she will overcome whatever stands in her way and be baptized. ;-)

Elder Stebbing – Trinidad
We have been teaching a lady named *** and her daughter *** for a little bit now and they were just so-so investigators. Nothing to write home about. But that all changed this past weekend. *** was feeling really sick and she had collapsed, so we gave here a priesthood blessing and left. Yesterday at church we saw here again, and learned that after we had given the blessing, she had immediately felt much better, and had some kind of a vision with Jesus Christ in it. She loved every second of church, and the members made her most welcome. The first thing she asked us when we went over on sunday after church was; "How long do I have to wait until I can baptize?" She was a changed person.

Elder Young – Trinidad
sunday at church we were surprised by a mother and children whom we had contacted, the family lives just the next street from the church. it turns out they are relatives of the ***! we were able to take them (the muhammeds) by the whole family after church, and that evening we came back and taught the restoration to the family, focusing on the husband. he is so prepared, and along with the family committed to work towards baptism together the last saturday of this month.
the eldest daughter will be attending seminary today, and the whole family has been invited to ***'s family home evening tonight.

Elder Barton – Trinidad
after a great week and hard work combined with a lot of prayer and pleading with the lord for a prepared family, on saturday night we were almost about to head to a last appointment when we decided to go down the hill a little more while we were finding. there the blessing was. one of the neatest families with a lot of potential. very humble and kind. i taught the father alone while elder huntsman was speaking with the rest of the family and we decided to do what we heard in the last zone confrence and kneel in the middle of the lesson and ask if this was true. i gave him the words to say. following the prayer, he said that he knows it is true. "i have never been, but that prayer, i know it is true." he said his head got big and he felt light. he could not come to church sunday becuase of previous engagements, but his older son came, and the rest have promised for sunday coming. completely a blessing from the Lord.

Elder Huntsman - Tobago
This past week we saw success in many different aspects of the work but the most obvious was the blessing we saw form talking to everyone. We decided to forget about 20 contacts and just contact everyone we see. As a result we met many people who were much more interested than they appeared. The real blessing came when a woman that we just talked to on the street showed up to church. Sister Ross talked to her about her situation and set up a time for the four of us to meet with her. Later that evening we talked to her on the phone and she accepted a date to be baptized. The Lord placed her in our path because he knew we would talk to her, and for her that’s all it takes. If everyone in the mission will contact everyone we will never wonder what to do. We will always have people to teach!

Elder Mulder – Guyana
Well, we've been working our hearts out to get the branch fired up about missionary work, and we've seen plenty success so far. Well, in our efforts to reach our goal for baptisms in March, we've seen wonderful miracles from the Lord in helping it happen. This last sunday, we had someone come to church who's been taught by missionaries before. I've never met her before in my life. She's been to church several times, but didn't feel ready to be baptized when she was being taught. She suddenly felt like it's time. She came to church. We visited that afternoon, and she said "I've been waiting too long. I can't wait another week. I want to be baptized this saturday." She shows fruits of repentance, and desires to follow Christ. The Lord provides.

Elder Daines – Guyana
We had two baptisms this last weekend- the mother and sister of the branch president. They had never even been to church before- we couldn’t figure out how the missionaries somehow missed them. But it looks like God worked it all out. As we worked with these recent converts and the branch president, we’ve found even more people to teach- the branch president’s brother in law and mother in law. Just goes to show ya that even the oldest of members can still find people to teach.

Elder Williamson (Joseph) – Guyana
The story starts on Thursday where we track out a village called West Watooka. This village was like a kick in the face. No one was sweet, and so we firmly decided that we wouldn’t go back to that village. Sunday morning we show up to church at 11:30, church starts at 2, and there was a man that was waiting there for us. He had been there for a half hour already. We took him up stairs to the shack that we are renting for church. His name was ***. He told us why he came to church, it was because one of the people who rejected us in W. Watooka told him about it. He woke up Sunday morning, not planning on coming to our church. He got on his knees and prayed. He felt prompted to read two scriptures, one talked of following the spirit, the next talked of Christ calling the seventy. As he was walking to his church he felt prompted to come to ours, so he did. When we taught him about the restoration he knew it was true becuase of the scripts he read earlier. He loved church, he stayed after and watched the baptism. He is so sweet, and he and his family are preparing for baptism!

Elder Brenkmann
For a couple of weeks now we have had a lady who just loved church and wanted to get baptized, but she wasn't married. She had been praying about getting married for the entire time but wasn't going to do it. The night we were going to drop her we read from the Family: a Proclamation to the World. At the end we asked her if she would get married. She said to come back at the end of the week. When we did she said that she was going to get married and had already talked to her husband to be about it and he was excited too. Her children are excited to get baptized with their mother. The words of the Prophets did things that we alone couldn't do. Truly inspired men.

Elder Fisher
On Saturday as we were power finding we set up a few appointments for the evening time. When the time came for the appointments those people were not at home. We went to the neighbors living in different apartments of the same building that for some reason we did not talk to earlier. The first lady was nice, but she said she works every Sunday and was not really interested. The second door was a couple that turned out to be a wonderful lesson. The man had heard a little about our church from a friend. They were positive things, but he didn't understand. We explained about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. He was very excited for a copy of the Book of Mormon. He is a police officer and his shift was to work yesterday, but the spirit was very strong. As we left, Bro *** who came with us exclaimed, "that lesson was worth more than a million dollars!"

Elder Barker - Trinidad
Well as i Look back at the week, it has been kind of interesting. but the one thing i am thankfull for is when a member decided to take us around to her neighbors. We went by sister ***, and she carried us to her next door neighbors, *** and her family. and we shared the restoration. well and because of the member befreinding these people they came to church and are getting baptized on the 28th of march. and the member has more people for us to go by. :)

Elder Rosales
We continued to see a lot of miracles and all trough members, we had 7 people at church all of them brought by members. I know that as we establish relationships of trust and love member will be more involved in member work. Even if some of them are not prepared, the members have planted the seed and really soon this branch is going to see the fruits of it