Success Stories - May 4

Elder Schroath – Suriname
Yesterday I called one of our investigators to see if he would come to church. I couldn't reach him, so we both thought he probably wouldn't come. 5 minutes before church started we saw him walking up to the church. Right when he stepped into the church he said he felt good. During the testimonies he started crying and told me how good he felt. He said that he could feel it so strong in his heart that it was true. He said he didn't have to search anymore for a true church, he found it. He is preparing for baptism next week. The Lord prepares his people and the Spirit will confirm what they are searching for.

Elder Holtz – Suriname
This past sunday we pulled into church and we saw a face talking with our Branch President that we'd never before seen! We quickly went up and introduced ourselves to him and he said, "See, I told you I'd come today! It's been a while, but I feel it's time to come to church." ... Turns out he talked with someone else from another church and got confused what church was where and just decided to walk into this church... Well, turns out he made the best decision he could have. He even got up and bore his testimony and said that he feels like he is at home in this church and loves the church! This wonder/blessing came out of nowhere!

Elder Swart – Suriname
We hava now a investogator who is really a good Guy. We contacted him on the street in a very rich area, where most of the time don't even want to listen. But we contacted him. He came the first week to chuch. 3 weeks in a row now! Last sunday even he came up and shared his testimony about the B.O.M. He went from 20 sigarettes a day to 3 a day. He is almost done. We have a hard-date for him now this saturday!
Don't you love this work?!

Elder White – Trinidad
Today I would simply like to share a story of perseverence and dedication to the truth.--*** did not listen to us the first time we shared the gospel with her family-- she is mostly deaf. after a couple of times, she started to try to listen. We have learned a little sign language so that we can be clear with her. she does not understand big words, like "guilt" or "mercy" (we think she knows those ones now)-- but she asked God if Joseph Smith is a prophet and she received an answer and she knows that she received an answer. She used to be a member of the JW's, and they are calling her every day, asking why she is leaving and telling her all sorts of things. She moved out of her children's father's house. Her mother won't let her stay at her house. Her friends and Co workers are trying hard to get her to party--- but she has kept on because she knows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and she will not let anything stand in her way. She is bright, but she does not understand everything, and she knows what it is that she does not understand, but she does not let that stand in her way, because she knows what God told her. She will be baptized this weekend.

Elder Riding – Suriname
Well we had a bunch of miracles happen this past week, and Elder Tholen mentioned one so I'll mention the other. We were going to check by some people that we had contacted and they weren't home. It had been kind of one of those days where we were trying to pick things up and teach some people but something just wasn't working. Well we decided to knock on the house across the street, and that morning, ***, who came to church yesterday, was praying that morning for something or someone to show her the right path through life. What a miracle for her and for us. Being an answer to someone's prayer is a very sweet feeling.

Elder Carlson – Martinique
well this week we set a really high goal of having seven people come to church this week: we worked really hard during the week, despite having zone conference taking a lot of time: and the Lord doubled what we had presupposed, with a miraculous 14 investigators at church!

Elder Rosales – St Lucia
We were power finding in this area and we tracted into this house. A rasta looking guy came out and told instantly I want to show you something I have in my car. He takes out of his car a gospel Principle manual. He told us that he got it 2 years ago when he visited the church, and that he wanted to come back but he fell ill for a long time so he couldn’t come. The man is almost blind and has heart problems. We invited him to church , and we forgot about him. Next day Sunday to our surprise he came to church driving, the service touched him a lot just like the first time he came and he want sto be baptized next week. God works in mysterious ways and helps those n who exercise their faith just like it happened to our friend ***.

Elder Shakespear – Suriname
I have gained a stronger testimony of the power of the spirit in conversion this weekend. WE have a great investigator who lives in a area with limited public transportation, so comming to church was a big concern. WE went by before church to see if she was going to come. She had already left and was walking the great distance to find a bus. She came and loved the spirit that she felt there. I can testify more powerfully of the power of the spirit in driving honest people to repentance.

Elder Brenkmann - Guyana
Earlier this week we found that everything had fallen through. Our backups for the backups weren't home. We decided to go to a village called Vergenoegen, where a recent convert lives, but we've never been to. As we rode the bus the conductor asked where to drop us off. I told him Vergenoegen. Then he asked what street. I had no idea, so I said, "Don't know ***, where should we get off?" He dropped us at a random street and we hadn't gone 20 feet when we met a couple, recently married and looking for a church to join. We set up an appointment on the spot to come back when they weren't busy. It was awesome.

Elder Lee – Guyana
This week we were in need of members taking us to people since they are in short supply. We had investigators who really needed member friends to fellowship them. We were finally able to get one to come who traveled a long way. Her name was Sister ***. She testified so strongly and helped the investigators understand about families being together forever and also about how this church was different than the one they went to the Spirit helped our investigators overcome all problems. They were able to calm their fears and doubts about what others had been telling them what we believe. It was really a miracle what Sister *** did.

Elder Biver – St Vincent
This week we had a pretty cool experience. We were trying to find new people to teach and felt like going into this new road. We talked to couple people, setting appointments to come back. Then we saw this man sitting on his porch. We said hi, and then realized that we already contacted this guy. When we had talked to him a week or so before, he just wanted to bash with us to prove that he was right. We were quite hesitant in talking more with him, but we already had engaged the conversation, and he invited us in. We were determined to make it short and powerful, without bashing at all. We prayed for the spirit to be there at the beginning and started to teach the restoration. He was listening carefully, and when we got to Jesus-Christ and his life, he started explaining to us how he believed that Jesus-Christ, God the Father and the Holy-Ghost were the same person. We listened as he was talking, and actually I was able to understand, from the scriptures he was quoting us, why he thought that. When he was done, we thanked him to share his belief with us and asked if it was ok to share what we believed. He agreed and we started to explain the godhead and who the Father, the Son and the Holy-Ghost are. We found out that he believes in pre-earth life, and he was really interested in what we said. He didn’t want to bash, but was really interested to know what we were thinking, he said that he had never thought about it like that before. We were able to give him a Plan of Salvation tract and set a time for us to come back. I was really impressed, his behavior was way different than the previous time, I know that was because of the echo effect that the spirit gave him. Teaching true doctrine touches people!

Elder Jarvis – Tobago
Boy the Book of Mormon is powerful! We met a lady not long back who was pretty sweet but said that her boyfriend "believes in mother nature" and was going to be the "chief fire officer in Hell" but he was really interested in the Book of Mormon. So we taught him the restoration and he listened and agreed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. So next time we come visit he read like six chapters and felt that it was true and he wants to be baptized. The Book of Mormon is true and will change the lives of those who read it.

Elder Scott – Guyana
well the other day we took bro. *** out with us to go power-finding in this nice little area called hopetown. when we got there he was like "hey i know a family here." he took us and introduced us the nurse family. they are a family of....11! and the youngest kid is 9 years old!!! oh i almost cried. and the mom and three of the kids came to church this week. she loved church and wants to be baptized. we talked to her family and they will be following suit. WAY TO FULFILL YOUR MISSIONARY DUTIES BRO. ***!

Elder Montgomery - St Vincent
This week, we ordained Brother *** (who was baptized last week) to the office of a Priest in the Aaronic priesthood. He told us about how he was struggling to find work and stayed at home for 5 months straight, but as we walked into the water to baptize him, he received a phone call from someone who wanted to hire him. Then as he was working at that job, he got another phone call from someone else who had work for him. He has been absolutely shining ever since his baptism and is well on his way to enduring conversion. The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Elder Green – Guyana
This week we were able to contact a really cool referral that came to the baptism of one of his friends about a week previous. It took us a while to find his house but when we finally did he was right there waiting for us. There was a 26 yr old man and his 20 yr old little brother as well as another of their friends. When we taught him about the Book of Mormon the lesson was one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission. At the end he asked us to tell a story to him so Elder Marshall told the conversion story of Pres. Danzell and when he finished the Spirit was so strong in the room and Sean (the 26 yr old) gave one of the most sincere prayers I heard and when we gave him the BOM in the lesson he was so excited to get it that he kissed the book.