Hmmmmmm......What do I write this week. How can I tell all of you about the amazing work that is going on out here without taking two days to write it??.........Let's just start out by saying that the Lord's work is seriously hastening, especially out here in Freeport.
I will just start with Friday. On Friday, we flew to Nassau for zone conference with Elder Cornish. WOW! I watched this general authority get up and speak for over 5 hours without notes or anything! He spoke
about how we can excite branches and investigators. He was defiantly lead by the spirit because it answered every single question I wasbringing to the table and more. He spoke how we should not just teach
for people to learn, but for those you teach to turn around and teach their family and friends. For example, we met this man by the name of Bernard. Bernard is 26 years old, has 2 small kids with one on the way. He is out of work and his children do not know where their next meal is coming from. We found him, by the way, through a referral from an investigator (ask for referrals from everyone it helps.). Our first lesson we sat down and taught him about the plan of Salvation. Talk about spiritually powerful! He couldn't get enough of it. When we left we left him with the track Plan of Salvation to read along with praying to know if it was true, reading Matt. chapter 7. 2 hours later we received a text from him. (Which is amazing that he even sent us a text because he has literately zero money.) "I just read the booklet twice and the chapter in the bible. I then sat and prayed for some time about it. I know it's true. I just know it is." Now normally we would be pumped and go on to the restoration but what Elder Cornish taught us to do was this: we went back yesterday for our second lesson. We sat and talked to him again about the Plan of Salvation! Except we picked out 3 points in it, before hand of course, and explained to him that his wife and children didn't know about these things. We told him that we would like to have a family home evening with all of them and we wanted him to help us teach the Plan of Salvation. He was very nervous about it so we role played it with him. After we finished the role play he could hardly sit still. We asked him how he was feeling about it now and his response was as follows "I am going to share it with my wife right now!!!!!! Wow! I just want to be in the Celestial kingdom with my family. That is all I want." It was another Spiritual lesson but more importantly he felt the fire of the gospel! He wants to share it as we all must share the gospel! I can't wait for Friday. That is what Elder Cornish taught us. 1. It helps the person who will be teaching feel that this is the truth. 2. It blesses the lives of those they share it with. 3. People pay more attention to a friend that us. 4. When people pay attention more the Spirit is stronger. 5. It starts a culture of home teaching. 6. People feel like they are needed by God with in turn helps the to 'endure to the end'!!!!!!!! When I finally understood what Elder Cornish was talking about I could hardly sit still in my seat. It was exactly what this branch needs. As Elder Peters and I have applied this over 2 days, that is it 2 days. We have seen investigators testimony deepen, and a fire all of the sudden burst into their eyes that wasn't there before. I can't believe it took me so long to understand this! Man, I
feel really dumb! One year gone and it took me this long to get it........Garbage. I feel like I understand exactly what a missionary is supposed to do. (There is certainly a difference between knowing and understanding). Now with my all that I give every single day plus the understanding of what exactly I need to do, what the person needs to understand that I am teaching, what that same person needs to feel. Oh boy I don't have enough time left to see all of the consequences. Put your shoulder to the wheel.
Other than that, Elder Peters and I are working our tails off while have more fun than anyone else on this planet. Don't believe me? Come spend a week with us and you will see. You will sleep like a log at night, wake up exhausted, and have the most fun that you have ever had in your entire life. :) Life of an obedient missionary. We have found some seriously prepared people. From last week we went from 2 people with a date to 5 with a date 2 progressing and 3 others who should receive a date here in the next 3 days. This once thought of 'dead area' is now alive and thriving. We will baptise weekly, no questions asked. It will happen for this is the work of the Lord and no unhallowed hand can stay the work, especially not when you have 4 solid missionaries like the ones out here in Freeport who give the Lord all they have every single second. I don't know if you can tell but I am super pumped for this next week.
Okay, now Saturday. President Brown was with us Saturday and actually came teaching with us. Haha, I have the best mission President in the world. Which other President do you know that will come to your house,
sleep on the couch, steal your food, work out with you in the mornings, and then teach the most spiritual lesson you have ever been in in your entire life? Yeah mine. But we got to teach two lessons which were really cool. We got some things that will help improve our teaching and took him back to Momma Brown at the hotel (last time he stayed with us). Sunday President basically single handedly, put a fire under every single member. Oh boy that was exactly what this branch needed as well. Then we did the tithing audit followed by interviews for the 3 elders who haven't gotten them yet. Afterward President was out side on the Elders bikes trying to pop a wheelie........As he came walking to the car (so we could take him to set a missionary apart) he had a little kid look on his face. I have a very unique mission President I will just say it that way. This morning we got up to drop him off at the air port all the while President telling us "this is my favorite island in the mission. I could live here...." Yep, I have now served in Presidents 2 favorite areas in the mission. There is your fun fact for the day. Transfers is here in 2 weeks. I can't believe I have spent almost a month out here, time certainly goes way to quickly.
Last thing, I have been doing some thinking about my conversion to the gospel. As I pondered on what it was that made me really believe that this gospel is true I came to the conclusion that I always knew. Meaning that, there were times that I only believed that it was even hoping it was. Then after some time, I mean 18 years I just kind of
grew into the knowledge. For any of you that are struggling to know. Keeping doing the simple things: Pray! Read! Go to church and take the sacrament! I promise you that you will eventually come to the knowledge that I came too. This is God's gospel. The mission that I am on has in small part helped me taste what 'God's work and his glory...' is. There is no sweeter experience than watching someone come and try the fruit of life for the first time in their life. Challenges will and do rise but I promise they will end. Keep the perspective of eternity and they will become easier to bear. I love what God says in the scriptures, he always is saying 'prove me'. So you want to know for yourself if this is true? Prove God. Prove him. Choose a commandment and study upon it then do it and see if the blessings come that God promises. I love each of you but more importantly God, our Heavenly Father, is always mindful of you and loves you more than you can possibly imagine. This is the only true church on the face of the planet. We as missionaries (full time) are the only people on the earth that can save a soul. No one from the other church's can do that. We must help our brothers and sisters. They are waiting to know of the truth and are "only kept from it because they know not where to find it." Show them the way. Again I love you. Thanks everyone for your support - Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Carolyn, Swinsons, Allens, Family, etc. Enjoy the week.
Elder Henderson
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