Here is Bannon's letter from this week and some more pictures! He is leaving the MTC on the 9th of September so if you want to send him letters to the MTC make sure and do it soon! :) Have a good week!
This
week was amazing! So we fasted on Wednesday and kept our investigator,
Ivette, in our hearts and minds which really helped us forget about our
hunger and think about the blessings that would come from it. The next
day at our lesson with Ivette, she told us she felt the spirit so
strongly and got an answer and set a date for baptism on the 6th of
October!!! She thanked us for fasting for her and told us she doesn't
think she would have gotten an answer if we hadn't fasted for her. She
also gave us delish Equadorian food that she made and it was so good.
I'm jealous that my companion gets to eat that for the next two years.
But the next lesson was even better! We talked with her about a lot of
things and comforted her. She opened up to us about her life and how she
was worried about her dad being ill. Her dad has been missing for a
week and was very sick the last time she talked with him so she was
really worried and stressed. We shared with her a little bit of the Plan
of Salvation and our testimonies that she will see her family again in
Heaven. She was in tears and the Spirit was the strongest I have ever
felt it. I bore my testimony to her and told her how much I love and
care about her. I
told her that she is so much more then an investigator to me. I told
her that I have left behind so much, and it has not been easy being out
here, but it is people like her who make everything worth it. And that
she is a huge example to us and the people around her. By this point,
there were tears streaming down my face and Elder Dickerson's and
especially hers too. I knew she felt the spirit so strong and that she
could see how much we truly love and care about her. I feel that is so
important to have with investigators. We have a very strong trust which
is also very important. After, I prayed for her dad and she thanked us
so much for the lesson and for the precious time we had together. She
told us we were sent to her from God to help her and that when we talk
with her, she feels so good and that we are helping her so much. I was
sad when the lesson was over because I wanted to keep going. I wanted to
never lose that feeling. I love that feeling so much. I love having a
real investigator.
But
wait, it gets better... So our next lesson with her went okay, but she
was really upset because she was still worried about her dad so I
offerred to give her a priesthood blessing. She looked at me confused.
Apperently she has never heard of a priesthood blessing or what the
priesthood really is.. So we explained it very simply and told her that
the next day we would teach her about it. She agreed and we went on our
way. The next day came around (this was yesterday) and we had an awesome
lesson prepared for her. We had been praying long and hard about/for
her dad and that he would be okay. Right when we sat down with her she
looked at us with a bright, big smile and told us that her dad was fine
and that he finally got ahold of her! He was super sick and was in some
small village in Equador and there was no phone. So that's why he never
called her back or answered until then. She was really relieved, as were
we. We then taught her about the priesthood and the restoration of the
priesthood after it was lost and we showed her a mormon message about
the priesthood that really helped. She understood it pretty well and
liked everything we taught her. We figured she didn't need/want a
blessing anymore because her dad was fine, but she was really excited
about the priesthood and wanted one anyway! So I got to give her a
blessing! My first blessing for a non-member and I'm still in the MTC!
It was way awesome! She felt very comforted by it and liked how it is
done because she said she has been or other churches where they just say
random things and do weird stuff that make her feel uncomfortable. She
said this one was very personal and spiritual and with the proper
authority. Then she gave us cupcakes! haha it was the best. I love it.
So thank you for all the prayers!
It
has been randomly raining a lot this week with thunder and lightning.
The mountains actually got snow! I'm over here like, Yeah it's dang cold
and I'm supposed to be in the Caribbean right now... But it's all
good. The spirit warms me inside ;)
Shout
out to Bri Jackson for the packages and cookies! And to Grandma Bonnie
for the Cinnamon rolls. And MiMi & PaPa for the dear elder letter.
To Bridget Murphy for the colorful letter. To Kate Greenwood for the
package with the sweet tie-dye cat shirt and all the rest of the sweet
stuff! And to all the rest of you wonderful people. (I Hope I didn't
forget anyone)
Well, I love you guys!
Elder Greer
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