So some big events happened this week. First of all, our investigator, Al, got baptized!!!! :D Huzzah! I've been to a couple baptisms in this area of investigators before, but this one was particularly special.
My first companion and I found Al tracting way back in October. We kept stopping by and talking to him briefly for like a month, and then actually got to have a lesson with after a while of just stopping by and visiting. We began teaching him, helped him keep progressing, and then he got baptized Saturday and confirmed Sunday. There were a lot of little miracles leading up to his baptism too. Our building has a baptismal font, but no water heater. We'd been expecting pretty frigid water for the baptism, but just this past week, because of some other circumstances that worked out just right, they were able to install something that heated the water which was such a tender mercy from the Lord. It wasn't necessary, but it helped focus more on the spirit of the occasion. We had 19 people at the baptism, basically everyone who had a part in the program, and 6 of the 19 were missionaries. My trainer, Sister Allred got to come down for it. Although it was small Al was still so grateful for those who came and he bore his testimony at the end of the service. It was such a wonderful day.
Right this wonderful weekend where Al was able to get baptized, I got a call Sundaynight telling me I'm getting transfered! I can't say I wasn't expecting it. You get to a point in an area where you know in order to keep growing and progressing the Lord is going to make a change. I feel like the Lord needs me elsewhere and my companion, Sister Sievert, is going to keep growing best when she flies on her own. I love Spring Branch, and there are so many good things going on here. We've found a couple really good new investigators recently, we're working with some good progressing investigators, we've got a couple baptisms scheduled for the near future, but I'm excited to take the strength and momentum I have right now and bring it to my new area. I'll find out where that is and who my new companion is at transfer meeting tomorrow.
In addition to transfering to a new area tomorrow, we also moved apartments within our complex on Friday. Our new apartment is still really nice, but about $80 cheaper a month. So we spent some time last week packing, cleaning, and then the Elders came and moved all the hard stuff in less than an hour. As far as moving goes (and lets remember I grew up in an Air Force home--I've moved like 10 times in my life) it was pretty smooth. Although it definitely made me appreciate all the work that goes into moving, and we're just missionaries surviving with the bare essentials.
We've had a lot of other good things happening in our area lately. We found some great new investigators, taught some other good lessons to people we've been working with, and basically helped bring others closer to Christ which is the whole focus and purpose of being a missionary. As we remember that and as we focus on things that help us do that, life is great. I am never so happy as I am when I get to teach someone and help them make changes in their life for the better.
We also had a spectacular zone meeting on Friday. We talked about the principle of Light. We are beings of light, our bodies crave light. If you look at your pupil in a dark room, it dialates to allow more light in, and when there is light, it contracts to allow focus because of the available light. One of our zone leaders taught this principle in such a memberable way. He had vivid recurring nightmares as a child; in one of the nightmares he was chased by monsters and in the other he was being chased by pure darkness. I can't tell the story the way he told it, but I was scared at just the recounting of these nightmares. However, the last night of the dream where he was chased by darkness, he got to the end of the previously endless hallway and found a room with a light that the darkness couldn't overcome. He shared a scripture:
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. 2 Nephi9:10
It is so comforting to know that God created light:
And God said Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. He didn't create darkness, but separated the light from it. God created the light. Genesis 1:3-4
I found the study and combination of the following scriptures enlightening.
D&C 93:36-37 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one.
Matt 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
D&C 4:5 And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Resist the darkness. Satan is the bringer of darkness and you cannot be who God wants you to be if you allow darkness to stay in your life, if you allow Satan to have power over you. Let of go of the darkness and cling to the light. We were challenged, and I would challenge you to look for areas of darkness in your life and flood them with light. What darkness is there that you can change?
I know that Christ is the light of the world, as we draw closer to Him our lives will be filled with a greater measure of His light. I love you all!
Love,
Sister Andreason
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