Week 9

Hey y'all! So this week went really well. Not only did it fly by, but we set two baptisimal dates!! Kelly will be getting baptized on September 5th and Ryan (Korea) will be getting baptized on Friday! We're really excited for both of them and are so happy they've made this decision. We finally were able to meet with Ryan last Wednesday and he said he wanted to be baptized and so now we're just teaching him everything he needs to know to be baptized so he can be ready. We have an appointment with him tonight and that should go well.

When we were at the Lewis' last week, Branden didn't sit in so we went ahead and finished up the Plan of Salvation with Kelly and when we were talking about it, he started talking about getting sealed WHEN he was a member. Not if, WHEN. I nearly jumped out of my pants from excitement. After we were done teaching him we talked about baptism and he said he wanted to be baptized. We committed him and he's looking forward to it! Elder Smith...well I guess "Jordan" now...will be coming back that weekend too, so we're excited to see him at the baptism.

Tuesday we saw Daniel and while his Dad wasn't home, we still had a good lesson with him and hopefully we'll be able to get a hold of his dad and set up a baptismal date with him. We've been trying but he doesn't answer his phone, so we're having difficulties.

We've sadly all but dropped Juan. We set up an appointment top see him before Daniel, but he wasn't there and we're pretty sick of wasting time trying to see him. We left him a message on his phone to call us back so hopefully we'll still be able to teach him, but it's not looking too good to be honest.

After Daniel, we went and saw Christian again and had a really powerful lesson about the restoration with him. We committed him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We went back two days later and he said he felt really good about the Book of Mormon and believed it to be true and believes Joseph Smith is a Prophet. We taught him a part of the Plan of Salvation and he really liked that too. He said he wanted to come to church and we arranged a ride for him and everything, but he didn't show up. We're gonna have to level with him this week and hope he will actually start coming to church.

Wednesday we had Zone Interviews with the Mission President. I love President Smith. He's a way smart man and is definitely inspired. It's always awesome to see him and I'm glad he'll be the mission president the whole time I'm here. We also received a good training from our Zone Leaders, Elder Facer and Elder Lusk, on ways to get in doors when we're tracting, and we came up with "Crack the Code", basically finding out what they need to hear that will let us in. Later that evening we went to The Colony to teach Mendi Delavan. As I said last time, Mendi moved here a couple months ago and has been going to church the entire time she's been here. We taught her the full restoration lesson and she really enjoyed it. She has been reading the Book of Mormon and said the whole thing was "plausible". We saw her again on Saturday and taught her part of the Plan of Salvation and she liked it too. I think she believes in the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Hopefully we'll be able to set a goal for her to be baptized in the coming week or so.

Thursday we met with the Lewis' again and Branden sat in this time, but sadly I think his older brother Michael is influencing him a bit. He didn't seem that into it and when we went and saw them again last night, he didn't want to sit in. Hopefully we'll be able to work with him over the next couple months, but nothing really promising as of yet.

Friday we went on exchanges with Elders Stettler and Hall, who cover Frisco 2nd and 6th wards. Elder Hall came over to my area with me, and Elder Hatfield went with Elder Stettler. We had a really good time, even though we were tracting most of the day. We were able to get in a door and teach a lesson to a thirteen-year-old named Marcus, who wanted to know who had the authority to baptize. We told him we believed our church did, and gave him a Book of Mormon so he could find out for himself. We'll see him again Saturday, so hopefully he'll have read and prayed and we can teach him more. That night we went and saw Delia again. She is doing a lot better and Michael and Jose came home Saturday! It was great to see the whole family together and happy again. Hopefully Delia will be able to work with Jose as well, and we will be able to teach him and get him baptized as well, and then in a year, the whole family can go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity! I'm really excited for them and hope it will work out!

Saturday was full. We went and taught Korea, Mendi, and the Lewis' all in the same day, as well as contacted a couple of referrals who had requested church media. We tracted and kept busy. It was way good.

Yesterday we saw J.J., Kelly, Korea, and Mendi at church! It's so awesome to see the people you teach experience what you hold dear. I'm continually happy that I have the chance to be here and teach those around me about what I know and love. After church, we had dinner with the Sorensens. Their son, Logan, is doing better, and should be able to continue his mission in India. Sister Sorensen is teaching seminary this year and is excited but way nervous, as she never has and doesn't know how 6 AM seminary is gonna treat her. After dinner we went and saw the Kruzels and are basically waiting on them for J.J. and Hayden to be baptized. They just need to find a day their grandmother can be in town and then they'll get baptized. We saw Delia and the whole family again after that, and they are doing well. Jose was a bit busy so we just barely talked to him at the end, but we know Delia is going to work on him and it'll be good.

Well, that's all for this week!! I love you all and hope all is going well for you guys!!

Love,
Elder Grondel