Hi Everyone!
First, it has been 6 weeks already and transfers are in! I'm
staying in the same area with Elder Harper. However, we are also getting
another companion Elder Blackham. I have met him a few times, but don't
know anything about him really. I served near him when I was in Laramie
my first transfer. So I know he has been out at least 1 year, perhaps
1.5 years. If things go as I expect, I'll be transferred after 6 weeks
to a new area because I will have been here for about 6 months!
I don't know if other people have this same problem,
but I habitually underestimate the amount of time it takes to
accomplish things in the short term. Now that I mention it, I heard a
quote stating that fact. We overestimate how much we can accomplish in 1
year, but underestimate how much we can accomplish in 10 years. I think
for me it is because I can't even imagine what my life will be like in
10 years! But back to the point... I have been so excited for a number
of people we are working with to make progress, but it takes so much
longer than I estimate!
For example, it has been 7 weeks since Gabe came to
church. We were making a lot of progress, but then over and over he has
had something come up so that he couldn't go. We haven't even been able
to have a lesson with him that whole time - though we have been seeing
him and meeting with his son Vince.
Another example, we met with another family for the
first time 6 weeks ago. I was so excited and could see their children
being baptized, but we haven't been able to actually sit down and have a
lesson. We have only been able to set up 1 other time that actually
happened to visit them since that day 6 weeks ago.
But, I am not discouraged because everyone is REALLY making progress. Like I said, it is just slower than I anticipated.
Sooooo the miracles that happened this week!
We were able to drop by the aforementioned family on
Friday after dinner! So great to see them. They are one of my favorites.
They are so funny! We were able to help get their 9 year old son
situated to join cub scouts. Their 13 yr old daughter went to the church
activity last week and will be going again this week. So we are
DEFINITELY glad that we were able to do get that organized. As I
mentioned last week in the email, like is SOOOO much better when the
members are friends with the people we are working with instead of just
us. I'm excited for them! Next step is set up another time to have us
over and teach them the missionary lessons!
We were able to sit down inside Todd Herring's home!
I forget if I mentioned him by name already, he stopped going to church
when he was a teenager and now is friends with one of my favorite
families in church - they live on the same cul-de-sac (that is a really
weird spelled word). There was a guys night out on Friday night to see a
movie and he went to that! I'm excited that he is also meeting people
from church. He knows almost nothing about the Book of Mormon and is
open to coming to church and for us coming back next week! He is
divorced and has 3 children at least 8 years of age. So there is a lot
of potential missionary work in his family! So I pray that things
continue to go well!
Lastly, Gabe! We finally talked to him yesterday for
a bit. He is excited to get married. Even though he has only come to
church once, he did meet the Bishop and wants him to marry him. He also
wants to go with us to church again this week to pray. He has a heavy
heart. He says it is "my church" still. So that's exciting for sure. It
definitely feels like the marriage will actually happen! We are going to
talk to our Bishop to see what Gabe & Bonnie need to do in order to
make that happen.
As I'm DEFINITELY excited that I'm staying in this
area 1 more transfer. I'm really getting to know most of the ward and we
are getting more and more traction in the part-member, less-active
families in the ward. There are plans in place this week to meet 2 more
of them! As fun as it is to find from your own efforts, if there are
people already known by the ward that could be helped to join the
church, it is a lot easier! It has been hard to get a fellowshipper for
the Ramirez family (found through own efforts), but easy to find them
for others because people already know them!
Sorry this is so long, there is one more thing too...
I was reading in the Book of Mormon 2 things today and yesterday in Alma 5. First in verses 10&13, he asks and then answers the question, "how are we saved?" And then in verses 45&46
he describes how he knows the things are true that he preaches. He
fasted and prayed for many days and the truth has been revealed to Him
by the Holy Spirit. That has happened for me. Although it is not to the
extent of him, I do know of myself independent of any other person that
the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. I have prayed and studied and
pondered many days. (the scriptures I mentioned should be hyperlinked if
you want to check them out).
Have an amazing week!
Elder Campbell
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