Whats goin onnnnnnn!
Sounds like a more or less normal week in the life of the Lasley fam! That experience you guys had at the Y's family is super cool. i miss Manny, we are good friends. Tearing the ACL is baaaaad news. I hope he recovers and is able to get back to the soccer field. He is super good at soccer. Well at least he was in high school, I'm guessing hes probably only gotten better. Its awesome that you guys were able to give him a blessing. Yeah, Bro. Reber's an awesome guy, I remember when we had a scout camp at Lake Roosevelt and we had a tubing competition and the brackets ended with me and Bro. Reber in the finals, and I beat Bro. Reber and was given the nickname "taco boy" because when Bro. Reber fell off the tube, there wasn't enough weight on it to keep it from catching air because of the wind and bouncing me off a huge wave making me taco ahaha. Thats one to remind Bro. Reber about haha.
Anyways, this week was just fine! It was very similar to last week, just continuing to work hard and be be obedient, which is the cause of a lot of confusion among other missionaries because everyone expects every missionary super close to going home to be trunky and lazy and not work and stuff, but I am the exact opposite! And there is only one reason why honestly. I would be super trunky and lazy and not work BUT there is a promise that says exact obedience brings miracles, and I have really been hoping for a miracle lately! and it is slowly unfolding! The family I have been telling you guys about came to church again and their testimonies are continuing to be strengthened. They are learning more and more and becoming more and more interested in the gospel and just everything! The only problem is, they still need to be married. I have been asking the branch for help with this, but so far nothing has really happened, so this week we are going to take it into our own hands. On Tuesday, we are planning to take the mother and father to the Municipal Hall (like City Hall) and hopefully fix everything in the way of them getting married. I am also going to talk to the Elders Quorum and Relief Society about what can be done to help them pay for their marriage. Elder Matangi and I have faith that they will be able to be baptized on their set baptismal date of July 25th, but we have only just started to try our faith and put it into action.
Another awesome thing that happened is this past Friday when we went to their house to teach them, the 5 children were kind of hiding and being really secretive and then finally, they all came out of the house and presented me with pictures they had drawn and letters they had written for me thanking me and telling me how much Elder Matangi and I meant to them and their family and I swear I was so close to tears haha. Apparently their mom had told them after church last Sunday that I was leaving to go back to America soon and they all got super sad and stuff. And then this week, in the several days they had no school because of the multiple tropical storms that passed over us, they used their free time to draw me pictures and write letters for me so I would "remember them forever". It was unbelievably cute and made me intensely happy! I am now in the process of thinking what I can give each of them before I go home!
I remember telling you about one other family that we teach that is extremely progressing and wonderful, and as of this week they are only progressing more and getting more wonderful! They are a young couple with 2 children, 2 years old and 8 months or something, who we have been focusing on for about 3 or 4 weeks now. They came to church yesterday and participated awesomely in gospel principles class and listened and learned in Elders Quorum and Relief Society. We went to their house after church to teach them and they expressed to us how they know with absolute surety that this was the true and correct church on the Earth, and how right after church, the father talked to his mom and told her that he was Mormon now and would never ever leave or look for another church because he had found the truth and questions he has had for his whole life are being answered through his reading in the Book of Mormon and his church attendance and invited his mom to come to church and be taught by us also. His mom actually sat in on our lesson that very day! Brother Lester, is his name, is one of the strongest and most golden investigators I have ever had the pleasure to teach in my whole mission. In gospel principles class, tithing was mentioned because the lesson was about Sacrifice, which I taught :), and Brother Lester raised his hand and shared his thoughts on tithing and sacrifice, and we haven't even taught them about tithing yet! Then the first question he asked when we visited him later that day was "how can I pay my tithing?" to which I replied "you don't actually need to pay tithing until you are baptized" to which he replied "well I would like to now, can I even though I haven't been baptized yet?" holy cow Matangi and I were just in shock haha. If that doesn't give you a glimpse about how awesome he is, that I don't know. He is way too prepared. The only sad part is I most likely wont be here for their baptism because they still need to be married and there isn't a very good chance it'll happen before I go home. But that is the least of my worries, I don't need to be here to see their baptism to have been part of their conversion and for them to stay active and endure to the end. the important thing is that they get baptized.
So that's why I am still being obedient and diligent and working harder than I ever have in my whole mission and will until the very end. I am feeling more successful as a missionary here in my last area than I ever have throughout my mission. It's awesome, I love it more than anything. :)
Anyways, obviously I still am super excited to come home! Honestly I am totally fine with anything that happens, anything we do! As long as I'm with you guys again it doesn't matter what we do or what we eat or where I sleep ahaha don't worry about anything! If Mom is thinking about dinners to prepare for me, any American food is perfect. Just keep white rice off the menu, I've had enough of that for a while. :) I am so unbelievably excited to see you guys, you don't even know! And everyone else! I am super excited for the family reunion in Sacramento too holy cow!
I'll finish strong, don't you guys worry about me. I love you guys and I'll see you guys in no less than 16 days because I also don't plan on being sent home early :)
Stay Golden Lasley Family!
Love,
Elder Lasley, soon to be just Adam.
:)
