Work, work, work that is the secret

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John Thomas McGuire

Oh what a crazy week for all of our investigators. Everyone has become a slight bit more of a challenge but I would much rather have it this way. The longer they have to study the more they'll be converted. And when is all said and done, I'd rather have converts than baptisms anyways.

So Herald is absolutely amazing! He is like Alma the Younger and he says that he is too. He reads daily and tries to apply everything. He should have been baptized this Saturday but his mom is the problem. For those of you who have read Leadership and Self-Deception, She is in the box. She is a single mother. They're family is pretty well off though, The thing is that she wants Herald to change but she wants things to be instantaneous. And then when he does change she says it's just superficial. She didn't want him coming home late so he started coming home at 8. She didn't want him to swear so he stopped. She wants him to investigate the church longer (he's been coming to church for 6 months now). She's really prideful. So for the time being his baptism has been postponed until we can get her permission or when he turns 18 in September. I really hope it's sooner because Herald has a desire to serve a mission and everything. He is trying to get on the road to conversion but his mom won't let him start because she thinks that baptism is the end and not the beginning. We've asked leaders and members to continue to strengthen him and pray for him. Last week we fasted with him for his mother's heart to be softened (his idea). Fortunately he recognizes that this is just a trial of his faith and patience.

Marlon still hasn't got a solid answer about the Book of Mormon. We were on exchanges at the time and so I wasn't in the lesson but Elder Quinco and Bro. Jerome challenged him to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and then make a decision. So we're going to give him a break for about a month.

We decided to drop Buddy as well. Not because he is homosexual but because he is super prideful and won't read the Book of Mormon. 

We visited Papa Rats again. He didn't come to church yesterday but he wants to keep meeting with us once a week. He seems semi interested.

We have another new investigator. Brother Sidmanao. His wife and two little boys are members but he is not. Missionaries have taught him in the past but he's never accepted the gospel. We taught them right after church. We didn't share any scriptures we just talked and built a relationship and asked inspired questions. We testified about the importance of family which led to a conversation about temples. He interrupted me during my testimony and shared with us that he wanted that for his family and he wanted to learn more. Sister Sidmanao gave the closing prayer and the Spirit was so strong! I'm really hoping things will work out this time.

Zone training meeting was great. We trained on strengthening members' understanding of the doctrine of Christ so that they will be more willing to do missionary work. We had a member burn copies of the I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go video from the Hastening the Work Broadcast last year. We gave a copy to each companionship and committed them to share it with members and use it as a tool to help members prepare referrals. Hopefully we will have some success stories this week.

This week is MLC so we get to head to Tacloban again. I'll be excited to see all the zone leaders and sister training leaders because i haven't seen a lot of them yet. It's going to be a blast!

My spiritual thought for you all comes from Jacob 4:14 and relate it to John 9. Everytime that the man born blind opens his mouth, he speaks pure testimony so plainly and yet the Pharisees are too caught up about minor rules and technicalities. The man says "Listen, I used to be blind and now I can see and this guy is the cause of that" How plainer could he speak? I'm super excited for General Conference because they put the Gospel so plainly. We need to not look beyond the mark. The Gospel is simple. 

Another cool thing about John 9 is that after Christ anoints him with clay he leaves. The man is alone when he washes his eyes out. He is alone when he faces the Pharisees. It's only when he stays true to his testimony and is cast out of the synagogue that the Savior speaks to him again. And it says in verse 35 that Christ came searching for the blind man. Isn't that so true with us? How many times does Christ come looking for us? How many times does He call out for us to follow Him when we least expect Him to? 

I love you all and appreciate everything y'all do! Have a fantastic week!