Fwd: Letter to All 30 Jun 2014

[Tim Stay]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Zachary Stay <zachar...@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2014 at 10:49 AM
Subject: Letter to All 30 Jun 2014
To: Tim Stay <tim...@gmail.com>, Dalita Stay <lita...@gmail.com>

Hello Friends and Family!

Good news! I´m going to stay here in Hunter for 6 more weeks! And it´s very likely that I´m going to stay here until the end of my mission in November. It´s a good thing to be able to know- it´ll let me be able to work a little more long term, and be able to be a little more patient with the slow and steady progress of the work.

We had two amazing experiences this week. The first was with Kareem, an investigador we´ve kind of let at one side. She´s the 14 year old daughter of a reactivated member, and she´s been attending church, and reading the book of mormon, but still isn´t baptized. We talked to her for the first time in a while this week, and we asked her "Why do you go to church?" "Because I feel good there, and the things I learn there help me to be better, and to do what God wants me to do." "And what does God want you to do?" "To be baptized."

It was pretty amazing. She´s progressing and strengthening her testimony by herself. The only problem is that her nonmember father doesn´t want her to get baptized yet. But we´re going to keep on visiting, keep on helping, and we´re going to try and encourage her to talk to her father so that he can understand how important it is.

The other amazing (and slightly similar) experience is of Marcos. He got marreid about a month ago to a recent convert (he´s not a member). He´s talked to us a few times, and he´s been coming to church. This week, his wife went to the temple for the first time to be endowed. While he was home, he was thinking a lot about his relationship with God, and how much closer he´s gotten to him. He invited us over to his house Sunday after church (he came by himself!). 

When we went over, we asked him the same thing. "What does God want you to do?" "To be baptized." He said that he wanted to be able to make this decision for himself- he says he feels amazing at church, and that he feels like he´s changing, like the Lord is with him. He´s going to talk to his wife (she gets back today), and going to talk with her about when he´s going to be baptized.

Whoo-hoo! That´s always the best answer to the question "What does God want you to do?" "To Follow Christ." Because, really, when we are baptized, we are following Christ- his example, his teachings, his commandments. It is a good thing. 

Thank you all for your love and for your prayers. I need them, and I´m glad for them. 

I love you all!

Elder Zach Stay