Hi family!
Guess what? Steve was baptized! Remember how I told you about that guy from Scotland who had worked with Bear Grylls and who came in to the Visitors' Center with his member girlfriend? Well, she just came in a couple of days ago to let me know that Steve has been baptized! She said that he really felt the spirit at the Visitor's Center and he took the lessons in two weeks and was baptized! He's in Morocco now for the next couple of months leading outdoor excursions, which is part of the reason he decided to get baptized so quickly so that he could have the Holy Ghost with him before he went out there. I thought it was pretty crazy that he is going to be in Morocco at the same time as James. Wouldn't it be crazy if they met somehow? James, if you meet a Scottish guy named Steve, make sure you ask him if he knows me. It was so great to be able to see the end result of someone's conversion that I had a small role in initiating. He was obviously so ready and already seeking the truth, and then when he came in to the Visitors' Center for the first time he was ready to recognize it for what it was. It was interesting because he was already Christian, so I was trying to explain some things to him at first and talk a little about the Bible from a bit of a logical standpoint, considering I've been reading Jesus the Christ and learning a lot of really neat things, but then I could tell that it wasn't going anywhere and he was a little defensive, so I just took him in to the Christus statue and told him to push all of those things aside and just pay attention to how he felt, and what the spirit was trying to say to him, and the whole tour changed. It is amazing what the spirit can do, and another testimony to me that I can't convince anyone with my own knowledge that the gospel is true. They have to feel that testimony from the Holy Ghost, and all I can be is the messenger.
Caroline, the woman from India that came to church last week came to the Visitors' Center with her husband and little girl and another family from our ward that lives in their same complex. They loved it, and they went to church the next day and really enjoyed it as well. The culture in India is very different. They are accepting of all religion and everything good, so they still don't understand a lot of the spiritual aspect or even the concept of conversion and what that would imply, but they love the social aspect and the church organization and they can see how it will help their family. We're hoping that slowly we will be able to help them understand. They seemed a little confused even about why we want to come to their house, so we're trying to explain all of that as well. We invited them to be baptized and Caroline told us that she already has been baptized Christian, and the husband said that he would go to church and be involved but that he doesn't really want to commit to anything right now. So, it will probably be a slow process, but they are an amazing family, and they would do anything for their daughter, which is why they want to go to church, because they know that it is important to teach her about God.
We also got the information for a man named Sky that has been going to church in a ward close to the beach because it is only a couple of blocks away from he lives at a rehab center right on the ocean front. He had an amazing "Alma the younger" type conversion experience when he was in prison, and apparently met with missionaries there but is just waiting to get off of parole before he can be baptized. We went to go visit him, but the center has some pretty strict rules about visiting hours, so we can only go on Sunday afternoons, and before we could visit we had to go through an forty five minute orientation. We went with our Relief Society president who lives right by there as well in Venice. It was really interesting, because it put us directly into the heart of Babylon- right on the ocean front of Venice Beach. There are so many interesting people there. We actually didn't end up getting to meet Sky this Sunday, but I did find out the definition for "Tripping." It was in our information packet along with other helpful terms to know like "Jailing," and I can't remember the other ones. I especially remembered "Tripping" because the definition was "having your mind on anything but the here and now." So, some of you might be asking, have I been "tripping" about going home? Well, actually, not yet. It still hasn't really hit me. I'm sure it will eventually though. I'm just trying to do the opposite of "tripping" by focusing on the work and enjoying every day that I have left. I really do love my mission. I love being able to help people, and thinking about others before myself, and being able to be a representative of Jesus Christ for those that I meet. I hope that is something that I can take home with me and keep working on every day.
Well, I love you all very much! Don't be "Tripping"! I'll be home soon enough. :D
- Sister Dansie
Pictures:
1. So remember all of my friends that left me last transfer? Well, I saw three of them three days in a row, first Sister Cass, than Sister Tittle, and then Sister Garcia. I guess that Heavenly Father was trying to show me that life goes on just fine after the mission.
2-4 Pictures from our district activity this morning to the La Brea tar pits and the outside of the LACMA art museum. I went there last year too on my mission. Which again made me realize how long I've been a missionary for. And yes, my hair is foofy and out of control. I'm starting to feel like Carrot top. I'm just going to wait to cut it until I get back though. I've had too many traumatizing hair cuts here with the low price hair cuts I've been able to afford.
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