Hi everyone!
You know when people say they are spiritually exhausted? Well it's a real thing. This week was the most spiritually exhausting week of my life, and it was so sweet!
So first off on Tuesday we went on an exchange with some of the Elders in the Zone. I went to their area which is a bike area. I haven't been on bike in 15 months (since my greenie area), and let's just say this was a humbling experience for me. It was pouring that day and we biked all over the place talking to everyone. Some streets were flooded and we both got completely soaked, but we had a good day and some solid conversations with people. I have so much more respect for biking Elders now, I forgot how lucky I am to have a car.
On Wednesday, we had a lesson with a guy who was a referral from some other missionaries. His name is Alex and he is so solid! He is getting baptized on April 22nd! We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he said, "giving up tea will require all my will power but I know I can do it!" He is so awesome and he came to church on Sunday with us.
Thursday, we went downtown to OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) to try and contact some people. We couldn't find anyone, but we did run into a lady who said she was just baptized in Vancouver a couple months ago and she had been having a terrible day. She said she prayed that everything would be okay and then she saw us and she took that as a sign from God. It was cool to see this woman's faith and to be a part of an answer to a prayer.....
Views of Portland from the OHSU aerial tram ...
Now the awesome part of the week........
In a matter of 24 hours, Friday to Saturday, Elder DeVries and I were able to hear Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speak three different times! The first time was with all of the missionaries in the Mission and I was able to shake his hand again! This was my fourth time shaking his hand on my mission so we are best friends now. It was such an awesome meeting and the Spirit was so strong especially as he testified of the Savior. And then he had a youth/YSA fireside Friday night with half of the Stakes in the Mission, and the other half on Saturday night. We were able to go to both nights and it's all because of the coolest miracle that happened this week...
Selfie with a YSA member at Elder Ballard's fireside ...
Cool Miracle story:
So we got a referral from someone in the Westlake YSA Ward on Monday. We went over to see this person on Wednesday, his name is Chad, thinking that we were just going to give him a blessing because that's all he asked for. We went over there and we ended up having this awesome conversation about his spiritual progression throughout life. He is actually a Christian Hip Hop artist. He has such a deep faith in Jesus Christ, but he recently has been through some trials. We didn't have a lot of time, but we taught him a brief lesson on the Restoration and we invited him to come to the Elder Ballard fireside with us on Friday, and he accepted. A member from our Ward picked him up Friday night, and we all sat together at the fireside. He absolutely loved it, and he was soaking it all in. When it was over, Chad and I were chatting in the aisle and Elder Ballard walks by and stops to talk to the person behind us. Chad sees Elder Ballard and then reaches over to shake his hand. He says, "hey I'm Chad! and this is my first time at the Mormon Church!" Elder Ballard shakes his hand and replies, "aah so you have heard the truth tonight then! Go do something about it now!"... and of course I'm flipping out because an Apostle just talked to our investigator. Chad and I talked a little bit more about what just happened and he was so excited. The Spirit was so strong! Well we get a call later that night from the member that drove Chad home. The member said that Chad opened up in the car and said that he has been searching for truth his entire life and he felt that tonight God revealed to him that this is the truth he has been looking for and this is the Church he should be baptized into!!! (Me and DeVries were freaking out on the phone).... But sadly Chad is too old for the YSA Ward. So we had a pass off lesson the next day with the Summerlake Ward sisters who cover his area. We had the lesson at the Temple Visitor Center. The lesson went amazing. Chad bore his testimony that he knew that this is the path God wants him to go down and that he knows this is the Church he needs to join. Chad said the closing prayer and broke down crying and was thanking the Lord for leading him to this opportunity. We set his baptismal date for April 8th. After the lesson, Chad wanted to go see Elder Ballard again so we drove to Tualatin to the fireside. Chad was eating it all up and then he went to church the next day. Miracles have not ceased!
And the week isn't even over! Sunday, I gave a 25 minute talk in Sacrament Meeting on the Plan of Salvation which went well for the most part, and then we spoke at an Aaronic Priesthood fireside that evening too... spiritually exhausted I tell ya. But it was such an incredible week and just over the past three days I have learned so much.
I love the Savior and I know He lives! This is His kingdom on the earth. Here is a promise Elder Ballard said in one of his firesides:
"If you keep the commandments, and you cultivate your Spirit through prayer and reading the scriptures.. I testify that the temptations of Satan will roll off of you like water rolling off of a duck's back."
Elder Hill
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