10/12

Hello Family & Friends, Well this week has pretty much been amazing and we are working really really hard! I have really gained a stronger testimony in prayer this week... We have been praying that our investigators would progress and (as our zone focus is on getting our investigators to progress to a baptismal date) that we could set up a lesson where the spirit could be there that we could invite people to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. ...One of the greatest things to complain about in the missionary life is being busy... and let me tell you complain complain complain (but in the best way) Me and Elder Fly have had so many lessons this week and have talked to everyone that we could see out on the streets. Our lessons with our investigators went great and we can really see that Heavenly Father is blessing us here in Lake Elsinore too!We had a lesson with Wendy Florez with her two sons Joey and Ryan. We went over the first part of the Plan of Salvation and they loved it! And are excited to learn the rest. At the end of the lesson we asked if the family if they would all be baptized and they were so excited they of course shouted a yes... haha They are such a fun family - and she is so spiritual because she has had so many of her prayers answered by getting to this very moment in her life. Their date is set for November 8th... Happy Birthday Cass!At the priesthood session of conference the two Elders from the singles ward came up to me and said that they were gonna give us one of the people that they had taught the first lesson to and that he was single - just too old for the singles ward (36) haha. So on Friday we met this guy whose came is Coley McAvoy. We went over to his house and we got to meet him and let me tell you WOWWY - he is so smart and if there is any word that I could use: ELECT to the MAX! We were going to teach the plan of salvation but one of his friends tipped him off to printing out a preach my gospel off the internet - so he did and read, hilighted and applied... He taught us the whole Plan of Salvation EVERY SINGLE piece of it! The crazy thing is that Coley is writing a book and he has been going religion to religion to find the true church and gospel and he prayed before he started the book that it would be a book of God... Well Coley said the when he picked up and started reading Preach My Gospel... THAT WAS HIS BOOK! Obviously not word for word -but it had the same basis and so Coley knew that this was the right thing to do and said that he had found the right church! The next day Coley called and was like "When we get to church can we schedule a baptismal date for me" haha - and all through church he leaned over and whispered "we are going to set up a baptism date right???" haha YES!!!!!! lol -Let me tell ya - best question an investigator can ask! Coley had the best time at church too - I think I am going to have to video-tape him for all of you [he sings and acts and for the girls - he started singing PERFECTLY the elephant love medley to our other investigator Tori Vargis in the hallway at church] haha WHAT A GREAT GUY!!!! We set up a date for November 8th... then he called and said that it wouldn't do and it was going to have to be earlier... so the 1st of Novemeber! hah! He just called today and was like thankyou thankyou - and I'm sending invitations out right now!! hahaThe only bad thing about having 9 people on date is having 9 people on date when you might get transfered!! AHHH Transfers are coming up this next monday and I have been here for 4 1/2 months! Chances are pretty good that President would keep me in Lake Elsinore for at least one more transfer to make 6 months - wow a 1/4 of my mission!! But I just don't know??? haha - if I get transfered we are just gonna have to move all the baptisms to one day so I can come back and have a line-up!! hahaThis recent convert whose name is Pam Lopez; who we have gotten really close to in the past couple of months, well she fell back into her smoking habbit and just will not quit. Last Saturday I went to her house and she was talking to us and in the middle of the conversation she asked her friend for a smoke... WHAT! - I was like: Can't you do that at least when I am not looking!! So I told her friend to NEVER give her a ciggarette again and she was ticked that I told him that. Then I told her that I wasn't leaving till she gave me the ciggarette! We sat there for like 30 minutes talking back and forth about how she needs to stop and I bore my testimony to her. She said that it was the best thing that she had ever heard come out of my mouth... but still that she was not going to give me the smoke.. that broke my heart. It's amazing the grasp that Satan has on some people through things such as drugs. Even when God is speaking they choose to use their God-given agency and choose Satans way :( So we told her that we would come and pray with her every morning that she wouldn't smoke and that she could stay away from it... but still she has her agency to choose right from wrong.Well things are going great - keep the prayers up and I hope everything is working out for the best for everyone and the everyone is safe and sound. I got a letter from my convert Jan Judd and I was so excited haha and [*and Jan I am so proud of you for going to the temple!!!] Well love you all very much!LoveElder McBride!