Preparing for a Baptism

April 15, 2013

Yeah what a week it has been! I can't believe that all of this is going by so quickly! I hit my 4 month mark the other day and can't believe that I have less than 20 left!

On Sunday we had our Gospel Principles class and I could just talk for days sometimes. Just ramble on and on, but anyway they love when I tell stories about camping or some gospel stories that I heard. The teacher Sister D like right in the middle of the lesson says "Gosh Elder Funk, You make me want to have another Kid!! A girl right about your age!!" I was laughing so hard. I absolutely love the members here!!!!!!! I guess that is were I get down on myself alot it I just want this branch to have everything that it deserves. It deserves the hardest working missionary that I can possible be. So when I don't stop for a moment and "Consider the Lilles" I lose sight of what I already have, what a great work I am blessed to be apart of.

We started the week off with another P-day of not really doing a whole lot and then we went out to the F Family to talk to them for a bit. When we dropped by we saw the husband and talked to him for what seemed like forever! He got locked out of his house so we sat outside and talked about everything from the Law of Consecration to Gun control. It was fun. They seemed to be doing really well that night and it was really nice to see A up and walking again. I love when they are around. I feel like such a part of their family.

Then on Tuesday that was another long day. We spent most of the afternoon tracting out some new people to teach and we have actually been blessed enough to start teaching a couple of new people. We are teaching this girl named M. She is going through a really hard time with a divorce and her kid with Autism but I can tell that she really appreciates all the support that we try and bring to her through the gospel. Hopefully she can commit to be baptized and progress through the gospel!! We got to do some service later that night for a non member named J. He bought a old beat up house so we ended up doing alot of sanding on his floor boards so that he and his wife can re paint the floor and it can be liveable! His wife has some sort of medical issues so I just want to help them in whatever way that I can. It's amazing how often something with construction will come up where I can lend a hand to a someone in need!

We got to have Zone conference on Wednesday and what a treat that was! Our AP's gave some of the best trainings that I have ever heard! They talked alot about member work and contacting every single person that we see. I love to do that. We in Fredericksberg nearly reach the goal of talking to 120 people every single week. That doesn't seem like alot, but if half of those could be a 5 minute conversation it is amazing how fast the day goes! Elder Low laughed because I have been telling him that every single person that we see is in need of some aspect of the gospel and that we are going to talk to everyone we see, I told him that the first day. In the Zone meeting one of the other missionaries started talking about how it wasn't really possible and I kinda spoke up and said No. It is, if you can't get it, just work a little harder! (Of course I said it a little nicer then that though!) The AP's really liked that. I get along with one of them, Elder Thornley, in particular. He is incredible!

So basically the rest of the week was Bible Bashing. Oh boy do I hate Bible bashing. It's so hard not to just prove these people wrong, because I don't really believe that that is the best way to do it! It drives me nuts when someone tells me what I believe and they don't even know me so I never try and do that.

So anyway... Here's the story that goes along with that... We were knocking doors and I didn't quite realize where we had ended up. We knocked on this door and as soon as the man walked out he had on the suit with the fancy collar thing on and I was just like "Dang it. I do not like bashing!" Well he walked out and started talking to us, I asked him if he was a pastor or something and he said "Yes" in and English accent and pointed over to the Giant Catholic Church behind us. I should have known but nevertheless we started talking about the Book of Mormon. He then let Elder Low have it and tried to confound him in his words which was awful. He wouldn't even let me talk to him. It was frustrating to me and to Elder Low. He then started to argue we didn't need the Book of Mormon if the Bible has all the correct truths and then he came at me and we started to talk about the Trinity and how that is not correct. Well after about 15 minutes or so we both decided that it was probably not going to go anywhere so we left in a peaceful manner. The arguement never got heated of course but we just both knew that these little Mormon boys were never going to change. As we left all the sudden I heard myself say. "Well Sir thanks, we are going to Preach the Gospel to All the Catholics." That sounds now like the most smart alec statement but as I said it, It was so filled with the spirit that I knew that it was inspired. He turned, a little stunned, and said "Don't you confuse them." I was shocked by his statement. In that moment I knew that he knew that we were in fact preaching the gospel, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he could not tell us to stop. He later went on to say "You know you are the ones that came to preach to me, not I to you, you knocked on my door." I said "Well Sir, I would invite you to do the same." It was bold, but I know that the spirit was there and testified of truth to his heart as only the spirit can.

After that it turned into a rough week. But I know that it is because just as with Jesus on the Cross and with Joesph in the grove, Satan will work hardest right before a miracle takes place. In a lesson that same night we talked to A and she wants to be baptized on Saturday April 20th. We are going to have a baptism!!! I am so excited to be able to be apart of such a spectacular event! She watched all of conference and just wants to be apart of everything already!! I am SO excited to watch my sister get into the water! She even asked me to baptize her! It will be such a special event on Saturday and I cannot wait to be able to watch a amazing scene take place.

We got to do some more service for a member on Saturday that involved alot of raking and some try trimming. Brother D is one of the most service oriented people that I know. He is the Brother Duke of the branch here. He always is trying to help someone in need and I love working with him. We get along so great! So that led to a great weekend of service and working with the members. The members also want me to do a musical number again real soon so I have to work on that!

I know that this is the work of the Lord! I testify that this is hard. It is so hard. I can't imagine it another way. I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't wait to have my eyes opened enough to see what the blessings I have are. I hope that one day I will be able to open my eyes and look around and see all the miracles that are here.