From Dad 6/22
Hi everyone,
We have had a good week. Ron Peterson did say the prayer. It was humble but heart felt. He also told us the contention in his family was decreasing especially between him and Martina, his wife. We could feel it when we talked with her on the phone. We talked about some of the other less active men we visit and he was encouraging us. We said sometime we want you to go with us when we visit some of them. He said he needed to become more familiar with the scriptures. We said, “Your prayer and your simple testimony are the two things they need to and want to hear from you. He has come a long ways.
One less active mom we are working with has a 4 year old daughter and she is 27. She has a step son who just turned 18 and a step daughter who is 14. Melissa, 14, has anorexia. She weighs 86 pounds. The doctor told her if she goes below this weight he will put her in the hospital. She has always wanted to be a model and was even offered a job to model but her father said no. She is a very nice and a very beautiful young lady. Jose, the step mom, has good communication with her and we hope in time can bring warmth back into Melissa’s heart and that she will turn from her drive for the “perfect body”. Jose said she would see us in Church on Sunday.
Alex and Thomas after institute on Wednesday asked how they can talk with others about the Church and their beliefs when they are so different from those of their friends and family members. We encouraged them to remember the truth will always stand on its own no matter how much others may know or have read or studied. We encouraged them to remember to be friends and show how much you are interested in how they think and feel and when they are willing to listen to what your thoughts on any subject are, the Spirit will carry the message into their hearts and they will know. It is always for each person to choose whether they want to listen or not. The Spirit is always ready to teach them when they do want to listen. Thomas had had a pointed discussion with his dad and felt uncomfortable with the outcome. There is a homosexual demonstration planned in Wuerzburg in two weeks and a Catholic charity is one of the main financial backers. Thomas’s dad is both Catholic and works for the church as well. Thomas is so friendly and his intentions are good, he will find his way back to peace with his dad and still stand true to what he knows is right.
When we met with Alex’s grandmother, Anne Berner, she said the opening prayer and asked for guidance to know what to do and that she would understand everything we talked about. Then she came straight to the point today and asked how we knew the authority to teach and baptize in the name of Jesus Christ was lost from the earth. We explored several scriptures together and talked again about where we were before we were born and how this knowledge is generally lost to the world today. We said simply either the authority was lost or it was not, and that it has either been restored or it has not. She returned to when Peter went to Rome and then from her understanding designated who was to follow him in authority. We turned to 2 Nephi chapter 26. She had not made it to the middle of the chapter reading before she said she needed more time and quiet time to think these things through. She accepted a reading assignment in 2nd Nephi chapters 25-33. We explained this was a more detailed explanation of Isaiah 3-14 (reviewed in chapters 13-24 in 2nd Nephi). She wants to read all of it and then have us come back in two weeks. She is about 80 years old but sharp. She was a Catholic religion teacher for 35+ years. Since she talked about whether the authority was taken from the earth we talked about baptism. We said it would be wrong for us to invite her to be baptized if she did not have a testimony that the priesthood was restored. But when she does have that testimony, she would know in her heart she wants to and needs to be baptized. She raised no objections.
We love the work. It challenges us in every way. We are at peace tonight. When the Spirit is strong there is no other way to feel. Have a great week. The authority to act in the name of God is a great and a wonderful opportunity and responsibility to be there for Him.
Love always,
Dad
We have had a good week. Ron Peterson did say the prayer. It was humble but heart felt. He also told us the contention in his family was decreasing especially between him and Martina, his wife. We could feel it when we talked with her on the phone. We talked about some of the other less active men we visit and he was encouraging us. We said sometime we want you to go with us when we visit some of them. He said he needed to become more familiar with the scriptures. We said, “Your prayer and your simple testimony are the two things they need to and want to hear from you. He has come a long ways.
One less active mom we are working with has a 4 year old daughter and she is 27. She has a step son who just turned 18 and a step daughter who is 14. Melissa, 14, has anorexia. She weighs 86 pounds. The doctor told her if she goes below this weight he will put her in the hospital. She has always wanted to be a model and was even offered a job to model but her father said no. She is a very nice and a very beautiful young lady. Jose, the step mom, has good communication with her and we hope in time can bring warmth back into Melissa’s heart and that she will turn from her drive for the “perfect body”. Jose said she would see us in Church on Sunday.
Alex and Thomas after institute on Wednesday asked how they can talk with others about the Church and their beliefs when they are so different from those of their friends and family members. We encouraged them to remember the truth will always stand on its own no matter how much others may know or have read or studied. We encouraged them to remember to be friends and show how much you are interested in how they think and feel and when they are willing to listen to what your thoughts on any subject are, the Spirit will carry the message into their hearts and they will know. It is always for each person to choose whether they want to listen or not. The Spirit is always ready to teach them when they do want to listen. Thomas had had a pointed discussion with his dad and felt uncomfortable with the outcome. There is a homosexual demonstration planned in Wuerzburg in two weeks and a Catholic charity is one of the main financial backers. Thomas’s dad is both Catholic and works for the church as well. Thomas is so friendly and his intentions are good, he will find his way back to peace with his dad and still stand true to what he knows is right.
When we met with Alex’s grandmother, Anne Berner, she said the opening prayer and asked for guidance to know what to do and that she would understand everything we talked about. Then she came straight to the point today and asked how we knew the authority to teach and baptize in the name of Jesus Christ was lost from the earth. We explored several scriptures together and talked again about where we were before we were born and how this knowledge is generally lost to the world today. We said simply either the authority was lost or it was not, and that it has either been restored or it has not. She returned to when Peter went to Rome and then from her understanding designated who was to follow him in authority. We turned to 2 Nephi chapter 26. She had not made it to the middle of the chapter reading before she said she needed more time and quiet time to think these things through. She accepted a reading assignment in 2nd Nephi chapters 25-33. We explained this was a more detailed explanation of Isaiah 3-14 (reviewed in chapters 13-24 in 2nd Nephi). She wants to read all of it and then have us come back in two weeks. She is about 80 years old but sharp. She was a Catholic religion teacher for 35+ years. Since she talked about whether the authority was taken from the earth we talked about baptism. We said it would be wrong for us to invite her to be baptized if she did not have a testimony that the priesthood was restored. But when she does have that testimony, she would know in her heart she wants to and needs to be baptized. She raised no objections.
We love the work. It challenges us in every way. We are at peace tonight. When the Spirit is strong there is no other way to feel. Have a great week. The authority to act in the name of God is a great and a wonderful opportunity and responsibility to be there for Him.
Love always,
Dad
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