This week was so great!!! We got some pretty good work done, and I´m really starting to learn how to not just reach goals, but get true work done that actually touches hearts and changes lives. It´s funny how as a missionary you constantly feel like you´re learning stuff that you wish you knew at the beginning of the mission. And ironically, I still haven´t had more success in comparison to those first few months. Well, success is measured in a lot of different ways, but yeah. I´m starting to ramble.
We are still moving right along with Edwin. He turned 17 this week. We went running with him at 5am one morning, which looking back was a dumb decision, but I think he really looks at us as his friends. haha. He came to church yesterday, and seemed like he learned a lot. He´s really smart, and knows him Bible well for someone who didn´t believe in God as of a few weeks. We convinced him by teaching lesson one. What ACTUALLY happened is the Spirit convinced him. haha. But that´s not how he says it.
We taught him the Plan of Salvation, which blew his mind! And then we taught him the Word of Wizzum, which is trying him because he LOVES coffee. haha. But he´s two days dry! He´s kind of funny because he always seems so doubtful about keeping commitments, but then keeps them better than anyone else in the end. We pray for him a lot, and I know that he will make it. He wants it now for himself. He´ll make a great missionary.
We taught him the Plan of Salvation, which blew his mind! And then we taught him the Word of Wizzum, which is trying him because he LOVES coffee. haha. But he´s two days dry! He´s kind of funny because he always seems so doubtful about keeping commitments, but then keeps them better than anyone else in the end. We pray for him a lot, and I know that he will make it. He wants it now for himself. He´ll make a great missionary.
Our branch Pres. finally called a ward mission leader!!! Yes! It´s so nice to have one! His name is Solomon, who has been mentioned here in this blog before for his incredible testimony. He is the inspiration for this blog title.
Yesterday, we left to go work with him in the evening. First, a little about him. He is super poor. He´s been working on his mission papers for a while now, and is getting close now. He´s not too educated, but I´m not sure that anyone in this country could beat him out for having just a sure fire, powerful Spiritual witness of the truth.
He´s very quite, but not shy at all. And when he bears testimony, you can honestly just watch him as he struggles for just a few moments, and then justs submits to the Spirit. I know that no human has taught him the steps, "teach, testify, invite, promise," but the Spirit has. Everytime I asked him to testify of anything in a lesson, he would just start speaking and you´d feel the Spirit. He´d share a really short experience with the investigator, bear pure testimony, and then promise blessing with all of his heart.
He´s very quite, but not shy at all. And when he bears testimony, you can honestly just watch him as he struggles for just a few moments, and then justs submits to the Spirit. I know that no human has taught him the steps, "teach, testify, invite, promise," but the Spirit has. Everytime I asked him to testify of anything in a lesson, he would just start speaking and you´d feel the Spirit. He´d share a really short experience with the investigator, bear pure testimony, and then promise blessing with all of his heart.
With a young 19 year old that we were teaching, he did that with the Book of Mormon. We challenged him to read the Intro of the book, and he neglected. He said that his eye sight was really bad, and if he read more than a few sentences, he got headaches and his eyes would water so that he couldn´t see. That´s a common problem here because people can´t afford to go get glasses, and no one is used to reading.
I sat for just a moment, pondering on what I could even say. Solutions....? Then I just hear a voice from beside me, "I promise you that the Lord can take that problem away." I quickly sat up and looked over at Solomon. He honestly just spoke so calmly, but there was literally a power that you could almost feel in his words. He wasn´t just talking to fill time.
He continued, "I had the exact problem. I couldn´t read because of my eyesight, but I prayed and asked God to take the problem from off my eyes so that I could read the Book of Mormon, and He did it."
My thought was honestly, this guy is unstoppable! I know that my companion was thinking the same. I almost want to send a letter to the First Presidency to let him skip the MTC. He already does everything so well, I want him to go just how he is right now. MEEK.
He continued, "I had the exact problem. I couldn´t read because of my eyesight, but I prayed and asked God to take the problem from off my eyes so that I could read the Book of Mormon, and He did it."
My thought was honestly, this guy is unstoppable! I know that my companion was thinking the same. I almost want to send a letter to the First Presidency to let him skip the MTC. He already does everything so well, I want him to go just how he is right now. MEEK.
That kind of meekness, from what I can see in him, is a result of true humility and powerful convertion. Such attributes give one the key to unlock power from onhigh, and act as the Savior would. I love Solomon because he is such an example to me of a Christ like servant.
I´m all out of type in my fingers. I love and miss you all, and testify that if you´re not out here in the mission field, the you should be!!! :) Son bromas, quisas.
Love!
Elder Kent Thalman
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