October 24th 2013

We had an incredible miracle last week!!! It seems like a lot of our miracles happen right after we finish emailing. Maybe it is the fact that I always feel pumped for the work right after I get to read emails from my family, friends, and mission president!

 

So within a few minutes of getting off the library computer last week we bumped into one of our investigators. He loves to chat, so we had a seat with him for a few minutes to find out how he was doing and how he was feeling about the messages we had shared with him. I don't remember when I got the prompting, but as we spoke to him all I could think about was inviting him to be baptized on November 16th. I began to try to steer the conversation in a direction so that we could invite Him to be baptized, and then I leaned over to my companion and whispered "November 16th." A minute or two later my companion asked the investigator if he would prepare himself to be baptized on November 16th, and He said that if by that day he knew that what we had told him was true, he would be baptized. As if the Lord hadn't been good enough to us, we were able to set up a lesson with Him for the very next day. The next day he told us that ever since our last lesson with him he had known that it was the Lord's will for him that he should be baptized. he said "alright, I know I need to be baptized so lay it on me. What next?" We immediately taught him that the Father and the Son are separate and distinct beings, and that they have bodies of flesh and bones. He accepted that willingly and told us that it was in line with what he had learned from the Bible. We hope to see this investigator today and teach him more so that he will be prepared to be baptized on November 16th. He is a very tough person to get ahold of, so we have just been praying for him and hoping that he will be able to continue to progress.

We went down to Cheltenahm for Stake Conference on Sunday during which the Stake Presidency was reorganized. There were two members of the seventy there to conduct the business, and so we had the wonderful opportunity to hear them speak. I feel bad because I don't remember which general authority gave the talk, but one of them spoke about a fundamental principal by which God works in our lives. That is that miracles are not worked with what we don't have, they are worked with what we do have.

On one occasion the Savior was teaching a large group of people. After ministering to them he had compassion on the people and commanded his disciples to give the multitude something to eat. They asked how they could feed such a vast multitude? They did not have the food or the money to do so! Instead of making food appear out of thin air, Jesus asked how many loaves they had. The answer came that they had "Five, and two fishes." The Savior Blessed the five loaves and two fishes and they fed 5,000 people.

The Lord loves us and he is willing to help us in every situation. He does so however not by making our trials go away, but by working with what we have. If we need the help of the Lord, and we all do, he will ask us to give him all that we have and then to have faith. When we don't have the strength to finish the race, the Lord will ask us to take the next ten steps which we do have the strength to take. Only then will he strengthen us as a result of our faith to continue on. When trials come your way, I would invite you not to think of all the reasons you cannot succeed. If you focus on the negative, miracles cannot occur! Rather, offer the Lord EVERYTHING you have to give and "then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17.)

I love you all and I can tell you that your prayers on my behalf are answered!

-Elder Winters

October 16th 2013

This week has been crazy busy, but we spent a lot of the time on a bus! Over the course of last week we went to Gloucester for zone meeting, Birmingham for a follow up trainer's meeting, Gloucester again to meet with other missionaries to travel to see Gadfield Elm and Benbow farm, and then to Gloucester again for a district meeting and to have interviews with the mission president. I just want to share one cool experience that occurred on the train ride back from Birmingham. The train was too full to sit down, so we were standing for the first chunk of the journey. We noticed that one of the gentlemen standing next to us was looking at us a little strangely, and when he saw my companion pull out a Book of Mormon he asked "you two are Mormons aren't you?" We told him that we were, and asked him where he recognized us from. He told us that he was actually taught by two missionaries in Scotland, and that he had now moved to Birmingham. He was on his way to Hereford for a couple of days. What are the chances? We asked if he would be interested in having missionaries come over to his home to teach him again, and he said that he would like that. We took down his phone number and gave it to some of the Elders serving in Birmingham. It just goes to show that if we pray for opportunities to share the gospel, the Lord can and will put people in our paths who are willing to listen!

 

I mentioned that we went with a group of missionaries to see Gadfield Elm chapel and Benbow farm. Soon after the orginization of the church, the apostle Wilford Woodruf was called to go on a mission to England to preach the restored Gospel. At great sacrifice, he answered the call and traveled to England. Soon after arriving, the spirit lead him to Benbow farm where he met the John and Jean Benbow. He taught them late into the night of the incredible events which had taken place to usher in the restored gospel. The Benbows were impressed, and invited the apostle to speak to the congregation of which they were a part. The congregation was composed of men and women who decided to do their very best to follow the teachings of the bible, but who felt that there was more to it than that. We had the opportunity to sit in the Gadfield Elm chapel where Wilford Woodruf bore powerful testimony to that congregation. Almost every member of the congregation was baptized shortly thereafter in the small pond at Benbow farm. In addition to these, several constables sent to arrest Wilford Woodruf were also converted and baptized. It was very cool to sit in that small chapel and think about what incredible things had taken place within those walls!

 

It has been good to see the work in this area move forward since I have been here! The work of the Lord cannot be halted! Even though it is beginning to rain buckets and it is getting colder! :)

 

-Elder Winters

 

Gadfield Elm Chapel

It's Pretty Small!