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