Running down a dream

From August 25, 2014

This week has been a good week. We have been working really hard here in the zone. Everyone is exhausted but happy. We have been working hard this whole month and we don't plan on stopping. Everyone in the zone is putting in their best effort, I feel like, and I believe that helps the rest of us to keep pushing along. We have been doing interchanges a lot to help the missionaries in their areas. We are really working hard to try to reach our goal of 20. We are going to need some serious miracles if we are going to reach it. I personally feel a little bit sad that, according to the way things look right now, we aren't going to reach it but I also feel happy because we have been putting in every ounce of energy into it. Really we have acheived a lot. There is a phrase that goes, "Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you will land among stars." 

A couple days ago I had a really cool experience. For reasons that I don't understand, a lot of our investigators that were going to get baptized have been flaking out on us. They have been having dreams and problems that are out of our control. Anyways, we were talking to a 20 year old kid named Freddy that was going to get baptized yesterday, this is all happening on Saturday. We got to his house and we taught him part of the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement and then we asked him how he was for his baptism. He told us he wanted to wait until next month so that he could get baptized with his friends little sister who is going to turn 8. We explained him that he should not procrastinate, that tempations and problems would come if he waited, and that baptism is the key. We taught him really well, I felt like, and we asked him if he was going to get baptized. He said, "Yes but the day I told you." "Ok," I told him, "We are going to see what God says alright?" Hesitantly he got down with the rest of us on our knees, we were with his member friends. I told him that he should ask God if he should get baptized tomorrow (Sunday 8/24/2014) and that he should wait in silence for an answer. He started praying and he asked and we waited. We waited for around 5 minutes I believe. He then finished. I asked him how he felt and he told us that he felt calmness. I read in Galatians 5 about the fruits of the spirit. I told him that is one of the fruits. I repeated the baptismal invitation. He said "Yes, the day I told you in September." "NO," I thought, but I told him if that is what he felt like he should do than he should do it. We left the house of the member and we continued on. I felt pretty discouraged as well as my companion. I felt like missionary Job, where everything in my area was just falling. I accepted the fact that God was trying me for some reason or another. My companion was almost in tears because Freddy was not going to get baptized and we wouldn't get close to our goal. We went to our next appointment and they gave us dinner. I didn't really feel like eating. I was trying to be happy. Then my phone rings. I pick it up and I see the name of the member whose house we were at. I wondered she wanted. Maybe we left an umbrella in her house or something. I answer and she tells me that Freddy wants to talk to me. He tells me that he was thinking about it and he really did feel in his heart and that he was going to get baptized the next day. I went from way low to way high in a matter of seconds. I really felt in that moment that God exists, and he loves us. It was a marvelous feeling. My companion almost cried again. Yesterday, Freddy got baptized. It was very nice. I love the mission.

Thanks for everything.

-Elder Rowberry