Things started out just as bad as they had in previous weeks. We are still unable to tract and look for new investigators. It got to be Thursday and we were convinced it was going to be another bad week. Then shortly before dinner we got a call from our Bishop. He tells Elder Mares on the phone "I have a discussion for you." So we excitedly get ready to go over there and teach this man we knew nothing about. We get to the Bishop's house (which is literally an ocean front property FYI). As we start to teach this man we get to know him. He is from Cincinatti, Ohio. But he has not been there for 8 years. Shortly after his mother died he decided to start bicycling around America. And that is what he has been doing for the last 8 years. He lives on whatever little money he can make doing odd jobs along the way. Then last Sunday he was riding past our church and he saw that it said "Jesus Christ" on it so he went in looking for the pastor, the Bishop identified himself as the pastor. This man was looking for some jobs he could do around the church to earn a meal. The Bisop told him to meet at his home a couple of hours later. he started doing some odd jobs for the Bishop around his home. Then this man opened up enough to share some of his problems with the Bishop. Bishop then invited him to meet with us and he agreed.
That night we give him a copy of The Book of Mormon, but he couldn't read the small print. But then Bishop just happened to have with a spare large print copy. He got so so so so so so so excited and said he would start reading it that night. And he did, the next day we met with him he had already read the first 10 chapters! He accepted a baptismal date and gave up coffee, tobacco, and alcohol on the spot. The only problem is that if he does not find another job soon, he will have to keep moving on to the next town, so he is unsure if he will be here for Sept.1 his scheduled baptismal date. We are praying for yet another miracle so that he can find a job here.
I saw the miracle of the atonement this week. I saw it first hand. I saw someone who had no hope, someone who thought he had gone to far to return to God's grace, excercise faith in Jesus Christ enough to repent and live the restored Gospel.
"And he shall go forth suffering, temptaions, and afflictions of very kind, and this that he might take upon himself death and sin, that he may loose the bands of death." Alma 7
Sincerely,
Elder Luis Gonzalez
P.S. Our new investigators has a cute little dog he takes EVERYWHERE!
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