CRAZY WEEK!
Monday:
Patrick tells us that he is going back home to Ohio to fix family problems and he will not be able to stay in town for His baptism. The Bishopric was helping him to fly back there so that he get everything organized.
Tuesday:
We talk to this crazy lady who took an hour to tell us her life story, and then ened our converstion with sayig that she loved the Church but could never believe in the gold plates. Then we met with Patrick who found that day from talking to his aunt that he might be father!!!
Thursday:
We taught a man at a old folks home (member referal) and he fell asleep as I was talking to him. Then we rushed to District meeting and took district pictures because there is no district meeting next week because of Zone Conference. Then a member took us to a restaurant in our area named "Kenny's". They have awesome chinese food!!!!
Saturday:
It was startingto get late and I got a feeling that we should go visit someone. On the way there I saw Patrick out of the corner of my eye. I quikly turn and head towards the McDonald's parking lot (where i saw him). He sees us pull up and he quikly rushed over to us and excitedly told us about his day. The Bishop later told us that he was trying to decide between buying some hot chocolate at mcdonald's or getting some alcohol at safeway. When we showed up he had just decided to buy the chocolate. So when he saw us, he felt as if that was God telling him he made the right choice and giving some up to ge thru the night.
Sunday:
The Stake President came to to meet with the Bishop and speak in sacrament. Before sacrament the Bishop asked us how ready we thought patrick was for baptism and we told him he was 100% ready. So he reports that to the Stake President, who in turn calls President Meredith (our mission president) and tells him that he feels that Patrick needs to be baptized before he leaves to Ohio. We then get a call from President Meredith and he asked us how read we thought Patrick was besides not livung the Word of Wisdom for 3 weeks. We gave the same reply we had given to Bishop. President Meredith then says that 3 weeks of livung the Word of Wisdom is mission policy and not in the Handbook, and that he could therefore give us permission to baptize Patrick that very day! Which he then preceded to do, pending that he is interviewed by a District Leader or Zone leader. We quickly got on the phone with our distrct leader and we arrange to meet him. The interview seemed to take a CENTURY!!!! But finally he came out and he had passed!!!!! We hurriedly made all the arrangemants to prepare the baptismal font. We called everyone from the ward to come out and support him. We made the baptismal record and got ready to go up to the stake center. For being such short notice we were able to organize quite a nice program. Elder Mares got to baptize Patrick (yes, with his injured knee-he is in major pain today). I got to confirm him a member of the Church. And Bishop Fellars promised him that in a year he would fly out to Ohio and ordain him to the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Long story short: No matter how good I am, how smart I am, how hard I work, this great latter-day work cannot be done without the aid of the Almight. It is Him whom i represent, It is His name that I wear everyday. No miracle is greater than the Atonemnt of Christ.
Sincerly,
Elder Luis Gonzalez
P.S. To top it all off, Patrick's dog that he takes everywhere, got a front row seat to see the baptism.
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