Opening Doors

6.20.11
Fleming Island, FL

Dear Family & Friends~

This past week wasn't quite as eventful as last week; however, I did have many learning experiences-most of which led me to the understanding of the need to not only set goals and make plans, but the necessity of measuring my progress over time to see how far I've come! It is important to be able to recognize your own improvement, and your own successes, even if they are small. So my personal change for this next three week period is to keep track of my improvements and then to go back and see how much I've grown-here is the goal:

1. Memorize one scripture a day
2. Serve someone I know each day (companion, another missionary, member)
3. Serve someone I do not know each day (a non-member, a member I haven't met)

I also have some plans in place to make these goals achieveable and I have my faithful brown journal that I bought at the MTC to track my efforts. I know these are simple goals, but this will help me to learn to trust myself and also to gain some control over myself (i.e. thoughts, words, deeds, etc...), as well as to see evidence that I am growing and am changing day by day for the better, which will all serve to strengthen my personal testimony of Jesus Christ. This should be a good experience. So far I've memorized two scriptures in this person challenge: Romans 8:16 and Alma 7:11.

Romans 8:16 (Paul in a letter, is teaching the people of our relationship to God)- "The Spirit itself beareth record to our spirits, that we are the children of God."

Alma 7:11 (Alma is testifying of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ) - "And He shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith He will take upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people."

Now, here's the test -- I typed these from memory, so you'll have to check and see if I really did memorize scriptures. Not that these are the longest scriptures in the world, but each of them are full of meaning and truth. They are worth pondering.

Another story:
Last week Elder Kiracofe and I were visiting the home of a former investigator and instead of seeing our former investigator, her slightly younger sister answered [the door]. She is around thrity years of age and has a few children. Normally, when we show up at this particular home, the younger sister doesn't speak to us much. But for whatever reason, this time she thought it fine to take some time to talk with us. I was very surprised when she stayed at the door and allowed us to converse with her, and due to my surprise, all we spent our discussion on was about getting to know her. We spoke with her about her family, her career, to some degree or another her hopes and dreams, even a few of her worries and fears. It was encouraging that she trusted us enough to share her thoughts and feelings, especially when in the past she hardly would speak with us. Unfortunately, as Elder Kiracofe and I finally had the opportunity to start talking to her about her thoughts and feelings about church and about the message of the gospel...her boyfriend showed up.

Going backward a little bit, to give a preface of our conversation moments prior to the great interruption of our discussion with our new found friend we were speaking about her career working for the postal service over the past ten years. She wasn't a deliverer of mail, rather, she was one of the workers who loaded packages and letters into vehicles--recently she was moved into the office due to health problems and severe anxiety. This was what we were hoping to find, something that we could discuss, and then offer a bright solution through the healing power of Christ; when she shared with us about her health and her anxiety we were given the opportunity to then teach the gospel. We changed the conversation slightly and asked her if she had ever sat in with her older sister when the missionaries were teaching her. She said no, and that normally she was anti-social and felt uncomfortable talking with people she hardly knew, let alone about the sensitive subject of religion. Apparently she grew up in a church, but didn't have a very good experience, and because of it she shys away from the topic. Everything was building up for a very productive and positive discussion...and then the conversation abruptly halted...

...an otherwise good man, saw the missionaries all dressed up in their white shirts and ties, black suits pants, and polished shoes, as he pulled up in his vehicle, and saw the opportunity to contend with organized religion. "MORMONS! Have you come to preach to us?" He sardonically blurted out as he hopped out of his vehicle and walked right in front of us. As he strode past us, ready to "fight", he calmly but purposefully sat down on the bench on the front porch and put his arms behind his head, leaned back, and put his left leg on his right knee and looked up waiting for our response.

I watched him, somewhat confused by his manner and a little frustrated at the thought of our interrupted conversation with Brenda, as he marched on past us to sit upon his throne of authority, the park bench in front of the house. I looked away for a brief moment, gripped the blue covered Book of Mormon tightly with both hands, and for what seemed like an eternity, I looked at the green grass in front of me and observed the sun shining brightly and beaming down upon it. I felt the heat burning on top of me and could feel the sweat dripping off my brow. Smiling slightly, I clenched my jaw and pursed my lips together, realizing that this new conversation could go downhill quickly and breathed my last breath before my response. Still looking the other way, but gradually turning towards him, I said, "Well, we can preach to you if you'd like!" and I turned and looked him square in the eyes. Brightly and happily I began to open the conversation with the beginnings of the message of the Restoration and the testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph. I told him that our message would lead him to Jesus Christ and help him to know the way back to his Father in Heaven.

He looked at me and scoffed and said, "I know you Mormons...you believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet. Ha! You guys are lost! Ha Ha!" I smiled, but responded sharply and testified that if he would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it that God would tell him that we were teaching the truth and then I invited him to do so. "Absolutely not! I don't want anything to do with that book..." he said, disgusted with the idea. "You mean to tell me that this record was written in ancient America? You're saying that it was written by the ancestors of the Native American peoples? You say they saw Jesus Christ?! You guys are a bunch of QUACKS! Ha Ha! The Native Americans didn't believe in God. I'm a Cherokee. I know our history. They believed that America was formed by a bug who dived down to the bottom of the ocean and pulled up earth. That book can't be true if you believe it was written by the Indians!" Again, I urged him to read the Book of Mormon so he could know for himself. I told him that the Book was convincing evidence in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He looked away for a moment and then looked back and said, "You know, I don't even know if I believe in God anymore..." Then he looked back down to the ground. I shared with him that the scriptures teach us that man was created in the image of God and that He is our loving Father in Heaven and He desires our happiness and if we will but follow His Son, we can be happy. Apparently he wasn't satisfied with that response and he lashed out again toward us and began speaking irrationally and inappropriately about the nature of God. I stopped him in his speech and told him not to mock God. And then I asked him a few questions, "..., what is your purpose in asking us these questions and saying these things? Do you have a purpose behind it? Or do you merely desire to argue with us?? What is it that you really want to know? Because we both know that what you have said thus far is directed at nothing. What is it that you really need to know? What does your heart tell you? We are here for you and wish to help you and to answer your questions, so let us help!" He immediately looked away and became quiet. After a long pause, he looked off in the distance and said to us, "I guess I would like to hear about your doctrines...I've been condemned and accused so many times by preachers and pastors that I can't take it any more. It destroys my hope and makes me want to go the other way..."

Finally the door was open to his heart and we began to teach him about the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. We taught him that he can be forgiven and become clean. We taught him that eternal life can be found by gaining a testimony of Jesus Christ and living by faith and by following the example of Jesus Christ through baptism by authority and then enduring faithfully to the end. We testified to him that if he would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it that he could know that God sent us to teach him this message and to help him to be happy. After twenty or so minutes of discussion, he stopped us in our speech, and asked us humbly where he might get a copy of the Book of Mormon. Mine and Elder Kiracofe's hearts probably both skipped a beat. We were shocked! We then testified again of the importance of our message and of Jesus Christ and we told him that we give away copies of this Book to all who will read it and pray about it and be willing to act upon its message. He declared his interest in all sincerity, expressed a genuine desire to learn more. We gave him a copy and proceeded to teach him the steps to gaining a testimony and then invited him to be baptized upon gaining a witness from God. He said he would!!

How amazing the change of heart we saw in him! We gathered as much information about him as we could and hopefully we'll be able to teach him again and soon. We haven't seen him yet, unfortunately, but we'll keep trying. And for the other miracles which we saw, we haven't been able to follow up with any of them, YET! But we will. And I'll share with you more stories hopefully next week.

So, I've been thinking a lot about my decision to stay or to leave early from my mission (to start school) and I've made my decision. I have decided that I only get this opportunity to serve a two year full-time mission once and I intend to finish it to the end. Perhaps I''ll have to start school later, but I trust that things will work out. My heart feels good about this decision. I have much more I need to give the Lord before my mission is over and I feel I will be able to do that by September 28th....I know that this is what I need to do. I love each of you so much and all of our family and that is why I am choosing to finish my mission. So make plans to see me in September because that is when I will be returning home. I love you and I truly cannot wait to see each of you again. I have no greater desire than to be with you. I know the time will go quickly, and even before the blink of an eye, we'll be together again, and it will be as though we never left each other. This is a great cause and I ought to finish what I set out to do. I promised the Lord I would complete the mission to the last day before I left and promised Him again out here that I would stay. And I need to keep my promise to Him.

I love you and I hope each of you have a wonderful week and I look forward to hearing from you again next week!

Love~
Austin