P-Day eve before transfers, we go on a conference call with the whole Zone, and the zone leaders read off the list of missionaries in the zone and tell them if they are staying in the area, or if they are transferring to a new area. It's a pretty exciting, nerve wracking event. All you get is a "staying" or "transferring" after your name, and if you are transferring you pack all day during preparation day (today) and then leave early the next morning for transfers where you are assigned your new area in a meeting in Ft Lauderdale which you then immediately leave to with your new companion.
So I'm listening to the call last night, and they get to my companion. "Elder Warren... TRANSFERED." Which was to be expected. Then they got to me "Elder Johns... Stays." Both scenarios were expected, but then there was a longer pause then usual, and then I heard Elder Fisher (one of the zone leaders) yell over the phone "AND YOU"RE GONNA HAVE A BABY" (in the mission, when you train someone you are their "father," and your trainee is your "son" and there first area they serve is their "birth place.")
SO I'M GOING TO TRIAN A BRAND NEW MISSIONARY. Which is something I've always wanted to do, ever since I got into the mission. But I thought it was going to be much, much, much further in my mission. I've been told since last transfer by my previous Zone leaders that I should definitely expect to train around my year mark, but I definitely was not expecting it so soon! It's going to be extremely challenging.. I'm responsible for ensuring that this new missionary learns all the mission rules, obeys them with exact obedience, learns the Spanish language adaquately enough to take over the area after his training, and feels comfortable, capable, and ready to serve. I'm basically expected to set a perfect example, so this new missionary has a perfect presentation of how a mission should be a how an area should be run. It's a TON of responsbility and I feel pretty overwhelmed. I pretty much haven't stopped shaking since last night. I'm being trust with a lot, and I don't want to let the mission president down, my new trainee, or God.
Luckily, God came through hard this week and blessed Elder Warren, me, and our area! This area has struggled ever since it came into the Fort Lauderdale Mission from the Tampa Mission. We worked so hard this entire transfer to progress this area, to bring more of God's Children to Christ here, and this week we saw the fruits of our labors! We had 4 people come to church, and we have 6 people with dates to be baptized in the month of September.
A few weeks back, Elder Warren and I were out knocking doors. We decided to say a specific prayer to find a young, Hispanic couple with a young daughter, who were responsible, had sundays off, and were ready to change their lives to come closer to God. That's when we found Asiel. Asiel is a 27 year old Cuban man, and he's pretty much the coolest guy ever. He shares all the same interests with me, and we would basically be bro's even if I wasn't on a mission, but that's besides the point. Turns out he is living with his GF, who had just had a baby girl a week before when we knocked into him. We started stopping by and sharing short messsages at the door with him. Then, he started letting us in. We starting teaching him the lessons. He started sharing his problems with us, and his desires to change (he recently quit smoking) to come closer to his wife, be an example to his new daughter, and gaining a relationship with God to do it. As we shared the Gospel message, he recognized the truth. He started reading in the Book of Mormon, and after reading and praying one night he felt the HolyGhost and ever since then he tells us "that's all I want to feel!" and "I need to feel that feeling again!" He wants to share it with EVERYONE now, and he invites all of his "brothers" (friends, but people he's known since he was a boy in Cuba" to listen to our message. They all came to church on Sunday! and more than anything, he wants to share the message with his Wife, who is very homesick for her Family in Cuba and Miami (2 hours or more away) because they recently moved here for Asiel's business.
Asiel has only known about the Church for 3 weeks, but he already bears testimony to friends and family of the Book of Mormon, of Joseph Smith, and how it has changed his life. Yesterday, he looked us in the eyes after we told him one (or both) of us might leave, & said "Man, you guys are my friends. You guys are my brothers now too! If either of you leave, you need to know you've changed my life, forever. If you leave, you can take that with you and I want you to always remember that in you head."
That was probably the most powerful moment of my mission. It was the happiest I've ever felt, the most peace I've ever felt, and in the words of Asiel describing the Holy Ghost "I can't even explain it bro! But I felt it, and it was real."
The message is simple. Christ lives. He has a plan for us, and he's given us his Gospel to follow that plan. Through Joseph Smith, His church was restored on the earth again, the exact same church He, Jesus Christ, established during his Ministery. We have the fulness of the Gospel on the earth again, and Prophet to lead and guide us. Unfortunately, Asiel was wrong. I didn't change his life, and neither did Elder Warren. I wish we could take that credit! but It goes to God, and his Plan, and the Gospel Christ brought to us to give us the Fulness of Joy. I testify these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Nuestro mensaje es sencillo, pero muy especial. Jesucristo vive. El tiene un plan perfecto para nosotros. El nos ha dado su Evangelio para guiar nos. Por Medio el Profeta Jose Smith, la Iglesia de Jesucristo fue restaurado en el mundo otra vez. Nosotros misoneros no podemos cambiar las vidas de las personas; el mensaje que tenemos cambia sus vidas. El Evangelio de Cristo nos da la plentitud de gozo, nos mostra el camino necesitamos seguir para que podemos vivir con El otra vez. Yo testifico que estas cosas son verdaderas, en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.
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Elder Johns
p.s. Also, the family of Less-Active youth ALL finally came to church!! What was there incentive? I may or may not have sung a Justin Bieber song... but, they had a super positive experience, and the young men/young women got them to stay all 3 hours! They had a really good time, and said they want to come back next week. But I told them no more Justin Bieber, and they still agreed to come hahaha.
