This week has been absolutely amazing!! Holy cow, it's been awesome. So many miracles and wonderful experiences, I hope I can remember them all.
Well, first things first!! That wonderful man in that picture below is getting baptized on Friday!!! His name is Robert Forman (otherwise known as Bob) and he is just such a miracle!!! He has worked so hard and fought for this chance to make a covenant with our Father in Heaven, I have so much respect for him. We found him my 2nd day in Richmond, have been teaching him ever since then, and it's amazing to see him overcoming so much in his life. Former alcoholic, devout catholic, and a few other things, he has felt the spirit and come to know these things are true for himself. Its so awesome looking back to when he barely wanted to read the Book of Mormon or come to church and he sure didn't want to get baptized... But through God's grace he has come so far. He's made intense changes in his life in the past month, and it has been so hard. We had a miracle of a lesson with him last Friday, we studied and studied, but we had no idea how we were going to help him live the word of wisdom that day, and help him do these things he wants to. Previously he's had intense aversion to quitting coffee, and it came around to him doing it but taking a long time for it. We have it at a member's home, mother's a member her whole life, father's a convert with an awesome testimony. I don't remember most of it. But it was so spiritual! It comes to his baptism in a week, and he was just like 'Yep, its time' which just stunned me. I was frozen, I was so surprised that he just went cold turkey how he said he would never do. Elder Bayly was holding back his excitement, trying not to jump up and scream and run and tackle-hug him (as he tells me later.. I added the tackle-hug). It was amazing. Very spiritual. He's been living the Word of Wisdom since then, and it's a miracle. We gave him a blessing after, and it was very spiritually exhausting. Elder Bayly and I both felt that his father (who passed away a year ago) was present for part of the blessing, and it was just an amazing experience. It's been an amazing weekend.
Thanksgiving dinner was great. It's paled in comparison to Bob.... I don't have much more time, but a pit bull tried to attack me the first time on Wednesday!!! It was crazy, but I got away clean, and it just left Elder Bayly alone. He got in a defensive stance and just scared it off.
I love you all! The prayers make a difference, thank you so much, all of you. Have a wonderful week!! :D
-Love, Elder Ellis
No comments:
Post a Comment