Miracles on Miracles

Hola familia! It has been a great week this week and I am so excited to tell you about it. At first, it was also one of the most frustrating weeks of my mission, but the Lord knew just what I needed. I am stoked to hear that things are going grand back home.

Well I better dive into it. This week was super frustrating. We have several investigators who have dates for baptism that just aren't making the steps they need to be to get there. Our most promising investigator was supposed to be baptized this last week, but she hasn't been to church for a few weeks and we don't feel that she is ready. She didn't come again yesterday so we will have to postpone her baptism for a couple more weeks. Pretty sad deal. Agency is the worst sometimes. But we will get her in the next little bit! 

We decided that our teaching pool needed some help so we hit the streets. We met so many people who bashed on our beliefs and told us that they would pray for our salvation, it was crazy. I felt like I was back in Ames. It’s the best when people try to tell us what we believe. We weren't having any success and it was starting to wear on me. As a missionary, you are always able to tell if you have the spirit with you or not, because your level of optimism and excitement for the work is dependent on the spirit. That is why the happiest missionaries are the ones who work the hardest. They always have the spirit with them. I made a conscious effort to have the spirit with me this weekend and the miracles flowed right on in. 

The first happened on Saturday when we were knocking this apartment complex. We started to try to talk to this man. He didn't speak very much English so it made it pretty difficult. He knew enough English and I knew enough Spanish that we were able to find out who each other were. He is from Panama and he loves Jesus. We scheduled a return appointment for the next day. Our Ward Mission Leader served his mission in Panama so it all just worked out. The lesson went great, he is so solid. I was pretty bummed the whole time that I didn't know any Spanish, but all is well. We are having another lesson with him today. It is going to be the best. 

The second miracle happened yesterday. We were about done for the day when we saw this African woman standing on a chair with a long stick trying to get something out of a tree. We walked over to see if we could help. Lucky I am so tall, we eventually got the shoe that was stuck on a branch out of the tree and we started to talk to them. They are from Liberia and the woman is a less active member who was baptized in Missouri. She basically told us that she wanted to start coming back to church and that her daughter wanted to be baptized. We also met her fiancé. He is also a non-member and he wants us to teach him. Man, who knew that being tall would help us find investigators?! What a blessing. 

The last miracle happened like five minutes after we said goodbye to the African family I just mentioned. We were driving home when I got a phone call from a familiar area code. I picked up the phone to hear my man Q. Man, it was soo good to talk to him. He told me that he wants me to come to the Nauvoo Temple with him this Saturday to do some Baptisms. He is getting ready to go back to China for a couple of years so we have to take a road trip together. I am so pumped! But wait that’s not all! He told me that he had his interview with the Stake President in Ames for the Melchizedek Priesthood!  I am so pumped for him! It was one of those times that I can't explain the joy that came over me when I talked to him. He is going to be such a blessing to the church in China. I won't be surprised when I see him giving a talk over the pulpit! He also told me that he wants to come back in a couple years to live in Provo and go to BYU for his Graduate Program. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to meet him! 

I see that this email is getting a little long so I will wrap it up. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am so grateful for the blessing it was to teach Q and for the trust that our Heavenly Father had in two young missionaries to teach one of His elect. I love this work. It is the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced, but the joyous feelings when someone accepts the gospel make it all worth it. I love you and I am so grateful for all of you. Have an excellent week! 

Elder Obray