Monday, March 8, 2010

Regan, March 8, 2010

This past week went really well. By the end of the week we were still looking for some great things to happen. As we continued with our plans and steadily focused on having a sense of urgency the Lord used us to bring more work for us to perform in his strength.

Monday we had a really great preparation day. After we finished with our emails and other things we helped the Theodore elders move into there new apartment. Not a better way to spend a p-day by doing service. We had a great evening with the Hearns and set up some times with Brother Hearn so come out with us for some lessons.

Tuesday we had a great district meeting. Everything went really well with role plays and the spirit was very strong as we continued to learn of the gospel through His Spirit. I traveled with Elder Peterson out to Semmes to see everything that we needed to bring or prepare for them moving in the next day. We tracted for a few hours near Bishop Parkes home and were able to Testify and ask for referrals from 5 different people. My joy continues to grow as we are able to apply these principles in our service everyday. We had dinner with the Parkes family which went really well and finished the night with family home evening with Sister Byrd. We had a great lesson on Talents and Abilities.

Wednesday we traveled to transfer spots and saw everyone off. We traveled out to Semmes and began to get the trailer set back up for the missionaries who were coming there. Throughout we were able to make calls to our investigators and recent converts and set up quite a few lessons with them and were able to have our daily contact with them. We were able to help them get everything established before we left and continued our day. We were able to tract a little bit which was great.

Thursday we visited with John Pugh. He began to have some doubts about the Book of Mormon so we shared our testimonies with him and committed him to read Alma 32. He said that he would read and pray. We were able to set up a new appointment with him so we can follow up with his progress. We then went to the courthouse to get the marriage application for Keno and Valentine Johnny. We are hoping they will get married in the next few weeks and then they will be ready for their baptism on March 27th. We continued to tract near the Parkes home and were able to testify and ask for referrals from 8 different people. Now I could never imagine what it would be like without testifying of the restoration because it brings such an amazing spirit continually. That night we visited with the Johnny family and took over the application for them. Valentine wasn't home at the time but we talked with Keno and asked if they had been reading as a family everyday. They have been trying but he recommitted to doing it again.

Friday we traveled close to downtown and tried to visit a few referrals that we had received. None of them were home at the time but we were able to stop by and talk with Latashe Tucker and set up an appointment with her. Sadly, we found out her mom Mary Tucker who we had been teaching had passed away a few days earlier. We were saddened to hear about it but just reminded her abut the Plan of Salvation and it brought her more comfort. After lunch we tracted near the Fairchild's and had a really great time. We talked with 3 people and ended up having a great lesson with Rachel Bartlett. She has recently been struggling with a few things and as we were able to share about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of the Gospel her countenance changed and His Spirit bore a beautiful witness to her. We had dinner with the Kelly's that evening and had a really good time. It sounds like very soon we will be able to start teaching Mathew and hopefully Sister Kelly's husband will join in on the lessons even if he isn't interested.

Saturday we stopped by in the morning and visited with the Binkerds. We have been trying to see them for quite awhile now and we were able to set up do have dinner there this coming week. We are also planning on doing some service for them without them knowing. Sister Binkerd as Multiple Sclerosis and her husband is still in school as a doctor so they are not able to take care of there yard. We then tracted near there home and talked with 3 different people. It was great being able to get out there and tract. We traveled up to Prichard and visited with Gwendolyn Thomas. They have been having some recent struggles but she wants to come to church. Her son is not a member but has been taught in the past and wants to join the church. It is amazing to see all the doors the lord opens when you are willing to work hard and do what he asks of you. We attended Mary's funeral service at the baptist church. It was a really nice funeral. Thought a bit different, there was a lot of family there for support. We then traveled to the Johnny's and had a great lesson with Keno and Valentine. We had a great Restoration lesson with them and they told us that through their prayers and their daughter being baptized that they know that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. It was great hearing them bear there testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. We had dinner with Brother Curtis which was really good. He is planning on supporting us in helping Keno and Valentine which we are really happy about. We talked with Brother Felton that evening and found out that he is having Chemo again. He said the cancer isn't back but they have to do it every 6 months. He is planning on being to church in a few weeks. We visited with Brother Serrano and he is doing well. We followed up with his scripture study and it has been going well for him.

Sunday was a really great day. We had a great lesson on fasting with the Johnny's and Brother Serrano. We had a really powerful testimony meeting and the spirit bore witness strongly of the truth that was being shared. Keno and Valentine had a really good time at church, as well as did the kids. We had lunch with the Bromgard's and the Johnny family which went really well. I am truly grateful for their service in helping the Johnny family and being a support for them. We then went to the Johnny's and installed some locks on their doors because they live in a rough area and recently people have been walking into their home during the day. We had a great visit with Jeffery Booth and hopefully we will be able to meet his family. His wife and children are not members but are familiar with the church. We tracted near his home and talked with 5 people which was great. We then traveled to a lot of potential investigators home and set up an appointment with Janice Thompson which was really great. That night we visited with the Baylor's and invited them to church and activity night.

This week has been really been really great and has opened the doors to so much more potential opportunities that will come.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

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