Colin's letter:

Because of the serious amounts of effort and time we expended calling people last week to set up appointments, this week was rather busy. We had so many good things happen this week.

 

We had Zone Conference where we gave training to all the District Leaders, and after the conference we went on exchange with the Assistants to the mission president, which was strange because I have been out on my mission longer than both of them!  In fact, I have been out longer than any missionary in my zone by far!  Either way, we split our area in half and one of the Assistants and I took the west half and Elder Davis and the other AP took the east. With our combined efforts in that whole day we found 4 or 5 people to teach---and they are 4 or 5 really solid people, not just people you teach once and never see again.

       

One of the new people we taught is named Christine, and she is so amazing. We are so excited to work with her. The Spanish-speaking Elders randomly ran into her and she started talking with them and said we could come over and teach her and her son. Christine is a pretty young single mom (which is interesting--it feels like at least 75% of the investigators I've taught here in Virginia Beach have been young single moms. Maybe they are just more receptive to the gospel--). During our first lesson with her, when we were teaching the Restoration, we invited her to pray with us, but Christine was hesitant. Before she could even really decide whether she wanted to pray or not, her 10 year-old son jumped right in and offered to say the prayer himself, and believe you me, I reckon it was the most heartfelt prayer that I've ever heard given. He prayed to feel God's love, and the love of his own parents. He prayed that his parents would speak kindly to each other, and for the protection of those he loved. The Spirit couldn't have felt any stronger during that prayer, and when he finished, he gave his mom the biggest hug. Then she prayed, and her prayer was just as sincere, I don't think she would have prayed if it were not for her 10 year-old son. The feeling of the Spirit's presence in that room was ineffable. 

 

Then the next day they came to a super-fun BBQ held by the Thomas family in this ward that he put on specifically to invite non-members and less-active members! Brother Thomas is blind as of 11 months ago and is one of the kindest people that I know. You cannot talk with him without leaving feeling better than when you started. He has a gift for making people feel better. The BBQ was a great time. The Thomas family lives right on the water, so there was fishing off their dock and they were taking everyone out on their boat (but not us, don't worry), and all the kids were swimming in their pool, and there was more good food than we could all consume. 

 

After Saturday came the best day of the week, which is always Sunday. At church we had Dan come (who is a less-active member we work with). This is the third time he's come, which is a miracle as far as I am concerned. We have almost helped him quit smoking completely. We have been helping a good handful of people quit smoking lately and we have had some good success.

 

After Sacrament meeting had started, Christine and her son--oh, yeah, and his friend, Tony, who we also taught, weren't there, but just before the Sacrament was administered they walked in and they stayed for all three hours of church and loved it.

 

 

Other interesting things that happened this week that I don't have time to write about are:

 

 1. A totally normal man, in all sincerity, tried to convince us that the government is lying to us about the earth being round. He knows that “the earth is really flat.”  He was totally serious and I didn't want to make him feel bad, so I just listened and said, "Hmmm-- that is an interesting thought, isn't it."  He also thought we dusted off our shoes at him when we walked away, which we most definitely did not.

 

 2. We taught gospel principles this week about the Millennium. Dan brought his co-worker who had never even heard of our church, or Joseph Smith, and then in the lesson someone started talking of Jackson County, Missouri, which made for one interesting and confusing conversation with Dan's co-worker right in the middle of class.

 

But until next week-- we are off to watch the eclipse and fry our retinas out. I hope y'all have a blessed week! 

 

--Elder White