April 03, 2017

Hello family and friends!

This weekend will be a weekend to remember. What a wonderful
conference! I'm suffering from post conference depression right now
but the only way to cure it is to work hard!!! I unfortunately wasn't
able to go this time but I did experience many miracles.

The first was Saturday morning. We taught a man named Russell who is
so close to joining the church!!! He had been on date to be baptized
before but has absolutely no support from his family. We got to know
him really well during the lesson and asked him if he's thought about
being baptized soon. He said that he's been thinking about Easter
weekend. When we asked him what would be holding him back he said his
daughter. She's going to be visiting that weekend and she doesn't
really like to go to church. He's worried that she wouldn't attend his
baptism.  Y companion then shared his conversion story about how after
his parents baptism he would never go to church. But his mom would
iron his shirt every Sunday for 8 years and invite him. He saw such a
huge changed in his parents that he decided to take the missionary
lessons and be baptized. Russell is seriously considering Easter
weekend to be baptized so everyone pray for Russell!!!

My companion was dropped off at the track station to attend the
priesthood session of general conference. I was with our Ward mission
leader from the 5th Ward brother Barrus. We went to visit a woman
named Elisa who agreed to have a visit with us. We knocked on the door
and soon after she invited us in. We asked her what she was expecting
from us and she told us that her soon to be daughter in law was a
member of the church and she's heard A LOT about the Mormons from her
Catholic friends but she wanted to know the truth about us before they
were married. So brother Barrus and I taught the Restoration to Elisa.
With everything that she heard her eyes widened more and more and her
excitement increased. When I told her about the dispensations and the
great apostasy she said "oh I hope that Jesus calls another prophet
soon because we really need this fullness of times to get here quick.
This world is lost." That's when I told her "we've been sent here to
tell you that it's already happened and a new prophet has been
called." She looked at me as if i had lost my mind haha! But then I
explained by describing the story of Joseph Smith and telling her
about some of the passages he read in the Bible. When I recited to her
the first vision experience she told me that she could completely
relate to Joseph because she had a dream about God and a ray of light.
She said that the ray of light was resting on a Book that she wasn't
able to see too clearly and then she heard the words "learn my word."
She has always assumed that the book was the Bible. I showed her the
Book of Mormon and right when I told her that it was translated from
an ancient language her interest peaked and she was asking me if she
could read it. She said "I just can't take my eyes off of it." I gave
it to her and we ended with a prayer. She texted me later and said
that she had already set up her t.v. To watch conference and that she
was going to start reading that very night. We are so excited for
Elisa. I know that she had been prepared for us. Please keep her in
your prayers as well. We'll be teaching her again next Saturday. Elder
Sandino is super excited to meet her!

I hope everyone has an amazing week. I love all of you and wish you
all the best.

Elder Austin
Salt Lake City South Mission