February 6, 2012

Hey Everybody!

This week has been packed full of miracles!  We have seen some great things!

Diana is doing great!  She is going to be baptized this weekend.  She is so very excited for her baptism and she keeps telling us that she just can't wait for it. We are really looking forward to her baptism. It will most definitely be a very special service.  Tonight we are going to have family home evening with her at the home of the Hard family. They are such a great family!  They are so focused on missionary work!  We didn't even ask them to have Diana over for family home evening, but they just invited us to come over for it.  So awesome!

We tracted into this lady named Sharde (shar-day) this last week.  She had seen the TV show "Big Love" and had some questions about our religion.  Sharde has grown up Church of Christ, but is just now returning to church activity after a teenage hiatus.  She has some great questions about the church and she is really excited to read the Book of Mormon.

Last Sunday we were walking around an apartment complex and talked to a man(John Musoga) and his wife(Beverly) just sitting outside in front of their front door.  We set a return appointment for yesterday. When we went by, they were waiting for us and ready to go.  John and Beverly are both from Kenya, and as it turns out that Brother Kasue, who is a member of the Tyler 1st ward was the 2nd person baptized in Kenya.  Brother Kasue and John are close personal friends, and after John learned that we were missionaries from Brother Kasue's church he said he would like to join the church.  That to me is just a testimony that when we live the gospel and are good examples to others, it does make a big difference. people DO notice.
We have been teaching this young family (John Sanko, and Jamie, and their two young children) and John, who ironically is also from Africa, is very curious about the church.  They came to church yesterday, and it being fast and testimony meeting, we were a little nervous, but it was one of the best testimony meetings I have ever witnessed.  Everybody bore a powerful, simple testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of the restoration of the gospel.  That was exactly what John needed.  At one point I am positive that I saw John crying during one of the testimonies.  Before they came to church, John was very adamant that we came by during the weekends only, but now he is insisting that we come by during the week as well.  It is amazing how when people feel the spirit testify of these truths, they change their priorities, and when they normally didn't have time for us, they MAKE time for us.

The work here is just exploding, and Elder Johnson and I are hardly finding the time to see everyone that wants/needs to be seen.  The field truly is white already to harvest.  This church truly is the Lord's church and we can have a fullness of joy as we bring others to the gospel.  I love this work, and I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D&C18:10,15-16

Elder Riley Layton