The work is looking up here in the Sunburst ward. We have been working
with less actives and part member families and all of the potential
teaching opportunities that we could have had are now turning into
reality. Last week I told you that we were teaching an 18 year old
named Alejo Lopez. He is from Mexico City to play baseball and is here living with one
of the members of our ward. The member has been a great influence
on him and we have been having some really great lessons. Last week we
had two teaching appointments at the same time so elder Nielsen and I
had to split up in order to teach the lessons. I went to teach Alejo
with the member that he lives with while elder Nielsen went with our
ward mission leader to the other appointment. My plan was to teach the
gospel of Jesus Christ to Alejo and at the end I was going to invite
him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. The lesson
went extremely well and the spirit was definately there testifying.
Just as I was building up to the baptismal invite the spirit was
there, everything felt right, it was all going to happen just right... And a
grandfather clock in the room starts clanging away eight times!
Ugh! satan did not want me to make the invite. He is very good at
ruining peoples concentration and focus. Anyways I made the invite and
Alejo said yes! Woohoo! I was so stoked. He said that things are going
to get pretty crazy here in the next couple of weeks with baseball but
he is very excited to pray and see if God wants him to be baptized.
When I came home that night I was beaming and I could not stop
smiling.
Much like California, Arizona has been in a big drought and they have
been asking us to pray and fast especially for rain. Well last week
God answered our prayers and let the rain fall. We had a chance of
rain since Wednesday and the clouds were really thick. On Friday night
we got a little sprinkle and we were so excited for it to pour down
but it was only a little rain. Then Saturday came and so did the huge
storm we were all hoping for. It rained almost all day long and it
rained a ton. Arizona does not have very good rain runoff so it
puddles up all over the place and makes for very fun times while on
our bikes. On one of the main four lane roads the lane closest to the
curb was flooded entirely so if a car wasn't paying attention the
plowed through this 100 ft long 1 ft deep puddle. Well we were biking
down the sidewalk on that side of the road next to this lake. Then
some huge truck decided to do a drive by baptism on us. I
was soaked from head to toe. My shoes were full of water and I was
freezing. But we still had appointments to go to so I sucked it up and
kept going. By the end of the night I was excited to get home and take
a nice hot shower and get some clean dry clothes on. My shoes are
still not dry! Haha most people would be upset about having to ride
around in the rain all day long but honestly it is a blast. You just
have to remember you are doing the Lords work and His people need you
rain or shine.
This past Sunday was a unique Sunday her in Arizona because we got to
watch the Gilbert Arizona temple dedication. We had to get these
special temple recommends and the stakes centers became an extension
of the temple itself. President Monson was there along with Henry B.
Eyring. It was a unique experience that was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
We were able to listen to talks given by the prophet, President Eyring,
the temple president and Tad R. Callister of the seventy. Then we were
able to participate in the hosanna shout. This is a tradition where
you hold a clean white handkerchief in the air and say "hosanna,
hosanna, hosanna, to God and the lamb" 3 times and then end with "amen
and amen and amen". I was thankful to be able to be there and to see
such a wonderful blessing of another temple to the children of men and to see prophesies
being fulfilled.
Today was our preparation day obviously and we wanted to do something
special and something amazing. So we came up with bowling. There is a
Brunswick bowling ally just up the road a little ways so we went there
around 2:00. It was only $10 per person for two whole hours of bowling
and shoe rental! We had such a blast playing. At first I was doing
absolutely awful but then I actually put my fingers in the specified
holes and guess what? It really works! Out of the four games that we
played I broke 100 three times! And no we didn't have the bumpers up!
Elder Nielsen and I made a wager that whoever lost between the two of
us had to do pushups. By the end of the session I beat him three out
of four and he had to do a total of 65 push-ups while I only had to do
10. It was a sweet sweet victory. We also went to Walmart like we do
every week but this time I went into the shirts section and found a
killer cat shirt. I wore it bowling. I am pretty sure it is what
helped me to win! Well I love you all and hope you have a great day!
Thank you to everyone that has sent me letters and packages! Special
thanks goes out to my mother of course, my grandma Judy, Catherine and
Lauren! Thanks for everything.
Until next week,
Elder Cole Safford
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