Elder Finch: January 19th

This last week was an amazing one.

Last week, we decided to try extra hard to be 100% obedient. (This is kind of hard as a missionary because you have a lot of extra rules.)

One of the rules is dinner appointments have to be done in under an hour. Last Thursday, we were at a dinner appointment. It took a little while for the food to get on the table and stuff. So we only had about forty minutes to eat the food, eat dessert, give a spiritual thought, pray, see if there was anything we could do for them, and say good bye. We decided we would have to eat extra fast.

On our way back to our car, this lady walked out of one of the building and asked "are you Mormons, and do you have any movies for me." We said "yes", and gave her a couple movies. Then before we could say anything else she said "I am going to be home tomorrow around 8:00 so you can come by if you want."

We were way excited. Her name is Sonya. The next day, we went by her house and taught her The Plan of Salvation. We found out she used to be a Jehovah’s Witness for 33 years. One of her sons died, and she had dreams about the Plan of Salvation. When she told her church about the dream, they told her that they were of the devil and kicked her out.

One of her friends was there for part of the lesson. She thought the plan sounded beautiful. On Saturday we taught Sonya the Word of Wisdom very briefly. She was drinking coffee but when she found out it is bad, she said "Ok. I will not have another cup." She hasn't yet, and I don’t think she ever will.

She did not show up to church on Sunday. She was in the hospital. She has bone cancer. She was out of the hospital at 4:00 that day, so we sat up an appointment to come by the next day (yesterday.)

Sonya, her friend (Mariesol) and Mariesol's spouse (Raul) were their. We started the lesson by singing "I stand all amazed." We then taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ mixed in with the Atonement.

The spirit was stronger there than I have ever felt it in my life. I almost started to cry. Close to the end of the lesson Sonya asked "isn't it true that when someone is full of the spirit, the can have a glow about them."
"Yes"
"Because that is the way I see you guys right now. I know that that is because you guys are servants of God."

Mariesol asked us if we could sing again. We sang "I need thee every hour." While we were singing, the spirit was so strong it felt like we were in Heaven. It felt like we were not a part of the world. Mariesol started to tear up a little at the end.
We committed Sonya and Raul to be baptized on the 6th. Mariesol is going to move back to Ecuador in the next two weeks, so we committed her to find the church there as soon as she could.

After the lesson my companion and I pulled off to the side of the road and prayed, thanking our Heavenly Father for that spiritual experience.

P-day this week was moved to today because of Martin Luther King Day. If there is a holiday on a Monday, you guys will get my email the next day, unless it’s Christmas or Thanksgiving.

I did get the pictures dad put in my shoe box. I look at them every time I shine my shoes and think of the time we sat on the porch shining shoes.

That is about all the time I have today. I love you all
Elder Finch

PS. What is Lisa's cat like?