Another week of long and hard work. Lani's still been coming out with us every day which helps a lot because he speaks the language, and is actually a really good teacher. Plus he's friends with a lot of our investigators so it makes the lessons mean a lot more coming from a friend that they're close to, rather than these two church kids in white shirts and ties.
We found out with Mere that there's more stopping her from being baptized than just her family can't come. She has an aunty that's from a different religion, Bahai, and doesn't think she's ready, so she won't let her sister, Mere's mom, allow Mere to be baptized. She's also threatened to kick them out of the house is she does get baptized. But we're still working with her and she's still progressing, so hopefully we'll be able to get everything worked out soon and she can be baptized!
We also had a good lesson with this investigator named Machat. He is living with a member and she has brought him to church for the past like 6 months. He's really attentive in the lessons and says he's open to hear what we have to say, but he's having a hard time getting over his previous beliefs. He was a Jehovah's Witness and was almost forced to come to this church once he started living with his girlfriend. He's glad to have us come over and teach him, but his previous beliefs are so conflicting that he's having a really hard time accepting the doctrine of the Restoration. So we keep praying and working with him.
We also had another really solid lesson with Simba. We taught him the Restoration and he said he already believed it. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked him to read and pray about it and he agreed. He still doesn't feel like he's completely ready for baptism because of things that happened in the past, but he said in the future he really wants to become a member of this church because he loves the spirit and the love he feels every sunday.
And we set a date with Johnny, Jibas, and Monalinda, the three kids that just moved from the Marshall Islands, for the 16th. They all agreed and are really excited for every lesson that we teach. So hopefully everything continues to go well all the way up to their baptism.
Overall there's nothing to complain about. I get the privilege to do the best work in the world in one of the most beautiful places in the world. What more could I ask for right? I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life, and for the blessings it brings into the lives of others. I never really realized how much my beliefs meant to me until I came out on my mission where I've testified of them, and they've also been tested and challenged. I hope you all treasure the gift of the gospel in your lives and never forget how much it means to you. Thanks for all the love, prayers, and support. You guys are the best!
-Elder Merrill
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