Invite others to Come Unto Christ

Photo courtesy of Elder Ritchie!

I don't think there will be any photos this week :( This lame-o computer I'm using (I think the monitor is older than I am by the way) doesn't have a working USB slot.

     We had 3 baptisms this week! I., C (who are brothers) and D.  They're all the bomb :) I got to confirm C, which was my first time confirming anybody as a member, which was awesome.

     One of the biggest challenges for one of our investigators was the fact that he couldn't attend this church as well as the Evangelical church he was going to before. He had friends in that church, and really didn't want to leave it. Along with that, he didn't like feeling pressured to have to wear ´Sunday dress'. But as I explained to him about sacrifices and blessings, he's found that desire within himself to change. This week he came in a nice, colored shirt (instead of a big puffy hoody) and next week he told us that he's going in a white shirt and tie.

     Far too often we try and shove commandments down peoples throat. But as we bear testimony of principles that we've learned, we instill the desire to change in others. It's a lesson that I'd never learned before the mission. Really, as a missionary, my purpose isn't to shove anything into the face of anyone. The missionary purpose says: Invite others to come unto Christ ...

     It's by the light of our testimony that this invitation becomes something that people want to follow. And in the end, how one dresses doesn't really matter. But it's so wonderful to have seen his heart change from wanting the gospel and it's blessings to adapt to his life, to willingly adapting his life to the gospel and finding those blessings. 

I hope you all have a great week this week! Enjoy Thanksgiving!

-Elder Henry
Dad:
Haha that's awesome dad. Nothing like watching basketball with family to make you happy :-) haha. I don't know if I ever told you, but even though we've only had 8 baptisms which isn't a super boat load, they're all such strong converts (except one who is because I think he has Asberger's or something like that, but his family is going to support him a lot) and it makes me feel great. I just feel like with the people we baptize we're actually helping the church progress. Not just getting fancy numbers that then go inactive. :)

Wisconsin sounds pretty fun! I could sure do with some pie here right now haha actually we ate cake Sunday OH MY GOSH yesterday J(I think we might be poor because it appears that we've been let in to the food BANK) invited us to have a cup of coca cola. Ok, cool, that's nice! Then he made us grilled cheeses on a Mexican George Foreman too! Sick! but not just 1, he made us 3 each! And then guess what. We were about ready to thank him, say a prayer, and head on out and he asks if we want ICE CREAM! Ice cream is pretty expensive here. We say yes and can barely keep ourselves from giggling as he scoops out some delicious ice cream (i think it might have been pistachio with strawberry or something like that).

So that was like an early Thanksgiving food present I suppose :-)

He talked a bit about his companion who comes home a week after Sister Henry "There are so many things I hear some of my buddies from the MTC doing that I'm like' Oh man, I'm so glad Elder Ritchie showed me why that's silly to do that.'" "The mission has taught me a lot about learning from others, instead of comparing myself with others."