Familia!
Transfer weeks come, and they go, and this one was awesome! This transfer was actually a pretty smooth one. There weren't a whole lot of changes and we were able to get everything taken care of in a fairly short amount of time.
Transfer week is usually a pretty busy week for us. We start on Monday with taking care of all of the departing missionaries. Tuesday we run them to the airport and pick up the new missionaries and spend all day with them, and the Wednesday is the actual transfer meeting where everyone who is getting transferred comes to the mission home. So, its always a pretty crazy week to begin with, but its definitely one of my favorites. Elder Oscarson and I have a ton going on in our area right now and so we wanted to make sure that we were using every possible second to be teaching that we could. So, Tuesday we took all the new missionaries to the Visitors Center at the Mesa Temple to have some time there to think about their missions and to set some goals. So, while they were watching the Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration video, we had Gabe, our recent convert, and Michelle, who is going to get baptized next week, meet us at the temple so that we could teach. After our lesson we had an awesome idea to have Gabe and Michelle bear their testimony to the new missionaries. It was powerful to see as two people who are fairly new in the Gospel bore testimony of the simple truths they had learned and then challenge every missionary to give it their all during this precious time that we have to serve. I'm so thankful for the opportunity that I have to get to know such amazing people, and I'm thankful for the eternal impact that they have had on my life.
As well we have been working a lot with Jasmine. We met Jasmine about a two months ago as we were inviting people on campus to come to an activity that we were having later that night. Jasmine didn't have much time that night, but finally about a month ago we were able to have our first lesson with Jasmine. I can honestly say that I have never taught anyone quite like Jasmine. She grew up in an Atheist home, but then through different trials and opportunities in her life she grew a strong belief in Christ and is now one of the most devout Christians that I know. She is an honest seeker of truth, and it has been awesome to learn together with her. She is an endless fountain of questions haha which is good because I know that the Gospel has answers to all of life's questions. As we have been meeting with her it has been interesting to see the changes that have taken place. She has gone from wanting to prove everything wrong to really searching to find out if its true. She is about half way into the book of Alma now and has signed up for the 2nd half of the Book of Mormon class at the institute. I truly believe that the change has come through the Book of Mormon. As we have relied everything upon this book, it has given her the desire to read, and as she has read, she has felt her testimony of Christ grow.
This week Elder Oscarson and I were able to have some awesome lessons with her. We really just wanted to see where she was at and so we spent a lot of time asking questions. I think that Jasmine has been able to realize a lot of things this week. We talked a lot about baptism, and at first she was completely against it, but now it has been something that has been on her mind a lot. She has even asked Siri if she should get baptized...which obviously isn't how she is going to get her answer, but it has really been on her mind. I'm thankful for the power that comes from the Book of Mormon. I know that it is what it says it is, another testament of Christ. I'm thankful for the many blessings that have come in my life through it.
Eric has also been doing super well this week. This week we had a lesson that I will never forget. Eric's parents challenged him to meet with some Christian missionaries before his baptism, and so on Friday he met with them. They talked to him about a lot of different things, but Eric said the only thing that he wasn't sure about the Godhead, if they were truly all one being or three distinct and separate beings. At that point Elder Oscarson pulled out a picture of the first vision. He talked about how this experience was not only important because Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet to restore the church of Christ, but that through this experience we were able to learn more about the nature of God. I started to talk about how at that time, the common belief was that God the Father and Jesus Christ were both one being, but that Joseph Smith said that he saw two. As we continued to testify of this simple truth, the spirit came into the room with such intensity. For a moment it honestly seemed like everything stopped, and the Eric started to talk about the intensity of the spirit that he was feeling. I honestly can't think of a time when I have felt the spirit with such strength throughout my mission. Sure its something that I feel daily, but for that brief moment, the feelings were unexplainable. There is a power in knowing simple truths. To know that the Godhead are three distinct beings all united in purpose gives us a more in depth understanding of Father's plan for us.
Throughout this whole week it seems like time and time again these simple truths have just been confirmed to me. I know that we truly do have a Father in Heaven, that his Son Jesus the Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and that the Holy Ghost is an essential and key role in our Father's plan for us to return to him. I love this Gospel. I'm thankful for the answers that it provides. I know that it is true. I hope you are each doing well!
Con Amor,
Elder Jurgensmeier
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