Familia!
Finally, some time to breathe! Elder Oscarson and I finished our last trainings up for this transfer on Thursday, had 30 seconds to sit down and relax, and then we headed off to get things rolling for our baptisms Saturday. Not a bad week I would say! This week we are preparing for the upcoming transfer and everything is kind of up in the air for Elder Oscarson and I. President Toone originally wanted us to go out our last two transfers and train new missionaries, but now he isn't too sure what he wants for us. Its crazy to think I have been serving with Elder Oscarson for the past 6 months....time is going so fast! I'm glad that its all in the hands of the Lord and President Toone though, that way it means there is no pressure for us :)
As for this week, it was incredible! Since we didn't have a ton of time to be in our area we made sure that we were meeting with Matt and Tasha every day helping them get ready for their baptism. Those two are incredible, I'll tell you what. Anyway, since we didn't have a lot of time to focus in other parts of our area our teaching pool has gotten a little bit small. This week we are going to find 5 solid new investigators though, so we should be back up and running in no time.
Its interesting to see how quick to forget we are sometimes. Its been made pretty evident to me these last few weeks in multiple forms. As I've had to look through classes for college coming up I've realized how much I truly have forgotten. Good thing God provides, or I would really be in for a run with Chemistry! But even then, I've seen it a lot with things spiritually this week. Being so busy, we haven't had a ton of time to meet with Jasmine, who has also been extremely busy. She sent us a message the other day that said, "Guys, I think my mormon fire is out." We asked her what she meant and she said that she didn't know, she just didn't feel it anymore. She asked us if we could meet last night and she wanted us to tell her the story of Jasmine. So, last night as we met we just reviewed all of the things that have happened in the last 4 months that we have spent together. For quite sometime, one of my favorite scriptures has been found in John 14 in verse 26 that says the spirit will bring all things to our remembrance. As we met with Jasmine last night and reviewed all of the miracles that have taken place this last little while, the spirit bore testimony so strongly of the validity of the things she has come to know. She left with a fire stronger than I had ever seen in her. This weekend is going to be incredible at general conference. I know that she is going to receive the answers that she needs to make that step of faith towards baptism. In her church she is now known as the Book of Mormon girl, and she loves it. She said that random people walk up to her and ask, "You read the Book of Mormon, right? I've always been curious about it." and she is then able to bear testimony about it and invite them to read for themselves. She is an incredible missionary and I know that the restored gospel is going to help strengthen everything about her.
Matt and Tasha's baptism was incredible. They were both referrals from the Gilbert Open House. Matt has never really had any knowledge of the church and after going he knew he needed to find out more and then Tasha has two siblings that are members and going to the open house was the last little push she needed to make the step of meeting with the missionaries. Its always amazing to see how God leads and guides His children to more fully find him and come to understand His plan for us. Especially Tasha's journey has been incredible. Tasha has been through a lot the last little while, especially going through the passing of her mother 5 years ago. After their baptism, Tasha got up to bear her testimony and just stood up there crying. Finally she was able to express what she was feeling and talked about how she was experiencing one of the most amazing feelings that she had ever felt. She spoke about how as she stood in the water and started to get dipped back into the water she had a flash back of her life. She remembered everything that had gone on, both good and bad, and then the moment she entered into the water all of that disappeared. She said that as she went under the water she saw her mother standing in front of her smiling and then instantly feelings of peace and love came over her. She bore testimony that she knew what she had done was what her mother wanted her to do, but not only that it was what her Father in Heaven wanted her to do. I'm so thankful to be able to meet such amazing people.
I'm so thankful to be here in Arizona serving. The people here are incredible and have impacted my life forever.
Con Amor,
Elder Jurgensmeier
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