So much went on this week and we had so
many testimony building experiences! I can't remember the exact days
each thing happened so they may or may not be out of order(:
A few days ago we were assigned to take a large tour with
about 30 teenagers. When we received the tour report and saw who we
were taking, we immediately knew that they were anti-mormon (because of
the name of the church). So we showed up for this tour and began to take
these youth around. We overheard their leader mention that they were
here to do some ministry in the city, which confirmed to us that they
were anti. They were super nice and asked lots of questions about the
history and seemed very interested! The last place we took them to was
the Tabernacle. We took them to one of the observation rooms and talked
about the Tabernacle and the purpose of a living day prophet. I suppose
it was because we were in a small enclosed space, but this was when they
decided to start firing away with the anti questions. We weren't
nervous at all though, seeing as every anti asks the same questions and
we know the answers to each one. We could tell that they were still in
training because they struggled with trying to trip us up and/or catch
us in our wording. Finally, one of the young boys said, "Well what is
even the purpose of having a Savoir?" Now, keep in mind that these youth
are Christian but they believe very different things that we do,
especially concerning how we receive salvation. Nonetheless, the
question really surprised me! I knew I could have answered him the way
Abinadi did when he said, "Are you priests, and pretend to teach this
people, and to understand the
spirit of prophesying, and yet desire to know of me what these things
mean?" But I didn't. Although I was tempted. Instead we took a different
route and began to testify of Jesus Christ, His life, ministry, and His
role in the Plan of Salvation. As I stood there bearing solemn
testimony that I knew Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the world,
these youth suddenly became dead silent. None of them even moved a
muscle, they simply sat still with their eyes zoned and focused on every
word. The spirit came with such power into the room that we knew all
could feel it, especially because we noticed some felt uncomfortable
recognizing the Holy Ghost there testifying. After that, we ended the
tour and left. The entire time we were taking the tour I had the feeling
in my mind that said, "Someone in that group of youth is going to be
touched by something you said and they will be baptized." I turned to
Sister Fuentes and told her what I had been feeling. She looked back at
me and said, "Sister Davis, I was feeling the same way." I don't know
which of those youth is going to be baptized, but I know that one of
them will be.
We've been very fortunate to take several
youth conference groups in the last week! It's amazing watching the
youth come and go, to hear their testimonies and to see how much
potential and power that they have. The youth can be such a force for
good in the world, if they choose to do so. This morning, we took a
group of youth around and ended with a guest speaker. Well that guest
speaker was JOHN BYTHEWAY!!! That's right, brothers and sisters, we
heard from John Bytheway this morning. He's still just as insightful and
just as funny as always! After his fireside and all the youth cleared
the room, I went up and introduced myself to him and asked him for some
advice for someone like me who wants to be able to do what he does for
the youth. Man, it was so cool to be able to talk to him! When he asked
where my home was, I told him St. George and his faced was (as he would
put it) "exceedingly astonished!" Haha but he's awesome and it's so cool
to finally have been able to talk to him! (I've been waiting to talk to
him since I was like...12.) (:
We also took quite a fun tour yesterday in the Beehive
House as well. Two men from Alabama came in! One of them sounded JUST
LIKE my cousin Josh and I said to him, "This sounds weird, but every
time you talk you sound just like my cousin." When I told him that the
family is in Gadsden the other man said, "No way! I'm from Gadsden!" It
was so awesome! They said they live like...a block from the falls!! So
cool! Thankfully, they were Bama fans, not Auburn fans. At the end of
the tour as they were walking out of the house they said, "Bye now! ROLL
TIDE!" When Sister Fuentes closed the door I jumped up and was like
"Roll tide roll!" She looked at me like I was a strange creature so I
explained what that meant. (:
Some awesome socks that our roomate (Sister Rhodes from Las Veags) gave
to us! Top feet: Sister Bennett from Tahiti. Left socks: Sister Fuentes
from Chile Right Socks: Sister Rhodes from LV and bottom socks me(:
Us..in the teaching center...teaching/being really awkward
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