Wow! What a Week!
We started teaching a man this week named Jermaine Truehart. He goes by Tank. And he is the most humble person I have ever met. He just got out of prison in August, and he completely wants to turn his life around. He use to be a gangster and a drug dealer, but his mom died a few months ago. It took a big toll on him, and he knew he needed to change. My companions found him just before I got here, but he hasn't had a phone, and we weren't able to contact him until this week. After our first lesson, I was speechless. All I could say was "God is real." We haven't even taught him the word of wisdom or law of chastity yet, but he is already living them! Everything he has learned has been by the spirit, not from what we've said. He loves the Book of Mormon, and he prays and studies the scriptures every day. At first, his family didn't trust us coming over, because he's had such a sketchy past. So one day, we stood outside and taught him in the rain. He prayed at the end of the lesson, and it was the most humble, sweet prayer in the world.
It's been really hard for him to put his life back together since coming home, so he just tries to find work wherever he can. He said he use to have money, nice cars, and women. Now, he seriously has nothing. And he has never been so happy, because he has given his live over to God. He was offered a job on Sunday, but he turned it down so he could come to church. In Sunday School, the lesson was on obedience, and the teacher asked, "Has there ever been a time when you were obedient, even though it was hard?" Tank shared that this week, one of his old gang friends was trying to get him involved in some bad stuff, but he turned him down. He said he didn't want to be a part of it anymore, so he got jumped. He didn't fight back. When it was all over, he stopped his nose from bleeding, got off the ground, and thanked God. He is free. He has changed, and there is nothing more beautiful than the peace he has found through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He's getting baptized on October 18, and I couldn't be more happy for him! :)
I love Tank's story so much. He truly has been born of God. I know that if this man can change and find peace in God, anyone can. I know that the spirit is the true teacher, and if any person will listen to it, they will find themselves doing the right thing. It's amazing teaching him, because we hardly have to lift a finger. He learns it all from God, and God's just merciful enough to let us see it happen. I love missionary work.
We had another amazing lesson this week with our investigator, Landon. Landon's an atheist, and he's super duper smart! My first day here, we taught him, and he just laid all this anti stuff he had read on us. I'm not going to lie, it shook my testimony up! But this week, sooo many of my prayers have been answered.
This week, we had our lesson with the Givens, some members in our ward. They are BRILLIANT! They wrote the books The God Who Weeps and The Crucible of Doubt. They're some of the best scholars and scriptorians in the church, and they do a lot for church hq. The lesson was absolutely perfect, because everything they taught Landon was backed with factual evidence as well as evidence from the scriptures. The most important factor though, was that the spirit was SO strong! They're such sweet, humble people, and they didn't make anyone feel dumb. They just lovingly answered all of his (and our) questions, and helped him to know the truth! (Also, Sister Givens has a darling British accent:) Landon is going to Utah in a few weeks on a work trip, and he's going to spend the day on temple square. Please keep him in your prayers!
Sitting in an old study, with books all over the walls, eating a brownie, and having a sweet British lady answer all my questions about life = HEAVEN!!
I really can't deny the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I can't deny that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. This promise from 2Nephi 30:5-6 is being fulfilled: "The gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them... and then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes;" It's awesome!
Can we talk about the women's broadcast?? AAMAZING! I had tears running down my face because the spirit was so strong. At the same time, I was fighting off laughter because the sweet investigator I was sitting next to kept saying, "Hallelujah!" "Mmmmhm," and "Amen!" :)
One last thing, this week, we are reading the Book of Mormon in preparation for conference. The whole thing! I know ya'll are busy with school and work and everything, but I know that if you pray and to come to conference with questions, they will be answered. You don't have time to read the B of M all day like we get to, but I just encourage you to spend some more time in the scriptures this week and really think about what God is trying to tell you.
Well that's all! Sorry about the novel. I just love being a missionary so much! I love ya'll to the moon and back, and I hope you have a blessed week! :)
Love,
Sister Miller
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