Apartment Check....ug

Hi Family!!

   This week was so nuts.  I honestly can't comprehend how much went down.  I got a phone call from the Zone leaders and a companionship requested to do an exchange with us to learn why things were working out for my comp and I, so so how they got permission for us my comp and I to go to the other elders' place for an exchange and teach them what we have been doing.  Those Elders were Stoker and Arrington.  Elder Stoker is from Henderson and like best friends with Ryan.  He is now one of my best friends. But I can't remember the last time I had so much fun on my mission. It was so great to be able to be around other missionaries.  Ok, so the baptism....let me tell you about the most stressful day of my mission. Friday.  We go out for morning contacting and we got a phone cal from the lady who works with all of the apartments in the mission, she said that she was coming over to check our place for things that were broken and stuff like that.  So we went home and cleaned up a bit then she came over with a member of the mission presidency (who was a mission president in St. Petersburg about 1.5 years ago) and it was a ROAST session.  In other words, there are a lot of things that were broken b/c of missionaries in the past (ie a drawer doesn't close all the way, stuff like that) and this apt has been rented out by missionaries for 8 years.  To start off, its not a great apt AT ALL and there are no carpets or anything so we have to constantly be sweeping b/c somehow there is just dust EVERYWHERE.  Anyways, I got owned for all of the broken things in the apt, even though I hadn't broken a THING in there and we are never home anyways.  We are home at night and for studies, literally.   well, they got mad at me for everything and it was SUPER annoying b/c I've never been so organized and effective my whole mission. When they left I was ticked. And my comp was just hanging out having a good time b/c I'm not sure how much of everything he understood.  So as I was in the height of my annoyance, I put my elbows on my desk as usual and out of now where...my desk snaps in half and my study material flies EVERYWHERE and I just sat there with half of a huge desk in my lap covered with books and pencils and stuff like that....it was NOT cool.  Then, after I thought about everything that had just happened, I took it as a sign from God that I needed to chill and relax.  I tried my best to be patient.  Then we had our lesson with Toleek to finish teaching him the last couple principles before baptism.  He gets there and tell us that wasn't going to make it to his baptism (keep in mind its 7pm on Friday and his baptism is the next day at 12pm and programs are made and ready to go with all assignments given out)  b/c he's "busy".  Last time he said that he just had some concerns which we quickly resolved.  So after talking about it with him, he wants to get baptized and loves the concepts of having the Holy Ghost at all times when worthy, but he wants to talk to his parents about it, which he hadn't done. He is 36 years old so we didn't really think that it would be a problem.  He passed his baptismal interview with flying colors and he told us that he would call his parents and let us know if he would get baptized the next day at 12.  So we waited and waited. FINALLY he calls at 9am the next morning...and says that he would love to keep coming to church and everything but he wouldn't get baptized.  I think its b/c his parents were against it but I'm sure.  So unfortunately we had to cancel the baptism which was really sad and hard to do. This guy seriously is so elect. I'm sure he'll become a member sometime. We are going to continue to meet with him and with time I know he'll understand what he should do.  Then the same day we go to the Hostels and meet with our investigator Jay.  He is Nigerian and is progressing fast. He came to FHE at a senior couples place and bore such a strong testimony.  Then we met with him on Saturday...and he had been drinking and was high. That also was NOT cool.  He started telling us about how he is going through a hard time and even when he prays nothing happens, so he gave up the night we stopped by. We are really close with Jay, He told us already all about how he wants out of his "old

 life" and when we got there, he was on his way back. The lesson was POWERFUL.  We were very bold with him.  and by the end, the spirit was finally there and he said that he'd come to church. He prayed and thanked God for us going to him and that we helped him change his mind.  It was definitely the most bold I have ever been on my mission.  I could feel the spirit working through us and I was so grateful to have been worthy to be there and teaching Jay with power and authority.  It was nuts. It was "by chance" that we ended up over there in the first place b/c we were on our way to a potential investigator lesson, that wasn't working out so we decided to call Jay, it was perfect timing AND we got a new investigator with the man we were trying to meet with in the first place.  It was a crazy all over the place week.   But thanks everything you do!  I love you all.   Look up my new favorite scripture about thanksgiving. D/C 50:34... I Love you all! have a wonderful week

- Sean