I want to go find God's children!

Email #38
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Touti

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Man this week has been crazy, but really really good! We had zone conference this past week and I always love those because we learn so much! My companion didn't like the fact that they sometimes have us role play and they video it so we can review it in front of the whole zone haha. It is pretty intimidating, but you learn a lot from it because its the only time really you get to see yourself teach. I think it always gives me a spiritual uplift because this past week we have seen some good success and feel more focused.

I don't know where to start with this week... well like I said, there was some good success this week and I know it is because of the Lord, no doubt about that! We have seen some pretty amazing miracles this past week! Also some pretty funny experiences! I hope I will have time to tell you about a few of them. So this week we found 5 New Investigators and they each one in some way told us that it they feel God truly did send us their way! One day early this week we were riding through a neighborhood to follow up with some potentials when I see this house that looks familiar. I wasn't sure if it was just a house that we knocked on a long time ago or what, but decided to knock on it because you never know. Well, a women answered the door (P....) and I remembered. This was someone who gave us a little bit of a hard time back when I first got here. However this time we got to talking and realized that the gospel is exactly what she has been looking for. She has had bad experiences with churches in the past, that is why last time she wasn't happy to see us. Sometime between now and then though, her heart has softened. She just has lost loved ones and is really wondering where God is in her life now. We shared the Plan of Salvation with her and as tears built up in her eyes, we testified that this truth has been restored through a Prophet of God and testified of the Restoration. We have a return appointment with her this week to follow up on her commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon!

Through the week, we continued to see miracles very similar to the one with P..... On Saturday following zone conference, we only had a few hours left in the day so we decided to go find our heart out! We went to the street we previously designed to go and for some reason or another decided to go to the street right across the way instead. Something told us that is where we needed to be. On the very first door that we knocked, a man named B.. answered. (Side note: I have been trying to help my companion have more confidence while finding, so I try to have him lead the conversation every other door. It was his turn!). The initial climate was a little shaky and he didn't seem to sure of what we wanted, but the spirit instructed to not give up. We directed the conversation to the Gospel and what we wanted to share with him and he said "yeah you can teach me right here right now". So as we taught, he agreed with everything that we testified of. He told us how he has gone to practically every single church except for ours. He told us how he has looked for truth, but everyone teaches different. We testified of the restoration of the truth. He accepted a Book of Mormon and said that he was going to start reading it right away!  At the beginning of my mission I honestly didn't like going finding because a lot of the time while knocking on doors, there can be some negative experiences. My desire, especially in the past transfer or two, has changed! I want to go find God's children! I think this change of desire may be one reason God has helped me more to find his children.

Well I will save a little for Dad haha! love you!
-Elder Bryner


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Well this week was really good! I told mom a few stories and I have a few more for you:). Yeah F... is as always doing well, he said he is still praying on a date. I don't know what to do. He is the most prepared and most ready person I have ever seen for baptism!!! Just this past week, we went to a service project for a refugee center that our stake was participating in. Guess who we saw there! F... and his family! They were probably the only members in our ward there because it was late notice. So yeah, tonight we have a lesson with him and I just want to invite him to a date, but at the same time I don't want to push him because he is close anyway. Just plan on going by the spirit on this one. I want to be able to be there for the baptism honestly. I know it is selfish and I don't want that to effect anything, but still I hope that it will be when I am here so I can see it through!

Well I got one funny story and one miracle for ya. First with the funny one. So we were in the sisters area one day this week to follow up with some referrals and as we were walking through this set of units following up with like 10 people that lived there, we came crossed this dude who was just drunk as! So he called us over and we couldn't tell this dude was drunk until we started talking to him, but it was hilarious! He said "hey, I have a song that you guys can sing at church! I wrote it myself!" He then asked me to write it down so out of sympathy for this poor dude, I did. Now I would like to share this song with you if that would be okay. Idk what it all means so maybe you can figure it out. Let me know if you can:)

I see the while, pick my smile.
I haven't seen it, can you be in it.
The wildest is scorches, but I am approaches.
God is one, we are the front.
Time is raining, the time is gaining.
Lets run, if you can swim, don't fulfill your dream.
Life is breathe, is do or death.
Now is tries, the life is a guess.
He never seen it, but you will be in it.
As a human being

Yep so will definitely be singing that one at church! Anyway he asked us to come by when he isn't so tipsy and we can talk about God with him, so who knows, might go somewhere haha.

Now we also saw quite a few miracles this week. One day this week we were driving to the place we wanted to go finding and the GPS died on us. So we decided to just follow the spirit. We prayed and asked God to guide us every turn so we can find one of his children. So each turn, I turned each time the way that first came to mind, first prompting. We ended up at Golfers Av were on the second door we knocked on, we came crossed a man named A.... Now A... just got out of a coma recently. Him and his fiancé were preparing to get married when he over dossed on a medication and went into a coma. It was funny when he answered he thought that we were from the hospital and said "oh, didn't know you were coming today, come it'. So a bit confused we went inside but I had a really good feeling about it. We talked to him for a while and he told us how he believes in God but needs more. As well he told us how after his coma, he has had major trouble reading. The spirit really took hold during that lesson and in the end we promised that as he read the Book of Mormon, his reading would improve! Not only that, but he will find that the truth that has been restored would bless him, his fiancé, and their children. We look forward to seeing him as well. God really does know his children. He really does direct his servants to find those in their time of need! My testimony has grown a lot this past week and I am so grateful God has blessed me to see so many miracles!

Wish I could share more, but will have to wait.
Love you Dad! Have a good week!