Planting Seeds

   A cool thing happened to us the other day...we were sitting by a man named G--- and we were just shooting the breeze because we really wanted to teach him...trying to gain trust and a friendship. This man comes up to us while we are talking and introduces himself as S----. He asked us if we were the Mormons. He told us that he has always wondered about what we believe but he just hasn't had the opportunity to talk to missionaries before! He told us that the first contact he had with hearing about the church was off of his cable tv. He said he stumbled across the "Mormon Channel" and started looking at the videos and talks from the presidents of the Church along with Joseph Smith stuff! He asked us about the Book of Mormon and so we told him that if he scheduled an appointment with us we would love to give him a free copy of the book. He replied Yes! So we saw him last night and oh man is he cool! It was my highlight of the week it was so good! He told us just after we taught him about the Apostasy that the Priesthood was off the earth and men were then not able to baptize and preach. He really understood the Apostasy and why there is only one church with this authority now! I really hope he can read the Book of Mormon and pray about it so that he can really start investigating the Church! 
Oh man it was the BEST!!!

   We had a good lesson with V----- and we were able to talk to her about the Book of Mormon. It was a super sweet lesson! The Spirit was just burning in my chest and oh my goodness did it feel good! She is super cool because she is always telling us how much she desires to know and, she says some really great prayers. We have high hopes for her. We were going to invite her to get baptized but she wants her husband to listen as well so we're going to wait to invite both of them hopefully! 

   A---- is doing good but she just won't come to church! She is really great but I'm not sure she understands the significance of going to our church. So this week we are going to make sure she understands the doctrine and then let her use her agency and decide what she would like to do and how she is going to proceed!

   We are also kind of bummed about a family of girls we've been teaching. I'm pretty sure we might drop them this week. They just won't keep their commitments and won't come to church but hopefully some missionaries in the future pick them up and maybe then they will be a little more interested.

   It breaks my heart when those we teach feel the spirit and want to be baptized, then for some reason decide not to. Their friends or relatives talk them out of it, or they come in contact with 'anti' information. These are people that we have come to love and to see them turn away from the gospel is really agonizing. All we can do is plant the seed as described in Alma 32:28, and hopefully they will accept the things that are true.

cashew

nutmeg

R & R

Necessary Stress Relief and Relaxation ....
 'a change is as good as a rest'

P-Day Excursions:   Grenada Chocolate Company, Leaper's Hill, and Turtle Watching   

   

Elders Loewen, Dohrman, Larson, Hill, Smith, Strong...Sisters Smith, Grigg, Smith

 Well I just want to say that seeing those mammoth turtles was like the most wonderful wonder of the world I've ever seen!  It was so amazing.  Behind the massive shell was a quiet beautiful animal.  It was neat to see the egg laying process, which took about an hour.

Down Hill ...

   

          Happy Hump Day!

We're so proud of Aaron's accomplishments and his dedication as a missionary. As he serves, not only is he making a difference in the lives of those he teaches, but the experience and testimony he is gaining will touch his life forever.  He is a great example to all of us!

Elder Larson and Elder Hill

Zone and General Conference

   Man...Zone Conference in Barbados was AWESOME!  Our flight was at 9:20 pm, with a stop at St. Vincent.  It was pretty sweet!  I love plane rides!!  :)  The conference was on working our way to exaltation. 

   Then, 3 days later...General Conference was super spiritually uplifting!  I thought Dallin H. Oaks talk during the Priesthood Session was AMAZING! I loved how he told all of the priesthood brethren to know and understand that women are just as important in the priesthood as men are!  In fact the priesthood wasn't fully restored until the Relief Society was established!  I liked Elder Bednar's talk as well.  It's hard for me to give one of my favorites because they all touched me in a special way!  It was great to receive so much personal revelation for things that I could be doing better in my own life.  I had some questions that I was seeking answers to going in to conference. I received my answer like a freaking typhoon!  Stay Faithful, Have Courage, Be Strong, and Work like Crazy!  That was the thought given to me by the spirit telling me that I just need to do my best, God will always lift us when we need lifting and He will always comfort us when we need comfort!  I love the gospel so so much and I would not trade it for anything in the world!

  I'm going to take the advice of M. Russell Ballard and share with you all what I have been learning in my studies of this wonderful Gospel. I have been learning from the Book of Mormon that Preparation is the best thing that we could ever be doing! Maybe not for war or for our next big test, but that which is only attainable in a spiritual sense... A TESTIMONY! As I have been reading in the book of Alma 47:9-18 Amalickiah is trying to take the chief leader position... He is tempting Lehonti to lower his standards and at first Lehonti is not budging... but after a few attempts from Amalickiah... Lehonti finally gives in and lowers his standard and is eventually poisoned by degrees. Now the importance of having a strong testimony comes into play here! Satan will surely poison us by degrees slowly and painfully... So if we have a strong testimony in this gospel, and stay faithful to what we believe in, we won't be poisoned but have everlasting life. I'm done with Alma now but it's probably one of my favorite books!