Tuesday we were getting gas & right as we were leaving the gas station I noticed this man walking to his car and he smiled at me. My stomach sank & my heart started beating fast. My companion pulled out onto the highway and I told her to flip a U-turn. I told her we needed to go back to the gas station to talk to that man. She looked at me sooo confused but I was almost positive I was having a prompting. She pulled into the pump next to him & I didn't know how to go about talking to him. He definitely saw us circle back around. He was about to get into his car so I walked over to his trashcan to pretend I was throwing something away (I had nothing in my hands). I went up to him & said "Hey sorry this is so random but I feel like I should talk to you." I explained who we were & about the Book of Mormon and immediately he was so interested and wanted to know more. He said it was interesting that I said I felt like I should talk to him because he's been conflicted with what religion he wants to be apart of. He said he's been reading a bunch of atheist stuff but he isn't sure he believes it. We got his number & he said he wants to meet with us this week! It was so cool because I wouldn't have even thought about talking to a random middle aged man at the gas pump. I could have easily just ignored that feeling and gone about my day struggling to find people to teach. I learned that we can find people where they are.

We had a lesson with him at the end of the week! His name is Brandon hes probably around 30 years old. It was an awesome lesson! He told us he grew up going to a bunch of different churches but never really knew what he believed in. He has no idea how to pray either. We taught him about to Book of Mormon & the restoration through Jospeh Smith. He had so many questions and we were able to enlighten his mind so much. We taught him how to recognize the Holy Ghost. He agreed with everything we were saying and was so excited when I handed him a Book of Mormon. He said "Is this mine??" I promised Brandon that if he read from the Book of Mormon that it would have the answer to all of his questions.

We woke up the next morning and we got a long text from Brandon in the middle of the night. This is what he texted us: 

"Sorry to message so late. I just couldn't let this sit till tomorrow 

 

Y'all may have me 

As you promised, there is an answer for each question that comes up 

My "sciency" research based background has a counter for each answer, of course, but not an answer for each question 

Meaning that there are questions that have a refusal to be answered in science but not in the Book of Mormon

There are no questions I've had that don't have an answer in the Book of Mormon so far 

Many use the fact that Smith was 14 and therefore wholly incapable of translating anything as an argument against your beliefs (I agree, no 14 year old could pull this off) 

But I see it as confirmation of sorts. Because, of course, no 14 year old could do something like this without intervention/revelation

What you have is very interesting and I hope that I can start to feel it 

I just analyze everything to the teeth and it's hard to find unbiased content to absorb 

It is astounding how little most people know about your church.

Misconceptions are the clearest detriment to the cause. 

The message is very genuine."

I wanted to cry reading this text. We only taught him one lesson & he said: "Y'all may have me." We've been working so hard, praying so hard, every. single. day. to find people to teach. Heavenly Father answered my prayer through a prompting. I am so thankful I was able to follow this prompting & meet Brandon. This really is the Lords work & I am just an instrument in His hands. 

I told Brandon that I was inspired to talk to him. He told us he felt the same way when he saw us, he said that we stood out. He told us he saw us flip our car back around. He said he was about to leave, he was done getting gas but he felt like he should wipe off his windshield instead of leaving to see if we would talk to him. So cool.

Alma 26: 11-12, 16

"But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. 

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

More from the week :

Friday we went and visited Tarlisha! She showed us all her stab wounds. She was stabbed 5 times!! She was stabbed in the back and on her wrists. So crazy

We went to one of our outer areas one day & knocked on this run down apartment complex. Everyone that answered the door was African American. Alot of the people let us talk to them though! We were able to hand out a couple Book of Mormons but none of them could read... There was this one guy sitting on his porch in his wheelchair & he yelled at us "Come over here and teach me something!" I love when people tell us to do that haha. 

This super old lady in a wheelchair was sitting on her porch and we asked her if we could talk about Jesus with her. She seemed really depressed but invited us inside her home! We found out she's 98 years old. She told us she grew up picking cotton for work as a child & that she's had a tough life. She said that she doesn't ever have any company. She lives by herself and I seriously wanted to cry I was so sad if I lived closer I would go over everyday to visit with her. She can't change her clothes by herself or bathe. She said someone will help her in the morning but that's it. She mentioned that she's been depressed and we made her feel so good inside by talking about Jesus with her.

When we were walking in the apartment complex I saw this man standing in his doorframe behind the glass door. He was looking in our direction but he was standing there not moving- and his eyes were completely white they were rolled into the back of his head. I was sooo scared I think he was on drugs or something. He didn't move he just stood there.

Friday we had 24 hour exchanges! I went with Sister Vincet. She is my STL and she is such a good missionary! But man she's intense. I was so glad it was only for 24 hours because she is too much for me haha. We had a lesson together though and we taught our friend Hannah. Hannah is SO sick & she told us that she can't stand longer than 30 seconds without having to lay down. At the end of the lesson Sister Vincent promised Hannah that if she will read from the Book of Mormon that she will be able to receive the strength to stand longer than 30 seconds. I was shocked when she said that & I asked her about it. She told me that she almost always promises blessing to everyone she teaches. She told me that we are set apart with priesthood power to promise blessings. She said that God fulfills the promises every single time. She said she promised someone in the past that there mom would recover from Covid that day if they came to church, && she said it happened! She explained that the Lord wants His children to hear the gospel & be baptized, so he will always fulfill the promises we make to our friends.

This week I listened to one of the best testimonies/conversion stories I have ever heard in my life. It is such a cool story. It's an hour long but it is so worth it to give it a listen. It's called "The Conversion Story of Bill Carpenter."

Love you all! Especially miss u mom