Don't Let Appearances Fool You

Letter dated September 30, 2009

Yay! A.V. was baptized last Thursday and confirmed on Sunday! We've taken him out with us to teach this week and he is an amazing missionary and has such a strong testimony--- (we've got high hopes for him in a year when he can put his papers in....) I'm just so grateful that the Lord directs this work and that it's done in His way- He knows much better than we do. When we first met A we found him in the house of one of our investigators who wasn't progressing too much. He appeared to be what many would believe as a "punk teenager" with long, straggly hair, gangster clothes, and a big old spike through his chin.... but that's something I've learned- do not let appearances fool you- only the Lord know the hearts of His people. We started talking and he'd actually been taught before in Mexico and even had a baptismal date set... then came here and lost touch with the church. He read the entire Book of Mormon in a few weeks and is now on his 2nd or 3rd time round- we were flabbergasted and had never had an investigator do that before! It's been incredible to me to watch how the power of the Gospel has helped transform and change him and how, over time, his testimony has been fortified. It truly has been a miracle to me to watch the process of this change within him and to literally see him radiating and beaming with the light of Christ more and more with each passing day. His baptism and confirmation was a beautiful event of which I will never forget. I am so grateful for his choice and for the way that the Gospel has an effect on our lives.

Well, we have transfers next week and I feel like I might be going- we'll see. We thought we were only having two sisters coming in, but they surprised us the other day and said that we now have three. We're super excited!

Learn from one another and continue to live each day with a smile. Rejoice! Everyone take the opportunity to watch and listen to conference this weekend- incredible opportunity!