5/27/2024 - Week 45 - Members come in clutch

Just gonna share some cool stories from this week since I have not a ton of motivation to write an email right now. 

I went on an exchange up in Piqua, Ohio and helped some of their friends out! One of their younger friends came in ready to bash, but we calmed him down, talked through his questions he had, got a member to hop in the lesson, and by the end, the kid had thrown away all of his illegal substances and committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray for a testimony (they put him on date for baptism the day after I got back!!!)

Our friend Zeke in Huber Heights got baptized on Saturday and he is an absolute legend!

We went disc golfing (as we do almost every week) up in Tipp City and found a disc in a pond and called the number on it to return it to it's rightful owner! The guy responded and when he got it he said he would like to play with us and have a gospel discussion! So naturally, we obliged, and it was a great chat! He's a young Apostolic Pentecostal (he's only a few years older than us) and had some great questions about our beliefs! We found out that we really had a lot more in common than many would think and he challenged us to pray to speak in tongues and be filled with the Holy Ghost and we challenged him to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it to see if it is true! Who knows? Might have to play another round with him! 

Last short story: we invited a guy to church that very clearly had "KING JESUS" written on his car, and he didn't say anything at first except "I'm gonna need to have discussion with these men" to his kid in the car (we were shaking in our boots). Now that is textbook basher behavior; however, this guy just asked some very simple questions like "what's the name of the church?" "where's it at?" "what is your basic doctrine?" then was very nice about it and said he attended another church and was appreciative of the offer. Very odd interaction for us...

Anyways. Spiritual thought for this week:
Doctrine and Covenants 60:6-7
"6 And from thence let my servants, Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdrey, take their journey for Cincinnati;
7 And in this place let them lift up their voice and declare my word with loud voices, without wrath or doubting, lifting up holy hands upon them. For I am able to make you holy, and your sins are forgiven you."

This was a really powerful verse to me this week because... welll...... I'm in the Cincinnati Mission and thats pretty neat. Also the fact that the charge to the prophet and some of the early apostles was to lift up our voices loudly and without doubt or wrath. The charge to the early apostles and the Prophet is the same charge given to me and all other missionaries out there (even outside of the REAL and TRUE OCM -- sorry Elder Merrill). As we all continue in the Lord's Holy Work, He will make us holy and will assist us as we do this great work alongside Him!

Hasta Luego

Parker

Disc Golfing with Elder Gale



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