Monday, September 10, 2012

9-10-12

Date: September 10, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder


Hello Everyone,

 Well... The end is here. I can't believe it. There is much I could write about. My emotions are all over the place. I am so thankful for the blessed opportunity I have had to serve in the true Church of Jesus Christ. The opportunities to be guided and directed by a perfect being is real. I bear witness that He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Through him we are able to enjoy the blessings of peace and happiness.

 I couldn't have had a better last week of my mission. There were miracles that happened that I knew I needed to be a part of. It helped confirm my decision to not go home two weeks early to catch the fall semester.

 We were able to attend a ward breakfast with Zack and then have a lesson the next day in a members home. We taught the Plan of Salvation. There were a few things that he wanted clarification, so late in the evening he text us to ask if we could come share the Plan of Salvation again. As we were with him the confusion that he had was eliminated and he knew from the Spirit that what we had shared was true. I am so thankful for the faith Zach has. He is at a time in his life where he is open and receptive to the restored gospel. I have no doubt the Lord has great things planned for Zach in the near future.

 Later in the week, we received a phone call asking for help. The situation we were asked to help in made us stretch because we didnt know what to say or do to help this particular individual. Before going to the investigators home, we prayed for inspiration on what we could share. We bore testimony of the Atonement and provided the individual with tools to overcome their trial. I am so thankful for that experience and know it will be one to look upon for the rest of my life.

 Sunday evening we were able to attend a devotional where youth and young single adults were invited to attend. President Durrant organized this meeting and focused the topic around the group in attendance to become better missionaries. There were great talks that brought the spirit in strong. A young man shared his conversion story, and a young women shared her testimony on how we can save the rising generation. Her bold yet loving remarks inspired many in attendance to share the gospel with everyone. Everyone was able to practice sharing why they love the church with their neighbor. The spirit of enthusiasm filled to chapel. It was a powerful gathering of righteous youth with great abilities to share the gospel.

 I look forward to being home and seeing all of you. I will miss my mission immensely, but I know the Lord has other opportunities ahead. Thank you for all of your prayers, your letters of encouragement, and most of all, your testimonies. My love for you has grown and I am thankful I will be reunited with all of you.

 With love,
 
Elder Seager
 
Date: September 10, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder
Hello Everyone,
3 John 1:13-14
"I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee."
With love,
Elder Seager

9-3-11

Date: September 03, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder


Hello Everyone,

This last week has brought so many miracles I don't know where to start. There have been a few individuals we have been guided to that are well prepared to receive the gospel. The first being a family that we knocked into for another proselyting area. At first, the man who answered the door was not interested, and just before we left, he offered us water. We gladly accepted, so he let us in his doorway while he went to grab some bottles of water. His mother was sitting on the couch and said hello, so after the normal introduction, she began to ask us questions. I could write a whole letter about this experience, but in short, it lead to an opportunity to teach the restoration. They marveled at the story of Joseph Smith and was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. The missionaries serving in the area will have a great opportunity to teach that family.

Elder Louder and I received a media referral for a woman that has been searching for a church for a little while now. She has a sister that joined the church 10 years ago, and she noticed the change that happened in her family's life as they became members. She too wants that change, so she requested a missionary visit. We called her to set a time to meet. She asked if we could come that night, so we did. The lesson went amazing and she was able to come to church on Sunday. It is a joyful experience to get members of the ward involved and plan ways to help her receive answers to her prayers.

Two weeks ago, we knocked into a man named Zack that knew members from high school. After about 20 minutes talking to him, he left it open for us to come back when we were in the neighborhood. During our weekly planning session this week, we felt inspired to go by and see Zach, so we set a time to go by. We approached his house and met his roommate outside, so we asked if Zach was home. He was, so he turned to go inside and get him. Zach let us in and allowed us to share a message. We taught the Restoration. The Spirit was strong the entire visit, and we were able to set a baptismal date. While trying to set a return appointment, we felt it would be a good idea to invite him to a baptism that was happening in the district. He agreed to attend, so we explained the time and location of the service. He felt the Spirit at the baptism and expressed his excitement for his baptism on September 29th. The next day he attended church. The members in the ward were great at helping him feel comfortable and welcome. He has received answers to his prayers and is so excited for his day to come. There are many other details I could write about with Zach. The Spirit has guided us every step of the way. The timing has been inspired, and I am so thankful for the blessed opportunity to teach him the gospel.

I love each of you. I am so thankful to have this last week to work hard and go out with a bang. The gospel is real and the call to serve the Lord is directed by our Savior and His chosen servants. Thank you for all of your love and prayers. Last week will be my last letter as a missionary. It is an exciting time for change, but definitely bitter sweet. Have a great week. We will see each other soon.

With love,

Elder Seager

8-27-12

Date: August 27, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder


Hello Everyone,
This has been a week of highs and lows. I am so thankful for the trials we receive. The attitudes we have change the outcomes dramatically.
We were able to meet with a great part member family we have grown to love over the last few weeks. There have been a few schedule conflicts that have pushed our appointments back, but we were finally able to meet with them this week. Our focus was to build a friendship with this couple first so they know we love them and want to help their testimonies and faith grow. We watched a video with them and then talked about the importance of developing our personal relationship with God and having the strength to face adversity head on. I felt much more connected and open to the promptings of the spirit in our visits and rejoiced in the friendship that has developed.
On Thursday we were able to attend a meeting in Dallas with President and Sister Durrant, and their son who recently returned home from Paraguay. Their son shared his mission with us and applied a few things they had focused on to our mission. I was so thankful to have been with the missionaries here and recognize what we can all do to be better teachers of the gospel. Hearing their son talk about his mission made me think more about mine and if I what experiences I would share in a setting like that. The Lord has been so great to me, and I am so thankful for the service he has allowed me to be a part of.
Saturday was a challenging day for Elder Louder and I. We had set some great plans for the day and focused on finding new investigators. As we were out and about the whole day we talked to people who just wanted to argue and bash with us. We are always running into people to don't care to listen to our message, but very rarely are people aggressive about why they think we are wrong. I will do anything to get out of those situations, so I always tell people right up front if they are wanting to argue then we will walk away. A few people like that came to the door, and each time the Spirit would leave. It was nothing we would do, but we had to fight to get the Spirit back and think positive. We were blessed I feel for our positive attitudes because we did find a few people who were interested in learning more. Towards the end of our night, we were in an apartment complex to visit an inactive member. The door we knocked on was probably not who we were looking for because the woman rudely expressed her interest was not in our beliefs. A bit flustered, we walked down the stairs to meet a woman out walking her dogs. She quickly asked if we lived in the complex. We said no but that we were trying to contact a member of our church. She was sure to let us know the laws about trespassing and dialed for security on her phone. She then shouted for us to get in our car and leave right then. We remained calm and politely said we would. "God bless," came our reply after she said a few more choice words. She said "whatever," and then stormed off toward her apartment. While getting in the car we could hear her conversation with security, and we became a bit more irritated about the confrontation. The Spirit once again that day left. It was 8:30, so we thought we could easily finish our day and go home. I knew if we were to go home she would have won and we would have allowed a negative experience affect our day. With a bit of will power I pulled into a neighborhood near our home to end with a positive experience. The second door we knocked was a person who knew members of the church and asked for us to come back the next day. I felt whole again and knew the Lord was well pleased with our decision to press forward despite the adverse encounter we had just experienced.
Others we talked to that day had watched a program on NBC about the church and had questions. Comments were made such as, "I now understand that Mormon's are Christians and they share a lot of the same views as most Protestant faiths." We had no clue this program was on until we asked a member if there was something on the news about the church. We hear that some things were borderline accurate and had a few offensive comments or images, but for non-members to make comments like we received, it left a positive impression.
On Friday night, we knocked on a door and a man opened up and said in a cheerful way, "We are watching a show right now about you missionaries." The timing was perfect I guess, so we asked if he would like a face to face message about the church rather than a television program. He declined, but it made us laugh a bit about the positive quick whited comments we had made to go along with the program. We live in a great time to share the gospel. Missionary work has become even more exciting with the added exposure to who we are and what we believe.
I love this church. I am so thankful the Priesthood has been restored. We are so fortunate to be able to make covenants and partake of the sacrament each week. I don't know where I would be without staying true to the covenants I have made and repenting for the mistakes I have made. The ATonement (I loved how Elder Morga wrote that in is e-mail) is real and the mercy of Christ is available to those who humble themselves. Thank you for your love and prayers. They strengthen me to move forward and finish as a focused servant of the Lord. I love you all.
With love,
Elder Seager

8-20-12

Date: August 20, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder


Hello Everyone,
The highlight of my week came as an unexpected surprise. After finishing our block of meetings for the Frisco 3rd ward, we were visiting with members in the crowded hallway. I looked up the hall to see a familiar face. Elder Holt (my trainer) was walking towards me.He was in Dallas visiting his mission with his parents. I hadn't seen him since early November 2010, so it was a joyful reunion.
Some of my favorite experiences on my mission have been giving blessings. We hadn't been called in a few weeks to give a blessing, so last Sunday I prayed that Heavenly Father would allow us to exercise our priesthood and provide a blessing. After finishing dinner, we were walking to our car and received a phone call from a member out of the blue. He asked that we come to his home and give him a blessing. I instantly knew God had heard my prayer and answered it. While visiting the person who needed a blessing, we learned of his situation and gave a blessing as the Spirit directed us. I am so thankful for the power of prayer, and the experience to give priesthood blessings.
After giving the blessing, we walked to a former investigators home we have tried to get in and visit for a few weeks now. The family has expressed their desire to come to church, but they have not put forward any effort to progress on their spiritual journey. While going to visit them, we saw the Mom walking outside to her car. Our paths crossed perfectly, and she shared that she had been having a few struggles with her daughter. She was on her way out, so we offered to bring her a new For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. The next day we stopped by not knowing what sacred experience we had ahead. She opened up again with us and expressed her 16 year old daughter was pregnant. The pain it caused was overwhelming and she felt she had failed as a mother. The church was the direction she felt she needed to go, so we helped her make the choice to come to church. Unfortunately she didn't come to church, so we will figure out what we can do to help her feel the peace and comforts this church and gospel provides. She quickly became humbled because of the situation she found herself in and recognized the goodness of this church.
We were able to meet with Luis this week. A priest age young man came with us to visit him, so we followed up with him on his reading. He had opened to 2 Nephi 27 randomly and read it. It covers the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Great Apostasy. Luis understood it well surprisingly and knew the apostasy was real. He is excited to read the Book of Mormon and he knows it is of God. We followed up and asked if he had prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He hadn't, so we invited him to pray about it. We havn't visited with him since then, but I am so excited to see how it went. I know his prayers will be answered and the Lord will continue to guide his conversion.
I love this work. I am beginning to feel the peace of knowing I have served well and done what the Lord had intended for me. Thank you for all of your prayers and letters.
With love,
Elder Seager

8-15-12

Date: August 15, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder



Hello Everyone,
It has been quite the eventful week for Elder Louder and I. There have been a lot of great miracles, teaching opportunities, and meetings. We continue to follow the promptings of the spirit each day and strive to fill our time with meaningful activities.
On Tuesday, we were able to attend a Zone Conference. It was similar to the leadership training we had a few weeks ago with the Olympic Events, so it was fun to seeing everyone able to participate. We received trainings on how we can help people know our purpose sooner and set expectations for them to repent and be baptized early on in our visits. Great miracles resulted in the Frisco district as we implemented that training. It is tradition in the Texas Dallas Mission as I am sure it is with most, that the departing missionaries share their testimonies with everyone in attendance. We were asked to share our testimonies about the Book of Mormon, so I turned to Mormon 9. It has become one of my favorite chapters. I shared a few of my favorite verses talking about the conversion process and then sharing our testimonies with others. My emotions overcome me and I struggled to speak. My mission has changed my life, and that was the first time it had really hit me that my mission is ending soon. At the end of the meeting we stood at the front of the missionaries there as they sang, "God be with you until we meet again." The tears continued to flow. I felt so much love from the missionaries I have grown to love. Being an assistant was a great opportunity because I got to know everyone. I know them by name and I know most at a personal level. Hugs and pats on the back soon came after we concluded in a kneeling prayer. I will never forget the feelings I had then.
We were able to visit with a new investigator this week named Peter. He recently move to Frisco from Seattle, Washington. Two years ago he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He has lost the ability to walk and struggles to reach his hand to the controls on his wheel chair. While in Seattle, he met with a physical therapist that is a member of the church. During his therapy sessions, Peter asked questions about the church and became interested in learning more. Peter moved to Frisco so he could be closer with his family. With only 3-5 years to live, he hopes to come closer to God, and he believes this church is the one that will help him do that. We received a message with his name and information, so we contacted him and set a time to visit with him. It was amazing to learn more about his situation and see what we could do to help him. He agreed to be baptized if he came to know the church was true. There will be a few challenges with getting him to church, but we know the Lord will provide a way. I am so thankful to have met Peter and see the earnest desire to strenghten his faith.
We also met with a man named Maurice in our YSA. He has been dating a member of the church for the last two years and is now open to learning about the church. He has come twice and has felt a difference from the other churches he has attended in the past. He has agreed to be baptized on September 1, so we will be working hard to make sure he is ready for that date.
Last night we met with a young man named Luis. Two weeks ago, we knocked into Luis' home and taught him the Restoration. He was open to having us come back and eager to read the Book of Mormon. We tried to make contact with him a few times during this last week, but finally got to see him last night. While visiting with him, he had told us since our last visit he has had a more positive outlook on life. He attributed that to the truthfulness of our message and felt like God was watching out for him. He had read a little bit out of the Book of Mormon and prayed to know if it was true. He received an answer that it was. He then shared that the day before we knocked on his door he had been reading the Book of Mormon with a friend that is a member of the church. He felt that it was a sign from God that we were sent to him for a reason. We read a chapter from the Book of Mormon with him to conclude our visit. We each felt the Spirit and knew God was aware of what we were doing. Soon after we finished, Luis' mother came into the room and sat down. She asked a few questions about our church and wanted to read the Book of Mormon as well. Both Luis and his mother work on Sunday or else they would come to church, but they made the comment if they are off they will come. As we visit with them, we hope they will have the faith the make time to come to church on Sunday. I am so thankful to have met them and to have followed the spirit in planning where we should go. Without that effort, we would not have been led to Luis.
I am so thankful to be a representative of Jesus Christ. As challenging as things may be, the reward is great. It is so important that we first strenghten ourselves and develop a testimony and then desire to share it with others. Great joy has come to me as I have tried to do that. I know those same blessings are available to everyone who exercises their faith and makes themselves available to being an instrument in the Lord's hands. I am grateful for your prayers and letters. I am strenghtened by your testimonies and feel of your commitment to serve the Lord.
With love,
Elder Seager
Story time:
- There always seems to be a fun story to share, but this is like no other I have shared before. After reading the Book of Mormon with an investigator in a trailer park, Elder Louder and I decided to walk to the next street of trailers and knock doors. While walking on the street, we noticed a dog running around a gate towards us. It was eager to show its teeth and let us know we were in his territory. We distanced ourselves from the dog at the side of the street and proceeded cautiously ahead. I was in front of Elder Louder about eight feet and narrowly escaped an utter destruction. Elder Louder was not so fortunate. I heard an aggressive move from the dog and turned around to see if all was well. All was not well. The dog lunged forward and took a bite at Elder Louder's leg. Elder Louder was quick to respond with a kick to the face, so the dog quickly scurried away. We walked to the next door thinking no damage was done. No hole appeared in Elder Louder's pants, but with a quick check, it was clear a tooth had penetrated the skin. It wasn't big enough to cause pain, but we thought it would be best to go back home and clean the cut. After about an hour, a slight trickle of blood continued to run down his leg, so we figured it would be best to have it checked out. We drove to a doctor's office and, after filling out some paperwork, were taken back into a room. The doctor told us the cut was deep enough to have stitches, but with a fear of an infection occurring, she thought it would be best to leave it open and let it heal. She numbed the area around the cut and began to clean it. I looked on with excitement to watch. All was well with me up to that point, and then the doctor put her finger in the cut to clean it out and push out the blood and saleen that had filled the skin around it. I felt a bit light headed and made my way over to a counter to lean on. The next thing I know, the doctor is in my face asking if I was okay. I quickly responded of course I was okay and then I noticed I was on the ground. I guess everything wasn't okay. I had passed out. A few other nurses came with a chair for me to sit in and a cup of water to sip on. I became the next patient admitted, so they helped me into my very own room. What a fun adventure it was. After doing a few tests they let me go encouraging me to take it easy. Elder Louder's cut was soon cleaned and dressed with bandages, so we drove home. I felt nauseous and light headed still so I spent the next hour laying down before we went out for the night. What a fun night that was, not. But will still taught a lesson. I think the Lord felt some sympathy for us by this point. The next morning I felt a bit light headed, but good enough to function. We got a phone call from the doctor explaining that a follow up appointment was needed for Elder Louder and then said I should come back too. Everything seemed to be normal, so as soon as Elder Louder's cut heals, we will both be back to normal. The adventures of mission life continue. I love it.

8-6-12

 
 
Date: August 06, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder

Hello Everyone,
It has been a great first week with Elder Louder. We have worked hard and had a few great experiences. We are striving to follow the promptings of the spirit as we work and do the Lord's will. There were quite a few moments this last week where we had finished the activity that we had planned and prayed for inspiration on what to do with the time we had. It was powerful to see who the Lord placed in our path or who we felt we needed to see. The first miracle happened Monday night after teaching a man about the Book of Mormon on his doorstep. After finishing the lesson, we continued to knock his street. With five houses to go, we noticed a younger man in his twenties got out of his car and sat on his porch to talk on the phone. We didn't want to interrupt his call, so we waved and said hello with hopes we could talk to him as we made our way back down the street. At the end of the homes we were knocking, we looked back to see if he was still outside, but he wasn't. After 20 or so feet away from his house we heard his door open and a shout for us to answer a question he had. We turned around, walked back and engaged in a conversation. He asked who we were with, recognizing we were from a church, and what message we were sharing. We explained we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and helped people strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. He explained for the last six months he had been on a spiritual journey to find his faith. While he was talking on the phone, he felt he needed to talk with us, so when we came back by his house he came out to talk. A rush of the spirit came over me and I was filled with gratitude that Heavenly Father had placed someone in our path. We have an open invitation to stop back by and catch him home, so we hope to teach him and invite him to church.
Last night after finishing dinner, Elder Louder and I wanted to follow up with a few people who had not attended church. We came to a point where we didn't know who to stop by next, so we pulled over and payed attention to where the Spirit needed us to go. A few weeks ago, we received a phone call from a member in Kentucky. He explained his brother had agreed to allow missionaries to come to his home, so we got some information and made a few efforts to stop by. Two weeks ago we made contact with Michael and he explained he would like to contact us when he had more free time. He also explained he was a recovering alcoholic and needed to turn to God to quit completely. We chose to respect his wishes, but without any contact made since then, we planned to stop by some time this week. Last night we felt the time we needed to go was then, so we drove around the corner to his home and knocked on his door. Nobody was coming to the door, so with a bummed feeling we turned around to walk to the car. Just as we turned around a hose flying through the air landed on the walkway. It scared me half to death. We walked passed the bushes and saw Michael standing there. I think we scared him just as bad, so the feeling was mutual. We cheerfully approached him and expressed we were so glad to see him. His wife wasn't home, but he welcomed us inside. As we were walking in, he explained he had had a few drinks. We felt we should still go in, so we asked a few questions to get to know him better. While talking with him. He broke down into tears explaining the pain and guilt he felt because of his addiction. His ability to function as a normal human being was lost and his relationship with his wife and kids was gone. It was heart wrenching to think about how low Michael had gone in his life. He needed answers on how he could overcome his problems. We shared Matt 11 with him where Christ talks about taking his yoke upon us that our burdens may become light. We also shared Alma 7:11-12 with so he could understand the way Christ is able to succor us. I had asked him before reading the scriptures how long he felt "happy" after drinking. It was not long, and he explained the burdens on his shoulders became stronger as he woke up the next morning. We asked how he felt after reading the scriptures. He felt peace and knew the message contained in the scriptures would help him. We then shared Matt 26:41 with him. That is favorite scripture to use when talking about temptation. He felt that scripture applied to him well. I asked, when he feels the urge to drink, about how long it takes for him to give in. He said the last time it was about 20 minutes. During that 20 minutes, he agreed his spirit was willing to not drink, but he ultimately gave into his weak flesh. We asked him to pray and read the scriptures every time he feels the urge to drink. He agreed. He closed in prayer and poured his heart to Heavenly Father. Tears filled my eyes. Very rarely do I cry, but I couldn't help but feel pity for the situation he was suffering in. He knew the spirit was there and felt hopeful God knew what he was going through. He got up from the table and walked into the kitchen. We set an appointment to come back. While writing in my planner, I looked up and saw him remove a brown paper sack exposing a large can of beer. He immediately poured a glass, so with an effort to keep him from drinking it all, I asked that he not pour it all in his cup. He quickly put up his defenses and lashed back at me explaining his wife does it enough and he didn't want me to tell him what to do. I couldn't believe how fast the twenty minute struggle to resist temptation had turned into a few seconds. The adversary is real and has a strong hold on Michael. I am so thankful for Heavenly Father directing us to him. Michael said many times we came at the perfect moment in his life. It will be a long process to help him, but with the help of his brother and local leaders, I am confident he will begin to have more light in his life.
I love this gospel. I know God lives and directs us to those who are in need. Many people are struggling to feel our Savior's love. It is our great privilege to reach out and help the feel of that love. I am grateful for the testimonies each of you have attained and I am thankful for your willingness to share it will me. I hope you know of my love for each of you.
Elder Seager

7-30-12

 
 
 
Date: July 30, 2012
Area: Frisco Texas
Companion: Elder Michael Louder
Hello Everyone,
It has been a great week. It has been great to work with Elder Nelson for the last week. He will be going home Wednesday morning. I learned a lot from the last week of serving with him. It has been great relating experiences we have had and things we have learned on our missions. He worked hard until the end. It was a great example to me of someone who understands his purpose and magnifies his calling until the end.
Today is the beginning of my last transfer. It is sad to think about. The Lord has blessed me with so many sacred experiences and opportunities to serve with some of the best leaders in our mission. My new companion is Elder Michael Louder. He is from Fillmore, UT and has been on his mission for 12 months. I remember him coming into the mission, so it has been great to see him grow. He was serving in my district this last transfer, so he not moving too far. It will be great to learn from him. He was trained by the best (Elder Monkres), so it will be great to use the work ethic he developed with Elder Monkres.
We were able to set a baptismal date with Barbara's son Taylor this week. He is 18 years old and is ready to be baptized. Elder Christman had met with them on an exchange and had given them an assignment to answer the question; "Why do bad things happen to good people?" It is amazing how much stronger the spirit is as people keep their commitments and learn from the studies they had. It led into a spirit filled lesson of the restoration and an opportunity to set the baptismal date for August 25. I am so excited for him and look forward to helping Taylor for that day.
I was able to attend a Leadership Training this last week which was amazing. We had an Olympic themed training where we had two hours of physical and spiritual challenges. We also watched a movie clip from the Roger Bannister story (in the1950's he was the first person to run a mile in under 4:00 minutes). It was great to have a change of pace and have some with friends I have grown to love. It helped me understand how to better help with lifting and inspiring others on my "team."
I love each of you. I am so thankful for all of your letters. They continue to uplift and inspire me. The gospel of Jesus Christ is real. The apostasy did happen and we are witnesses of the truth of Christ's restored church.
With love,
Elder Seager
Fun story to remember:
One of the worst noises for a missionary is the sound of a golf cart driving around apartment complex corner. We went to a new apartment complex to contact a recent convert. After driving around for a few minutes, we couldn't find the building, so we decided to park and walk to find it. While walking, we noticed two golf carts parked in the direction we were walking. We kept walking and hoped we wouldn't be stopped. One of the people standing next to the cart had nice slacks and a collard shirt, so we knew we were busted. The man said in a disappointed manner, "Alright guys park it over here for a second." "Danget!!!" I thought to myself. I was quick to say we were trying to visit a member of the church in hopes that the beating out of the complex would become a bit more soft. The man pointed in the direction where we needed to go and offered to give us a ride on the golf cart (that has never happened to me). We gladly accepted, so as we drove he asked who we were with so we shared a little bit about our message with him. He said, "Well boys you are in luck because I am the manager of this complex and I think it is great when people come around preaching the word of God." A huge sigh of relief came over me. I knew our beating out of the complex would no longer happen. He then explained we were more then welcome to come back and knock in the complex. I couldn't believe it. I was on cloud nine. We eventually arrived to our destination and after he left, I burst into tears of joy and laughter. All that worry for nothing. I love being a missionary!
Later in the week we were not so fortunate when we heard a man we had just contacted open his door and shout to a worker. "The Mormon's are in our complex." "We will find them!" came the reply. We gave up and left without a fight. Our heads were still held high ready for another action packed apartment adventure. Our Olympic event is who gets to stay in a place the longest. So far we are the winners with our miracle manager.