Even Miracles Take A Little Time

The Miracle of Shanon!

This week was one of the most amazing weeks I've had on the mission!

I'm going to attempt to write out the full story of Shanon in this email so you can know how amazing she is.

So before any of us met Shanon, she was on her way to China to see her husband and the flight got re-routed to another airport. She called up anUber and couldn't find a ride out there.  She met a gentleman who offered to give her a ride out there since he was in the same situation! She accepted and they were on their way. This man expressed he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Shanon was shocked by this. She has a son who was recently converted to the church in college and left on his mission to Boston! This man (who we still don't know who it is) said "We have a Chinese group out in Eastvale very close to were you live. They would love to have you if you would like to learn more!" 

When Shanon got back from China she in fact went to the first sacrament meeting from being back. There she met Elder Willes and Elder Crowther. They began to teach her the following week.

Shanon expressed that these things were all fake. All the scriptures were just stories. I came in quickly after that. We had started teaching Shanon at the start of  May. We met consistently every week teaching her all the lessons. Shanon would come to church every single week! However she had one problem and that was baptism! We had taught her just about everything and she would not accept a date. No matter what way we took it or how we taught it we would get rejected. At this point Elder Willes had left the area and me and Elder Crowther continued to teach her.

We go to the point where we began to reteach her everything and started with the Restoration. I asked her if she knew that Joseph Smith was a true prophet? We began to discuss that a lot and tangent after tangent we were discussing baptism again! 

Shanon says to us "Guys...I'm leaving to China in the next 3 weeks. Don't worry I will be baptized when I get back". Then the spirit sucker punches me and Elder Crowther! We were prompted to tell her if she wasn't baptized before she left she never would be! I said it first and she said "Thanks Elder Nelson, I appreciate the concern and I will pray about it". Then Elder Crowther said the same exact things! This time I noticed it clicked a little more. She thought for awhile and said she would pray about it. We finished the lesson and left a little discouraged. We came back the next week and followed up on her prayer. This time she asks what the process is? I get all giddy and explain the process. She then  says and I quote, "I can't be baptized this week but I can next week!" Me and Elder Crowther were in AWE!!!! I had been rejected more time's than I could count! For her to say that- blew me away! We testified of the importance of these things and figured out details.

Yesterday was the baptism. WOOOW it was so amazing! The spirit was so strong and she was crying the whole way through the baptism! Elder Crowther baptized her and she had the biggest grin entering the water! After the baptism she walked up to us and said she knew that prompting was from God and she couldn't deny it! She said "Thank you guys so much. I love you all very dearly and I will continue on with the Gift of the Holy Ghost". This is the same Shanon that said this is all fake and the scriptures are just stories.

God performed a miracle and I couldn't be any more grateful to have a part in it. 

This church is true and I know it! 

Elder Nelson 孙长老

Also kind of important- I got all caught up in Shanon! 

Elder Crowther headed out to UCR today so me and Elder Willes are companions again! We both are Zone Leaders out in Jurupa so I'm super excited for the Leadership opportunity! 

Thought I might need to throw that in there LOL😀

Elder Nelson 孙长老

 Baptism of Shanon & a Beautiful Email to Ben and his Companions

I was so excited when I saw Ben's recording was 33 minutes long! YAY!! They have been really, really short because he is so crazy busy, but this week I got more "Vitamin B" so I was THRILLED!

Ben took the time to teach us about the principles and importance of listening to the spirit and forgiveness. He started out talking about Louise. Awhile back she had prayed and received an answer of baptism, but she let fear creep in and told them she was no longer interested in learning and being baptized. 
Then they get a call that Louise wants to meet and she wanted to talk specifically on "How the Spirit communicates with her". Ben and Elder Crowther were thrilled because they thought maybe the spirit had been working on her and she realized that she had received an answer about the church and now was feeling bad. 
A side note and one of my favorite things from the recording He says: "Every missionary can testify to the fact that you plan out your lessons and what your going to discuss and you frisbee your plan out the window, it goes completely sideways and you start talking about something else. At least 1/2 the lessons I prepare never end up being taught because the spirit is throwing up out your mouth. It's crazy how it works, but the spirit knows these people better than we do." 😁😁 
For an hour and 1/2 they listened to Louise talk about her frustration about her family. Issues that happened when she was young that had a big impact on her younger years and into today. As Louise was talking Ben could see that they needed to talk with her about forgiveness. 
Most of us know how those discussions go when you are SO UPSET! This was no different. Hearing Ben go into detail of her trials and life brought me to tears for a couple of reasons.  1- his testimony of these principles has been strengthened so much in these months on his mission and 2- having our own struggles in our family reminded me of the promises that the Lord gives to those of us that will put their faith and trust in the Lord and remembering he knows YOU  best and loves YOU more than anything. 
At the end of the story of Louise Ben shared that they (the spirit) were able to reach her soul and help her understand what she needs to do to become closer to her Father in Heaven. ♥♥♥

Favorite Quote: "The spirit was just throwing up out of my mouth!" LOL