Elder Patterson (District Leader), Elder Peterson, Elder Mayo
Elder Hagler, Elder Cornaby, Vanessa, Hermana Tobler
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October 2016 - District in Riverside - Elder Cornaby, Elder Hagler, Elder Bailey, Elder Patterson (District Leader), Elder Peterson, Elder Mayo October 2016 - Vanessa's Baptism - Riverside California
Elder Hagler, Elder Cornaby, Vanessa, Hermana Tobler
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The big news for this week is that Vanessa got baptized! We received a text on Wednesday from Elder Hagler that said she was going to be baptized this week, and then another text from him on Friday telling us what time the baptism was going to be. I was really surprised because I expected it to be a much longer process before she was able to be baptized. I think that maybe part of Elder Paxton's purpose in being transferred to Riverside was to make it easier to communicate with Vanessa's family. So I was able to go back for her baptism, and she asked me to baptize her, so that was pretty cool. It's become sort of an embarrassing trend though, just like all the other baptisms that I have performed, it took two tries to get her baptized. She was really afraid of the water, so the first time I tried, she locked her legs up. But the second time went smoothly and everything was good.
So the big news is that I did get transferred. I was transferred back to Corona to be a Zone Leader serving in the Auburndale Ward and the Lincoln YSA Ward. It is very bittersweet. I was almost positive I was going to stay in Riverside; we had so much work going on and everything was going great. Sadly that's not what the AP's and President Mullen had in mind for me. I'm really going to miss my area and the people. I was as sad to leave Riverside as I was to leave Corona the first time. On my last Sunday in Riverside, I planted the idea that they need to plan a combined activity with the Corona YSA Ward in the near future.
Bishop Davis was released from the YSA Ward this week. It was a big shock, but also everybody knew it was coming. He had been serving as bishop for 5 1/2 years, whereas most YSA bishops only serve for about 3 years. He sent out a text on Saturday saying that there would be special visitors at church so we should all be there early, and then when he got up just to welcome everybody and announce the opening hymn and prayer he already could barely hold it together. There was hardly a dry eye in the room. And all the dry eyes belonged to the visitors from the Santa Monica YSA Ward, who probably felt really awkward for visiting the week that the bishop was being released. I thought it was really touching to see how much all the young adults cared about him and I feel like that truly showed how much Bishop Davis magnified his calling and impacted people's lives. It was just a really feel good sacrament meeting, despite all the crying.
So with Vanessa, we thought we were going to have to pause her this week but we do not have to for two reasons. First, at MLC, President said that if people are keeping all their commitments (church, prayer, reading, appointments), then we can keep working with them towards a baptismal date, but if they stop doing any of those things, it's time to pause them and give them a little more time to be prepared. Secondly, General Conference made a huge difference for her. We went over there on Wednesday and she was like a completely different person again, or at least more like how she was before her dad made her doubt her decision. So Elder Patterson interviewed her on Wednesday and he said she is ready, she just needs to help her dad understand why she wants to be baptized. So on Friday we helped her to answer some of the questions her dad has. We explained about the apostasy and gave her some scriptures she can read with her dad to help him understand.
Some of my favorite talks from General Conference were:
Elder Cornish - You are Going to be Good Enough, Elder D Todd Christofferson - Continuing in God's Love is to Receive His Grace and be Perfected as you Qualify, President Henry B Eyring - Our Responsibility to Teach Aaronic Priesthood Holders How to Serve, President Russell M Nelson - We Teach and Baptize to Bring Joy into People's Lives, Elder M Russel Ballard - The Restoration Continues Today, Dean M Davies - Worship Involves Joy, Wonder, Awe, and Profound Thanksgiving, Elder David A Bednar - The Difference Between Knowing About Him and Knowing Him, Brian K Ashton - Grace is Divine Help to Achieve Good Works and the Sacrament Gives us the Spirit to Help us Grow, Grace by Grace. |
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June 2017
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