Week 40--April 21, 2014

Well another week has come and gone. It seems like time keeps moving faster and faster, and It's hard to keep track of, but I guess that is how it goes sometimes.

Things here are going very well, Tony is going to get baptized this weekend so it is exciting for us and for the ward! He asked me to be the one who baptizes him, I am very humbled that he asked me to do that for him. This past week was an emotional roller coaster with Tony, he didn't come to church yesterday and he left us a voice mail on our phone that was 5 minutes long and it wasn't very clear, but he sounded like he was dropping us. So I called him back and talked to him and listened to him, and I am glad that I did, and because I did listen I was able to resolve his concerns and help him progress. He said that he feels guilty that he didn't come to church and that he relapsed drinking on Saturday, and he thought that we would be mad because of those things, and then he feels like crap because he comes to church in tattered clothes and he feels dirty and like he doesn't belong in the church, because of it. I told him "Tony, we are here to help you, not to get mad at you, yes we are disappointed, but we love you and are here to help you, and we are going to take it one day at a time, and concentrate on one day." I then asked him how he feels when he is at the church in the building, and he said that it was the best feeling in the world. I told him that that is the spirit and it is telling him that he does belong in the church, and it doesn't matter what you wear to church that matters, it is that you are there. I then told him that I would give him one of my white shirts and a tie to wear to church. 

It was a crazy experience and I am glad that I was able to be a part of it. I think I am probably going to be nervous until Tony steps into the water to be baptized. Satan is going to be working so hard against him this week, and I am going to be praying so hard for him this week.

Well besides that we have a few other people we are teaching, one of which is still Kenny J. Kenny has started to progress a little bit, but not a crazy lot. He had to go out to LA this weekend, so we haven't been able to see him for the past few days.

We do get to go to the Temple tomorrow, which I am excited about, I love going to the temple it is truly amazing every time we go.

I guess that is it for now

Elder Bangerter