Email noventa: week of miracles

May 7, 2018 

Howdy everyone!

As I said last Monday, we spent most of the day in Little Rock. After the Musical Tribute, we stayed the night with the Little Rock Spanish South Elders: Elder Brinkerhoff and Elder Padilla.
Elder Padilla was in Russellville my first transfer here in Dardanelle. Elder Padilla is from Peru, and he is crazy. I think I've said a bit about him before. He loves care bears, as well as the movie The Purge. He has My Little Pony bed sheets. He was a professional model in Peru, and also a food eating contest champion. He's also learning English.

During the Musical Tribute, we sang the song He is Risen, but Elder Padilla thought we were saying "He is Racist.", so that's what he sang. He told us that night at the apartment and we all died laughing. You have to love that kid. He's so weird it makes you love him. Then he told us the story of the war between Chile and Peru. It's funny because he was companions with Elder Gonzalez right before Elder Gonzalez, who is from Chile, went home. He said they argued about it all the time. Also, his current companion, Elder Brinkerhoff, is half-chilean and they argue about it to. Basically the argument is over who won. It's hilarious because Elder Padilla is absolutely adamant that Peru won. Chile apparently stole a Peruvian battle ship and claimed they won, but Elder Padilla said they cheated. I don't remember all the details of the story, but it was hilarious.

Then the next morning we went to a trampoline park in Little Rock with the whole Benton Zone. It was way fun! It was definitely one on the funnest things I've done for a Pday. They had a dunk ball court, so I had a blast trying to throw down all kinds of crazy dunks. After wards we went and played kickball at a park, and that was a blast as well.

Then Brother and Sister Hall from the Branch came and picked us up to take us back to Dardanelle.
On Tuesday we were able to meet with Jared. We went to the park and shot hoops for a few minutes, then we sat down and taught him the Restoration. The poor kid has a lot of doubts. He questions if Jesus Christ is real. I think I talked way too much and should have listened more. He took a copy of the Book of Mormon and said he would "try" to read it, which to me after 20 months means I'm not gonna read a word of this. But hey, hopefully he does and we can meet with him again.

On Thursday we were able to help R move his stuff out the house we helped him and P move into. That night we were finally able to teach them. P is Sister T's niece. P's mother was attending church with Sister T and reading the Book of Mormon. We asked P why she wanted to meet with us, and she said that since her mother passed away, she has felt her mother pushing her to investigate the church. Super cool! We taught the Restoration and testified powerfully over and over again that the Book of Mormon is the only way they can know if this is the truth and invited them to be baptized. They looked at each other and P asked R "Do you know what they just asked us?" And R said "I think I want to read the Book first." I laughed and said "We want you to read the Book first too." They have a ton of potential!

We also got a referral for SM, a referral from her daughter, Sister AM, who is serving in the Idaho Boise mission. We taught the Restoration and it went really well. Her daughter skyped in and helped teach about the Book of Mormon. The only thing stopping her from being baptized is that she works on Sundays and is living with her boyfriend.

K came to church yesterday, and R came to the Spanish Branch sacrament meeting, FINALLY. We had dinner with him and his wife and taught his wife about the Book of Mormon. She is very Catholic and has lots of really hard questions. She asked how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, so Elder Alonzo taught her about the Urim and Thummin, and did an incredible job teaching it. She totally understood and accepted his response, especially after he used the Old Testament to show references to the Urim and Thummin. Elder Alonzo is an incredible missionary, I can hardly believe how well he teaches at 3 months out. He's training me.

We also had a lady named C walk up to us and ask us who we were and where our church is. She told us she had a miscarriage just barely and is looking for peace. We said a prayer for her, and gave her a Book of Mormon. We have a lesson with her and her boyfriend F at 5.

Also President Hall sent us a golden referral yesterday. DARDANELLE IS ON FIRE! It has been so cool to watch the work progress as we work hard and talk to as many people as we can, the Lord literally just gives us prepared people. This is his work. I'm so grateful to be a part of it. I love y'all, have a wonderful week!