Today we went to the temple and I've now hit all three temples that I
can go to on the mission, Medford Oregon, Sacramento, and Oakland. I'm
very proud of myself! Haha it's cool here because the members have two
temples within an hour of them. It was a quick drive. Brother Miller
took us in his Ford Flex, which feels like a very roomy spaceship we
told him. The members here are way nice to missionaries, possibly
because sisters used to be here, and people like sisters more :). Now
there are four elders in our Ward, so that's always interesting at
dinners.
The YSA sisters had a baptism of Rodney, the guy in the picture,
and he is the most golden investigator I've ever seen! I had the
opportunity to give my first baptismal interview as a district leader,
and it was amazing! The spirit was incredible and he had an amazing
testimony, especially of the prophet Thomas S. Monson. He was able to
watch general conference and said that was what really helped him know
the church was true. It's crazy to see this guy change his life. I
didn't know him that well, but I feel as if I already love this guy.
It's crazy how the gospel does that. We watched him get baptized on
Saturday, and me and the other elders in my Ward and the YSA sisters
sang Be Still My Soul for it. I did a solo, mom you would be proud,
I'm trying to get out of my singing shell haha. It was a sweet day.
There's a very interesting member in our apartment complex who knocked
on our door one morning and simply handed me some lyrics to hymns he
had written, but to the tune of actual hymns. He also believes there
was a Book of Mormon temple in Vacaville... Haha you meet all shapes
and sizes out here.
We finally have a couple people you could call investigators. One is
this lady Alex with 4 kids who is super nice and probably will be at
the trunk or treat! And this lady Kristina was there when the home
teachers went to see her inactive mother and she immediately anted to
talk to us. We had a lesson with her and she is very willing to learn.
It's a good thing! I feel very blessed to be out here. Something I
noticed this week in studies is that everything we do in the church
revolves around Christ. I mean, I knew that, but I feel as a kid I
never realized how vital the savior is, and how important it is to
know he is divine, he is the son of God, the God of Israel, the father
of those who accept his gospel and became heirs to his kingdom and
glory. God our father set up this plan, and his Son Jesus Christ is
the main way he puts that plan into action. I realized this week, I
love Christ! I felt it in the temple today, I feel it as I testify of
him, I feel it as I take the sacrament, and I love it! We don't just
do these things for fun or whatever, we do it because Christ lives, he
loves us, we can learn to love him, and he will come again! Think of
the overwhelming joy we will feel when we see him again, when he comes
to earth to reign. I know these things are true, we are to be
converted to Christ, not to the church, not to the prophet, not to the
missionaries or anything, but Christ. (As Elder Christofferson put it)
He is the author and finisher of our faith, I testify that in the name
of Jesus Christ!
I love you all, have a good couple days, then I'll email again :)
Elder Janson
The Vacaville Zone at Rodney's baptism! He's the one with the
thumbs up haha
Picture at McDonald's with terrible lighting, we look very holy at least
Us at the Sacramento Temple today!
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