Soren in Idaho: We Are Only Tools in the Hands of Our Lord

My Heart was filled with joy and the spirit this week.

Rigby is filled with miracles. I am so blessed to be able to be here in this special place.

Elder Fontes and I have had amazing things happen this week.

Karol got baptized and it was so sweet! She's an older woman and all her friends came to support her. The room was filled with sweet little old ladies. :) Karol's uncle baptized her and Elder Fontes assisted them in the font. It was so wonderful to see Karol be baptized. She had a tough life especially with the loss of her husband. She Denied missionaries for years and years till on rainy day she opened the door for the elders previously here. What changed were their glowing faces in the rain. And now her life is changed for the better forever. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to teach her the rest of the lessons and to help make this a special day for her.

Now for the real miracle and a testimony of the Lord's timing. The Christiansen Family (all non members of the church) are a very very special family. They are some of the nicest people i have met. You can just feel the love they have for one another. All 3 siblings get along with one another and are good kids to their parents. Their dad is hilarious and treats us like his kids teases us and jokes around with us (they said that's how he shows love), their mom is such a sweet heart and is so humble and loving. An exceptional family. They have had missionaries teaching them for 8 years taught all the lessons and have been to church dozens of times, but the time wasn't right. Until the night we met Ashley after standards night. Ashley is active in young women's and would sit outside the temple dreaming that one day she could enter. All were prepared just waiting. As i explained in my last letter we invited her to be baptized and she said this Saturday Sep. 27th would be perfect. But... we had to ask her mom. Candy her mom said they wanted all 3 kids to be baptized and they will talk about it as a family. We received a text Monday evening from Candy saying that all 3 kids will be baptized on that Saturday. Elder Fontes and i were speechless. We just met this family a week ago and they want to be baptized, they fulfilled all the requirements and everything. We didn't need to teach them a single lesson. Their testimonies were strong and they answered the Baptismal questions with ease.

Following Karols baptism, 73 people showed up to support the Christiansen Family. It was one of the most beautiful baptisms i have seen so far on my mission and i have seen a lot of amazing things. Full support from the ward and those that became their friends through out the past 8 years. Brian (20 yrs old) was baptized first, then Shane (15yrs) next, then Ashley (13yrs). I had the opportunity to be a witness. As i stood beside the font i could see the stairs going down into the font and Candy standing at the top watching her daughter be baptized. Sister Christiansen was at this moment in tears with the biggest smile on her face. I wish i could describe this sight better but i know that she probably felt the same way the Lord did looking down from heaven that day. The baptism was focused on eternal families and tears all throughout the room. You could just feel the love and the spirit so strong It was so powerful.

I love the Christiansen family. Only knowing them for a week and already when i think about them my heart is filled with joy. I know it won't be long untill their parents join them and they become an Eternal Family.

This is an amazing work.

I learned that us missionaries are only tools in the hands of our Lord. We are only here to represent the Lord and teach people "how" to be guided to the right place at the right time.

But miracles only come from God and faith in our Savior. Conversion comes through the Holy Ghost.

This Family was finally ready, completely and 100% ready in their hearts and in their minds. After 8 years, this was when they were ready to let the fullness of the gospel into their lives. God knew it, and saw that they were ready. That's why he sent us to the Church building that night. All we had to do was listen.

Missionaries are only there to help the process of conversion, to help with the technical side of learning how to receive an answer or to be his hands to set up baptisms. We are nothing without the Spirit. People are only converted by the power of God.

I love my mission and know that God is great. He is a God of miracles even today.

"Mormon 9:19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

I love my mission. I love this marvelous work. i love Rigby. I love my companion.

Always will be Stoked to Serve

Elder Soren