FECHAS DE BAUTISMO! y... CONFERENCIA DE ZONA! y... INTERCAMBIOS!

Baptismal dates!  and...  Zone Conference!  and...  Exchanges!

This week has been super amazing.  Through this entire transfer, I have been trying to guide the area to the point that we are able to progress with our investigators all together, instead of just progressing one at a time, which can be difficult to do.  However, this week, things actually started picking up!  Rather than maintaining relationships or simply teaching lessons, we had the investigators actually making choices and sacrifices for the gospel.

The first example is on Tuesday when we taught Jose, Althea, and Maddi (new investigators - except for Jose) the lesson on the Restoration of the Gospel.  Things went really well, and they told us that they were definitely willing to pray about the First Vision and get their own answers as to if Joseph Smith was a prophet.  However, later, we were talking about the things that Joseph Smith helped restore, such as the Priesthood.  As we were discussing that, we talked about Priesthood Ordinances and other things that we are able to do because we have the Priesthood, and as we discussed baptism, we challenged the 3 of them to be baptized on the 28th of June, and they accepted!  And not only did they say that they would, they said that they had already been talking to their parents about being  baptized a member of the church, so that is definitely a miracle!

Wednesday, we were able to have Zone Conference!  So, how that works is we got picked up around8:30 by the English Elders, who drove us down to the Stake Center in a city called Brookfield (the same building we have sports in on P-day).  We got there and helped set up, then we studied from 9:30 to 10, when the conference started.  It is led by the Zone Leaders, but President Cutler was presiding and the Assistants were there, too.  It was a pretty good conference, and the part that I recall the most clearly is when they talked about how we need to change our view and expectation of an area, because likely the area is not going to change.  I kind of applied it to coming to Waukesha, because before I got here lots of missionaries told me that the area was dead, but when I got here, it was not!  It was so lively, to the point that we even got a baptism!  And now, there is nothing but promise as far as the eye can see!  So, the area did not change, but my expectation of the area changed as I saw what it had to offer and took it for what it was.  :)  And directly following the conference, we had Team-ups with Bro. Davies, who took us to go and teach George Campos, a less-active man who he home teaches.  The lesson was so great, and it was amazing to just sit there and watch Bro. Davies testify to him, because as I thought about it, I realized that since this man was already a member, it was Bro. Davies' calling as his home teacher to teach him, and the Spirit was helping him magnify his calling in that lesson, I could feel it.

Thursday we were able to help Brother Hansen with his home teaching as well, because it is a single woman and he doesn't want to be there on his own, and because she speaks only Spanish and we speak Spanish too, so we are able to help!  :)  And then after that, we got to go with Brother Tateoka and teach one of the new-member discussions to Spring and her daughters, and also got to have a lesson with Alicia and her son Devon.  They recently moved into a new house, which is amazing for them!  Devon really wants to make progress in the gospel, even if he is only 10 years old, and we think that his mother finally realized that it is her responsibility to get him to church in order for him to be baptized eventually.  There would be no need in baptizing him now if all he would do is go less active immediately!  So we're working with them there.

Friday, we had some pretty great plans to go and Weekly Plan and visit Althea and Maddie's families, but that did not end up working out because that morning Elder Wise told me that he had been up all night with Stomach problems, so we were going to stay in the apartment all day!  And we did!  So, as Elder Wise was resting and everything, I did studies and Weekly Planned by myself, and then I made some calls to some people, and was actually able to teach 3 over-the-phone lessons and stay pretty effective the whole day!  Though our original plans weren't able to be accomplished, we were still able to be effective and diligent, which is good.

Saturday we had Correlation, immediately followed by a big service project for Sister Sylvester in the ward.  We Elders spent 5 hours manning a Hydraulic Wood Splitter and splitting wood that she had in this HUGE pile!  So, we were able to help her, which was good!  But she repayed us with lunch (beef tenderloin) so we didn't complain...  ;)  Later that day, we got a text asking us to sing a song at the primary baptism later that night, so we went to find that the font had not been filled up!  So as they filled it up, we got time to practice and it didn't sound too bad, so that's good I guess!  :D

Sunday, we had church, and guess who came to church?  Jesus did!  (one of our investigators - not the 2nd coming...)  He had dropped us hard a few weeks ago after a super powerful lesson, which had been surprising, but it was all good now!  He was all over the Book of Mormon and had questions about baptism, and then he re-scheduled a lesson with us, which I was really excited about because I really respect him.  :)  After church and dinner, we got to have a lesson with Deanna and Caleeah and Cumoni, which went well.  We reviewed 1 Nephi 1 with them, because that had been their reading assignment.  And, guess what?  They actually read!  :)  That is awesome!  :D 

And then yesterday, we had exchanges.  I was with Elder Kimzey, and since it was a holiday, we basically spent the whole day with different members, fellowshipping their friends and getting to know them a bit more.  And we were even able to teach a super spiritual Restoration lesson to a potential investigator that we had, so I was really excited about that!  :)  And now it's Tuesday P-day, and I have never been happier to be a missionary.

Everyone, I know that this work is the work of God, and that He blesses His missionaries, for I have seen so many blessings and miracles in the short 8-months that I have been serving thus far.  I love Him, and He loves us!  :D  I know it!  And I know that the church is true!

Have a fantastic week!

--Elder Nate Hubert

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Elder Nathan Hubert