BYRON & VERLYN'S MISSION TO THE WASHINGTON SEATTLE MISSION 2010-2012 FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
Sunday, November 14, 2010
On Friday we were scheduled to take a part member family to the Temple grounds and show the non-member husband the beauty of the Temple and then take him on a tour of the Chapel next door. When we went to pick them up, we found out the wife(member) was in the emergency room with stomach pains. They were running tests. She came home late Saturday night, very tired, but with no results. more tests I guess. The gospel progress gets delayed for a week or so.
This weekend has been stake conference. Saturday evening was as usual the adult session. All of the speakers were fairly recent converts (all less then 1 Year). The North Seattle Stake has 18 full time missionaries assigned to the various wards and the Stake averages 25-35 baptisms per month. One young man, 18 years old, gave as he said "His Story". He was raised in an Atheist family, who's God was Science. At age 14 he told his parents that he believed there was a God. He said they laughed at his ignorance. Thus began his search for God's Church. In the next year he dated four different girls, belonging to four different religions. He went to their Church's and still wasn't satisfied. He said he prayed very intently for guidance and a new girl friend. He got both the next day. The girl was a Mormon. He started his lessons in August and was baptized on Sept 8, 2010. His family kicked him out after he was baptized. He broke up with the girl after General Conference in Oct. She had decided that Mormonism wasn't for her and quit coming to Church. This young man had a testimony and domineer of a much older man. He definitely knew what he was going to do with his life. Another young man a little older, age 24. joined the Church less than 1 year ago and is now in the bishopric of a Ward. His conversion was patterned after the Alma 32 almost exactly. He had the faith to try each principle and then got a testimony of that principle. There were two other speakers, also recent converts, with the great testimony building stories of their conversions. This Stake has an early morning Sunday meeting for just recent converts and newly re-activated members (there were about 80 present). In the regular session of Conference the speakers were the Mission President and the Temple President. The entire week end was about Missionary work and Families. What a Grand experience! By the way the picture is the flower arrangement(Orchid) in the chapel for stake conference.
