40-Day Fast and Keith's Call

October 7, 2013

This week was awesome! Our ward started a 40-Day Fast for missionary work and we've already seen some awesome "coincidences." The fast works like a relay, so you always have someone fasting for 40 days.

On Wednesday, we hold a scripture study at the chapel. This week NO ONE CAME! We were about to leave when one of the members of the church who was there waiting for her granddaughter (the youth activities, Mutual, are also on Wednesdays) decided that she would study with us if no one else would. We read a little, but mostly we talked and eventually it came to the subject of her husband, who is not a member of the Church. He had met with the missionaries previously, but according to her, the missionaries "just stopped coming." I have no idea how that happens, but we are going to pick him up as an investigator. No doubt, it is his time!

Two AM, Saturday morning, Keith calls us, distraught and anxious about his eternal well-being and with questions about whether he's going to hell. (He had been drinking a little). We calmed him with some sweet words of the Gospel. And then he told us he would come to church, because something inside him needed to change. Unfortunately, regular church hours were cancelled that weekend. Fortunately, it was because of General Conference, which is a worldwide meeting for members of the church led by the Prophet Thomas S. Monson (the President of the Church) and the Twelve Apostles (modern ones). It's a televised meeting, cut into five two-hour sessions. Keith wanted to come to the church to watch it, so the next morning we found him a last-minute ride to the chapel (another great story in and of itself) and he watched four hours of Conference! He liked it so much! Today we are going to invite him to be baptized, which is a really big step. He would have to stop smoking and drinking, two big obstacles, but I know Who Can Help him.

Having trouble getting these to upload, and I'm almost out of time, so Adios!

Elder Jon Harrison Richins

Climbed up a tower at the top of a mountain.