January 9, 2012 E-Mail

Well I was a little sad to hear that grandpa is in the hospital. I'm glad he's improving but that's a little scary that he's in the icu.
We had fast Sunday yesterday because of the New Year the week before.  I was debating what to fast for. I was obviously going to fast for Grandpa but then the letter I got from mom made me think that everything was fine. For some reason I still felt prompted to fast for him. I'm glad I did. I will continue to pray for him.
We had a really good week here. In fact I think I found out the reason why I was sent to this area. We got a referral from some Elders in a different area. A kid who lives in our ward boundaries who isn't active called his dad and said he wanted the missionaries to come over to give him a blessing because he has been sick. So his dad told the missionaries and they told us. The guys name is Seth. I gave him a call and set up an appointment. His voice sounded really familiar but I didn't know where from. Then we went over for our appointment and I saw him and he looked so familiar but I still wasn't sure where from. So I wasn't going to say anything. Well he then told me that I looked really familiar. We got talking and realized that I met him in Warden, my first area. It would have been in my first or second area. I know it wasn't coincidence that I met him forever ago and now we crossed paths again. In the mean time he has gotten married to a non-member named Ashley and they want to come back to church. We took them on a church tour last night and asked why they came. Well they didn't really have an answer so we started the tour and right when we started his wife said... "oh yeah, I'm thinking about getting baptized." It was awesome to see that miracle. By the end of the tour she accepted the date of February 4th to be baptized.  They are super prepared people. And it's great to see a husband that is supportive of what his wife wants to do when it comes to the gospel. A lot of the time a spouse gets in the way.
Something else really cool happened this week. We had a couple days of training and on the last day, President Palmer told us that Elder Holland would be in our mission next Saturday and that he will take an
hour and a half to talk to us. So next Saturday we get to go to Spokane and be taught by Elder Holland.
My testimony this week was really strengthened in revelation. Just thinking how our mission president is inspired on where he sends us.  I think I have seen in all of my areas that I was there for a specific person. I know that God still speaks today. To us individually, and to those that have the priesthood keys for certain people. I love this gospel and I know that it's true. Have a great week.

Love Elder Schvaneveldt