Hello All!
This week has been an amazing week! Last Monday we found out that two of our Eternigators (eternity investigators) decided to be baptized!!! They're a great couple who has been going to church for MONTHs every week, and have pretty much been members for a while! haha. They were baptized on Good Friday, which also happened to be their anniversary! The baptism was wonderful, with lots of people from both of the wards here in Newark attending! They have so many member friends, so if they ever miss a weeks they'll have a dozen people calling them wondering what happened! But really, it was a great service with really good talks given! In case you didn't know, as missionaries we try to give a "talk" every baptism as well, right after the ordinance while the new members are changing. We give a shortened version of the first discussion (the Restoration of the Gospel), and Elder Cook and I did really well on this one compared to the first one, when I had only been in the Field for a week and a half :). I can really tell the Lords hand in how much I've been able to continue to improve as a teacher and in so many other ways!
It's kinda funny actually, people keep telling me they think I've been out for at least 6 months, not 6 weeks! I guess that's a pretty good thing! I'm just that awesome!!! Also, it turns out I need to work on my Humility. :)
Last Monday Elder Cook and I went to Great Clips to get haircuts, thinking that a potential investigator worked there. A family in the ward said she gave really good haircuts, and said that she'd definitely be someone to try teaching the gospel to. It turns out, she had quit the day before, so we got our hair cut anyways. Big mistake! As I later found out, there's a running joke (that happens to be true) that Great Clips always gives terrible haircuts. But hey, the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is just two weeks!
Monday we also ran out of miles for the month (poor planning at the beginning of the month), so Tuesday we went with the missionary senior couple and they helped get us places. They had just downloaded the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" given by Brad Wilcox as a BYU devotional or CES fireside or something. It's an incredible talk, and we ended up showing it in all but on lesson that day. Elder Cook and I home teach a part member couple, the Domingos, where the wife is active in another church. For the first time ever (according to our ward mission leader) she came out and participated in the lesson, and really enjoyed the talk by Brother Wilcox. I urge you all to take the time to watch it, it's very uplifting and has some really incredible messages.
On Wednesday we went out with Elder and Sister Young in the morning to visit another part member family who one may call "white trash." They're not rednecks or hillbillies or anything, but they don't know how to take care of a house or yard, and the husband (the non-member of the couple) just sits around at home all day while his wife works two jobs, and takes care of their 4 kids. They're house is basically a thrown together large shack, and you have to watch your step because parts of the floor are rotting away and could collapse. Also, the place is pretty much crawling with bedbugs. (Thank goodness for hardcore bugspray!). The lesson went really well though :) hahaha
Wednesday evening Elder Cook and I got a call from Stephan (the man who was baptized in my first couple weeks here) who's son was sick and he wanted us to give him a blessing, and needed some help getting his broken down car onto a trailer. So we got a ride over there and spent the rest of the evening with them! They're my favorite family out here in Ohio! Stephan's wife, Danielle, is super nice and funny (we gave her a blessing before too), and their kids Dustin (11), Brooklyn (7) and Dylan (4) are the cutest and super fun! I Love that family! When it gets warmer we're going to go fishing with them at least once on P-day hahaha! :)
Thursday we gave a church tour to an investigator who wanted to go to church, and she really enjoyed it! It was a great lesson, with some great support from a couple of the members who came with us. Unfortunately she didn't show up on Sunday, and we've barely had contact with her since.
Friday we had the MIracles' Baptism! "nuff said"
Saturday was the ward Easter party, which was really fun! Newark ward is great :) Elder Cook and I went to the Miracle house to move their furniture out to their garage, and help them paint their living room. Brother Miracle has a really bad back, so he can barely do any lifting. It was a really fun experience, and it was good to get to know the Miracles better. That evening we attended a baptism of a 10 year old girl for the Moundbuilders ward (the other ward in Newark.) (Tangent really fast. Here in Newark is where the Indian Mounds are. The weird/random hills that are actually a picture if you look at them from above. Fun fact about Newark!). At the baptism I really felt the spirit, more than I have at any other so far, and I really felt the love for this little girl who had, on her own, decided to be baptized. I Love the Gospel! :)
Easter Sunday we went to church, participated in the Confirmation of the Miracles, and then finished up the paperwork for the baptism record. After church, we went to one family in the ward for an Easter lunch, followed by an early Easter Dinner with another family, followed by ANOTHER Easter Dinner with ANOTHER family in the ward. haha! We then went back home to the Lindau's, and they had hid some Easter baskets for us somewhere in their house! It was a wonderful, very uplifting day. Needless to say though, Elder Cook and I definitely worked out this morning. hahaha!
So basically mission life is still wonderful :) I love the work and I love the LORD! I'm so incredibly grateful for all of the blessing I have received in my life, and for the infinite Atonement given to us by Heavenly Father, through our Savior Jesus Christ! I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's Kingdom on the earth, and I have ALREADY make such a difference in people's lives, most of all mine! I couldn't have ever made a better decision than to serve a mission, and I know that these will be the most uplifting and fulfilling two years of my life! Thank you all for your love and support! I love you so much!
Keep in touch, I want to know how life is for all of you :)
Love,
Elder Aaron Toombs
Elder Aaron Toombs
In case you're interested, here is the link to the talk Aaron referred to.
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