we're missionaries, man - not glamor boys!

Dear Family,

We spent much of the week inviting investigators and members to our Missionary Night that took place on Friday night. We asked a member from another ward to loan us his 20-seater van (they call it a convi, and rightly so, I suppose), and we drove around for an hour picking up all sorts of people to take them to the member's home where the event was to take place. It got started a little late, but the attendance rivaled some Sacrament Meetings I've been to. The investigators in attendance felt very welcomed.

The earthquake happened later that night: we were in the middle of our companionship prayer when the room started to shake. It only lasted some 4 or 5 seconds, however. Apparently it was nothing harmful - just a little tremor. Maybe a 2 or 3 on the Richter scale (better off asking a seismologist, however).

This week, we were asked several times to give blessings of health. The Lord poured out his Spirit as we exercised His Priesthood power to bless the lives of others. It's a sacred feeling to realize how much we represent the Master in our work: my hands are His hands. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve others in that capacity.

We're working hard to help the families that we're teaching progress to baptism. One woman, Alejandrina, and her daughter, Leslie, are excited for their baptism (programmed for the 26th). The father of the family is returning from his trip to Argentina to watch the baptism, and we're hoping that he'll be willing to take those steps of faith, too. We taught Alejandrina and Leslie about temple work and eternal families, so I brought along my family picture (that Mom recently sent me) and a photo of the Portland Temple (courtesy of Brother Bigelow and Skyshots). The "show and tell" method of teaching was effective, and it helped me teach with much more sincerity and a lot more testimony. That was my favorite teaching appointment from this week.

Thank you all for your prayers and your support. I love serving the Lord as a missionary. Thanks to His Spirit and all the prayers on our behalf, we really can do more than we think possible. Sometimes it feels like we're doing so little- when the results of our efforts are so great that there's no way we did it alone. ("We are not two men: we are ten men!") This Sunday, more investigators came to Sacrament Meeting than I have ever seen before. It was a very special meeting. Our bishopric, in the middle of the meeting, extended a welcome to each of them by name and invited the members to welcome them as well. There's a missionary force at work in the hearts of the members here, and for all we can do, I'm stunned at how much the Lord is blessing us.

Love,
Elder Withers