Dear Family and Friends,
It’s Nov. 5, 2012 In Lugansk Ukraine
First of all my birthday is this next week and it’s going to be weird celebrating it on the mission but I’m gonna make the best of it!!! Late birthday wish to Ryan Litchfield,
First of all my birthday is this next week and it’s going to be weird celebrating it on the mission but I’m gonna make the best of it!!! Late birthday wish to Ryan Litchfield,
Elder Michael Litchfield and Elder Tanner Wright Litchfield, and an early birthday wish to
Chelsi Litchfield....we have all almost made it through the teenage years…… ha ha love you!
Now for my week in the mission.....
WOW! To put my week in a nutshell that’s a very good word to describe it. So many things went on this week but there are really two that truly stick out to me.
We have an investigator whose name is Roman he speaks great English so that’s why I can communicate with him so well….. ha ha but he has been one of those “eternal investigators” and he had been drinking coffee and tea and so I think I mentioned it last week that we committed him to quit for just three days. We met with him on Tuesday and he was telling us that he was going to do it, but on Wednesday and it may be hard for him to not drink because there is a student of his that he teaches English and the students mom always gives him coffee and he said he didn’t know what he would do about that situation, but he would try to resist. So I decided on Tuesday night that I would fast and pray on Wednesday to help him have strength to not drink coffee and follow the word of wisdom exactly. Wednesday came and went and I felt good. I felt that the lord was going to answer my prayers. Now here is the most spiritual thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life and I KNOW GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS!!!
So we had a lesson with him on Friday and we had not talked to him at all since our last meeting. We started off by asking Roman how his abstaining went for the past week. He then proceeded to tell us that on Wednesday he really did not know how he was going to tell this lady that he was going to have to reject her cup of coffee and he was a little nervous how it was all going to go down. BUT when he got there and he said that the lady told him that she was sorry but that they just ran out of coffee..... RIGHT after he said this my mouth dropped! I was stunned at what I was hearing. He was telling me that after all these months of teaching this kid English and always getting coffee, this one time they "JUST SO HAPPEN" to run out of coffee.
Now for my week in the mission.....
WOW! To put my week in a nutshell that’s a very good word to describe it. So many things went on this week but there are really two that truly stick out to me.
We have an investigator whose name is Roman he speaks great English so that’s why I can communicate with him so well….. ha ha but he has been one of those “eternal investigators” and he had been drinking coffee and tea and so I think I mentioned it last week that we committed him to quit for just three days. We met with him on Tuesday and he was telling us that he was going to do it, but on Wednesday and it may be hard for him to not drink because there is a student of his that he teaches English and the students mom always gives him coffee and he said he didn’t know what he would do about that situation, but he would try to resist. So I decided on Tuesday night that I would fast and pray on Wednesday to help him have strength to not drink coffee and follow the word of wisdom exactly. Wednesday came and went and I felt good. I felt that the lord was going to answer my prayers. Now here is the most spiritual thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life and I KNOW GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS!!!
So we had a lesson with him on Friday and we had not talked to him at all since our last meeting. We started off by asking Roman how his abstaining went for the past week. He then proceeded to tell us that on Wednesday he really did not know how he was going to tell this lady that he was going to have to reject her cup of coffee and he was a little nervous how it was all going to go down. BUT when he got there and he said that the lady told him that she was sorry but that they just ran out of coffee..... RIGHT after he said this my mouth dropped! I was stunned at what I was hearing. He was telling me that after all these months of teaching this kid English and always getting coffee, this one time they "JUST SO HAPPEN" to run out of coffee.
I THINK NOT! I know that The Lord answered my prayer.
Right after he told me this, I told him that I had fasted for him and he told me that he has no doubt that The Lord was a major part in him being able to stay away from coffee and tea.
I know for a fact that we receive so much strength and others can receive so much strength too from our willingness to fast and pray!
My testimony of fasting and prayer is the strongest it has ever been. I know without a doubt that God is our loving Heavenly Father who will answer us if we ask him, with the right intent and if we are not going against his will. I love the power of prayer……… it is so real!!!
Now that was the first miracle we had. The second one is what happened on Tuesday morning. We were just about to head home and we were just about to turn to go towards home when we stop this one last guy... turns out he is looking for some truth and he has heard about our church and wants to know more (and a bonus is he speaks English) ha ha. So we get his information and set up to meet with him the next day. We have a great lesson, it wasn’t quite what we wanted but we gave him the Book of Mormon and told him to read. We then were able to meet with him again on Saturday and he came back with all these connections between the bible and the Book of Mormon. We were just dumbfounded that he made these connections so quickly.
My testimony of fasting and prayer is the strongest it has ever been. I know without a doubt that God is our loving Heavenly Father who will answer us if we ask him, with the right intent and if we are not going against his will. I love the power of prayer……… it is so real!!!
Now that was the first miracle we had. The second one is what happened on Tuesday morning. We were just about to head home and we were just about to turn to go towards home when we stop this one last guy... turns out he is looking for some truth and he has heard about our church and wants to know more (and a bonus is he speaks English) ha ha. So we get his information and set up to meet with him the next day. We have a great lesson, it wasn’t quite what we wanted but we gave him the Book of Mormon and told him to read. We then were able to meet with him again on Saturday and he came back with all these connections between the bible and the Book of Mormon. We were just dumbfounded that he made these connections so quickly.
So we taught him the message of the restoration and he accepted it but still had a few questions. We had a member named Gabriel, who is an African bear and has a super strong testimony and we committed this man whose name is Ura to go home and pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if he should be baptized.
So we set up another lesson with him the next day, meaning yesterday, Sunday. We went to Dontesk for a district conference and so we didn’t get back until like 4 am and we were meeting Ura at 6 am so we quickly ate some food and prepared for our lesson. Since we didn’t have much time since we got up at 4:30 and were exhausted on the bus ride there and back.
So we set up another lesson with him the next day, meaning yesterday, Sunday. We went to Dontesk for a district conference and so we didn’t get back until like 4 am and we were meeting Ura at 6 am so we quickly ate some food and prepared for our lesson. Since we didn’t have much time since we got up at 4:30 and were exhausted on the bus ride there and back.
So we decided we would teach him the plan of salvation.
We get to the lesson and we begin asking him the basics….. Did you read? and right away he said yes, I read and I feel that exactly what is said in the Book of Mormon is said in the bible and the Book or Mormon just helps clarify the bible.... we were like whoa….. Are you serious ha ha and then I asked him if he knew it was true, he said yes! Then I asked if he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet, he said yes! Then I asked if he would be baptized on the 24th of November, he said no…… I need to prepare more before I can get baptized.
We get to the lesson and we begin asking him the basics….. Did you read? and right away he said yes, I read and I feel that exactly what is said in the Book of Mormon is said in the bible and the Book or Mormon just helps clarify the bible.... we were like whoa….. Are you serious ha ha and then I asked him if he knew it was true, he said yes! Then I asked if he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet, he said yes! Then I asked if he would be baptized on the 24th of November, he said no…… I need to prepare more before I can get baptized.
We said exactly, that’s why we want you to PREPARE for the 24th and then he was like…….
Oh of course then, yes I will prepare myself!!!!! We were just ecstatic and speechless…… it was the coolest thing ever and we have met with him only three times.
Miracles are everywhere and we just need to be patient and wait for them to happen!!
I love this work! I love you all and may The Lord continue to bless your lives and your families as you continue to strive to follow the example that our Elder Brother Jesus Christ has set for us.
I love this work! I love you all and may The Lord continue to bless your lives and your families as you continue to strive to follow the example that our Elder Brother Jesus Christ has set for us.
Have a wonderful week!!!!
Love Elder Litchfield
Love Elder Litchfield
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