"Do The Work": Goodbye Rose Garden

Funny sign in our area. I guess they ran out of uphill signs so they turned a downhill sign upside down.

This was a fabulous week. We were able to work hard and the results, while they weren't what we wanted, we could work hard and see God helping us.

We were able to talk to many people this week who were very humble and neat people. We talked to Erika, who is incredible - a person that is so ready to live the gospel. And Viviane who also was able to receive an answer. And also our new friends Bruno, Lucas, and Gabriel who were all baptized recently.

We see that God wants the work to go forward, but in all things there needs to be opposition. And recently we taught a married couple (Jonathan and Viviane) they are members of another church and we taught them first about the family and the eternal nature of the family. Then we explained about the Restoration; we invited them to read and pray about the BoM so that they too can know it is true. When we returned on Sat. they both had read, and they gave us their report and Jonathon was very unsure. (his dad is a pastor of another church) and he doesn't feel like moving would be right. When we asked Viviane she said that She thinks differently, but that she needs to follow her husband....

It is so incredible that God will give us an answer based on our real intent. Viviane was willing while Jonathon was a little stubborn, We invited him to ask directly and with real intent so God can give him his answer. The member that was with us was able to bear strong testimony and he actually started to tear up as he talked about his family. We could feel the spirit so strong, and we were moved, but sadly the spirit can’t touch a stubborn heart so easily. And they didn’t come to church yesterday as they had promised. I pray for their success and that in the future the missionaries can reach them. Elder Stevens will still be here to help them out.

I know that we need to be ready to hear what the spirit tells us. He can tell us anything we need to know. And he is ready, when we let him, he will help us out. He can help us strengthen our testimonies of The Savior Jesus Christ. We as missionaries are dependent on this divine power of the Holy Ghost.

I love you all.

I’ll be leaving the Rose Garden to head to the center of the city. It will be a great change for me. I will be companions with another fellow Utahan. Good things to come from SP 😃

Elder Iverson