From Elder BJ Bernards, dated July 28, 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
I love being a missionary! Yesterday after church when we were taking a lunch break, we listened to the new Mo-Tab [Mormon Tabernacle Choir] CD called "Called to Serve" and the songs on there rang true with my soul. It stirred me up and as we went out I felt more bold than ever and the excitement of serving the Lord and proclaiming His gospel of Love filled my soul.
to work towards his baptism at the end of We were able to see some cool miracles happen too. Mike Corte didn't come to church again so we took a new elder who leaves for Switzerland in August with us to see him and he wasn't home. So right as we were pulling away he rolls in and invites us in and before we even said a prayer, a sermon comes out of my mouth as if I had practised and practised and memorised those scriptures and worked hard to organize it, and the Spirit aided us all as we taught Mike about repentance and baptism and getting a clean new life to start over with. He seems recommitted to work towards his baptism at the end of September and were seeing him tomorrow.
We were able also to see Peggy finally after a couple of days of no contact with her and she is loving us more and listening and responding more than ever. Usually she just changes the subject or refuses to answer, but her heart is softening up and she is growing and getting answers to her prayers.
Rohit Khada gave us a scare because we weren't sure if he could get baptised because he wont leave his traditions of Hinduism behind but claims that it supports his worship of God and Jesus Christ whom he believes in and prays to. So we called Pres. Newman and he told us that he is pretty sure it comes down to who you worship and keeping the commandments so he's pretty sure that he can be baptised. But, he alled the Church Headquarters to ask them for clarification and they counseled him to call India and ask them how they deal with Hindu's there so we can give Rohit good advice for his future.
We found a family last night as we followed out in our back-up plans. As we planned the night before we felt that we needed to see Dee who we had dropped from lack of interest, who lives in our apartment complex right at 8:30. Our plans earlier in the day were all shuffled around but it it all worked together for our good and ended up being there at 8:30 and her lights were on so we knew she was home! But she didn't come to the door.
Then the thought came to me to try a door of a lady we had briefly talked to in our parking lot and she gave us a date to come back but she was sick and didn't seemed too interested other times we saw her. But we knocked on her door and she said, "come in come in! This is my husband Bob, and he'll turn off the TV and here are our daughters, and sit down sit down lets talk." So we did, and had a wonderful time as we discussed revelation and answers to prayers and the gospel blessing families and extended a commitment to read Lehi's Dream and were coming back tonight with a couple in our ward.
We're also seeing Debra Baron who is a referral from Salt Lake who we saw earlier this week and who told us that she had read the chapter we had left, loved it and wanted another one and for us to come back tonight! That same couple is coming with us.
While we were over at the bishop's house last night for dinner, their neighbor girl who is 18 burst in and said, " Oh, I'm so glad you Elders are here cause I really need to talk to you guys. You remember when you ate at our house two days ago and you asked me about my friend who might be interested? She came to me with a billion questions and I was scared and unprepared and she wants to meet with you guys next Monday night at our house!" Holy cow, that is awesome.
We also had a great lesson at the bishop's home whee we taught the Restoration which never fails to invite the sweet spirit of Christ into the room and it uplifted everyone there.
I am grateful to be a servant of the Lord and know and witness that He lives and that He guides us in our daily endeavors. I got a letter from Sydney Bently who is the girl I baptised in North Platte who said " Every were I go I can feel the Holy Ghost with me! It is so awesome and I love every day. I have never felt this happy before in my whole life! Thank you and Elder Fallon for teaching me Sooooo much!"
I shared with the bishop's family last night the conversion story of Sydney and how she received a witness of the Book of Mormon's divinity as we read together 3 Nephi 11. We were inspired of the Lord to read it with her, and the Holy Finger of the Lord reached into her sweet heart and touched it and purified it and sanctified her soul and she knew then that this is the true and living church of God upon the earth, restored by the prophet Joseph Smith.
I love you family and I love your examples of enduring to the end. Please pray for me as I strive to work hard and be diligent for the next few months of my life. I need them.
Love,
Elder Bernards
