Progress in Tennessee

Dear Friends,

We were burning the shirt at a dinner appointment with some members.  It was on their driveway.  You're right, I don't know why people don't stop their cars to see what's going on when there's a fire outside after dark in a shady part of town.  Don't they care?

On New Year's Day, we went over to the Eddy family's home and had the most delicious pork and saurkraut ever.  Sister Eddy is a saint and is always making sure that we missionaries are taken care of.  She has this incredible sausage and potato dish that is just my favorite.  They just don't have us over for dinner enough.  When Elder Henriquez was here though, he was joking ALL THE TIME that I loved daughters...  needless to say that the relationship with that family is extremely awkward now.  But they're one of my favorite families here just the same and I love 'em to death... except for the daughter.

Anyways, this past week was pretty uneventful.  Most of the week I was just preoccupied with preparing for zone conference on Friday.  We had to make sure our apartments were clean and our assigned mission vehicles were spotless and there's usually a prize for the winner.  Of course, it was no challenge for someone of my cleanliness standards and my companion and I won in both cases.

In other news, our investigator, Bob (name changed for anonymity), came to church for the first time yesterday and he really enjoyed it.  His interest level is just skyrocketing and he is getting really excited to learn.

Also there was a lesson this week in which we took the 2nd Counselor in the bishopric (Bro. Howard) to visit with one of our investigators, Bob2 (name changed for anonymity; I'm not very creative) and it was CRAZY!!!!!!!!!  We started to read D&C 138 to talk more about the spirit world and about halfway through the lesson just DERAILED and Bro. Howard and Bob2 spent about and hour and a half arguing until we had to go do a baptismal interview.

The interview went splendidly and there was a baptism for them on Saturday in our district and it was just wonderful.  We were asked to fill the font, so Elder Rich and I went about an hour and a half early and started the water.  About 30 minutes later, no one else was at the building and nothing else was set up.  I assumed that they had in fact intended for us to actually prepare the cultural hall for the baptism and it was a good thing because no one else had arrived by a half hour before the service was scheduled.  But, I raided the Relief Society room and let me just tell you that that was probable the most well decorated baptismal service put on by a set of Elder missionaries that has ever been seen (the centerpiece looked like it belonged in the Celestial Room if I may say so myself).

Back to the lesson with Bro. Howard.... We had left for the baptismal interview and we got a call after the baptismal interview at about 830 that he had just left Bob2's home (which shocked me because I thought he had left right behind us).  So he was there for a total of 4 hours that day and it seems to have been a really good experience because now the Bob2 is studying harder than ever and wants to visit with us again tomorrow!

I was reading in Preach My Gospel this week and I found this quote by Harold B. Lee:

"May you stay with the context of the scripture and reduce it to understandable terms"

"Now you as teachers are not being sent out to teach new doctrine.  You're to teach the old doctrines, not so plain that they can just understand, but you must teach the doctrines of the Church so plainly that no one can misunderstand."

It may not apply to you all very much, but it really hit me and illustrated the fact that we are not living a new Gospel, but we are living the principles that have been taught and required of men since the days of Adam.  The circumstances and conditions of the world today, though different, are yet overcome by the simple truths of the Gospel.  And that is the very meaning of truth itself.  Elder Uchtdorf's CES fireside was very enlightening.

Well, gotta go.  Love you all!  God Bless!  Have a great week.

Love
Elder Grabinger

Oh, and some more info about that baptism... The family that was baptized were the ones that I had contacted on exchange with Elder Glazner about three months ago.  If you remember the story, it was the guy that we introduced the Book of Mormon to and he said "I am going to read every word of this book."  So that was cool.  Another interesting tidbit, the only reason we got into contact with them was because the wife (who was a less-active member) accidentally dialed a wrong number and it was the missionary's phone number that she had called.  How crazy is that!?