Amazing Week with a Special Visit

Dear Family and Friends,

Yeah, within the past month we've gotten a newly called bishop and elders quorum president.  Elder LeSueur was telling me that they've gotten a lot of people more excited about missionary work than they were when he first got here.  I can't imagine it was ever bad though, everyone is so nice and so willing to help.  This ward is awesome!

It's looking like Gary will be baptized this Saturday!  I'm so excited!

I've heard it's been snowing all over Arizona lately.  Is that true?

Okay, things have been going amazingly this past week.  We had decided to kind of back off of a couple of investigators that weren't showing much progress or commitment two weeks ago.  But a week ago, they called us to set up an appointment and when we went by on Tuesday, it was just incredible.  One of them told us, "We've been discussing some things, and we poured out all of the alcohol.  I want that Holy Ghost to be with me always and I know the only way is to be baptized."  So incredible.  Then we've been focusing on teaching his son who moved in with him from Florida and has a lot of questions on spiritual matters that have never really been answered for him.  He's so excited to learn with us.

Next, we visited a part-member family and talked with them about having an eternal family.  The father is sooo on board (he's the only member) and it's obvious that the most important thing to him is his family so he really wants his family to have these blessings.  They're all excited to meet with us now and learn more about being sealed.  It's so wonderful.

To top it all off, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES (maybe you've heard of them...?) visited the Knoxville stake this weekend and then also addressed us missionaries in a conference afterward.  It was just so amazing.  I shook his hand.  TWICE!  For me, his messages weren't particularly enlightening, but there is no one on earth that can inspire and uplift and motivate and drive you to resolve to do better as well as a member of the Twelve or First Presidency.  That's what I gained.  I loved it.

The blessings of the Lord are becoming so apparent.  The Spirit is taking over the world!  Awesome.

I finally understand why most of you don't write me.  There is no way that your life is as exciting as mine right now!

Enjoy.

Go ahead and try this week though, mmmk?  Love you all!

Love,
Elder Grabinger