Yesterday at church, we had investigator come to church with her husband and kids.  I can tell she doesn’t really feel comfortable at church, because her knowledge of the gospel is pretty limited, so she is shy.  One of the problems is she has been going to Gospel Doctrine class ever since she started coming with her husband and it all just goes right over her head, so we worked with the ward council to have a Gospel Principles class for her instead and that should be starting next week. She has been reading in the Book of Mormon and keeping all of her commitments.

Our investigator, A--- got in a car wreck last week, so we didn’t have much chance to teach him, but we did have a good talk with his mom as we were doing service for her in her yard, and then she took us out to dinner.  She noted how different we were, and how unique it was for two young men like us to be doing service for 2 years, sacrificing everything a guy loves to do.  I mentioned how even though I thought the same thing and was intimidated by the sacrifice at first, right now I am the happiest I have ever been my whole entire life. She said she didn’t get how that was possible. I brought up the difference between true joy vs. pleasure, and how all the things that  I thought made me happy before my mission really didn’t bring happiness at all, just temporary ways to ease my mind. But that through living the gospel and studying the scriptures, I now know that true happiness only comes from one place – God, who loves us and is more than willing to give it to us, but first we have to trust him. She went on to talk about her struggle her entire life to try to grow closer to God. She has prayed and attended many different churches (including ours) trying to feel/get an answer that God does exist, but has never-not once- felt the Spirit in all her life. That was followed by many of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard.   

That lesson hit me pretty hard, I almost cried. For no apparent reason, here I am- born in the church, with everything I’ve ever needed.  I have literally been blessed with a virtually perfect life.  idk why.  I don’t deserve it. idk why we are so blessed.  It seemed very peculiar to me, because she is a great and Christlike person, the nicest lady ever.  I would think she would have had plenty of times where she felt heaven's aid or had spiritual experiences, but she hasn’t- so she doesn’t believe God is with us anymore like he was in the Bible.   I have done a lot of thinking and studying to find out what we can do to help her feel the Spirit.  I have been studying in Preach My Gospel and the scriptures about the personage of the Holy Ghost, the differences between the Light of Christ vs. the power of the Holy Ghost vs. the Gift of the Holy Ghost, vs. the sealing power of the Holy Spirit of Promise, etc... so It’s still a work in progress, but if anyone deserves to feel God's love, it’s her.

We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with R--- last night and he accepted a baptism date for the 28 of June!  The Spirit was so strong when we taught the plan of salvation, and he understood how everything was so perfect - how agency and the fall was necessary, how the plan would be useless without a savior, and the mercy and justice of God. He prayed for us at the end, and said, "Please help me to know this is true, so I can follow thy will and obtain el reino celestial con mis hermanos."  It was so sincere, and the Spirit was so strong! I almost cried.  That’s twice I almost cried this week.  I’m gettin’ soft.

So Elder Bautista is getting emergengy transfered to Oxnard today, so now I am in a tripan with Elder Berg and Elder Hernandez here in Fillmore.  I’ll miss Elder Bautista.

Love, Elder Parrish