Transferring

Elder Benjamin Walker is transferring out of the Summerville area this Wednesday. He's really enjoyed his time there. He loves the people:

I'm sad and excited that I am being transferred at the same time. Sad because Elder Parker and I have found many people to teach and 4 of them are getting baptized (I'm certain they will ... 4 different families)... and possibly 6 in the near future as part of their families after they are baptized.

I have to tell you about one of the people that is going to get baptized: Julia.

A little more than a year ago, Julia requested a Book of Mormon and never got it till Elder Winger and I, a couple of months ago, stopped by her home and gave her one. Since then we have been trying to set up a time for us to come over (later we found out it was because the husband didn't want to go into a religion yet), I was finally able to set up a return appointment with her this past week and Elder Parker and I had a amazing lesson with her... she is the most elect non-member I have ever met in my life. I wouldn't have thought otherwise if she told me that she was the Relief Society president of a previous ward. Her only relationship problem with her husband is that he likes to drink alcohol, and she is against it. (She's already living the Word of Wisdom.) She told us that she has been looking for a place to go to church where her children can learn after we had explained a little bit about primary from a prompting. They keep themselves very "clean". They're TV is very very limited because of all the garbage on TV these days. They only have one for the husband.

The husband is part of the Navy and is gone 9 out of 12 months of the year. She told us that she doesn't have very many friends because all of her acquaintances drink. The more we talked with her the more excited she got about coming to church. Satan worked really really hard on her, she had terrible migraines and almost didn't come to church because of how sick she was, but she told me she was coming so she came at the last moment. Her husband told her before he left back to the Navy for a couple of months that she could find a church while he was gone and he'll join it when she gets back. In the midst of our talking to her she told us that she found the church she was looking for. Her 4 year old and 6 year old daughters loved church too and made great friends. She even gave her friend the first Book of Mormon we gave her, so we gave her two more: one to send to her husband, and one for her to keep.

Miracles have been happening in the Summerville ward, I'm just sad that I don't get to stick around to see more of them... I think it was for the best though that you changed it to two elders in Summerville instead of four, Elder Parker and Elder Bennett will do a great job in Summerville. I'm excited about leaving though because I've never been transferred yet besides from the MTC to Summerville. I know that I will be put where I can grow the most and make the biggest difference in South Carolina (or Georgia, or North Carolina)!

The other people that are going to be baptized relatively soon are:
Steven, David, and Lessilie.

They have already told us that they will get baptized for sure, Steven is waiting on a divorce so he can get married and no longer be breaking the 7th commandment. Bro Lange's wife is a member and is strongly encouraging him to get baptized so they can be married in the temple; we had to postpone the date of his baptism though because even though he would have been baptized on that date we set, he's not ready yet; he still has things to learn and come to an understanding of first. Lessilie's daughter has been encouraging her to straighten out the simple things in her life that are keeping her from re-joining the church. They will all be baptized soon... Julia's husband will get baptized after he gets back, and her two children will too when they turn 8 (couple years away). We also have a couple children from a less active family, named Alexander and Elizabeth, that are preparing to get baptized. The daughter picked up reading the Book of Mormon on her own. Steven's adopted daughter will probably get baptized soon too.

I really do love all of the blessings that have come to my brothers and sisters here in Summerville, I pray that I'll be guided somewhere where I can bless more people in their lives later on my mission!


Today I'm packing up my stuff, because I found out Saturday night that I'm being transferred to somewhere else this Wednesday, and my companion and Elder Thayne's companion are now companions in the Summerville ward... they took out two missionaries in the area... it was for the best, I wish that happened while I was still here though, because it would have fixed all of the problems that came up and hindered us being the most effective we can be. They are very excited for it.


It really is awesome that I get to give/help with so many blessings members request. I get to use the priesthood all of the time!


Joshua, you are going to have a great time on your mission ... don't think otherwise. There is so much stuff that happens on a mission that never gets written down, typed, or told to others... it's hard work, but it can be (and should be) and is really fun too.