Week 11 (12/31/2018) Happy New Year

These holidays really make the subject line easy to make up, huh.

Welcome to 2019! Well, at least when most of you read this it will be. The elders of Cleveland are preparing to have a party to bring the new year in right. By which I mean board games, mostly. 

This week has been good. The Christmas decorations are gradually deflating, and the well-wishers wish us a happy new year instead of Christmas. Soon even the last vestiges of that will disappear. 

My first Christmas in the mission field went well. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me, at home and here in the field! Lots of love for the Jasper branch especially, I was really sad not to be there for Christmas.

But Cleveland is a good area. Starting to get to know the members a little bit better as I'm here longer, they all seem nice and friendly. 

We are still teaching C___, and we now walk with her to church to give her company, but she has come the last two Sundays and is looking forward to her baptism on the 19th, so that is really cool.

When we were going to pick up C___ I had the impression to knock on the door of another woman who we had met in that apt complex and invite her to come with us, but we were already with C___ so I quenched that prompting...you know what the scriptures say about those who quench the spirit. Well, I feel really bad about it, because now we're having a hard time getting in with her. I hope my not heeding that prompting doesn't harm her opportunity to receive the gospel at this time.

Speaking of opportunities to receive the gospel, many people tell us "I'm Baptist, I know Jesus, I'm saved"...I have one scripture for them.
Matthew 7:21-23 reads "21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity"

I'll just leave that there.

Another exciting thing is that we got stuck. Badly. Up to our front axle in mud. Took a wrecker to get us out. Don't drive off the road after it rains, kids. We're all good, though, safe and sound. 

I hope everyone is looking forward to the new Come Follow Me program! I must admit I'll miss three hour church, but I am a fan of the program so I'm excited for it. 

Well, I guess that wasn't too much of a mailer, but I can't think of anything else too exciting that happened this week. Lots of tracting, a bit of teaching. Sour stomach, but I ate from the taco truck after it started, so it couldn't have been from there. 

Lots of love from Texas,

Elder DeFord