Lesson #36 (July 20, 2009)

This week went by really fast. Elder Birrell and I had a good week. We were tracting on Friday for a couple of hours. Hardly anyone was receptive to our message. But as we kept pushing along and kept a prayer in our hearts, we were able to have quality lessons with people we met at their doors. The last 2 houses we tracted the people living in them knew members from my old ward. We were able to have good conversations with them and bear our testimonies. Then, as we were walking back towards our car, Elder Birrell called up again a media referral named John Elliot who we've been trying to set up a time most convenient to him to come by and give him a Book of Mormon which he ordered. So, when Elder Birrell called Josh Holt, a member of our ward in Chapel Hill picked up the phone. Come to find out, that Josh and John Elliot are classmates from medical school. Josh and his wife have talked to John and his wife about the Church. So John Elliot ordered a free Book of Mormon on his own.

We were able to teach John Elliot and his wife Kat on Saturday. It went really well. John Elliot seemed the most skeptical. I committed them to pray to our Father in Heaven. Then, Kat said that she never prayed before. I taught her how to pray. I then bore testimony about the power of prayer and how it has changed and blessed my life to know that God is my Father and that He loves us. That He answers prayers! She was touched by that testimony. They didn't want to set up a return appointment, but they'll read and pray and ask the Holts questions that they have.

I met my new ward, the Chapel Hill 2nd ward on Sunday. They showed me a lot of love. One of the counselors from the Bishopric asked me beforehand to bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting. I did. I shared my conversion story. There was actually a guy named Ray Peterson who came to church for the 1st time. I met him after sacrament meeting. His friend, Delores who is a member, introduced me to him. He said that he's also an ex-catholic and that he's from Staten Island. I was able to talk to him a little more and teach him throughout church. Its great to see that my testimony was able to be felt by Ray, and since we could relate coming from kind of the same background, it was able to hit home a little bit more for him. I know that all things happen for a reason. I know that God loves us and He's our Father in Heaven.

Ray said that he's coming to church next Sunday. He doesn't want to meet up with us yet. But I feel good about him. I love this work. I'm grateful for the growth I have seen in myself in these last 9 months. I'm closer to God than I've ever been. I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that we are led by a prophet of God.

Love, Elder Olaya