Elder Austin Halls: Week 85 One more for South Side

Hola,

This week started off with interviews with President Johnson. I've said it many times, but I really am grateful for the Johnsons. Their love for the missionaries is incredible and I don't know how they do it. Such amazing people! We had a pretty busy day after that inviting everyone we could to watch Prince of Peace! It's a great video and everyone we've shown it to loves it! We're lucky to have iPads because you can just show it right there, no excuses. The church does such a great job with their videos and if you haven't seen it yet, take a sec and go watch it! You just need to go to mormon.org

We got a call this week to go give a blessing at UPMC Children's hospital. There was a little boy from another ward who needed a blessing and we were the closest ones to him so we decided to go. He had had a severe asthma attack and was in the emergency room. It was a really amazing experience to give him a blessing! He's not a member of the church nor his mom, but she just gave permission to have him start taking the lessons. I thought it was powerful and then right after we showed them Prince of Peace. Probably the best place we could've done it. Usually there's not a lot of peace in the emergency room, but it was definitely felt after the video. The video is working so well! We've been seeing new people with it and calling people out to come watch it... 😏 We went and saw Manuel and asked him if there was anyone else in the home that would want to see it. He basically told us to go find them upstairs and we did. Ended up inviting two of his kids to watch it as well so boom. They didn't seem super interested but hey we invited them.

Wilbur is staying pretty stubborn on his belief that he doesn't need to be baptized again. He said that in the Bible it never says you need to be baptized again which is not true. (Acts 19:1-6) We read that to him and nada. He then tried to explain what it "really meant" which was ironic because he can't read. I told my comps we ought to just go in there and "read" Wilbur you need to be baptized! I'm just messing, but the thought did cross my mind. We invited him to pray about it and we're hoping he receives an answer!

This week was crazy for us as far as finding goes. We've just been super blessed to find people ready for the gospel. On Thursday we went to a part member family to show them Prince of Peace and they loved it. The kids aren't members and we're going back to teach them this coming week. I'm pumped because I've been wanting to see them ever since I got here!

We did some service with Raymond again which is always a good time. We painted some of the rooms in his house and took staples out of the floor. That house is looking a ton better and his mom is going to love it when she comes. We hope she loves it enough to want to meet with us and learn about the gospel... 😏 We'll see. We had a really good lesson later that night with Jorge where at the end we said a kneeling prayer and he asked the Lord if what we had taught was true. There was a special spirit in the room and I hope he felt it. We tried to point it out and I think he did feel something!

Saturday we were blessed again. The Pitt north walk sisters had found a Spanish investigator and called us asking for a Spanish Book of Mormon that we could give them. Since we cover all of greater Pittsburgh we decided to just go deliver it ourselves and what a great idea that was. So we get up there to meet the sisters so they can introduce him and show us where he lives. The only problem was the sisters didn't get the right address. 😬 All we knew was that there was a Spanish house in this big neighborhood. So what do you do? Start walking around looking for Spanish things and asking people. Luckily enough this older lady said: "I know there are a lot of workers at a house across from the gas station." Perfect. So we go knock that house and sure enough it's a Spanish GOLD MINE. There's like 10 guys that live there and a few of them had gotten here yesterday and were so excited that they showed us their visas. 😂 It was sweet and they were pumped to have us share our message and help them with English. We were so stoked. God bless those sisters.

Sunday was a Why I Believe fireside which are always so amazing. I think I've talked about them before, but I really enjoy them! There was some great music and testimonies and overall a good night and great way to end the week!

Random thoughts

The Dushku family makes some amazing fish tacos.
After finding the new Spanish Gold mine Elder Nelson and I freaked out in the car. Chaaaa-hooooo! (Elder Condie was on splits)
Transfer news came in and the Tres Nefitas will be staying here for one more. 😏
The Reyes got their temple recommends! They're doing so well!