Elder Berrett : An Unexpected Journey

Good Morning Everyone!

Hey, before I get too far and forget, I have a couple of people that if you guys could pray for that would be awesome.

1. Greg

2. Sis. Flickinger

3. Sis. Vasquez

But if you could just pray that they will have the strength to endure the challenges that the Lord has put in their life and grow from it, that would be amazing!

Anyways, this week was absolutely, positively and stupendously Fantastic!

To start it off, this was Elder Burch and I's first full week together! It's been absolutely amazing! In the beginning of the week, we actually didn't have too much going on, so we ended up doing a ton of finding. While WE, keyword we, only saw a few things come of it, we truly both grew and knew that we were doing the Lord's work. While normally I'm not too excited about 3-4 straight hours of finding activities, I am truly thankful for that time :) Not only did Elder Burch and I get to know each other a lot better, but I think that we both truly learned a ton.

Also, quick side note, I am so thankful for the spirit and how much it has been helping us! Honestly, this work would be completely impossible if it weren't for the Lord helping us :) I think It was J Golden Kimble who said "If the church weren't true, 19 yr old missionaries would have ruined it years ago." But ya GO SPIRIT!

So let's see, quick look at area book, Oh ya! So we did actually have some great lessons this week though. We actually had several great miracles! So one of the less-active families that we are teaching, Jason and Cindy, finally let us in this week! One of the coolest parts is that they really opened up to us about a ton of their concerns that we can hopefully now resolve. :)

Also this week we finally found a fellow shipper for a less-active named Vicki that we've been working with! I now know why we have been having trouble finding one, literally we just brought this one member with us and it was amazing! She is totally helping Vicki, she even seemed excited about coming to church this week!

We have also had some really cool spiritual experiences this week! We have gotten to give out several blessings and help a bunch of people grow their testimony in Christ this week, like one of our progressing investigators Greg! He is a nephew of some active members in the Basin Ward. He's going through some tough health challenges but that is not stopping this man from coming closer to Christ! He is so genuinely excited about the gospel I love it!

Ok, quick story. This last Saturday my companion and I got asked to drive up to Worland so that we could do a Baptismal Interview. The Sister preparing for baptism's name was sis. Vasquez. She is seriously going through some tough crap but LOVES the gospel and how much it has helped her family. Honestly I was really excited to come do this interview, I remember her from back when the Worland Elders were teaching her a while back, I think I actually taught her once on an exchange. Anyways, the Interview went great! However she found out that due to some insane family emergency she needed to fly out to her sisters house ASAP to watch her kids. Thankfully the Lord is awesome. There were several miracles that we saw that happened in the next few hours.

1. The baptismal font, which normally takes hours to fill up was already being filled up during the interview for another baptism to take place shortly.

2. She had a bunch of recent convert family members in town to love her and help her.

3. We actually had to stay in Worland for a little while longer so that we could get our oil changed and tires rotated.

4. Right after her interview, Elder Burch and I, with the Worland Sisters had a super powerful lesson with her about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and testified of how vital it would be for her to have it during this hard time.

So long story short, sorry I'm really terrible at writing out stories, we ended up baptizing her about 2 hours after the interview. The crazy part is that she remembered me back from when I visited her and actually asked me to baptize her so ya! I actually got to BAPTIZE SOMEONE!

I think that's actually about it for the week. OH! ELder Burch and I got to play the piano for Primary this week #I_now_totally_want_a_calling_in_primary. #This_is_a_valid_reason_to_never_quit_the_piano

But ya! Anyways, I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to give people blessings or even participate. Also, thanks to the baptism, I've been reflecting a lot on what it means to hold the priesthood. One great quote I found this week in the talk "The Price of Priesthood Power" from the April 2016 General Conference given by President Russel M. Nelson. In in he says: "I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world.

I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven. I worry about all who are impure in their thoughts, feelings, or actions or who demean their wives or children, thereby cutting off priesthood power.

I fear that too many have sadly surrendered their agency to the adversary and are saying by their conduct, “I care more about satisfying my own desires than I do about bearing the Savior’s power to bless others.”

I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done for us and I love you all!