Temple last week was awesome! I'm so grateful that we have the opportunity to once every 9 weeks go to the temple and feel the sacredness there.

We have really been working with a lot of less-active members and recent converts since being in Castle Peak Bay.  Among one of them is Au Hd. He is awesome! The Butterfly elders were working with him up until the time that the ward split and we had a turn over lesson two lessons ago.  Like I shared last week, we invited him to use the "Gospel Library" app on his phone and read the Book of Mormon. This past week when we went to visit him he had an extra amount of excitement. Everything about him just seemed happier. He wasn't a sad person by any means before, but he just had that extra 'bounce' in his step. We asked him how the past week had been and he said that it was busy as usual however, because of the convenience of the app on his phone, he had been able to start reading the Book of Mormon. He is awesome! He is working to develop the habit of sincerely reading everyday, as well as continuing to pray.

A-yung, an investigator the sisters turned over to us just over a week ago, is on the way to progression! A little background, she had a baptismal date a couple months ago, but because she couldn't get work off that day she couldn't be baptized. Shortly thereafter she got busy and was unable to meet with the missionaries for about a month. As we talked with her she said that the closer she got to baptism, the stronger she could feel the spirit, however, the closer she got to baptism, she said the more she felt "another spirit's" presence. Obviously that other presence was Satan. She said the other feeling made her feel like she wasn't ready or she couldn't do it. She said that that week before her baptism she felt like her brain was being pulled by two different forces. But after missing the baptismal date, she has felt both the Holy Ghost and the other presence less and less. She said that right now she feels that the Savior is far from her. We shared what that 'other force' was and asked if she wanted to feel the Holy Ghost again. Her desire to be baptized is still very much there. She already has faith in the principles she has already learned. We took it back to the basics and invited her to sincerely pray everyday and to read the scriptures with real intent. The desire she has to come closer to the Savior is remarkable. She is still facing challenges but with the Lord's help, she'll be ready. I know that the Lord will help her prepare to be baptized! I'm very grateful to be able to be a witness to her overcoming her challenges. It builds my testimony in all aspects of missionary work!
  

If only everyone could understand the importance of weekly Family Home Evening! We went with the Relief Society President to visit a recent convert (Chan Jm) this past week and shared about F.H.E.! Chan Jm's husband isn't a member and her two little kids are not yet 8. After thinking about what we could teach to help their family the most, family night was clearly the way to go. We shared with Chan Jm why we have family night and then we held one there! We haven't met the father yet because he has been busy the last 2 weeks, but the sisters told us that his interest is in families. Through their family holding family home evening, it will not only strengthen their family, but it will help them build their foundation on a sure rock! Family Home Evening is a simple thing but definitely critical!

 

Love, Elder Zach Cederlof

"Coolest house up on the mountain I've ever seen!"