Someone who recently met me said, "Want to know what makes you more beautiful above all the rest? The fact that you have self respect and morals. That's a rare trait to see these days. It truly speaks to your character and makes you shine brighter than everyone else."
What he saw in me was the light of Christ, the light of the Gospel in my life. Christ's light is in my eyes, my smile, my actions, the way I live my life. It's precious when someone notices that about me, make me feel like I must be doing something right. :)
After such a rough time with my mission prep, I finally had enough and pushed myself to do what I needed to. Preparing physically as well and spiritually. Reading, praying, studying. It was hard at first to get the motivation but I had good friends to push me. I'm thankful I got out of that rut and back to feeling excited and happy about the mission!
That's all it took. Even more blessings came.
Everything happens for a reason.
Backstory.
This young man, Ben, works at the same place I do. He had a death in the family and went to Chicago to be with them and grieve the loss of their loved one. He wasn't planning on coming back. He said his goodbyes to his friends here thinking it would be the last time he'd see them. He was there for a month when something was tugging on his heart to come back. He didn't know why, he had nothing left here for him anymore. Against his better judgement, he followed the prompting and came back. He was blessed with a full time position at the same place he would eventually meet me.
I came back from Tallahassee to await my mission call and the girl who had taken my place at my previous job just happened to be out of town for the month of January. My boss allowed me to come back and take her hours while she was out of town.
On the morning of an event (the staff has to dress nice), Ben made a joke that he was "rockin' the Mormon look." I made a comment that I "rock the Mormon look every day." Haha he didn't realize my religious background so we just started making jokes about it. We got bored at work so went all out to make him look like an LDS missionary. He made his own "nametag" and I gave him my Book of Mormon as a prop.
Ben- "Pretend Mormon"
God's Miracle.
A week or so went by before it came up in conversation again. He asked to learn more and I offered to practice teaching my missionary lessons on him. He agreed. He was raised Catholic but he felt as though bits and pieces didn't fit. We had a wonderful first lesson and he was already asking about baptism. I gave him a copy of The Book of Mormon and invited him to church the next day. I was a little nervous thinking it was going a little fast and he'd say no. To my surprise, he came and loved it. He said he felt at peace the whole time he was there. After church he asked me to hang out, I told him we need to keep the Sabbath day holy. He replied saying he would start practicing that and he has to "embrace the entire religion, not just bits and pieces." His maturity and desire for the truth amazes me. We have both decided that the tugging on his heart in Chicago to come back here was God sending him to me to receive the fullness of the Gospel. He was so well prepared to hear the truth, so excited to make all the changes in his life. So ready to make covenants in the waters of baptism. He is so ready he wants to jump headfirst into the deep end instead of sticking a toe in like most people.
God's hand was definitely in this, Ben was so strategically placed in my life it's incredible. I am thankful and honored that Heavenly Father trusted me, a practicing missionary who makes a lot of mistakes, to teach one of His spirit children. This is such a wonderful experience right before my mission. I can't even put into words the happiness I have felt while teaching him. It gets me so excited for the mission when I have the opportunity for more experiences like this every day. I know they all won't be as perfect as this one but I know I will be guided to those who are just waiting for me and my testimony.
Ben and I were planning to have the second lesson at the church that same Sunday with another nonmember and a friend of mine. We showed up a little early and the Sisters happened to be there practicing their companionship study. They practiced on Ben instead of each other, reteaching him the first lesson to strengthen their teaching skills. At the end they challenged him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon... and to be baptized! He said yes to both! We had the second lesson about the Plan of Salvation which made sense to him and answered some of his questions.
He came to institute with me and made some friends. He's working on quitting smoking. He's reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church regularly. He started receiving the lessons from the Sisters and Senior Missionaries, making and keeping commitments, making Feb. 23 his goal date of baptism. The Saturday before I leave. The road right before his baptism date was rocky, like always, Satan doesn't want another person accepting the truth. But he made it. He was baptized on Saturday February 23, 2013 and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday February 24, 2013.
"God will put prepared people in the way of His prepared servants who want to share the gospel." President Eyring
I am so proud of him and of how far he has come in such a short amount of time. It was about a months time from his first lesson to his baptism and he has the strongest faith I've seen in awhile. His prayers are my favorite because they are so sincere and pure. You can feel the spirit with the simplest prayer of his. He has been an inspiration to many of his extreme faith and determination. Everyone who has met him loves him already. It's been amazing watching him learn and grow in the gospel. Seeing his countenance change. He's happier and has this glow about him. I've never seen someone so excited for baptism as he was.
What a perfect experience right before I leave on my mission. "Every member a missionary." You don't have to be a full time missionary to share the gospel and change lives.
I'm so thankful for the man who brought my dad into the church and the sweet woman who brought my mother into the church. Without her, my mom wouldn't have the gospel in her life, wouldn't have met my father at her baptism, and I wouldn't be here today. I'm sure she didn't know at the time just how many lives she would change by sharing the gospel with my mom. My parents, their children, the people my older brother served on his mission, my friends I have shared the gospel with, and the people in California I will soon teach.
Open your mouth and share what you know. It could be a ripple affect on many more people than you realize.
-Hermana Gutknecht
