Joshua's email - 2/11

What's up everyone! I hope everyone's had a great week!

I've been studying Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel and the scriptures lately, and I've had some really good experiences by doing that.  I've been really studying Charity from the scriptures, and I've had some really cool experiences from that.  I've found that when I pray and ask for charity in all that I do, it truly makes a noticeable difference.  We had an awesome lesson with a less active that we've been working with for a while, and I believe that because Elder J have been praying for charity, it really helped the less-active to feel more loved and in turn, he was much more willing to accept commitments and to strengthen his relationship with our Father in Heaven.  Very cool.

Last Monday, I got my haircut at a local barber shop.  It was a pretty nice place, and the barber did a really good job....... except HE SHAVED ONE OF MY EYEBROWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He asked me a question right as he shaved it, and I was completely bewildered at what had just happened.  I was faced away from the mirror, so I didn't know if he had actually shaved it or what had happened.  I was too confused and embarrassed to ask him to shave the other one!  When I got to the car and checked my eyebrows in the mirror, Elder J BUSTED UP laughing... We went home and I spent the next 30 minutes fixing the other eyebrow so they both matched... What the heck!!!!!  Oh and Elder J also found it to be pretty funny that the barber was a serious Jehovah's Witness, who kept saying things like, "Have you ever even read the Book of Mormon?? Even in there it says that you're supposed to be a Jehovah's Witness!"  He also laughed that the barber kept calling me "Montana Slim."  What a crazy guy. Hahaha.

Tuesday, we had an awesome Zone Training Meeting.  Afterwards, we visited some potentials and then had a really good lesson with J, where we finished talking about the Restoration.  He's soaking everything up like a sponge and he keeps talking about how he's in this for the long haul, and he's "learning things that make total sense, even though [he has] been to several different churches throughout the years. Pretty awesome.  His countenance gets brighter and he seems happier every time we visit.  He mentioned that his Jewish roommate (who told him not to open the door if we knocked their door) has been softening up to mormons and he even asks us questions and participates slightly in lessons with J.  That's been way cool.

The next day, we had an INCREDIBLE lesson with V!  He says he's felt he's received an answer to know the Book of Mormon is true. He has two roommates who he's trying to share the Book of Mormon with.  We asked him what the next step is in his life is, and he said that he wants to be baptized but he's not sure if he's worthy enough to be baptized yet.  He has some things to work through, but he's making solid efforts to become worthy.  He works 50-70 hours a week, so we don't get to see him very often.  We talked about one step that will help prepare him, and that's by coming to church.  He agreed to come, but he works every weekend, so that's a problem.  We shared 1 Nephi 3:7 with him, and he decided to make an effort to take Sundays off or to find a new job so that he could come. He's had a couple baptismal dates before, but they haven't stuck because he gets so busy with work.  Hopefully now that will change.

I think I mentioned M last week.  It turns out that she gave us a wrong address and number! Which was a HUGE bummer because she seemed soooooooooo solid!!!! But it turned out okay, because we've been having good things happen with other investigators.

We had a couple other lessons throughout the week with J. At first, he was very unwilling to pray, so we taught him how to pray on his own.  He ended that lesson with a super powerful prayer, and that was really cool to see.  We also brought a member to a lesson where we talked about the Plan of Salvation.  It was especially spiritual because the member gave PERFECT comments that helped J understand what we were trying to teach.  J came to church again this Sunday!!

We had another really really cool conversation with the D family.  I think I talked about them before.  We call Brother D "the brother of D," and we like to say that "the veil of unbelief has been lifted from the eyes of the brother of D."  He has an incredible knowledge of the scriptures and the gospel, and he talked very deeply about what life after death will be like, and what "eternal joy" really is.  Crazy!

So it's been a pretty good week this week.  Nothing is set in stone yet, but I think I've only got a week left in Sun Prairie (most likely), so I'll only be here until February 20th.  Please send mail from now on to my mission office address:

Elder Josh Whicker
5651 Broad St. Ste. 1
Greendale, WI 53129

Love you all!

Elder Whicker