General Conference this weekend!

10-1-13

Hey!

I don't have a ton to write about this week. It was kind of a crazy week. We had a new Senior couple come in this week, the Jensons. They are from Blackfoot, Idaho. So Tuesday we went to Lima for District meeting, Wednesday we moved in new furniture and appliances to the Jenson's apartment; Thursday, we went over and cleaned their apartment and got it all ready for them to come. President Vellinga called us and told us to give them the red carpet treatment. So we made a sticky note welcome sign (Out of several sticky notes, not just one haha), made taco soup for them to have a home cooked meal, then we showed them around St. Marys when they got here.

The branch is so excited to have them! They have already been such a blessing to us and their testimonies are so great. I really understand why Elder Holland said about Senior couples, "they bring a spirit of maturity that no number of 19 year olds can bring, no matter how good they are." It is SO true they add so much to the work. We love them and are grateful to have them!

The highlight of the week for me was a lesson we had with Brother F. He is an amazing man who hasn't come to church in a while. He really has such a great heart and testimony. He has a daughter who he hasn't really taught a lot about the gospel, but we had a lesson with them about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so touching to hear Brother F remember and retell the story of his conversion. He bore his testimony of Joseph Smith, and as we talked you could feel and see the spirit working within him. He lit up. And he remembered what he already knows. Hearing him bear testimony and sweetly explain things to his daughter was amazing. The best part was at the end, when we all knelt together, and he helped his daughter, for the first time in a long time, to pray. Brother F usually can seem a little rough on the outside and intimidating, but as he taught his daughter to pray, he seemed like a different person. You could feel how much he loved his daughter and how much he loved the Lord.

Lastly, we had a great dinner last night with Jim and Joyce. They are so great. Jim has been agnostic since he was 15 and Joyce has been protestant most of her life. They invited us over for dinner, so we came and helped make it and then had a great meal with them. At dinner, I was pleading for the Lord to help me ask inspired questions to help Jim open up, because from our other visits, he kind of told us he didn't think the Book of Mormon was for him. As we ate, I simply asked him what he was looking for, and he explained how he wasn't exactly sure, but just for the truth. It was amazing to have him open up by simple questions. We told him about General Conference, how he could hear from a prophet of God, and he and Joyce were excited to watch it with a question in mind!

I also found out yesterday, that all Argentina Visa waiters need to re-do their FBI clearance. So it sounds like the process will start all over again... So who knows how long I will be in Ohio? haha. When I initially heard this, for the 1st time, I felt kind of disappointed the it would now take even longer. After thinking about it though, this is an amazing thing. The Lord has great things planned for me to do in Ohio! So I have many reasons to be grateful! And I love it here! If the Lord wanted a Visa, he could get a Visa. So I will do His will in Ohio.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week and an amazing time watching General Conference! Ah! I am so excited!

Love,

Elder Heath Tenney