I don't know if I've explained how we met Joe before so I'll do it again if I have!
SO Joe :) One day we were giving some service at the food bank here in Lubbock and we were making some boxes and possibly a fort with the boxes....it was the best fort you've ever seen I promise! In consequence of our awesome fort we were a little late to lunch. We strolled in, ate some delicious food and were the only ones there. well we were getting up to leave and this man comes up to us and asks "Are you two the Mormon girls?" and we were like "Yes!" and he was like "Can you pray for me" and the amazing Sister Wilson turns and asks " Is there anything specific we can pray for?" He then explained how this was going to be a really hard week and he didn't want to fall into his drinking addiction again and that if we prayed for him he'd be able to do it.
So the next week rolls around and I'm on exchanges with Sister Palmer at the Food bank and we see Joe walk in and he sees us and I go up to meet him and was like Joe! It's so good to see you! How was this weekend? and with the biggest smile He said "Sister I did it! I had 2 opportunities and I felt something I hadn't felt before I felt like I won! I didn't even want to! At that moment I knew you sisters were praying for me, I knew it! I had never felt like that before. " We then told him he could have that feeling all the time and we told him we had a book for him and would help him have that strength every time he read it. So we went to the car and grabbed a Book of Mormon and then set a return appointment with him.
So Friday rolls on in and we sit down to have a lesson with him and start having some brief conversation stuff a little bit of How to begin teaching and then I was like well Joe before we get into some more scriptures can we start with a prayer? I'll say the one in the beginning and at the end will you say the prayer to close our meeting? He said he would try to do his best. So after I say the opening prayer he was like I don't think I can repeat that. we then explained that prayer was a personal conversation with God. He really liked that :) So we got into the restoration and the Spirit was so strong. We got into the Saviors earthly ministries and we talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and read Alma 7:11-13 and placed Joe in where it says his people and we broke it down. after Joe finished reading we were silent for a solid 10 seconds and Joe was trying to find words and couldn't really and then he finally said I've been taught this all of my life but it feels different this time. It feels like this weight has been lifted off my shoulders. We then read a couple more scriptures and talked about the freeing power of Christ's Atonement. He looked at us and said I want to cry but I'm a man and men don't cry. So we finished up the restoration and we said Joe will you take the opportunity right now and ask God if the Book of Mormon is true? and so he said his first vocal not rote prayer! The Spirit was so strong and incredible! Afterwards we were sorting through some cans at the food bank and Joe came and found us and was like I feel like I'm at this war in myself I feel like I'm grieving my old life but I'm not sure if I want to yet. So we told him about Enos and he left to go read it. SO PREPARED. I love Joe. He is so incredible!
So I'll be brief about our exchanges but just know they are incredible!!!! So on our end we had an appointment fall through and so we went knocking FOR 3 HOURS. IT WAS AWESOME. We only spoke with 6 people in that time frame and found 2 families and set return appointments with both of them! It was awesome!! SO MANY MIRACLES! With one of the young families we met the Mom her name is Jordan and we started talking about pinterest and then related it to the gospel it was really great but then we spoke about the Book of Mormon and she opened it to a random page and we started talking about the Atonement and then read Alma 7 and she was almost in tears by the end and we then set a return appointment for the next day!
So lastly I want to talk about the amazing ward I'm in and the primary program that they put together. So a little background on the moment though. Before church we tried to go get our investigators Brandi and Taborah to church. There's a video below of me talking to Jayden about trying to get his mom up. Well to keep a long story short they didn't come :( but we went to church and the primary program began and they did such an amazing job. There was one particular moment that I won't get into too much detail but it was very powerful and was a big testimony builder to me. I was in tears by the end of one of the songs they sang and felt this burning in me. I knew that families were ordained of God. I knew that these people were good, this gospel was good, and that this is were Christ church was. I understood a little more by the end of that program and was so sad that Brandi and Taborah weren't there and that they couldn't have felt this. But next week for sure :)
Well I hope y'all have a wonderful week, see lots of miracles and remember that God is good! Stay safe and be smart!
SISTER Allart
