'Thought while you're mom was getting ready for her lesson I would do a little blog about and experience we are having with a family where the dad is a member but doesn't want anything to do with the church right now. He has a 15 year old son who has expressed interest in learning about the church. I have gone with the elder there three times to visit them. The first time we talked mostly with the dad and he told us he just really wasn't interested in the church anymore. The second time we visited with them I told the dad that I loved the relationship he has with his son and that the Lord really needed someone like him to work with the young men in the branch. He hesitated for a minute and then said the he really wouldn't be interested. So The elders taught the son about the need for prophets and the first vision and then introduced the Book of Mormon. They marked some passages for him and for the dad and asked them to read them. When we returned two days later the dad had read and had a question but couldn't find the passage so he said it didn't matter and left the room. The boy Miguel Botelho said he had read one verse and that was all. The elders asked him if he had prayed about it and he said. no. So the elders talked more about the importance of the Book of Mormon and ask him if he would read. He said he would. We knelt in prayer and he prayed a short sweet prayer.
We returned last Friday and the dad said high and went into the kitchen. The mom Helda does sewing for people in her home and the living room is her work shop so she said she was sorry but she had to work and hoped that would be ok. So we asked Miguel if he had read and prayed and he said no. So the elders and I and he read together about the appearance of Christ in the Americas and discussed certain things. There are two verses back to back that say we have to become as little children. I stopped them and asked Miguel what he thought that meant. He said that we needed to be humble. I said that was right but it meant we need to be teachable like little children also. I then said when our children were little they always said why this why that until I would finally say no more whys for today. At this point the mother laughed and I realized she had been listening. (she is a devout practicing Catholic and the first visit told us our churches were the same). We then went on taking turns reading and when we finished I asked Miguel what he thought and he said he really liked the part about becoming like little children. The elders then talked to him about his feelings and how if he felt things were right he would need to decide to get baptized. At this point he said he didn't think so he just wanted to learn about the church. So I looked at him and said" Miguel you remind me of a man who. on a very dark night wants to see to the other side of the street and right beside him is a large light that will light up the whole area and all he has to do is turn the switch, but he doesn't." He just keeps staring across the street not seeing anything. I then told him the scripture in 2 Timothy that says in the last days men will be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth". I looked him in the eyes and said, "Miguel these men are like the man on the street with the light that he doesn't turn on and that is what you are doing. There is a difference between learning and knowing. Anyone can learn but those who know have to do something. You need to turn on the light and how do you do that?" He said read the book and pray and I said. " that's right." We then asked the mom if she would stop sewing while we had a prayer. We asked Miguel if we could kneel and he said yes and His mom left the sewing table and knelt with us. Miguel asked me to pray and so I did.
So we go back to visit them tomorrow night and I hope the mom has some sewing to do because I have prepared a little lesson on the sealing power.
For those of you who read this would you please pray for this family. That the mother will listen and be touched by the spirit and Miguel will read and pray about the Book of Mormon.
Love you all and am so grateful to be here and serve our Heavenly Father.
No comments :
Post a Comment