Powell Ohio + a teaching experience

Dear Family,

This week has been eventful. We borrowed a large passenger van from the Columbus Mission to do our transfers and departures. Due to the vandalism to our van we were able to meet President Jensen and his wife when we returned their van. They showed us around the mission office and took us out to lunch after. They were so kind and made us feel at home. The mission office is in Powell, OH, just north of Columbus.

The countryside around Columbus is more open than Cincinnati but still very green. I counted all the dead animals along the way. There were four deer, three raccoons, one possum, and one Alligator Snapping Turtle! The freeways are rough on all the animal life.

We went out teaching with the assistants last night. The family we taught was pretty much dysfunctional. Everyone was doing his and her own thing.

The elders came over to our apartment ½ hour early to work up a lesson plan with us so we all knew what part we would be teaching about Baptism. The one elder gave the first part and then focused on the youngest boy to keep him entertained so the rest of us could talk. People kept coming into the house while we taught and would just sit down and listen. We started with 5 people and ended up with 9 total. The spirit started to fill the room and then their hands shot up with questions afterwards. It was a powerful lesson and we committed the dad to be an example and bring his family out to church this Sunday.

The elders had me share “How to prepare for church.” The idea of preparing (let alone finding) your church clothes, cleaning your house and having food waiting for when you return home was new to them.

When the dad told us he had gone back to smoking after his baptism and he couldn’t quit now that he was up to a pack a day. The elders blew his lame excuse out of the water with a great scripture about “In the Lord all things are possible!” The dad just sat there and nodded his head and said he needed to be a better example to his family!

We are fasting and praying for this family. They have a great family that just needs to learn “How to be a family.” My testimony grows everyday when I see the Lord’s hand in each of our lives. He is aware of us as individuals and he does have a plan.

We love you and keep you in our prayers.

Mom and Dad