Week 64 Transfer to New Bern

Hey Friends and Family!

This was a pretty good week! We got our transfer calls on Saturday. I will be going to New Bern to serve as a zone leader there. I am pretty excited for the opportunity I have to go to a new area. I actually had a mini-missionary from their so I hope I will be able to run into him again. I have absolutely loved serving in Kinston. The members here are fantastic and the work is flourishing. I loved it and I will definitely be visiting this place again. My new companion is Elder Collier. I have only briefly met him at zone conferences but from what I have heard, he is an incredible missionary. I am quite excited to serve with him!

We have had a lot of learning experiences this week. Unfortunately we had to drop one of our investigators who was not progressing. I am amazed by how much I have learned to love the people here. It is a bit depressing investing so much into someone and not seeing them progress. It just helps me remember that I am not the teacher. The Holy Ghost is the only teacher and if people do not do the basics of the gospel, then they can never receive a witness from God that it is true. Sometimes I think that if my testimony is strong enough then I can push conversion into someone. I wish that was true. I can only bring the spirit to the heart. I cannot bring it inside of their heart.

We have another investigator who gave us a really good question about being the only true church and how that isn't fair to the rest of God's children. First of all, I am so glad that she is actually listening and legitimately investigating the church and not just listening to us blabber! I have had so much fun discovering the doctrine of universal salvation in the scriptures, which includes the doctrine of baptism for the dead. I have astounded how plainly the scriptures teach. Every time we roll play the lesson another scripture pops into our head. Second, I am grateful that her philosophies about God match the doctrine of the church. She just doesn't know it yet! :) 

We received a couple of referrals I am pretty excited about. There is an un-baptized youth that just requested a set of scriptures for her birthday. That is incredibly impressive. Hopefully Elder Vranes can help her get baptized!

I love yall,

-Elder Shill

P.S. I did take pictures this week, but our car is currently in the shop and we left the camera in it....