Chapter 7 - Grilled Cheese and Beans
Elder Martinez and I have been busy, busy, busy! The branch out here has been struggling a bit with inactivity and inattendance. So a lot of our work has been visiting members, working to reactivate members, and, because we're opening this area, knocking doors to find new investigators.
We've taught lots of lessons and at this point have about 5 or 6 promising investigators, and a couple families we're hopeful will want to be baptized.
We had one really spiritual lesson this last week with a couple named Lenin and Yolanda Alemania-Nolasco. When we first contacted them, we told them we had a message about Jesus Christ and they got really excited and let us in to teach a lesson. They were very nice, and both know quite a bit about the Bible. They loved to talk about and discuss our Savior, but made it clear they didn't want to discuss anything about the Restoration or Joseph Smith, they only wanted to talk about our Lord Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, we had a good first lesson, and they gave us a bunch of dried coconut to eat (it was delicious) and we set another appointment with them.
Because they were so interested in talking about Christ, Elder Martinez and I decided to prepare to teach them about the Book of Mormon, because it is, as it says on the cover, another testament of Jesus Christ. We knew that this lesson would determine whether or not these two would continue taking lessons with us, because either they accepted the Book of Mormon, or they would reject it and, at that point, as missionaries, there's not much else you can do.
So... we taught them about the Book of Mormon. We taught with power, authority, and by the Spirit. It was probably the best lesson I've ever taught and the most spiritual testimony I've every borne on the Book of Mormon. Yolanda even acknowledged the Spirit she felt but told us that, even if the Book was true, the Bible was good enough for her. Lenin reacted exactly as predicted by Nephi, "A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible and there can be no more Bible."
So, unfortunately, they rejected our message. But Elder Martinez and I left on good terms with them, they gave us some delicious banana bread and told us we were welcome back at their house whenever to discuss Christ, or to learn how to make bread, if we want. We'll probably keep in touch, to stay on good terms, and just pray that one day they will be ready to accept the Gospel.
Elder Martinez and I left that night knowing for a surety we had done our best, and that our message is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was called to restore His church.
The mission is awesome, love you all
Elder Jensen
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