September 1, 2007

  • Previously Untyped Xanga Story: "Jasmine"

    January 27, 2007

    My first week in the Chino Heritage ward was great.  I got to the area full of skepticism because the missionaries prior hadn’t been accomplishing anything and I had just come from Walnut, where I had been very successful.  Immediately we began working hard to teach lessons, but I also wanted to start out with dramatic success to show both the ward members and myself what kinds of things we could do.

    On our first Saturday we went to teach the A. family.  Sister A. is the guardian of her nonmember niece, Jasmine (11).  Jasmine clearly loved the missionaries, so we planned to start with a full third lesson- the first principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  During the lesson, I asked her if she wanted to be baptized.  She looked at us with a look of “of course I do,” a big smile, and said yes.  Thus in a completely “dead” area, in my first week there, we set a baptismal date with an investigator.

    Even though Jasmine did not keep commitments and was not baptized, the ward could tell that I was willing to work hard and to be successful.  Within 3 months we had found and baptized a new investigator.