And I'm still not sure whether it's a good crazy or a bad crazy. With Christmas being this week things got really busy in the middle of the week and then just slumped on the weekend. We have found a lot more people are open and receptive to a message about Christ during Christmas time, much like a Japanese missionary I know said this week. People are just more open, whether they know it or not.
Unfortunately with this week being what it was, I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and think about what I wanted to write in this email. Half my time was running around trying to stay sane, and half of it was sick in bed. (Don't worry, I'm alright. Just had a stomach bug take me down for a few days) but there was one story in particular that stood out to me this week.
On Christmas Day we spent most of our time over at a members house, and tried to bond with the family as well as his children and grandchildren who are non-members. One grandson and I started talking, who I will refer to as G. So G. and I were talking and he showed me some pictures of his dog back home, who is a beautiful Pitt Bull, and then he started asking me questions about why I am living in Chicago, and why my phone isn't mine, and about our car. From those questions we got into a very deep spiritual discussion where I taught him one on
one about The Plan of Salvation and The Restoration and The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This all started because he asked me if I wanted to see his dog, and I said yes and put away the article I had been reading. We talked for almost two hours, read from the scriptures, and prayed together, at which point he told me he believed what I told him, and he wanted to learn more and he thought I should talk to his parents because they would like what I was talking about. I talked with his Dad for a few minutes and told him what G and I had been talking about, and that he seemed very interested. His grandpa thanked me for talking to him, and unfortunately we had to leave around that time, so we talked to him at church on Sunday. G and his parents flew back home on Saturday, but before that they had discussed the possibility of him learning more, and his parents agreed that they would like and support that, and asked if it would be possible for me to start teaching him even though they live on the other side of the country. His grandpa told me this was very out of character for G because he doesn't connect with people easily, and doesn't ever just sit and talk with someone. He told me, "There must just be something about you." But I know it's not me that G connected with.
Now we are trying to work it out so that I can teach this young man over Skype on the other side of the country, all because he trusts me and I developed a relationship with him. This all because I was interested in him. This is such a testimony boost to me to know that simply by being ready to listen, and reaching out to someone who
'doesn't connect easily', he may receive the gospel and possibly join the church because of this. I don't know what is going to happen with G, but that experience alone gave me an insight I didn't have before about the power of the Spirit.
I know that if we each reach out and show genuine love and interest for someone, they will feel that connection to the Spirit, and through us He can testify. This is short and simple, but it's what has been on my mind lately.
I love you all. Happy New Years! Make it a great one!
-Elder Logan Gifford
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