Transfer 7, Week 3 November 11, 2013

So, we had a baptism planned for this past week.  N has been struggling with quitting smoking for more than two months.  She has tried several times to quit smoking, but alas, to no avail.  She had made it to a week without smoking, and we were ready for a baptism for this past Friday.  Unfortunately, she made a rather rash decision to play around with some e-cigs.  Her mother has e-cigs that are nicotine free, and her brother has some that have nicotine.  Char wanted to find out what part of her addiction was to smoking, so she took her mom's e-cigs, and was blowing through them.  Then she progressed to her brother's e-cigs.  She was blowing through them, and had been doing for a while.  Then she choked.  Unfortunately during the choking process, she had inhaled and in the process sucked some of the smoke in.  

On Tuesday, I had my 3 month interview with President Morby and talked with him about e-cigs.  At this point, Elder Jones and I did not know about N's lapse.  I asked him about e-cigs because N had asked if they were okay, and he said that as long as they didn't have nicotine in them, it was fine, but she might as well be sucking through a straw.  We then called N that night, and found out that she had relapsed the night before.  We went over the next day and talked with her about smoking, and she said that it had been an accident, what had happened, and from the way that she told us, it sounded like it truly was an accident, just extremely foolish.  So we are now having N's baptism on this Saturday, as long as she can stay away from smoking.  We are super excited for her to finally be baptized!!  She has been progressing so much, and this is truly the only thing holding her back.  She has been coming to church for the past month, and hasn't missed a day.  She has been participating in the Relief Society activities, and has really been progressing in her knowledge of the Gospel.  

Also on Tuesday night, we were able to get into contact with A again.  This is the first time in nearly a month that we have been able to see her.  We are so excited to be teaching her again, but she has been struggling with depression.  We felt prompted to show her Elder Holland's talk, a broken vessel, from General Conference.  She really enjoyed it.  We are going over this week, and teaching her the commandments with the idea that by her exercising her faith in the commandments that she will feel that the church is true starting with the commandment to read the scriptures.  I know that as soon as she starts to read the scriptures, that she will feel the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and want to be baptized.  She just needs to start.

Then on Thursday, we were able to take N to the temple visitor's center, and the Spirit there was so strong. I am so grateful that she was able to go.  It truly did strengthen her testimony.  Unfortunately, one of the members then started talking about proxy baptisms, something that we had not quite covered yet.  It is something that is covered in the new member discussions.  And it threw her for quite a loop.  Fortunately, we were able to explain in in a way that helped to reassure her that we weren't crazy, and this church is one that she wants to join.  But it was kinda scary.

Things are continuing to progress.  We found a new investigator this past week.  Her name is I.  She is Muslim, and mostly wants to learn about what we believe.  She also wants to share what she believes, so we  agreed to come over on this past Saturday with our ward mission leader.  I know that when she reads the Book of Mormon, it will touch her heart, and the Spirit will confirm the truthfulness of it to her.

The Beaver Creek Ward is really beginning to be excited about missionary work.  I know that this area has potential, and can do great things.

Love Elder Peterson