Call with Luke - Major Miracles!!!

 We had a great call with Luke today.  Last week I was so worried about him because he was a bit overwhelmed being the District leader, trainer, and his branch was relying on him heavily.  So I have been praying for him.  He was able to meet with his President Reber and let him know how he is feeling.  President Reber told him we're like a rubber band.  We get stretched and stretched and we have to give a little so it doesn't break.  So he is going to be meeting with a counselor soon to help.  I will continue to pray for his mental well being.  

Things changed a bit in the mission because Elder Brunson went home.  Now Luke doesn't have the sisters in his district.  This will actually help a bit because they were also struggling and I think it was wearing on Luke.  

Now for the miracles.  This week they had a training with an Area Authority that talked about how missionaries main goal is to teach and baptize.  All the extras just distract from these goals at times.  Things like teaching English, etc.  He also said we shouldn't find and find.  Focus on 1 or 2 people and get them to church and baptized.  After that training Luke and Elder Camacho went back to their area and went to work.  They decided to throw all their plans out the window and decided to focus on 1 or 2 like they were trained to do.  

They met up with Silvio, the brother from their branch that goes with them often.  Luke asked Silvio what he thought they should do.  Silvio threw out the thought of visiting the Marassi family.  That is the family where the dad is a member and the wife, Sandra, is not a member but has read the Book of Mormon 3 times and has been going to the church on and off for 20 years.  They have had tons and tons of missionaries that have come through.  So at first it seemed like a waste of time but then they realized that they have a 12 year old that has been coming to church.  So they decided to go.  During the discussion Luke didn't even want to waste his time on Sandra but instead talked to Erica, the 12 year old.   The discussion was going awesome.  And then the Spirit turned Luke's attention to Sandra.  So he decided to talk to her.  And then he was prompted to ask she and Erica to be baptized.  To his great surprise she said YES!!!!  Luke almost jumped out of his seat!  He told her she should prepare to be baptized on Feb. 26, and she said "That's only 9 days away!!!"  YEP!  So this week they will be preparing for that!  So exciting.  When they got out of the discussion Silvio patted Luke on the back and said "Elder Rose you came here for this purpose."  Silvio has been friends with the family for 20 years and was very surprised!  

The second miracle came on Sunday.  The branch has been struggling to have people come to church.  The Branch President has always told Luke he needed to bring more people to church.  Luke has felt so much pressure.  But this week he talked with his mission president about the pressure the branch has put on him and he reached out to the District President to let him know that the Branch is relying too much on the missionaries.  The District President told Luke to tell the Branch President that he would be coming to their branch on Sunday.  The Branch President felt like Luke told on him or something.  Then he decided they needed to have more people there.  Instead of telling Luke he had to get the people there, he called all the active members and held a meeting.  They looked at the map and divided up all the less active members to go and visit.  (They have stuggled to do ministering)  They all went out to work.  Sunday morning arrived and Luke would usually get the zoom set up and then run around in his suit trying to get people to come to church.  This Sunday he got it set up and then he had the prompting to stay at the church.  He thought that was a weird feeling because he usually worked so hard to get people there.  But he decided to stay at the church and prepare spiritually instead of running around.  It was 9:50 and church starts at 10:00.  Still no one there in the pews.  But then around 9:53 people started coming.  People that Luke didn't even know.  Then at 9:57 he saw the whole Marassi come filing in!!!!  It was a miracle!  Luke sat up there on the stand (he was working on the zoom) and was in tears as they started out singing "Love at Home."  He remembered our many Family Home Evenings singing that song and then to look out at the congregation he was overcome with the Spirit.  He said there were 125 people there!!!!!  What a huge miracle.  All because the branch came together and ministered to each other.  When they went out the Branch President told them to love and invite.  Not to ask why they weren't coming.  Luke said that Sunday felt like General Conference.  AND it was Elder Camacho's first time ever speaking in church. He didn't even speak at his "farewell" ha ha ha!  What a miraculous day!

The Branch Presidency met with the District Presidency.  When Luke had talked to the District President earlier in the week he asked Luke what things he thought the Branch needed to change.  Luke told him 5 things.  He said...

1. The Branch needs to focus their Sacrament meetings on Christ
2. They need to have the Spirit in their meetings to teach
3. They need to read the manual often and use it in their meetings.  The manual comes from the Apostles and they need to follow them
4. They need to do their ministering
5. The missionaries are to teach and baptized, not do other callings in the Branch

So at the meeting the District President went over these things and helped the Branch to understand everyone's different callings. I'm so proud of Luke and the amazing insights he was able to share.  I hope the Branch will continue to grow and be strengthened.  

Well I'm so proud of my missionary and the way he has grown.  I pray he can rely on Heavenly Father to help him overcome the mental hardships he is experiencing!