Her Answer Came from a Voice in the Light

From Karsten Hinckley

Teaching in Thailand 

Miracles! When I first got to Bangna I found English referrals in my desk and I almost didn’t call any of them. I was prompted to call them though, and I found one man out of the 10 or 15 that were in my desk. After a 30 minute conversation with this man he asked me, "Do I need to get baptized again?" From that day I prayed for this man. He has had a question whether Joseph Smith was a prophet or not. After 3 months of praying, fasting, and working with this man he got his answer. He was baptized yesterday! During his testimony he said, "The missionaries never gave up on me." I felt a great feeling of satisfaction from that. I had so much joy for him! I gave him such a big hug! 

Another woman was baptized as well. I will tell you a little about her story. Two years ago, she prayed to God. She asked, "Help me feel of your love and to know when I find it." After that she met the sister missionaries. They talked to her about the Book of Mormon, but she rejected it. A few weeks ago she met one of the missionaries in my house. He asked her about baptism and she told him that she had already been baptized. A few days later I guess I met her (I really don’t remember meeting her. We meet a ton of people every day.). She gave me her number. What she thought was, "Oh he will never call, so sure I’ll give him my number." I called her three times and she said no all three times. I then crossed her out of my planner. 

One day we needed to find another new investigator, so Elder Noyce and I looked through our planners. I found that lady I crossed out of my planner. I called her and, after a few minutes of talking, she agreed to meet. We met with her and explained how the Gospel has been restored by a prophet (Joseph Smith). We asked her to pray about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Between the time she got her answer and our first visit, she went back to her old church. She said," I just felt really bad. I didn’t like what they were talking about at all." One night after praying, she was awakened by a celestial presence. She told us, "I don’t know it if was a dream or real, but I got my answer. A bright light came into my room and I was awakened. I woke up and couldn’t see a thing. I shut my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. A voice from the light said, ‘Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is true.’  Elders I got my answer." She has told us a few times that she feels Gods love when she is here. She was baptized yesterday! I am so happy for her! 

Confirming Miracles

From Cambree King

Teaching in Honduras

On Sunday, we had planned a day of contacting because we are in need of new people. We were knocking doors and we met a family; it’s a mom her daughter and two grand kids. Turns out that on Sunday, they were cleaning their house and they found a book of Mormon that the missionaries gave them. They had read some before and they decided on Sunday that they wanted to know more.

Well, the Lord truly guides us to where we need to be because we showed up just a few minutes afterward to explain the restoration and the importance of the Book of Mormon. It’s one of those miracles that confirms that we are in the work of the Lord and doing what He needs.

God is in Charge

From Karsten Hinckley

Teaching in Thailand 

We had a baptism!! Oh boy was I happy for this brother. His name is brother King. He is great! Every time we taught him, we asked him to go home and pray about what we taught. He did and each time he said he got an answer. 

After he was baptized, he gave a short testimony. He said that he knows this Church is true. He has prayed about it and knows it even by coming here. I can tell that he was prepared. God has prepared those that will receive us. I know it! Have faith in Him because He is in charge. We are just His servants or His instruments. I am excited to see Brother King progress in the gospel!

I do have to say that those people I helped baptize are doing well. Some of them have been to the temple. Some of them have great callings and are progressing right along. God is going to do so much work through those who I helped baptize. All the glory goes to Heavenly Father. All I did was His work. I love each and every one that I have been able to help.

If You Could Ask God Anything and He Would Respond, What Would You Ask?

From Cambree King

Teaching in Honduras

We were knocking some doors the other day and we found a girl who is 17 and her name is Karla. She has actually been to Church before and has listened to the missionaries. As my companion said the opening prayer, the thought came to my mind to ask her, If she could ask God anything and He would respond, what would she ask Him?

She completely opened up and began to explain her fear that the Lord wouldn’t offer sufficient forgiveness for all of the sins that she commits daily. She wanted to know if the Lord tires of our asking for forgiveness and how it is possible that everything we do can be forgiven. I was amazed at how the Spirit entered the room immediately. We explained the answer and she accepted to be baptized.

We planned a date to go back and around the corner, we passed her mom. We got her consent to teach her and her mom said, "She really wants to listen to you?" I guess that Karla hasn’t had much interest in these types of things, but it was a true testament of how the spirit can change hearts and how we must listen to every prompting that comes. It’s incredible to see the Lords hand in all that we do.

A Little Seed was Planted

From Karsten Hinckley

Teaching in Thailand 

You never know what happens to those little seeds you plant [as you talk to people about the gospel]. The zone leaders came on a switch-off this last week and I was to switch-off with them. One of the zone leaders served with Elder Christenson, who was my companion in Chaing Mai. Elder Chris and I were going down to transfers a while ago and we met some people from England on the train. Before we said goodbye, one of the people we were talking to said she always found the missionaries to be rude and didn’t want to talk to them. She thought we were nice and said that when she goes back [to England] she will give the missionaries another chance.  Well I didn’t think anything of that. Elder Christ kept in touch with this girl from England by email. She felt that she could trust the missionaries because of us. She found the missionaries one day and allowed them to teach her. Can you guess what happens next? She was then baptized a member of the Christ of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

When the zone leader told me this story I was so happy! Joy filled my heart! All I could do was to thank Heavenly Father for putting us in the right place at the right time. Do you see what a train ride can do for someone else? A little seed was planted and it was harvested in the Lord’s time! Then her mother started taking the missionary lessons. I don’t know where her mother is at with learning, but can you see what an impact you can have on others. Even if it’s trying to go get that lost sheep or talking to strangers on a train, you never know what will happen.

I challenge you all to live your life in a way that others will see that you are different. Just like President Thomas S. Monson said," You need to stand out, you will be different." I cannot explain the happiness I felt after hearing this!