The missionaries have played a HUGE part in my conversion to be a Latter-day Saint. First, let me tell you my story on how I was encouraged to look into the church. See the missionaries. :) The one on the left is Elder Buendia and the one on the right is Elder Ellis.
Last year I made some bad choices in my life. What they were, they don't matter anymore. I've put the past behind me, apologized to the people that I hurt and have prayed and asked the Heavenly Father for forgiveness and repented. All of my past sins were washed away when I was baptized. I don't wish to ever go back to that time.
Those poor choices that I made seriously affected me, and not in a good way. I will admit that Satan was freely in control of my life. He had me convinced that the path I was on was the right one and that's how it was meant to be. I realized at the end of last year that I needed God back in my life, but I didn't know how to find Him again. I tried to move away from those bad choices I made, but kept stumbling back. I had met Shane on xbox live (XBL, is what I'm going to refer to it as from here on out.) He was older than me, married, and had kids. He had a loud, outgoing personality, something that I didn't have and we got to know each other and started talking on both XBL and yahoo. We met while playing Halo2. We ended up emailing/chatting almost daily and it was amazing to me, how he could tell that I was down, upset, crying, wasn't feeling good, when he talked to me. This was during a time when I was really depressed and thought I was hiding it from everybody. Anyway, eventually I confessed to him what was really bringing me down. He told me I had a choice to make, and I'm very thankful that I made the right one. We started talking religion and I learned that he was LDS. He spoke to me in so many ways, and there were a few times when we were talking that I felt the Holy Spirit. It was so moving to me, I got so emotional I started crying. When I felt the Holy Spirit, I felt comforted, and like everything would be ok. I wanted to feel that feeling forever. Shane explained to me that I could have the Holy Spirit with me all the time, once I was baptized and confirmed. He encouraged me to look into the church. The first couple times he mentioned it I kinda blew him off, then realized what do I have to lose. I went online and requested my free Book of Mormon and the Bible. After three weeks, I still hadn't received them, so on a Sunday night Shane gave me a number to call in Bloomington to reach the missionaries and everything. That night I got so many calls so fast and made arrangements to meet with the Elder Ellis and Elder Bliss to get my books. I was so nervous about meeting them. I later learned that they had stopped by numerous times to try to get me the books, but I was never home when they stopped by.
After I got the books I met them roughly once a week for a while. I started reading the Book of Mormon and prayed to find out if it was true. I went through all the pamphlets that the missionaries gave me. (I loved those things.) Sometime in July I had a date set to get baptized. I talked to Jason and he didn't feel like I was ready and that I was rushing things too fast. I value his opinion so much, I cancelled my baptism date and took a couple weeks off without meeting the missionaries. I didn't feel like it was right for me to get baptized at that point. I talked to Shane and he said that typicall when people know that it's true, he tells them to get baptized. With me though, he said that he didn't feel like the time was right either. During all of this, I asked Shane so many different questions and things about how things worked. He always seemed to have an answer too. At first I wasn't sure I was going to meet with the missionaries again. I wanted to have Jason's approval and was really wavering whether or not it was the right choice. Shane enouraged me to keep meeting with the missionaries and I realized how much I missed meeting with them, and how I could tell on the days where I didn't take the time to read the Book of Mormon. I started meeting up with them and talked to Jason some more and he felt like I was ready to get baptized and this time I truly felt ready as well. I knew the Church was true before, but didn't quite feel like it was right yet. After talking it over with Jason I was ready to get baptised.
A couple days after Jason told me he was comfortable with me getting baptized, I got the call that Elder Bliss was going to transfer. I was so sad, but before leaving I told him that Jason had given me the go ahead to get baptized. He was so thrilled and happy for me, so was Elder Ellis.
I kept meeting with the missionaries and feeding them baked goods each week as they came over to teach me. I enjoyed my Friday nights with the missionaries. In fact, now that I'm not meeting with them anymore, my Friday nights just aren't quite the same.
On Saturday, August 18, 2007 I got baptized. Here are a couple of pictures from my baptism day.
It was an amazing experience. I was so nervous about getting up in front of people and getting baptized. The people that spoke were so wonderful. It meant the world to me that Jason was there by my side for this. I'm getting emotional and tears in my eyes just thinking about it. I did very well through most of the service, but the hymns made me tear up. They spoke to me. The missionaries did a wonderful job of choosing them. After I was baptized I was confirmed. I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Shane told me that I should remember what was said when I was confirmed because there were gifts that were given to me. I was trying so hard not to cry while being confirmed, I don't remember them. I can't even describe how it felt when I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. What an amazing feeling.
When I got home that Saturday and checked the mail there was a card from Sandy in the mailbox. It was a Baptism card. It meant so much to me that Sandy took the time to send a card and acknowledge my special day. Besides the missionaries, Elder Ellis and Buendia (who replaced Elder Bliss) that was the only card that was given to me. It meant so much to me. Thank you Sandy. I wasn't expecting any cards at all, thank you so much for the wonderful surprise. Elder Ellis and Buendia gave me a Quadruple combination, which is the Book of Mormon, the Holy Bible, the Doctrines & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price all in one. I was looking to buy that, but was going to hold off until pay day. It was an amazing gift from the missionaries. I was so surprised to get it. In talking with Shane it is not typical for the missionaries to give the Quadruple combination as a gift. That is one gift that I will treasure forever.
The missionaries taught me and gave me so much. I feel like a completely different person after learning more. I am so very thankful for all of the blessing that the Heavenly Father has bestowed on me. Everyone keeps telling me I have an amazing spirit. I pray that I will always have that spirit.
This morning, I got up at my normal time and went about my normal routine and noticed a blinking light on the answering machine. It was a message from Elder Ellis that they got their transfer calls and he was being transferred from the Ward. I was saddened. He had been with me from the beginning. He was the one who went through all the lessons with me, answered all my questions, baptized me, and confirmed me. He sat by me at church, explained everything to me and introduced me to so many people. I was stunned. A couple minutes later I started crying. I didn't think I had gotten so close to him. Last week the missionaries made an unexpected call saying they wanted to come over. For some reason I really opened up them, Elder Ellis in particular, and explained a bunch of things that were on my mind. He gave me some very powerful scriptures that reminded me that the Heavenly Father never gives you more than you can handle. I need to do a blog entry just on those scriptures. I wonder why they came over that night, if they just knew I needed someone to talk to or what?
When Jason game home from work this morning I told him that Elder Ellis got a transfer and that I was sad to see him go. I started crying again. I've never been emotional like that before. I then pulled myself together enough to call Elder Ellis to say good bye. It turns out that he wanted to come over to say good bye to me tonight. I managed to barely hold myself together during the phone call, and held myself together tonight when Elder Ellis and Elder Buendia stopped over. I thanked him, but that just seems so inadequate. Without the missionaries I more than likely would never have joined the church. They both said that they enjoyed coming over here and not just because I fed them, but because I studied and did my reading. They said I was one of the easiest ones they taught.
I did get Elder Ellis' address for where he is right now, he only has 6 more weeks left on his mission. I hope to write him and keep in touch with me. He has touched me in so many ways. I was so very thankful to have him as a missionary. I'm so happy that I was able to be baptized and confirmed by him as well. Thank you Elder Ellis for everything. Here is a picture of Elder Ellis and I from tonight. The Elders couldn't come into the house as a third person wasn't home, and those are the rules.
Elder Ellis, I will miss your wisdom, your gentle promptings, and all that you contributed to the gospel principles class. You will be missed in this Ward, by everyone, not just me. Your new Ward is very lucky to have you. You have touched my life in so many ways. Thank you for everything. Now I need to get out my pen and paper and write.
