Elder Joshua Thayne in Indiana: Week 36 - A Trip to the Chicago Temple

This week was really fast for me! It seems like Monday always ends up coming back around super fast. On Saturday we had the opportunity to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead. We're only allowed to go do an endowment session in the temple every six months, but Pres. Cleveland lets us go whenever as long as it's with a recent convert for their first time doing baptisms for the dead. So we went to the Chicago temple with the R. family and as S. and R. did a session, the rest of us went and did baptisms for the dead. It was great to feel the spirit of the temple and to visit Chicago for my first time. I wanted to get a picture of Wrigley Field, but we didn't end up passing it so I didn't get the chance.

It has been kind of slow with investigators and people to teach lately, but we received a huge blessing this week. On Thursday we were invited to go to M.'s (a girl in our branch(Juan's sister)) choir concert. We are allowed to go to things like that, but I was really hesitant because I thought that there could be better stuff for us to do (tract, visit people, etc) but we felt like we should go anyway. While we were there, Juan (our branch mission leader) was looking for somewhere to sit and he found a relative of some sort who went to the high school we were at. We sat down by him and Juan started talking to him and he expressed his desires to be baptized. We got his number and we told him we'd try to visit him next week. It was a blessing to have met him and I know that's why we were at that concert and that's where we were supposed to be.

We are also having a lot of success with our investigator C. We teach her and her family and she is definitely the most receptive to the message. On Wednesday we taught them about the Book of Mormon and invited them to read it and find out if it's true. We invited them to read 3 Nephi 11 before the next time we come over and the rest of the family gave a kind of half-hearted yes to our commitment and we left. Then, on Friday we decided to head over to visit C. at this taco shop she works at called Ricky's. We could tell she was super busy so we just went in, bought some horchata and said hi. As we were walking out to our car she ran out to come talk to us and we asked her if she had the chance to read. She told us that right after we left on Wednesday she sat her whole family down and made them read it together. She seemed to like it and we're planning on setting a baptismal date with her.

We had our Zone Conference on Tuesday and it was great! Pres. Cleveland focused on the difference between a testimony and conversion. He said that a testimony is a witness received by the spirit, but conversion is achieved by consistently and loyally acting on that witness in obedience and diligence. It was a great conference and I learned a great deal from what was said.

Well it turns out I'm staying here for at least another six weeks. I don't mind because I really like this area and the branch we have here. I just wish it wasn't so flippin hot. Elder Latu will be leaving and I have a clue of who my next companion will be and I'm really excited about it. It should be a good transfer!

I love you! Keep up the good work. Keep Zach out of trouble. Have a good week!