We received an additional set of elders in our ward today in anticipation of October's launch of the church's "I'm A Mormon" media campaign which had a successful run in New York City. Once the stats were in, the church learned that 54% of all active Mormons were asked questions about the church after seeing IAM. The members here in Atlanta, unlike the ones in NY, are being prepared to respond to the questions from their non-member friends and acquaintances. Elder Ballard, who was here recently, told us that the Lord has prepared tens of thousands of people to accept the gospel, now we all get to find them, and IAM will help. Elder Perry said that since 1830 the church has been conducting missionary work essentially the same way and it is time to turn a corner. Technology is what is going to allow us to bring the gospel to the Chinese people and others, including these people in Atlanta. We are to engage them in meaningful caring conversations, easy to do, and then hand them, if it seems appropriate, a Mormon.org pass along card with the name of one of the members whose video is on the website, or our name and phone number, or whatever else seems the thing to do. On Mormon.org they can chat with missionaries at the Provo MTC, learn more of Jesus Christ, see FAQ's We all have our marching orders!
Last night our Apartment Manager, Angela, went to the General Women's Broadcast with us. She got it....she said women have a mission to perform. We are hoping she wants to go to church in which case we will go to Marietta to attend her prospective ward with her.
C came to Sacrament Meeting today and was enthralled by every speaker and with the truths she heard. So grateful. She registered with Labor Ready and goes in at 8:30 tomorrow morning to see if there is any work for her.
After C exhausted clothing and food sources with no luck last week while sitting with me in the office, we gave her some money for a used pair of jeans and work boots and for food. We are going to invite her and her son, Justin to come for pizza and a meeting with the missionaries, which she has already expressed an interest in. She is often needed nights by her parents, so we will see. She and I were having a gospel discussion the other day and were discussing baptism. What I have always been taught about baptism's being symbolic of the old creature dying, and then coming up out of the water as a new person, born again as it were, pure and clean before God. I was overcome with emotion thinking of C and of all she has suffered, the guilt, the abuse, and what it would mean to her to in an instant be healed of all that as she is baptized. It was so sublime and loving that I could hardly handle the joy of that moment yet in the future for C. How grateful I am to the Savior who's sufferimg makes that day possible for her and for us all.
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