Week of Miracles

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week has been full of amazing experiences with teaching and fellowshipping investigators with the help of members. As any missionary can attest, missionary work is far more effective when done with the assistance and support of faithful active members of the church. One of our investigators, for instance, Stanley, has been making amazing progress lately, every day comprehending more of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making steps closer to making covenants with our Heavenly Father. We have been enlisting the help of many of the members in the Verona Second Ward to help him in this process and as we have done so his progress has accelerated. An unbelievable number of members have stepped up to help provide rides to allow him to get to church on time as well as to get home afterward. On top of this, we have had some amazing support from several families who have opened their homes to help us teach him there. Many of our members have expressed great desires to assist in the work in any way they can.

As we have taught alongside the members of the church here in Verona we have seen not only our investigators grow, but also those who have helped us. It's amazing to see the Lord work through these faithful members in bringing to pass His great work of salvation. Even when their assistance is no more than the offering of a warm home and an additional testimony, the difference is tangible. The Lord works through all those who are willing to be tools in His hands and He magnifies our efforts as we put ourselves in the position to help.

It's hard sometimes to help those we teach to make the transition from learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ to making it an active part of their lives. Members of the church help with this immensely. As full-time missionaries we live different lives than the average person, dedicating our full time and attention to the work of our Father in Heaven to preach the gospel to "every nation, kindred, tongue, and people," so we do not represent great examples of how one can apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ into an everyday life. However, with the help of faithful (and quite frankly, normal) people that are truly trying to live the gospel everyday, that transition becomes a lot easier. Their friendship and support reassure new hearers of the gospel that the path that they are beginning to go down is both rewarding and possible.

I'm very grateful for the support that the members give to missionaries here in Verona and I can't wait to bring more new people into their homes to teach them about the word of God. Their faithful assistance makes a huge difference! Have a great week enjoy the first week of summer!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson