17 July 2012

The Elders arrived!  Three of them.  Elder Naruo, who would be conducting the interviews, and our Zone Leaders, Elder Templeton and Elder Cowley.  The Sisters also came over for dinner.  We had American hamburgers, salad, and baked beans.  Then the Elders, including Elder Ashby, all went over to the Pansoys while the Sisters went out to meet some people, and I stayed home studying my Sunday School lesson.  Then they all came back for peach cobbler and ice cream. I cornered Elder Naruo and asked him what he thought of our special family.

“They’re wonderful!”  he said, “and so spiritual, especially the mother!”  Of course, he couldn’t tell me particulars about the interview, but he told me some of the things he said to them and some of his impressions.  Elder Naruo has grown a lot.  While the other missionaries were clowning around and laughing, Elder A. and I sat and talked with him.  He said he showed them some scriptures about tithing and the promise that the Lord gives us that He will bless us if we put our faith in Him.  She just covered her face and cried, sweet sister.  Then he said, “Are you ready to make this covenant with the Lord?”  He said he also asked how she feels.  Sister P. answered, “I’m so happy!”  She also told him how much she enjoyed the little potluck dinner we had for them last night.  I’m just thankful that we did it. 

Elder N. also said that it was Joko who kept encouraging them to invite us back.  I’m not surprised, because it was Joko who, at first, did the most reading and asked some excellent questions about what he had read.  He also went onto the internet to find out some things.  He’s such a wonderful, bright young man with tons of potential.

I realized that he is probably the first young Elder that they have seen.  I told Elder N. that I think he will become Joko’s role model, because since I first met him, I have had a vision of him becoming a missionary.  Elder N. said that he told Joko that he was in his place when he joined the church, and how his life changed, beginning with his tattoos and his earrings.  He bore his testimony to Joko about his sacred body, and challenged him to take it out.  (He did right then and there, and said he would never put it back!) 

Every one of them is humble and believing, and full of faith.  I’ll love them forever.  Tomorrow they have to try to see Jellie before they go home, because she had been called to work, and was not there tonight.  I’m so happy it was he who came to interview them.