"Are ya'll from a church?"

What’s up ya’ll! I am missing the Olympics! I was so shocked when we went over to a house and they had it on. Haha I was like Nooooooo but it’s ok, I’ll get over it, I hope.

All has been going great here on the island and I’m loving the area still. We had a super cool miracle happen. We were biking and saw all of these little kids playing outside and sometimes when it’s little kids with no parents it’s best just to keep going and to not mess with them (stranger danger). So we were biking past and I waved and said ‘Hi’ and then this little girl is like “Are ya’ll from a church!?” and I went back and we talked with them for a few minutes and asked if their mom or dad was home (they weren’t) and set up another day to come back.  A few days later we were biking by the house and couldn’t remember when we had set the appointment for and were just like ‘Well let’s try’. As we stopped the dad opens the door and he looks super young and tells us ‘Hi’ and how he usually isn’t home at night but that if we wanted we could come in. Come to find out he is a MEMBER! He hasn’t come in like 13 years and has like a really strong love of the church but just kinda fell away because of work and life. His kids are not members and are 11 and 8 and his wife isn’t a member either. He like really likes it when we come by and his kids both accepted dates to be baptized on the 8^th of March! So we are super pumped for that and all from a super funny little 8 year old yelling at some church people on bikes. Cool right! Well that was my miracle of the week and I hope that this family will progress because they just look like such a good family. The gospel will help them so much in their lives like it has mine and I want that for them. So yeah, that’s one cool thing that happened.

Also at church this week I got to translate almost all of Sacrament meeting and it was sweet. I feel like I’m getting better at it and that it comes a lot faster. I sure hope the people who hear me think the same, haha who knows. We had some of our less actives at church and it was super good. They are doing super good and some day soon we won’t have any less active just actives and that next step will just be to get them to the temple and keep the fire burning.

How cool is this church! I love that the doors are always open and that we are here to help. I love that all of the problems that people have with the church are things that if they actually talked with a member they would learn they are not true. For example: People think we worship Joseph Smith, don’t believe in the Bible, don’t believe in Christ, still practice polygamy, and more just crazy ideas. I love that there is no calling in the church that I can achieve by working my way up. Our callings are from GOD! He will help us as we strive to fulfill them. I know that this is the church of God, which He restored to this earth through His chosen Prophet named Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of that and anyone who reads and asks God with a sincere heart and real intent will come to know as well. The Spirit will not lie to us. I’m so grateful that I was born into the church and that I have had the chance to serve as a missionary. I love my mission and am grateful for all that it has taught me.

I love ya’ll and I hope that you have a great week.

I’ll see ya

Elder Birks