It's Time

What's up, Fam?!                                                                                          

Elder Detmer, Elder Bartholomew & Elder Roderick

This week was great! It was long and fast all at the same time. At this point, the weeks are just flying by. It's so crazy to think that some of my friends will be coming home this week and then after that, every week someone comes home! The two years of a mission go by way too fast!

This week, I had some of the best news of my life come from Roswell! Again! It was on Thursday and not much had really happened in the days prior to that. We were on our way to dinner when I got a call from the Roswell Elders. They said someone wanted to talk to me and before I knew it, I was talking to NELLA! It was so good to hear from her! We chit chatted for a little while and then she said, "Elder Roderick, I'm calling to invite you to my baptism on August 1st!" When I heard those words I WAS FREAKING OUT! Ahhhh… I was the happiest kid in the world! I couldn't believe it! She told me that a couple of weeks ago, she was praying in her closet, like she always does, and while she was praying she heard a voice tell her, "Nella, it's time." Immediately after she heard the voice she said she started crying because she felt the Spirit so strong. So, Nella and her son Jonathan, who is home for the summer from college, will be baptized on the same day! The craziest part about Nella’s decision is that earlier that day I was looking at pictures of Nella's family and showing them to my companions, and I said a silent prayer to Heavenly Father that He would bless them. Then, that night I spoke to Elder Gosar because Nella called him too, and he said that TEN MINUTES before she called him he was looking at pictures of Nella and Jacques on his camera and he also said a silent prayer that Heavenly Father would bless them! That's no coincidence! Heavenly Father does answer prayers and it is always in His timing! I can't wait to see Nella get baptized!

After the experience with Nella, the Lord really blessed us! We were in need of some new investigators because after Joyce and Angel get baptized on Saturday we won’t have anyone to teach.  But, on Thursday night, in the span of about an hour, He blessed us with two new people to teach. It was such a direct answer to a prayer.

Yesterday at church Julius received the priesthood! It was amazing. Talk about a change! Angel also had an interview with the bishop (since Julius is a member now, she is considered a child of record baptism) and her interview went great! Joyce has been doing really well too! If all goes well with her interview on Wednesday, they will both be baptized on Saturday. And, the best part is that Julius will be baptizing them! I love the Mays family so much! Joyce told me that I'm her adopted son, so when Mom kicks me out of the house, I'll have a place here in Georgia to stay. Please keep praying for them!

Well, I love you guys! Thank you for all you do for me every day! I'll see you soon!... but not too soon!

Elder Roderick