Spiritual Giant

This week was really good, we had a lot of success with our
investigators. We did some good ground work, and found a few preachers
to teach this week. We are planning on offering him a Q&A with his
congregation about our beliefs. I'm pumped for this! I love answering
questions! The preacher is taking a pretty good interest in the Book
of Mormon. We are going to start walking in to more synagogues and
asking religious leaders of we could take a few minutes to speak to
their congregations. I love the restored gospel so much, the Lord has
blessed me to be fearless. It is my prayer that I continue to push
this gift forward. I can't believe it's November already! Where did
the year go? I don't want the time to keep going by!

We had an amazing teaching appointment this week. A few days prior to
this event, we stopped by a less active family. Their teaching record
said "we are never going back to church again!" We knocked on the
door, and the mother answered. She was extremely nice to us, and
invited us to have dinner with the family that Saturday. We were blown
away when she said. "What made you want to serve missions? I want my
daughter to serve." We bore testimony of the Atonement, we told her it
was a big factor in us coming into the mission field. After this we
asked her if she knew anyone we could go visit. She pointed to the
apartment building across the street and said "his wife is a member,
but not on the records of our ward." We went and knocked, and a man
opened the door.  We asked him if his wife was there, and he said no.
And then we asked him if he was a member. He said "no, I have tried
many different church's, and they all judge me. I never feel right for
God." We helped him understand the Savior, and when he was rejected by
his own. After much conversation he accepted a return appointment. We
taught him the Gospel Of Jesus Christ. (I learned that I have a
powerful gift) but I will explain that later in my letter. I saw this
man, full of regret. He had been raised in "the hood" in KCK. Prior to
that he lived in Ukraine, and his mom was sold to an American soldier.
The look in his eyes was dark, complexed, and hollow. He said "I don't
get it, based on the life I've been born into, it's almost like I'm
destined for hell, I've had to do many things that I wish I didn't. I
had to defend myself many times. I know I'm going to hell" I didn't
see it, I refused to believe him. I testified with all my heart that
he was a child of God. That he has every bit of potential to reach
heaven as I did. I watched this tough guys eyes tear up, his
countenance change, and a new light enter into the room. I asked him
what he was feeling right now and he said "Elders, it feels like you
are taking a sponge to a dirty soul, I feel a powerful feeling deep
inside that I've never felt before" I invited him to be baptized and
he said most definitely (he's on for 12/12/15). At the end of the
lesson we invited him to pray. The most sincere prayer I have ever
heard anyone say, when he thanked God for the message we gave to him.
We told the Less Active Family about the experience, and testified of
the healing and enabling power of the Atonement. And that the
sacrament is the most important thing you could partake of. We told
them that the Ward needed them, and that they could be a great force
for good, after much discussion. They came to church that following
Sunday, and they had a marvelous time.

I learned something about myself this week, that I didn't quite
comprehend before. In my Patriarchal Blessing it talks about seeing
people for who they really are, my brothers and sisters, and if my
desires are aloof from the distractions of the world, they will be
turned to my Heavenly Father, and his work here. Only through the Holy
Ghost can this be accomplished. This gift came into play when I was
studying for my investigators this week. As I was studying, I would
ponder what they said during our last appointment. I thought about
their feelings, how I came off, how they understood, how I understood.
Something interesting happened. I knew what they needed! Immediately
the spirit helped me know what I could say to them, what I could
prepare. I saw between the lines, I broke down the walls, and I saw a
child of God, scared, alone, discouraged, and wanting to give up. I
saw someone completely blinded by the apostasy around them, but are
too afraid to act because they have been raised in it. I see that most
people don't want to act on our message because they are scared to
jump out of their own comfortable spots (I don't blame them) it's a
real fear. But the joy that comes to my heart is a sense of empathy,
compassion, and charity. I know exactly how they feel. I am able to
see right through them, I have been able to sense their want, need,
and skepticism. The Spirit is sweet, the Lord knows their heart, and
as I remain worthy I pray that I will continue to see their hearts as
well, because it has really helped me in my finding.

Welp! That's about it!

Love ya!



Elder Greenburg
Missouri Independence Mission
Kansas City Missouri Area