Many Are Prepared to Hear the Gospel

November 12, 2007

Hi! I’ll try to make up for not writing last week, by making this a good email! I had a great birthday on Thursday, November 1st, including a spiritual thought and pizza with the students at Duke. I also got a surprise birthday cake and two “Happy Birthday to You” songs from the institute students.

I was sick from Thursday evening over the weekend until Tuesday, with an infection. It was really great to have birthday cards and presents to keep my spirits up, along with a GREAT DVD of the Walters and Henwoods wishing me a happy birthday! It really, really helped having that support while I was sick, whether you knew I was or not! Thank you!!!

We are teaching a young man named Eric about the Restoration of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon. He is reading and is very interested. Everything seems to make sense to him. It is so wonderful when we find someone who is in the right mindset and place in their life to receive the Gospel! He really seems to be one of God’s elect, someone that was prepared by God and is ready to learn.

We spoke with Maria again last week, after she had told her parents of her decision to get baptized. She is so amazing! Once again, her parents, who are from Charlotte and are pretty strict Catholics, let Maria know just how upset they were with her decision to be baptized. They also let her know that they would stop supporting her in school if she joins the church. This decision has been so hard for her! She just keeps saying that she knows this is Jesus Christ’s true church.

I’ve had the support of my family through the hard turning points of my life. Imagine what it would be like to not only lack the support from your family, but to face opposition from them for something you think and feel is right!

Cayce is in a similar situation. She comes to Church and Institute, has a boyfriend who will serve a mission soon, but worries that her baptism will hurt her relationship with her family. She has been a ‘dry Mormon’ now for months, but told us yesterday that she would like to be baptized by the end of the year. Cayce and Maria are amazing examples of faith. Maria has a baptism date for December 1st!

I also told them about my Mom’s decision to be baptized in college and how it has blessed her life and her children’s lives. Her decision has particularly blessed me, by allowing me to know the fullness of the Gospel. There are so many ways that the Gospel has blessed me, and remembering this makes me want to show others how the Gospel can bless their lives as well.

Ben, a freshman at UNC in the picture below, received his mission call on Thursday! He held it all through Institute on Thursday night then opened it and read it to everyone. We had all been taking guesses on where he would be called. Brazil would have been a likely one, but he also said in his papers that he had taken a few years of French. Other guesses included Russia and Africa. All wrong! Ben will be serving in the Salt Lake City, Utah mission.

After reading this to all the institute students, he looked up and said, “No…I’m serious!” Matthew, another UNC freshman, looked at the call over Ben’s shoulder and confirmed, “He’s not joking. It says Salt Lake.” Ben’s mom could not believe it either, and it took him a while to convince her it was true. I couldn’t imagine a better place for Ben to go. He is really optimistic, and has a great knowledge of the Gospel.

I teach a mission preparation class to 4 UNC freshmen, including Ben, the Burton twins, Andrew and Matthew, and Dallin. They all have a great knowledge of the Gospel, and I am excited to see them head out all over the world within the next year! I always feel inadequate teaching these prospective missionaries, they are so great!

We are having a ward Variety Show tonight along with our ward Thanksgiving Dinner. I am really excited to hear Liege Lord Bill recite Shakespeare in his English accent. He shared a line from Hamlet with us the other night after teaching Laurel, he is SO funny! Our ward is so unique, I love getting to know everyone here!

Thank you for your support and birthday wishes! I hope you are doing well!

Elder Walters