Message from Sister Gywn to Barry & Bridgette

Before I head for my journal and then bedtime I want to send you a quick update from Pennsylvania where I am happily providing a spare pair of hands for my daughter Laura who’s now expecting her 4th child.

Altho’ my mission at the Chapel Hill Institute ended more suddenly and much earlier than I’d expected, my family is my most important eternal mission! My main purpose in typing tonight is to let you know how very grateful I am for your favorite missionary in North Carolina. How powerfully he magnifies the Priesthood he holds, and how deeply he touches the hearts of those of us privileged to serve with him! I’m so thankful for my opportunity to be a student in his weekly Book of Mormon classes, and to be able often to add my witness as he joyfully taught the Gospel to our investigators! I am especially grateful for his invitation to me Friday afternoon to accompany him with Elder Milovich and Elder Marlatt for a dinner (at our Ward Mission Leader’s home) and teaching appointment Friday evening with a great young investigator, Christie Pennell.

As always, Elder Walters taught with both a calm assurance and an enthusiastic depth which invited the Spirit to fill all our hearts, and we all celebrated (with dessert of pumpkin cheesecake :) after hearing her answer of “Well, I’ve prayed and He’s answered, so Yes!” to his baptism challenge.

It was cold and dark and rainy on our way home that Friday night, but we 4 missionaries were too happy to notice. :) Elder Walters said, “Now that’s the way missionary work should be! Wasn’t that a great way to end your Institute mission, Sister Gwyn? :)”

I am thrilled to know that Christie will become a wonderful addition to our Durham 3rd Ward Young Single Adults with her baptism scheduled for Friday, November 21st; and I am especially grateful for his heart’s understanding that one more sharing of teaching the Gospel would be a much better finale for my Institute mission than just driving away after washing the last dish and putting up the last Friday Forum flyer.

It became even more meaningful as I remembered the rainy Friday night in Libertyville, Illinois when Elder Steve Sowby (who was nearing the end of his mission) and his companion Elder Roger Allred in Libertyville, Illinois found us again (after we’d turned them away the first time since Art had been sanding the hardwood livingroom floor in our home, so we’d had no furniture for them to sit on :)) and started teaching us about the Savior and His Church. So now, thanks to your son’s invitation, I’ve come full circle from receiving the Gospel on one rainy Friday night to sharing the Gospel on another rainy Friday night 42 years later! :)

Oh, how grateful I am for our agreement – long before we knew that my release would come so early – to keep in close touch! We’ll be emailing updates (I’ve already requested that he tell me all about Christie’s baptism! :) as he continues his mission, and I’m looking forward to seeing him and my Durham 3rd friends whenever I’m back in Carolina (altho’ we have no idea when that’ll be since I’ll be available here as long as Laura needs me).

I am so grateful to you two for all your love in raising a son of such caliber and sharing him with all of us, and I am so thankful for my mission at the Chapel Hill Institute serving with Elder Walters as we renewed and continue our eternal friendship! :)

Gratefully,

Sister Lois M. Gwyn

Christie is Baptized by Elder Milovich

Christie read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, received a witness from the Holy Ghost that it was true, and is now the newest member of the Durham 3rd Young Single Adults Ward! Christie asked Elder Milovich, my companion who originally talked to her about the Church, to baptize her. I have been really excited for him ever since we started teaching Christie.

Her path from UNC’s ‘Pit’ to the baptismal font has shown us what kind of person she is and the depth of her spirituality. I still am amazed that she called us back after talking with Elder Milovich and reading a pamphlet on the Restoration. I’m not trying to sound glum, but no one calls us back! If they ever do, it’s because they usually want to Bible bash. We met with her with a member, Ryan, who really helped her see that Mormons aren’t weird.

Anyone who reads and prays about the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart, real intent and faith in Christ will receive the same sweet, indescribable answer Christie received. My mission has taught me that many times. I think other than her spiritual witness and reception of that witness, the key to what enabled Christie to choose to be baptized was the involvement of members.

Christie was welcomed into the Ward by everyone, but the examples of a few young ladies really helped her in this huge step in her life. Cayce and Maria, who joined the Church this year, were, I believe, literally instruments in the Hands of God.

So often people see missionaries and run! But when real life people-students (with religions of their own and families who often oppose the decision) receive a witness and act on it, a miracle has occurred. When non-members see these people make these courageous and probably pretty scary decisions, it gives them strength to believe that they, too, can act on the answer they’ve received. Christie’s conversion was a perfect example of how I believe the Lord wants missionary work to be done, with missionaries and members working together.

Her baptism on Friday, November 21st was wonderful! Cayce spoke on Baptism, Maria on the Holy Ghost. The relief Society room was full of members and friends. Christie spoke for a little bit on her further conversion to Jesus Christ. She said that this step just felt right, like when she first made the decision to come unto Christ in High School. Christie also asked me to confirm the Gift of The Holy Ghost upon her in Sacrament Meeting.

Thank you all for your letters, love and prayers!

Elder Walters

Christie is getting baptized on Friday!

(Above is a picture frame Elder Walters made for Sister Gwyn . . . while I can't read it, I can only imagine it is full of wonderful memories, lessons learned and insights shared. Sister Gwyn has been an unbelievable blessing to our son as well as the students in the Durham 3rd Ward. She has been the answer to many prayers and will always hold a special place in all of our hearts. Bridgette and Barry.)

These last two weeks have been amazing! I guess I’ll start where I left off last week. Christie is the young lady Elder Milovich contacted at the Pit. She not only called back, she has since met with us a bunch, been to church every week, gone to every other activity she can, met a lot of members, and most importantly read and prayed about the Book of Mormon.

Brad, our ward mission leader, invited Christie, Sister Gwyn, Cayce and the Elders to dinner on Friday. Christie told us she’s read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, she received an answer and would like to be baptized! She will be baptized this Friday, the 21st of November!

Sister Gwyn’s daughter is expecting in the coming months and Sister Gwyn has gone to help her. While her service at the Institute is over for now, she will be back to visit soon, hopefully!

The short months I knew Sister Gwyn from her time here in January were wonderful. She made a huge difference in my mission and my outlook on life.

We hope to welcome a senior couple here soon, however I am the first to admit that no person, no couple, no dozens of couples could ever replace the warm kindness that Sister Gwyn brought to the Institute and the Durham 3rd Ward. Sister Gwyn was instrumental in Christie’s welcome to the ward and countless other people’s lives. I am thankful I was privileged to serve with her and I hope to serve with her again. I also want to serve the rest of my mission as she served hers, by focusing on the Lord and forgetting myself.

I love you all! Thank you for your letters, love and prayers!

Tracting at "the Pit" . . .

Elder Milovich contacted a young lady at “the pit” at UNC a week ago. She was really nice, but she said she’d call back if she was interested. Elder Milovich left her with a pamphlet with our number on it and…she called back!

We met with her with a great member of our ward on Friday and she came not only to church yesterday, but to the break the fast, the broadcasted fireside with Presiding Bishop H. David Burton, and she walked back to her dorm with some young ladies in our ward! Sister Gwyn did really great to welcome her. She gave her a tour of the building and introduced her to a ton of the members!

This was to me a great example of sharing the Gospel the way I believe the Lord has asked us to share it-not just the members, not just the missionaries, but both sharing the Gospel and helping each other!

Thank you all so much for the cards and packages you sent me for my birthday! I got some great ties and treats and I really enjoyed some pictures from the Hatches. My other sister, Whitney, is expecting an addition to her family about a week before I come home!

I love and appreciate you all very much!!!

Elder Walters