Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Mission Presidents Message for March 2016



Dear Family and Friends of the Florida Orlando Mission,

During 2016, we would like to share with you some of the spiritual experiences our Missionaries have had here in the Florida Orlando Mission. We look forward to you reading them and sharing in the spirit of missionary work.
We love and thank you for your prayers and support.

Our love, President and Sister Berry

One of my most special experiences related to a recent convert baptism
happened in Buena Vista YSA. The missionaries there had been teaching
this young man named Scott. He was an atheist, and was really just out
to prove other religions wrong. Although he had a particular interest
in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The missionaries
soon dropped him because he was just wasting our time. He just wanted
to know about the church simply for intellectual reasons.

Two months or so after I arrived in the area we started to teach him
again. He had claimed to have a change in heart. So we started to
teach him again with a focus on making sure he was investigating for
the right reasons. Soon after multiple visits, and conversations we
came to the conclusion, my companion and I that he actually had
changed. He wanted to be baptized, so we called President Berry. Since
he was now known through out the mission and by president Berry.

After continued teaching and two interviews by the mission presidency
it was concluded that he was ready to be baptized. What a joy this was
for me and my companion!! We had prayed and fasted that everything
would go well, cause we both knew he was ready. About a month later we
prepared for his baptism. His baptism went great! I had the honor of
actually baptizing him myself. The highlight of everything was his
personal testimony that he gave after his baptism. It was awesome!
even though he said some funny things, It was truly genuine. It’s
truly amazing to me that the lord can take a hardened heart, soften
it, and mold it to what he wishes for us. It was nothing short of a
miracle. It was also nothing that my companion and I did, it was all
Heavenly Father. I saw this as a great change in heart just like Alma
the younger, or Paul. I know that God is Preparing All of his children
to be Baptized. This is just proof of that. In a quest that started
out to destroy, actually turned into something special for Scott! I’m
grateful that the lord saw fit to allow me to take part.

God the father lives, and he sent his son Jesus Christ to the Earth to
atone for the sins of all mankind. Through Joseph Smith Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ restored the Fullness of the Everlasting
Gospel to the earth. It can and will change hearts. I know that this
experience has changed my life, and the life of Scott.

Love, Elder Crismon
Sandy, Utah


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