Elder Brock DeLuca: Another Great Week!!!

Hello everyone! This week was awesome, but it seemed to fly by!

We met with Mounda on Wednesday and we taught him the third lesson and it went super well and he came to church Yesterday!

Friday, we had District Meeting and we talked about the doctrine on redeeming the dead discussed in D&C 138. This month's training is a little bit different because we are focusing a lot on family history and temple work because our entire mission is getting iPads within the next month or two and we are going to be training members and investigators how to use family search!

Saturday, we met with Charly and we committed him to be baptized and he was very hesitant which caught me by surprise because I thought that it would be something that he was wanting to do. He said that he didn't feel quite ready and he asked me "Where do you think I need to be spiritually in order to be baptized?" My response was "That is a really good question, what do YOU think? Because that is something that has to come within you and you have to want to do it" He said that he would just need to be willing to follow Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. I told him that he was right and he said I am just not one hundred percent sure that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way I can make it back to live with God. I then asked him if he came to the realization that it was only in and through Jesus Christ that he came be saved, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?" Before I even finished the invitation he was nodding his head and he was like, "YES!" So, we are going to continue working with him and help him come to that realization. If you have any suggestions, holla at your boy! Send me an email and let me know what you think would be good for him!

Sunday was the best! We go to mission prep to help the prospective missionaries prepare for their missions and we take turns teaching them with a couple of returned missionaries. This past mission prep was awesome. Brother Walraven gave a devotional before we started the lesson and he was covering "A Successful Missionary" part on page 10-11 in Preach My Gospel. As you may know, some missionaries base their success off of baptismal statistics alone and if I were doing that, I would be a failure. In know even though I haven't found, taught, and baptized anyone I am still successful. I have changed SO much these past seven months and I am closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ more than I have ever been. The part that really stuck out to me was on page 11 and it is the very last bullet point. It says "You are successful when you are obedient, live righteously, and do your best in helping other live the gospel." It doesn't say you can be or you could be, it says you ARE! I love that.

So, when we got to church we sat with Charly up closer to the front because he was very distracted by crying babies last time. Even before we got to the church, I knew in my heart that I was going up to bear my testimony and I did! It was the coolest thing ever because right before I went up, I said a silent prayer and I asked Heavenly Father to help me not be nervous and not to sweat! I seriously sometimes will sweat when a lot of people are staring at me! So I had a couple things I wanted to mention and they were seriously all touched on by the previous people but I went up anyways. I said "I had a few things I wanted to say but they have already been said so it is my prayer to you that someone in here will take something from what I have to say." Both of my prayers were answered almost immediately. I got up there and I wasn't nervous, and the AC vent was pumpin' cold air onto my head and I didn't even break a sweat. Also, right after I went to sit down a returned missionary came right up and he said Elder DeLuca said something that touched me so I had to come up. Both of my prayers were answered! After Sacrament, Charly thanked me for getting up there and he said that he was going to go home and I was like what!? We have to go to class! He said he had a book he wanted to go read and I was like well there isn't even that much time left of Gospel Principles so will you please come? He smiled and was like, "Aww man, yes I'll come!" He actually thanked me for asking him to stay!

Later Sunday evening we had the opportunity to go over to the Turners house!! We had the best meal with them. Alaskan salmon!!!! We also shared a message about having faith in Jesus Christ and I shared one of my favorite scriptures, Helaman 5:12!

I just want you all to know that I am so happy and grateful to be out her serving a full-time mission. I know this is where I need to be and I wouldn't want it any other way. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends! I love you all so much and have a great week!

Love,

Elder DeLuca