Howdy do!?
It's been a great week! :) There isn't much to report on, except that our investigator who was supposed to be baptized this week has moved it to next month.
This week I learned a little about Heavenly Father's sense of humor. (He has one, how do you think you got yours?)
An investigator who has been battling with whether he should be baptized or not told us of an experience he had. He was sitting down to read the Book of Mormon and he jokingly said "Alright spirit of Moroni, let's see what you have to say about baptism!" He then flipped open to a random page. He looked down at the chapter heading of Moroni 6. It said: "Repentant persons are baptized and fellowshipped."
Funny, right? :)
On a more serious note, this week I finished reading a packet of talks on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful study. This excerpt is a poem from the last talk I read. I thought you might enjoy. For the full talk, click here.
’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—” But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.29
I love you all! Be happy and make good decisions this week. And if you're feeling blue--make a list of things you're grateful for. "Gratitude shapes mood and productivity!" -Elder Russell M. Nelson
Your friend and favorite missionary, ;)
Sister Sarah Jane Lewis
P.S. If you have a spare moment, send me a note. I'll be here until for the next 6 weeks, at least. The next transfer is mid-February.
1858 S. Business 31 Apt 2D
Peru, Indiana 46970
