One Year Older and Wiser, Too

After receiving special permission to a watch a baseball game on "Christian Night,"
Elder Jorgensen and Elder Griffiths find they are a little creeped out by the mascot.

This past week we were able to be trained by Elder Bradley D. Foster of the Seventy. He taught us about shifting the responsibility of missionary work onto the members instead of the missionaries. He said that if we applied the training he gave us then our baptisms would multiply ten times. I'm super excited and am grateful for the Lord's inspired servants and their direction.

Inside this cute little boy, a mighty missionary was waiting to emerge.
Happy 20th Birthday, Elder Griffiths!

Back to Basics

Elder Griffiths with his trainee, Elder Jorgensen.

Something I've really learned from my mission is that you never arrive at a point where you're...there. You don't stop learning or improving. I'm getting a unique opportunity to train a new missionary and it's interesting to see the growth that starts to take place on a mission. Training also gives me the opportunity to bring myself back to the basics. Those basics are the things that work.

Kind Acts

Elder Griffiths and Elder Jorgensen (new companion) using a simple hand
gesture to remind them to keep their "eye single to the glory of God." (D&C 4:5)

Service changes hearts for sure. We met a lady and she told us she wasn't interested in learning more about our church. We offered to come by and help her to weed her yard and she accepted. Elder Harden and I went back and did some service a couple times and she said that she might try to come by church sometime. This past Sunday she came and told us that she loved it and that she wanted us to teach her more about our beliefs. A kind act goes a long way!

Changing the World

Elder Griffiths preparing for an exchange with Spanish-speaking Elder Brossa.

This past week I got to see some pretty cool changes take place in people's lives. One guy that we're teaching wasn't reading what we'd asked him to read. It was a pamphlet about the restoration. We came by and he'd told us he hadn't read it but he was about to. We said to give us a call when he had read it. 

Later he texted us and said that he'd read the pamphlet and had questions and he wanted us to come back that same day. We came and he had great questions and he said he'd felt goosebumps when he'd read the First Vision. He said that he felt like he couldn't read it fast enough and he wanted to know more about what we teach. 

It taught me about the power that Joseph Smith's first vision has. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and changed the world by doing so.

Um, What Just Happened?

Elder Griffiths (far right) with his Metro group.
Metro is an all-day training for missionaries.

Well...it's official. I have experienced the most interesting lesson in the history of missionaries. Last week we went and saw some people we were teaching and they were all very much...not sober. To make a long lesson short, there was singing, singing during a prayer, swearing, random hugging during the lesson, shouting, people passing out, people threatening each other, and even some tears. Elder Harden and I walked out as confused as could be. I'd explain more but I'm running out of time to email. Have a great week!