Book of Mormon

I had such a great week this week!! It's been so amazing, full of miracles and fun experiences. This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon for the first time on my own. I took Moroni's challenge and prayed about it after I finished it. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I could feel the spirit testify "It is true" in my heart. As I prayed, I was overcome by this sense of happiness. My whole body erupted in warmth and comfort. My heart was beating out of my chest. I know the Book of Mormon is true! 

We also had a miracle happen to us this week. We have a new investigator named Tasha. She was on the airplane coming home from something and she sat next to a member or a branch presidency in the MTC named Bro. Nielsson. It’s weird how he said he spells it with two s's. He is super missionary focused so he started talking to her about the church. She said the day before she was going to get on the plane she was praying to have guidance and have Christ more in her life and this man answered her prayers. He set up a time for the Visitor Center and contacted us. We had a great lesson and showed her some of the kiosks there. She agreed to meeting with us three times a week, reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we give her and coming to church (which she did). This lesson was on Wednesday. We had another lesson with her on Saturday where we met at the church building. Gave her a tour of the church, and invited her to be baptized on August 3rd. She said she would. We followed up on how her reading has been going. We only gave her the assignment of reading a part of 3 Nephi, when Christ comes to the Americas, but she said she read 3 Nephi went back into the intro and read all of that, read all of 1Nephi and was half way through 2Nephi and says she wants to reread it again! She is awesome we love her! We have a member who loves to help and she was with her all of church and had a great experience, was even crying during part of sacrament meeting. Had 2 great talks that we loved. It turned out fanominal (phenomenal)! The Bro. Nielsson was super excited. Told us he's buying tickets to fly his whole family out for the baptism and going to take everyone out to dinner. It’s so fun! Meeting with her tonight at the VC again and teach the Plan of Salvation and go through some more Kiosks there. We gave her the pamphlet, which she most likely did read. Sadly, the end of July is transfers, so I hope we don’t get transferred. One of my Companions, Elder Bishop, is going home so he's going to have to find a way to get back here for the baptism.

We had a lot of lessons this week so it seemed like it flew by. Still excited for Madeleine, our other investigator with a baptismal date, but we haven't been able to meet her and she didn't come to church because a relative passed away. Invited another one of our investigators to be baptized and he said he would think about it. Found 5 new investigators this week. It’s been great!

We have heard a few things about the proposition 8 thing but not a lot. Sounds sad.

Another blessing we have though, is our carpets are being replaced! It is really really bad from about 15 years of missionary use I’m guessing, so we’re really excited about that! We have to move everything that is on the carpets to a place off the carpet (like the kitchen and the bathroom) by tomorrow morning. I'm going to have to take some pictures, before-during- and after. It’s going to be a miracle. We have a huge table, 3 beds and lots of just... things. It’s going to be an adventure! Hopefully soon we get a new car :D I think we have the oldest one. I just heard Berkeley just got a brand new car so it’s not a bike area any more. 

By the way I did love the package. The journals are great. Thank you so much! I do still want to be a fire fighter one day. But I really am open. I'm not limiting myself to that one career just yet, but right now that's the one I’m leaning towards. By the way I think it would be super fun if I could do something like what Tyler is doing after my mission for a few months or something. 

I've had a GREAT week this week!

Love,

Elder Ranquist