Now Is the Time

Oh, and this week I got many other Christmas cards, including one from Adam and Chelsea, the Ewings, and some Christmas toffee from Grandma and Grandpa Peterson! Awesome! I really enjoyed the cards, and another elder in our apartment (Elder Gottipatti) thoroughly enjoyed the toffee (I shared quite a bit with him, because he really liked it, and I know he is having a tough time adjusting to Indian food. I remember when I first came here I was dying with joy every time I got a chance to eat American food, so I understand the pain he is going through!)

One interesting thing I observed this week is that all of us who share the Gospel have a favorite emphasis. Example, I will teach people about the Book of Mormon every chance I get. If there is ever a question about what to teach, I always want to teach about the Book of Mormon, because that is what my testimony is based off of. However, my companion Elder Pilli LOVES the plan of salvation, and he wants to teach that at every chance he gets. I think that is what has really helped his testimony become real/meaningful, so he wants to share it with others. But then there is also Keerthi Sagar, who comes on exchange with us a lot. He always wants us to give people pass along cards, with our number on it, to people we meet on the streets. Even if the person isn't interested, he wants us to give them a pass along. Through a series of miraculous events, Keerthi Sagar got a pass along card from one of his friends who had happened to receive one from an elder, and that is how Keethi got introduced into the church, so he has a full testimony of pass along cards! 

All very good things (Book of Mormon, plan of salvation, pass along cards), but it's interesting how we all have different things that we have a little bit more faith in. 

Okay, I need to tell you another story about Vidya Sri (she is just too perfect of an investigator!) So this week we had a whole lesson on the Book of Mormon (my favorite!), and went over the introduction with her. We told her about reading the book, pondering, and then praying to ask God if the book is true. We asked her if she would do these things, and she said "Ya sure, I'll read the Book of Mormon. But do I need to ask if it's true? I've already asked God if this is the path I should take, and He has already told me yes." 

She then went on to tell us about how before she came to church for the first time, she had prayed and asked God that morning if she really should go to this church, and really listen to our message. After she was done praying, she opened the Bible to a random page, and started reading 2 Corinthians 6:1-2. And let me just tell you, those verses are PERFECT!! In the King James version of the Bible they give a pretty clear answer, but her Bible is one of those Bibles with modern English. In her Bible it was written even more clear than in our Bible! Ahhhh! So perfect!!

Essentially this: Now is the time to come unto God. I have reached out to you, and now today is the day to come unto Him. 

Obviously, I'm a pretty big fan of God, but after hearing the answer that He gave to her I just wanted to shout praises of joy for how amazing He is! :D 

Baptism of Shruthi