Finding Heavenly Father's Sheep

We've logged 1800 miles on the truck since we arrived. Our curriculum of the day is to "slow down." The urgency of the work makes it difficult to find a proper balance. We enjoyed a moment of comic relief last week as we sat in the parking lot eating our sack lunch (in the middle of nowhere) at the Elizabeth African Methodist Episcopal Church!

We have been working hard to catch up on four pages of media referrals that were way over-due. We visited three people at the State Mental Hospital in Chattahoochee. One of the people with whom we visited had been taught about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon by a fellow patient who is a member of the church. He was very upset because the other patients were telling him it wasn't true and asked what he could do about it. We referred him to the introduction to the Book of Mormon offering as a solution to have them read it and pray about it for themselves. This satisfied him, and he said, "I know it is true because I can see it in your eyes, and the eyes don't lie." It was a sweet and tender experience. I am so thankful for my previous experiences at the mental hospital in North Carolina which enables me to minister to the dear people here in the hospital.

Many wonderful things are happening. We are still teaching the Booths, Sadburys, Smiths, Lillian Hover, and friendshipping several others. We have second appointments with two families we contacted through the media referrals, the Jenkins family and Sharissa Cobbs. Sharissa just lost her job, her husband is incarcerated for spouse abuse, and she has two darling little girls about three and four years old, and another older boy. She called the media center to request two copies of the Book of Mormon hoping to find some answers. She and I really connected. We are going back to see her tomorrow. We gave her the "Finding Faith in Christ" video, embraced a long time with the encouragement that hope is on the way.

Trying to figure out how to help some of these people who are in extreme poverty situations is difficult. We often feel very helpless. But, the hardest part is living up close and personal with people who live in squaller with no apparent options for remedying their circumstances. All of the Church's materials about provident living are all long-term solutions to their problems. I am sure that with time we will become more comfortable knowing what to do about these very difficult situations.

Last Sunday the Quincy ward was almost packed. There were no empty chairs in Relief Society. Bishop Decembrino changed all of the auxiliaries except the elders quorum president! Good move on his part. It was one of the most spiritual meetings we've ever attended. Once again, there were many "coincidences." This will probably turn into another epistle.

First, a little background is needed. Last week we visited a less active member's home, Luci Robinson who is black. She has a beautiful fifteen year-old daughter, Montresha. Both haven't been to church in a long time. Luci wasn't home, but we had a nice visit with Montresha and her boyfriend, Travorish. We invited her to church and agreed to pick her up.

We also had a second meeting with Willa May Smith, a poverty-stricken woman we found through a media request for the "Finding Faith in Christ" video. She has two darling little girls, ages 6 and 11. Their living conditions are comparable to many third-world country situations. She is a very courageous woman who goes to school each day on the school bus with her little girls and works as a volunteer. She said she had been baptized, but her children had not. We invited her to come to church, but she said she had no way to get there. She lives about 6 miles out of town, we were already committed to meetings with the bishop and picking up Montresha. The bishop said he would see what he could do to have someone pick her up.

Back to my story about the coincidences. Unbeknown to us, President and Sister Summerhays, the mission president, were scheduled to speak at the Quincy ward. Also, Brother Torres from Salt Lake City, the first Spanish-speaking missionary assigned to the Quincy Ward in 1994 arrived along with a friend from Salt Lake City. When we went to pick up Montresha, her boyfriend, Trevarish, proudly decked out in his ROTC uniform, came to church with us. Several other new faces were spotted, and Bill and I were almost hyperventilating from trying to greet the new visitors, as well as prepare for our investigators class. In walks in Willa May Smith, ten minutes into relief society, announcing, "I told you I would come! She found a ride herself.

We started teaching Willa May and President and Sister Summerhays join us. In the discussion, President Summerhays asked Willa May what did she think the Lord wanted her to do. She said, "I don't know." He read in the scriptures about the day of pentecost when 3,000 souls were baptized. She said, "I've already been baptized." Willa May only answers direct questions and volunteers nothing unless asked. As President Summerhays continued to emphasize "this church", and Elder Zabriskie pointed to his name badge, she continued to hold fast to her story that she was a member of this church. Painstakingly, we learned that she knew about President Hinkley, and she watches the "Finding Faith in Christ" video every single day. She said she was baptized in a river some place near the GA/FL line by her uncle who was a bishop when she was about 14 years old. She said her husband was also baptized as a member. She wants her girls to be baptized, too.

Well, the tears flowed all around. The Lord had found one of His lost sheep! Maybe three more also.

In sacrament meeting, the bishop preempted President Summerhays talk, calling on the former Elder Torres to bear his testimony. He told about an experience he had in Quincy in 1994 that changed his life forever. He and his companion were tracting out the whole town street by street. One day his senior companion said they were going to Midway instead, riding their bikes about 1o miles to a trailer park in the scorching August heat. He and his companion went directly to where the Spirit was directly him. His companion knocked on the door saying, "We're missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Lord has sent us here today. Do you why he sent us here?" It was the home of Luci Robinson. She had been praying for the Lord to send her something to help her find her way. Twenty minutes into the discussion she committed to baptism, along with her two older children. Montresha was about 3 or 4 years old and was later baptized.

Elder Torres said from that moment on he stopped trying to do things his way because it was not his work but the Lord's work. He was very emotional as he shared this life-changing experience, and Montresha and her boyfriend were spell-bound by his testimony.

After church, we invited Elder Torres to accompany us to take Montresha and Trevarish home. It was a grand reunion!! Elder Torres shared the same story/testimony with Luci, posed for pictures, and made new commitments about activity in church. Sweet!

President Summerhays preached a stirring sermon about the sealing power of love that binds us all for eternity, using the examples of Willa May, Montresha, and another Hispanic investigator to illustrate his message. There were no dry eyes. He also said lots of wonderful things about Elder and Sister Zabriskie with the edict to slow down!

We are looking forward to a senior missionary conference at the mission home Thursday-Saturday. Elder Zabriskie has my sore throat and cold and is trying to rest a bit more today.

Just for the record, the senior missionaries do not have the same restrictions around communicating with their family and close friends. It helps us a great deal to hear from you. It is easier to post on the blog instead of doing all of the cutting and pasting for the e-mails. You can probably tell that the blog is our way of journaling our experiences. FYI: we now have a hybrid phone connection with our old phone number in Provo: 801-373-6785. It doesn't alway work, but if you need to call us try this number first so we can save our cell phone minutes to use while we're out proselyting. There is a two-hour time difference

Know of our deep love and concern for you all. Pray for us and the Lord's lost sheep.

Elder and Sister Zabriskie