Ravenna Park and the University of Washington‏

March 23, 2015

This week was a pretty good week for us. It was quite a bit of fun. 

We had a chance to go over the Baptismal Interview Questions with our investigator Eddy.  He is planned to be baptized this Saturday, although we have to make sure he passes his interview tomorrow.  He really wants to be baptized, not only for himself but as an example to his children of how faith can change a person.  He is the only non member in the family so this is a big step for him.  Please keep him in your prayers!

We also did an exchange with the Seattle YSA 3rd Elders.  These are the Elders that serve on the UW campus.  That was a very unique experience for me to proselyte on Red Square.  I really enjoyed it!  It was such a blast!!  For about 6 hours straight all we did was stand on the big university square and talk with the college students as they milled about.  I don't know about doing it every day, but for an overnight exchange, it was seriously the best.

Sadly, we did not find any new investigators this week.  We are in need of new investigators and so that will be our focus for this week.  Although we did have a miracle this week that stood as a testimony that the Lord is guiding our work.  On Saturday we were invited by our Zone Leaders (Elder Kearley! and Elder Robinson) to attend their baptism and help them with a musical number even though we did not have an investigator coming.  We attended it to help them out, and about 30 seconds before the baptism ordinance, we were asked to talk about the restoration while the candidate was getting changed out of her wet clothes.  20 seconds later, President Choi walked in.  No pressure.  Anyway that has nothing to do with the miracle but looking back it was just a funny situation that I thought I'd share.  Back to the miracle!  After the baptism, we were walking home in our suits and planned to go change then go back out to proselyte but as we came to the intersection that we needed to take to get home, the Spirit told us to just stay out until dinner in our suits.  So we did and took a path not toward our home but toward the plans we had made.  As we crossed the street, we talked to Ashley.  Ashley was coming home from her first day at a new job, just got an apartment a few weeks ago (no longer homeless) and just moved here from Kentucky a few months ago.  Her life was coming into order and on Friday she had prayed that she could meet someone who would introduce her to a church.  She knew she needed God back in her life, especially to thank him for the blessings bestowed upon her recently.  As we introduced ourselves and told her what we do, she told us she had prayed in that exact spot to meet the day previous.  She said "If this isn't a sign, I don't know what is!".  She did not live in our area, but through a chain of events, we were able to get her the information of the church in her area (different Mission) and the Bishop of their ward called her as well as sent the Sister Missionaries to her house that night.  She attended church the next day and I know taht she will be baptized.  It was a confirmation to me that although we may not have the largest teaching pool at the moment, it isn't all about us.  The entire work of salvation is the Lord's vineyard and he is directing the whole thing.  We will find those who need the gospel, whether they live in our area or not.  What a great blessing that experience was for me.

Something that stood out to me this week came from my morning studies this morning as I prepared for zone conference.  I read in Preach My Gospel chapter 4 about receiving revelation.  I really feel like I need to be receiving revelation almost every minute.  It is how we will  be lead to the elect, how we will teach them true doctrine, how we will resolve concerns and how they will make covenants with God.  Receiving revelation is so important! Elder Griffiths and I talked about it a lot this week and we determined that receiving revelation is more than praying.  We need to be receiving revelation every day, missionary or not.  It is how the Lord guides our paths and helps us fulfill our potential.

I love you!

Love,

Elder Connor Marshall Garriss

 

 

A sweet mural in our area.

 

A famous view from Red Square.  You can see Mount Rainier from there but you need a super nice camera to get it in a picture.  Its in the dead center where all the white is.  That is also my new suit :)

Red Square! I took this early morning before going back to my area, so not many people.
 Close up of the library on Red Square -- an absolutely beautiful building!

Statue of George Washington that is pretty sweet just before the Square.

New Suit Close-ups.  One with Jacket open, one with the Jacket closed.  It has a pattern on it too but you can't see it very well in the pictures.