Week 47- San Tan Valley

hello mother and family! haha what did dad say about reminding me of vacations that i will be on next summer? i don't want to discuss my coming home date or anything but it's at the end of june not the beginning. just a heads up. how am i? i am doing just swell! yes it is definitely getting unbearably hot here. slowly but surely! we're usually at like 105ish. constantly. and it doesn't look like it's going to cool down! it is supposed to be one of the hottest summers ever! that is cool to hear about everyone coming over and seeing the home and asking so many questions. you never know how much of an effect you have on people with those pictures of Christ. i thought it was just totally normal growing up. now i go to houses and i'm like, "where are the pictures of Jesus?" especially during Christmas. Santa is just not as cool as Jesus. you can quote me on that. that sounds like a good quote. no didn't have any investigators this week at sacrament. it was a bummer.... but i got to go to a baptism yesterday! i will send you a picture. His name is Tony. he was in my last area. elder abramson and i taught him for about a month before i left. he was studly. he was one of those people that can recognize truth instantly. the story is actually pretty cool so i will tell it real quick. 

we were eating dinner with the randall family. we asked brother randall who it was outside working on his house. he told us it was one of his good friends that has helped him with projects around the house for years. we went outside and started talking to him and asked him if he would join us for our after dinner message. we decided to share our "temple presentation"(baiscally a video on the temple and some testimonies). he didn't have any questions but we felt inspired to talk about baptisms for the dead. not really something you always feel inspired to do. but we followed the spirit and did so. he told us that he had a few children pass away. the lesson was great and we asked him if he would meet with us again. two days later we taught the restoration. he knew it was true. those are the best kind of people! the people that recognize truth from the Holy ghost when it comes. he has been catholic his whole life so he understood the holy ghost. we invited him to be baptized. he looked distraught. we invited him again. he looked up and said something to the effect of, "I know this is true and i know i need to be baptized. but i have too many hurdles to jump before i can. i don't know if i can."we share our testionies and promised he could do it. he accepted a date. and then i left. it took him a few months to overcome his smoking problem, but he did it. the service was the most spiritual one i've ever been to. it was incredible. after he was baptized, he turned and gave bishop walker a hug (the guy who baptized him) and started crying. and so did the whole congregation. it was amazing! anyway... he's such an incredible guy. the most sincere guy you've ever met. so funny too. but a heart of gold. he just wants to do what's right no matter how hard it is.

anyway... there's the story sorry it was a little long. the story doesn't do the experience justice. we don't bear our testimonies very often. always when we get into a new area though. we have the opportunity every hour of every day! you can't force anyone to share their testimony. you can invite but it won't do much either. when the spirit invites, that's when it's important. but yeah the fear gets in the way sometimes. just have to obey the spirit with courage. 

love, elder bronson

Oreo Collection

Tony and Elder Bronson at his baptism

the simmons family