June 27, 2011

Hello Mom and Dad!!!

I love you guys! So his week was a week full of miracles. Listen to this. We had a baptism on Saturday!!! We got home on Wednesday night and Elders White and Dean were sitting at the table. They said "We might possibly have a baptism to refer to you. But he doesn't speak a lot of  English." And so we started talking and they told us about how they had been teaching this guy named Marcelo for a long time and he could never go to church because the Spanish branch starts at 2 pm and he had work. He really wanted to get baptized but he just couldn't because his work conflicted. So Marcelo had called them that day while he was driving and asked if he went to the English ward he could get baptized. The Spirit had obviously worked on him. So we called President Hall, got it approved, and baptized him on Saturday night! He has SUCH a strong testimony of the Gospel.

We had been praying all month to help someone be baptized this month and the Lord pulled through. I used to be surprised by things like this and say "I can't believe that happened!" But now I just think to myself "The Lord is a God of miracles and this is His work. He'll have someone baptized if it's in His will. I know it is His will...so glory be to Him!"

 Ha I love missionary work! I sit in lessons and just think to myself "Man...I love doing this. I don't ever want to go home." It's shocking to see how much the Lord has helped me have a "mighty change of heart". He's been changing me into a disciple of Christ line upon line and looking back I see what's happened. It's amazing.

We're teaching this family that is best friends with a recent-convert from Winter Garden. The Lot family. It's a mom and her two daughters. They really want to get baptized. We set dates with them this week but they fell through because they didn't make it to church. They are great people. We are just teaching a lot of wonderful people right now. The zone is on fire too. Setting tons of dates. In two nights we set like 12 dates. Pretty great stuff.

This week Anissa is getting baptized. She is such a great girl. She went to girl's camp this week and loved it. She made friends with all the girls and all the leaders. She is so ready. So that will be good too. Dad you asked how we found her and it was through her 20 year old brother who is a member in the YSA branch.

Great stuff is happening. But apparently our mission has a blog and I thought you might want to check it out. It's floridaorlandomission2010.blogspot.com. I think Sister Hall does it. Ha funny story. So we were teaching Anissa at her house and we were watching videos on LDS.org. I was scrolling through the youth section of the website and I saw this picture of some kids in an ice cream shop. It was ME! Haha it was so weird. Check it out https://lds.org/youth?lang=eng go to the bottom and click next till you get the page 5 of 6 and you'll see me, Matt, Taylor, and Natalie in the picture on the top right. So crazy haha. I was shocked. You know you're moving up in the world when you're on LDS.org hahaha. Just kidding.

But things are great. Prayer is pretty cool. I love you both! So much! Oh p.s. Elder Bennett and I spoke in Sacrament meeting on Sunday and Brother Allen (the member of our ward who called and talked to you guys a few weeks ago) recorded it and said he was going to email it to you. So heads up. Have a great week! It's weird that all my friends are coming home and getting married haha. Bye!

--
Elder Austin Gable Engemann

Photo, June 27, 2011

Marcelo's baptism

June 20, 2011

Hi Mom and Dad!

So last week I totally forgot to tell you Happy Father's Day Dad. I had it written down to tell you. I even reminded Elder Bennett while he was emailing and I still forgot haha. Sorry. But you're the best father in the world! Pharrell. I'm glad you got the text too.

Well this week went pretty well. We met with Anissa a lot. She went to Young Women's on Tuesday and loved it. We moved her date up a week to the 25th of June. She didn't come to church again though because she was at her cousin's house. So we're moving her date back to the first weekend in July. She is going to girl's camp this week though and that will be really great for her. We met and set a date with Julie's husband Henry. They are a cool family. Henry is pretty funny. So we set his date for July 9th, but he didn't come to church this week because of work so we're going to move his date back maybe as well. We'll see. Kirk came to church with Kelly this week. Then we met with him Sunday night and watched "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" with him. It helped him learn more about Joseph Smith. He said it "cleared some things up". We invited him to be baptized this coming Saturday and he said he'd pray about it. So we'll talk to him tonight and see what he says. He is ready. Please pray that his father (Kirk sr.) will have a soft heart and let Kirk get baptized.

I don't think I ever told you this but we are teaching Beetlejuice and his wife. Haha their names are Cory and Cassi. Cory is Beetlejuice at Universal Studies. They are SO cool. We love them. Cory has a strong faith in Christ and loves the Book of Mormon. He's been reading it. He also has some Word of Wisdom issues that he is trying to overcome. And Cassi is a wicken. We are trying to help her gain a testimony of Christ. We love them though. I want to come back after the mission and chill with them hahaha. But please pray for them. They came to Zumba last week too. It was a blast.

What else...I don't know. Every week I feel like I don't know what to tell you both haha. I always just have so much on my mind it's tough. So I'm sorry if my emails are lame. But it sounds like you both are doing great. Stay pharreshh! Love you!


--

Elder Austin Gable Engemann

June 13, 2011

Hey Family!

This week was good. We helped feed some homeless people on Tuesday. That was great. We set 3 new dates with 3 new investigators this week. One part-member and two of her friends. For July 2nd. Kirk's baptism will be moved back. His father definitely isn't on the baptism train. We just need to help Kirk gain a strong testimony. We'll see. It's crazy how much can happen in a week. So many things change.

No one came to church this week either, it was a bummer. Two weeks in a row! Ha but this week we will make SURE people get there. Sooo...yeah Kalie Brown and her family came to our ward this week! It was SO weird hahaha. I was passing out the programs at the door and I hear Elder Bennett say "Hey where are you guys from?" and I heard someone say "Arizona" and I looked over and saw her and her family. I was so confused hahaha. It was super weird seeing someone I know. I felt somewhat normal for half a second. But it was cool we took some pictures then they bounced. But that's about all that happened this week. Love you guys so much! Have a wonderful week.


--

Elder Austin Gable Engemann

Photos, June 13, 2011

Elder Bennett's birthday!

Elder B casting a spell on a toad in our sink.

 

Kalie and her family at church...crazy.

June 6, 2011

Hey MOM AND DAD!!!

This week was great. We taught a ton of people. Thursday we had our Zone Leader Council. I just want to say how cool President Hall is. I feel like he should be an Apostle or something haha. Every time we have a meeting with him or something he just lifts and inspires everyone around him. But he still has a way funny personality haha. He brings the Spirit very strongly to all of the meetings. I feel blessed to have such a great Mission President.

But to answer your question about Julie: we haven't had a chance to teach her family yet. We met them all so there's a start. Julie is confident that one day they will accept the Gospel. Julie is so great! She is so willing to do things. Very humble. We went over to her house this week and things were way crazy in her house but she took an hour out of her night to watch The Testaments with us.

We had a potluck at the church on Saturday and that was great. There is this HILARIOUS member that just moved here from Utah named Brother Barlow and he brought Karaoke. So funny. He is a total thespian. We love him. But we had Jacob and his friend Vincent there, and also Kelly and Kirk. Jeyvelisse came too. There was a lot of friendship going on so it was good.

Then on Sunday we didn't have any investigators in Sacrament meeting but we did have Jacob, Vincent, and Kirk come to the Sunday School classes. Then after church we taught Jacob and we are really trying to help him accept a date to be baptized. He is ready. We think he thinks it's a bigger deal than it is. Of course, it is a big deal. But he thinks he has to devote ALL his time to the church and stuff. So pray for him. We moved up Kirk's date to next Saturday, the 18th. So that will be great.

Then on Sunday night we were referred to a part-member family that is really cool. They have a daughter named Kyleigh who isn't baptized yet. We feel that it was an answer to our fast. The Lord is really good at blessing us lately haha. But things are stimpy. Life is good. And I love you both! Have a great week!


--

Elder Austin Gable Engemann

Photos, June 6, 2011

Hunter's Creek District Meeting

Dinner at the church with the Ihli's. Elder Bennett made shepherd's pie. Yum.

 

ZUMBA! Party Hearty!