Miracles still happen today.

May 18, 2015

A couple of events in the last two weeks.

A mental health worker called our office one day last week.  She proceeded to tell me the story of a woman she works with who went to get her license renewed, failed the test, and was not able to drive her car home.  First of all, I have no idea how she got our number.  As she was telling me the details I asked, “Are you a member of our church?”  No.  “Is this woman a member of our church?”  No.  Oh.  Anyway, her car was in a mall parking lot, not too far from us, and could we please help her.  I thought for a second or two, tried to get a few more details, then told her we could pick it up and drive it to our church parking lot, and someone going in that direction could drive it home.  She told me she would bring the car keys to me.  She gave me the woman’s  her address and telephone number (it was incorrect).  She said it was a red Toyota, older model, parked in a handicap spot at the Landsdowne Mall.  It got later and later in the day, so I looked up this address, and decided David and I could go pick it up, and just drive it to her home.  We drove to the mall, and quickly discovered that there didn’t seem to be any red Toyotas in the lot, and certainly not in any handicap parking spaces.  So, we started stopping by red cars and David got out to see if the key worked.  I tried to park to kind of cover him up, in case the owner might walk up and have Elder Croshaw arrested for attempted breaking and entering, or some other serious lawlessness.  We only tried this on two or three cars, though.

After the first car, he told me that it was NOT a Toyota.  The keys were to a GM car.  So we altered our search.  Instead of going back, we continued around the mall, and eventually saw a red car (Chevy), older model in a handicapped parking space.  There was a note on the windshield, asking whoever read it to please not ticket or tow the car because she was trying really hard to find someone to pick up the car and she was on low income.  The key worked, and away we went.  I was trying to remember exactly how to get there, and once we were in Ladner (or maybe it was Delta, not sure), I put the address in my GPS.  Didn’t work.  So on we drove, and eventually found the apartment building.

An older lady (later she told me she was 94—a very spry 94!) was taking out her garbage and when asked, told me there was a Donna in the apartment, but she didn’t know her last name.  I found the name on the list of residents outside, and this nice lady let me in.  I went up to Donna Penner’s room and knocked.  I had to knock several times, but eventually she came to the door.  Once she understood when I was telling her, she started looking for her keys.  Her thinking was a little fuzzy, and her legs were swollen because she had walked to the store.  She told me about her legs, not her fuzziness.  Donna has long blonde hair with very dark black roots—indeterminate age.  After five minutes or so, she found her keys, and slipped on some pink flip flops.  We went outside and she showed Elder Croshaw where to park her car.  I offered her an lds.org card, and asked her if she believed in Jesus Christ.  She said yes, she used to go to church all the time.  Elder Croshaw, the good missionary he is, asked her if we could send missionaries.  She said yes.  She thanked us several times, and soon she was safely back inside the building and we were on our way home. 

The sisters had an appointment with her, but she wasn't there.  They will keep trying.  As I said, she was a little fuzzy, I think from medication—not a judgment, just an observation.  Hopefully the missionaries will be able to meet up with her some time.  She was quite nice.  As they told us, I think in the MTC, we cannot tell by outward appearance who will accept the Gospel and who will not.  We hope Donna will be receptive, but it was a fun adventure for, anyway.

Also last week, I sat in on the missionary lesson of a lifetime--the miracle part.  I don’t expect to have an experience like this again on my mission.  I had gone to another lesson with Sharom (or Shaun his Canadian name) and at the first lesson everything the missionaries told him he would say, I believe that.  This was unusual, because he is Muslim, from Iran.  His parents, however, raised him with very Christian values, and taught him about the Savior.  Anyway, at lesson #2 for me, we sat down and I think Elder Briscoe asked him a question, and he was off and running.  He told us he had read the Book of Mormon in two days.  He would have finished it in one day, but his head hurt so much at 1:30 a.m. that he had to stop reading.  He said as he read it he felt like he was there with the people in the Book of Mormon.  He believed everything he read.  He knew it was true.  He is ready to be a Christian and follow Jesus Christ for the rest of his life.  He told us the only time in his life he remembers crying was when he parents died, but as he was reading the Book of Mormon he had tears flowing out of his eyes.  I really did think of Parley P. Pratt as he was telling this to us.

He also told us that he has visited many churches, but when he entered this building, it felt different.  He knew this was where he wanted to be.  All his life he has tried to do things that he knows Jesus would want him to do.  He feels that God has been watching out for him.  He talked for about 10 minutes, so I am leaving a lot out, but Sharom has a baptismal date for June 7.  We went to a baptism last night, and Sharom was there.  If you had seen him, you would not have thought he was an investigator.  In fact, he kind of looks like an Elder’s Quorum President.  Anyway, it was an amazing experience, and I feel so blessed to have been there.  I believe there will be another lesson tomorrow afternoon.  I’m looking forward to it.

Adding something I just remembered.  When I was in my first lesson with Sharom, Elder Briscoe was talking about the Book or Mormon, holding it up and describing it to Sharom.  Sharom leans forward and says, can I have that book.  Dream question.  Uh, yes, you can.  I also got her a Farsi translation of the Book of Mormon, as well.  That is the one he read in two days.  On with the story.

Just to give a little idea of his humble, teachable nature, he had previously told us that he had a serious back injury.  The week of this lesson, he had an appointment with a Dr. for his back.  He had tried several medications, but did not like the way they made him feel.  Then, at this lesson, Elder Hohneke taught him about the word of wisdom, and Sharom asked if he could take liquid marijuana for his back.  He told us that his Dr. had recommended it and he was going in the next day.  He said, ( I am paraphrasing)  if you guys tell me that I shouldn't take this, that is against the word of wisdom, I won’t get it.  The Elders told him that it is against the word of wisdom, so that is all it took.  He has a very good spirit, and is willing to do whatever he needs to to join the church. 

Sharom is a miracle.  Investigators like this just don't show up every day.  There really are people out there who are prepared and looking for the truth.  These good missionaries here, and all over the world, in fact,  keep looking for them every day.  

More later.  Becky, Ray and family are coming this week.  Can’t wait to see them.  The Canada Vancouver Mission is a great place to be.  We are happy, and it is still beautiful inside and out.