Easter!

Dear friends and family,

This week was such a good week and an especially spiritual week too. Our Branch President asked all of the missionaries to give talks as well as provide the musical number for Sacrament meeting and it was such a sacred experience. We sang, "Yo se que vive mi Señor" And the spirit filled the whole room and hit each one of us like a wall. The members felt it, our investigator Emma felt it, and I could feel--If even just a tiny bit--the love the our Father in heaven has for his children. It was awesome!

The rest of the week was really good too, we found a lot of new people to teach and so hopefully we'll see some baptisms pretty soon. It seems like everyone seems to get religious around Easter so maybe we'll see some more miracles.

Just a continuation of last weeks thought, I've still been thinking a lot about discipleship and missionary work and we had a cool experience with that this week. We were driving down town and I noticed this guy walking down the road and had the impression to stop and talk to him. We were already late to an appointment, so I just kind of ignored it (I know...not cool...) but as we were driving back, 30-45 minutes later, I saw the same man walking down the road. I got quite a rebuking from the Spirit, so I stopped the car and we went up and started chasing after this guy. Finally we caught up to him and just started talking to him and walking with him and we probably walked with him a good mile. We just talked about Easter and about the Bible and he even invited us to come help him study the Bible sometime. As we parted ways, he looked back at us and then said, half-jokingly, but also with a lot of feeling, "Don't forget about me!" The love that I felt for that man (his name's Gary by the way) was so incredible and it made me so greatful for those 2nd chances that Heavenly Father gives us. I think that if we had gone up and just tried to give him a card or start preaching to him nothing would have happened; but because we walked with him and spent the time to get to know him--just like Jesus Christ would have done--the whole attitude of that contact changed.

I am so greatful for the Gospel in my life and especially in the lives of those I love. Man, this life would be lonely without it and it really puts it into perspective of how most of the people on earth feel today. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and I'm so greatful to each of you for your prayers and for your support.

Love you all and Happy Easter,

Elder Arkoudas

P.S. We found this wall and just had to take a picture. I can't really read what it says so we'll just assume that it's all good things...

P.P.S. Also funny story, but not really. Don't let another missionary give you a haircut.