Interpreting Tongues

  Hey, everyone!!! Elder Snell here, ready to update you upon the
topic of missionary work here in Fort Belvoir, most likely for the
last time. You would think that they would keep you in an area once
you get to know all of the members, but as soon as you get to know
them all really well, they ship ya out! Very annoying if you ask me.
     Fort Belvoir has been an awesome place to serve! Working with
military people has been great. Oh, and it has all been on bike! That'
stone of the best parts! So far, I have served my whole mission in
biking areas! Whoot! Huzzah for keeping in shape! Hopefully I can say
that I served on bike for a whole year. That's my goal. Anyways....
Other than being on bike, some other awesome things that were part of
these three transfers here have been some of the crazy miracles!
Yesterday, we had a less-active member come to church hat hasn't been
to church since I have got here. We also had an investigator come to
church for the blessing of his baby. His wife is a member of the
church and we helped her out A LOT, so she thought it would be cool if
we got to stand in the circle for the baby blessing. That was a really
neat experience!

     While we are on the topic of miracles, let me tell you something
that happened on Friday afternoon. We were on our way back from
filling out the progress record at the Library and we planned to drop
by some investigators' houses to invite them to a ward BBQ that was
going on the following day. We are teaching a man from Ruanda named
Ganza. He lives in a house full of potential investigators, so if we
got him to come, we would get the rest of those in the house to join
as well. We knocked on his door and nobody answered, so we did what
any desperate missionary would do. Knock again! So we did, waited a
few minutes and we heard the door knob shuffle a little and the door
creaks open to the father figure of he house hold, Pascal. The only
problem with us teaching Pascal is the fact that he only speaks French
and barely any English. We ask him of Ganza is home in hopes of
talking to him. His reply was, "Ganza....... Home?...."
Me: *facepalm*
Great.... He then puts up his finger as if to say hold on a second,
then slowly climbs the stairs to what we assumed was to find Ganza. We
wait at the door for a good three or four minutes and he finaly comes
back, this time with a French Book of Mormon in his hands. Elder
McInerny and I look at each other, confused, but we both have an idea.
We were going to do our best to teach him a lesson right then and
there. Literally. We asked him if he has read the Book of Mormon. He
then goes off in French about something. We listen intently to see if
we might even be able to understand him. Now here is where the miracle
begins. If you have been reading the Book of Moroni, he talks of the
gifts of the spirit. There are certain things god allows us to do
through the spirit. This one just happened to be the one mentioned in
Moroni 10:16, which says:
     "And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of
divers kinds of tongues."
As pascal was speaking to us in French, I could have sworn that I
caught some words that were English. "Is this like the bible?" I
couldn't believe my ears! Did I just hear that right? The spirit
confirmed to me that this is what he was asking. I I directed him to
the front of the Book of Mormon where it talks about it being
comparable to the bible. He smiled, nodded, and went off in French. I
then had an impression to ask him if he would be baptized if he knew
the book was true. He said yes! Elder McInerny then showed him
Moroni's promise and we said a prayer with him. We had just taught
someone in French!!! Hey yeah!!!! Mission accomplished!

     Today, I went to the Temple with Elder Seely! It was a really
awesome feeling being in the presence of Heavenly Father and feeling
his love that he has for all of his children. He loves us all so
dearly. I hope you know how loved you are, we have a way shown forth
unto us by our Savior, Jesus Christ, of how to get back to our
Father's presence. It is my hope and prayer that this is your goal, as
it is mine. I am ecstatic that my family can be together throughout
the eternities. I love them so much! Cherish the moments you spend
with them.

     With that, I bid you farewell for now. Until we shall meet again.

~ Elder Zac Snell :)

P.s. I ran into Elder Harrison Sturgeon when I was at the temple
visitor center today. He is doing great and is loving his mission.
Glad that I could run into an old friend.

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