"UNREAL GUYS UNREAL!"

Here is Elder Hintze's letter from Monday, November 18th. Baptism this week!

"Hi Family! Good week this week, I suppose. Gloria and Zooya's baptism went through! I was able to baptize Zooya and assist with Gloria and I confirmed Gloria. Holy cow. So cool! I am very, very thankful that I was allowed to be part of it all!

Monday - In the morning we went to the Elephant Ear booth at the peanut festival and had to do some major clean up duty. For P-Day we enjoyed some nice Little Caesar's pizza in the church and shot some hoops. And then we ate dinner with the Grantham's in the evening. And then we helped good old Linda unload some furniture into her room.

Tuesday - After District Meeting, we knocked on Brittani's door the girl who knocked on our door and agreed to have us teach her, so we did and she said she was busy, but then she came back and knocked on our door. And so we were able to teach her outside the Restoration lesson outside on some picnic tables. And it went really, really well! Probably one of the better first lessons, but there was a lot of distractions outside, so it was hard to feel the Spirit. But she appears to be pretty solid. Then we went out with Bro Prigmore, and nobody was home, we did see Barbra Erb though. Did some tracting for the first time in along time and I actually really, really enjoy tracting! So then the Marturello's fed us.

Wednesday - So, we traded off Tuesday night, so I had Elder Winter one of the Zone Leaders down with me in Dothan. We taught Theresa in her thrift shop in the morning. We read Alma 32 with her and talked about Faith. She is scheduling times for us to meet her when the shop is closed, so that is pretty cool. But anyway it was an awesome lesson, and she loved it, the Spirit was definitely there. So I recommitted her to be baptized and she said yes! So... kind of cool right. She said that she believes that this is the true church, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. She wasn't set on setting a date yet, she said she needed to pray about it. So pretty awesome! But then she didn't come to church.... So we will see what this next week brings! Then she had us search in the woods for some lost puppy that she saw.. don't ask. But we didn't find it. So then we went and we taught Nicholas the Plan of Salvation with Forest. And it hit home with him as well! He said "I am a believer" So we still have work to do, but he told us that he wants us to come meet with his mom and teach her, so we are going on Tuesday to teach mom and him! Then we saw Linda. Then we ate dinner at the Myer's home, which then they sent you pictures! And then we had our exchange report and then we met with Gloria at the church and solidified all of the baptismal plans and we got the program all set up! And then we traded back.

Thursday - We worked at the food bank in the morning, that place would fall apart without us. We then saw Barbra with Charles Bain. Her health is getting really poor, she can barely walk. So I can't get on her too much, because she is in a lot of pain. But after that we did our weekly planning and then we worked our way all across Dothan trying all of the potentials that we had, with no success whatsoever, so we had an extra meal ticket so we ate dinner at the Hospital, and then we went out to see Burnsed, but she is a goner lately. So we gave the 1st Ward elders a ride, since they were right there and it was daggum freezing here.

Friday - We worked at the food bank in the morning and then we helped Sister Lock move. The classiest lady I know, she is 92 and still healthy as can be, she has more clothes than I have ever seen before in my whole entire life. So then the 1st Ward gave us a ride to the hospital and we gave them free lunch at the hospital, for their efforts. So then we did our hospital shift and nothing huge, we got called to a trauma in the ER, and some guy had been shot, so that was kind of exciting, he was fine. And I also prayed with a man who was deaf, so that was also kind of a neat experience. He had know idea what I prayed about! But then on the way home, my bike tire exploded or popped. So I was man down, and we had to get home because dinner was being dropped off real soon. So we call the Sister's for backup and they are just down the road. So they rescue us and then Theresa offers to take us to dinner, so we are like heck ya, can't turn this down, dinner with investigator.

Saturday - BAPTISM DAY!!!!!! So went in the morning and got the bikes fixed. There is a guy who owns a bike shop and his wife is a member, but less active, and he fixs all our bikes for free. Really nice guy, he told me I couldn't put white walls on my bike. So then we got to the church and got the font ready and got everything straightened up! And then it happened!!!

President Smith, Zooya, Gloria, Elder Hintze, and Elder Smith

We had quite a turn out from the ward! We also had President and Sister Smith there!! And Athen the husband and father came. The whole baptismal service was phenomenal, as I said Zoya asked me to baptize her and Elder Smith did Gloria. It really feels so good, I am so blessed to be able to be a part of it. And through out the whole service the Spirit was strong, members of the ward welcomed them in awesome and they all were tearing up. And so after the fact, Athen said now that he is open! And so we are going to hopefully be able to meet with him this week!! So everything just went really well! :) :) Later we met with Anita McBride and read with her. And then tried a bunch of people, we saw Donte that kid that met with us a while ago. We have never been able to get up with him and he is no longer really interested, he read a little of the Book of Mormon and he prayed a couple of times and he said he didn't get an answer. So we set up to meet with him Sunday, but he wasn't there. But then we also talked with Brittani's boyfriend, because she said that she wanted us to meet with him too. And we did and he said, he would think about it. But he ain't getting away from me. We saw Barbra with Bro Prigmore and she was doing much better! So it was a good visit!

Sunday - We did get to confirm Gloria and Zoya and that was cool. What a huge honor! I really am just so thankful I got to be a part of it. To confirm them a member of the church and give them the gift of the Holy Ghost. UNREAL GUYS UNREAL! Then we ate lunch at the Hall's and they always do breakfast style, so it reminds me of when we used to do the breakfast dinner! But then we biked to see the Hughey's and nothing, but on the way home we stopped and talked to his older couple and their daughter I believe. And they have been surrounded by Mormons their whole life! He worked with them, their daughters danced with Mormons, they have seen the Salt Lake Temple and Hawaii Temple and her sisters used to play volleyball with the elders when they were young in Hawaii, and she knew tons of members from Samoa and Hawaii. It was really cool, so we probably talked to them for an hour and a half, they have a Book of Mormon on their shelf. And she said one time she called her Baptist raised mother and told her they were thinking of joining the Mormons and her mom got angry so they didn't. So we are going back this week to paint their whole house, hahaha. And we are going to do some serious work there! Then in the evening we ate dinner out at the Thomley's.

Love you a lot family! Missing you a lot this week, I kind of just wish we could all come do all this stuff, ya know? Good week this week, it was very neat to see Gloria and Zooya this week take a huge step in their lives. I love it all and I know without a doubt that this church is true!!

PS - After we confirmed Gloria she hugged all the men, but then gave us handshakes and then once she was through. She said "forget it," and came back and hugged both of us in front of everyone, so it was a good chuckle!"