I believe that God listens, He cares and helps us see things through so that I can fulfill my desires and feel close to him. He has events and people prepared to help you understand grow into the person you are to be. Because of this I can make a difference in the lives of others.

This realization came when as I was serving as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints in Louisiana. I got to see how God answers the prayers of others through me and other servants of the Lord. One such example was about this man just a little ways of the beaten path. Me and my missionary companion that I was working with were looking for a particular name, a man, on our congregation roster that hadn’t been to church for some time. We couldn’t locate the street that this man lived on. After diligently praying for a few weeks to locate other members of the congregation that haven’t been to church for a while we did find the street that the man lived on. It was along a high way between to small communities in the middle of sugarcane fields and groves of cypress trees. We located the trailer but found that he was not there. He was away driving truck and wasn’t expected to get back for a couple months. We did find however a friend of his instead. He was friendly towards us and maybe might have been a bit surprised that we were at his door. His name was Jack, and he was the one that informed us that the man we were looking for was gone. We talked to him for a little bit, he gave us some punch and we gave him a pamphlet about our church. Then we left and didn’t really say if we were going to come back or not.

I kept praying, I wanted to find people that would up build and maintain the church in the area. It was a pretty small congregation and I wanted to make a difference. I felt a desire to go back to the trailer. When we knocked on the door Jack was there again, and we found him reading a Book of Mormon that he found in one of the rooms. He told us that he was looking for a Church to claim fellowship at because he was trying to make difference in his life. He wanted to live better the day that we knock on his door he said he was just getting off his knees from praying for discernment. He wanted direction to a church that would help him and teach true Principles. We invited him to church.

I always get a little fidgety when visiting people come to church for the first time. So many times people that you invite just don’t show up. Jack came through. He was different and after the services he told us that he really enjoyed it. He felt like this is where he was meant to be; he already felt like a member. We continued to meet with him and talked about how our church works, what revelation is, that is continues, that we claim Priesthood authority and we believe and strongly preach about Jesus Christ and his Doctrine despite what others may claim about us. He loved hearing about the priesthood, we could tell that he wanted it; he wanted to feel that God acknowledges him. He wanted his trailer that he was staying in dedicated. He wanted to feel that protection. I did that for him by the Authority of the Jesus Christ and His priesthood. Jack also wanted to quit smoking. He worked really hard at it and was eventually able to do it after much diligent work and pray and priesthood blessing. Some of his neighbors around him decided to quite too for reasons of their own. I felt that was God just helping us out. It is harder to quit smoking when others around are doing. After just a few weeks when we first meet Jack he did join the church. I was able to baptize him. I felt that my prayers were answered. I with the help of God’s spirit and my companion were able to find some one that would help the church grow. And seeing Jake change helped me see how much I can continue to change and grow. My desire to make a difference in the lives of others was richly fulfilled.