Amanda's Baptism

Jaden was a little disappointed to to be unable to baptize his investigator Amanda after she asked him to, because of his transfer, but Todd received these messages via Facebook the day of her baptism:

Best Day of my life- Elder Colton Simpson baptized me and Elder Riley Johnson witnessed- I feel very blessed. I have been blessed with amazing Elders that helped me every step of the way, and have truly became some of my closest friends. I am so deeply grateful for all each of you have done. My children didn't have church clothing this day Elder Jaden Condie. We can giggle now how hard of time I gave Elder Joshua Lybe and Elder Jaden Condie and how Amazingly you stood strong and calm and still taught me. I can never say Thank You enough for what you have given me and my family- I love you each with all my heart.

From Todd: We have been praying for you every day and even fasting for you a few times. I'm so pleased to see you join the church. Stay strong and the Lord will watch over you. Sorry to hear that Elder Condie was transferred before you were baptized. I hope you can keep in touch of him through out his mission and your life. If you need his contact info let me know.

Thank you so much. Elder Condie touched my life so much. I miss him everyday. He was my strength through all I have gone through, along with my Heavenly Father - we often prayed together each night before bed- I drew on my Elders’ Strength- they taught me and my children so much. I give my utmost gratitude to all of his family for what I have been given. My love for my Elders is strong. I cried the night he left. Both Elder Lybe and Elder Condie saw me through my ruffest time in my life. I was very hard on them and I surely tested their faith. I asked so many questions and they guided me every step of the way- I have never felt the love like I did the day they came to first meet me. You have a very amazing strong loving son. I am so deeply grateful. I am a true honest testament to all that is spoken of that Heavenly Father is true, that what I am taught is true and my love burns even deeper as each day passes. I am the very reason why all should know that we do have a Heavenly Father, I have had direct blessings and my testimony speaks volumes. Please know I am so deeply thankful and honoured on the gift you each have given me. I send my love.

Todd: Amanda did Elder Condie know of your baptism? Have you been able to write/talk to him about it?

Amanda: Yes. He does know. I spoke to him on Monday by email. He was very happy for me although he knows, as I expressed, I wanted him to baptize me and to be there, but he was not allowed to come back. I can only hope one day I will see him in the temple as my family and I get sealed.

I cannot express what he has given me. How he has touched my life forever.  I

was raised in a very religious home- I know the bible well. I tested them (the missionaries), questioned them and even fought with them- I stood my ground. They remained calm and still taught me- I cried many, many nights to them. They prayed with me- talked to me- I often purely breathed off their strength-  I had lost everything I ever loved- I was at my weakest point in my whole life.

To Jenny: Your son means the world to me. I really miss him, I wanted him to baptize me.  He saw me through so much and became my true friend although he had to go where he was called.  I will always keep in touch. My daughter Jade is now preparing for her baptism.  I was sent to Castlegar for a reason.  God guided me every step of the way.

Jan. 15, 2015

After Jaden received a transfer to his second area, I sent a message to Sister Aldina Parslow through Facebook thanking her for all she did for Jaden, including hosting him for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, and New Year's Eve. This was her reply:

Jaden's last dinner with the Parslows.  His favorite: Buffalo chicken

"We are sure going to miss him.  He brought a sense of humor to our home every time he walked in J I just want you to know I had your son give me a blessing yesterday.  He did such a good job.  I have been ill for a bit so it was nice for him to want to do that for me J  Thank you for raising such an awesome young man who wanted to serve a mission cause we have been blessed having him in our home and lives.  He truly is one you don’t forget J I know he will do great and he has his feet planted firmly on the ground!  Take care and hope to hear updates on him often." J

Jan. 19th 2015

Well not much went on... I’m now in Airdrie, Alberta. We have a car every other week, but we are suppose to get a car this week to ourselves. We did a lot of tracting. My new comp is Elder Williams. He has been out for 3 months.

Happy Birthday MOM! I sent a letter to you. I hope you get feeling better soon.

There is a Coasta Vida in our area we are going there tomorrow after district meeting. I can’t wait. I have been craving that for 7 months. Airdrie is a cool place. The traffic lights are sideways haha.

Jan. 15th 2015

Well this last week was kinda crazy! 

And also I'm being transferred! I'm being transferred to Calgary!

I don't know where yet but I'm going to Calgary.

 So we had Amanda on date last week but that did not happen because our bishop called president and he called us telling us not to baptize her because apparently she was not keeping the law "Sustaining and upholding the law". So President called us when we were teaching Amanda. That day we were on exchanges, I was with our DL and he interviewed her for baptism, and she passed! Everything felt right: the interview, the lessons, the baptism, and the spirit. That’s why we put her on date because it felt right. So after she had the interview and left we look at our phone and we have a missed call from president, like I said and so we called him back. He he told us that our bishop called him about Amanda and what is going on with her, and he told us that she cant be baptized on that date because she is not upholding the law because she is visiting her kids at school when she is not allowed to unless it is monitored by someone from social services. So that was way nice to get a little rebuke from President. It would have been nice to get a call from Bishop first letting us know what was going on and that he called President about this, but that did not happen. Oh well. 

Then on Sunday Bishop met with her along with someone in the ward that works with child services. I guess she thought that it was okay to see her kids in a public place without being supervised, so now she knows that and the ministry is going to give her a paper saying all the things that she can and can not do. And Bishop set her on date for baptism on the 24th, so that gives her two weeks to prove that she can obey that. Bishop also called President to give him an update about that, just so he knows. That night when we were at a members house eating dinner and President called us again. After dinner we called him back and he told us what Bishop told him and everything was all good and so now all she has to do is wait till then. And she wanted me to baptize her but I will not be there because I will be in Calgary. 

I do not remember if I told you that her kids got taken away because her husband was not allowed in the house or around the kids when they moved from Vancouver, by court order. She sorta let him stay on the day came when the RCMP or Social Worker saw him take the kids to school, so they took them away. Now the husband is out of the picture and Amanda just filed a restraining order on him (its about time because he has been verbally and physically abusive to the kids and Amanda) So he is out of the picture and Amanda is working on getting her kids back and she is going to get them soon. 

There has been a HUGE difference in her, because the gospel has changed her and has brought her family and extended family closer together. And her sister is taking the discussions by the missionaries in Cranbrook. A lot of things have happened. They are all good things too! 

That is about all that happened last week. I am in Creston right now with our district so soon we will be driving back to Trail and I will be packing tonight and in the morning and then I will say some good byes and then we will be driving to Cranbrook to the ZLs pad.  That next morning we will drive to Lethbridge to the transfer station (Stake Center) and then I will be getting on a bus with my luggage and the other missionaries and then the drive to Calgary. There I will meet my new comp and then we will go from there. 

Did Dad and Tanner have time to read that talk that I sent? 

Thank you for all of the things you guys do. Love you guys!

Jan. 5th 2015

Hey Family,

How are things going?!  Things here are going good.  Lovin it out here. 

So this week is not going to be a long email because right now we are in Cranbrook,  The drive here was so sketchy because it was snowing and the roads had about 4 inches of snow on them and the roads were not plowed.  Also here in Canada they do not salt the roads!  They just use sand and gravel.  Lots of gravel!  So you will get so many rock chips!  How would you like driving here Dad?  Hah! I know how much you love rock chips!  Haha! 

Anyways, transfers are coming up next week!  And to be honest I’m way excited for that and also I kinda want to stay because Amanda is going to be baptized and I think she will ask me to baptize her.  But even if I get transferred and she wants me to baptize her then President will let me drive down from wherever I am and baptize her.  She has come a long way and it is so amazing to see how the gospel can change anyone!  She is so ready for baptism and she is excited for that.  We have been teaching her for 3 months and from day 1 she has come a long way and has changed.

So this last week we went tracting in the snow and we were way successful!  We handed out 4 Books of Mormon and I gave a Restoration Pamphlet to a Jehovah’s Witness!  That was way cool! But that is another story for another week.

So we have one more lesson to teach Amanda.  We are going to teach her L5 on Wednesday.  We are going on exchanges when we drive back from Cranbrook.  I will be with our DL.  He’s a cool guy, way fun to be around and I’m way excited for that.  So that is what went down this week and hopefully we will have a baptism this Saturday. 

Love you all. Thanks you for the love and support. J

Elder Condie

Dec. 17, 2014

 A few days after Christmas, Tanner received this in the mailbox along with a copy of this talk:

Tanner,

‘Sup Bro! How are things going?

So in response to your email, here is that talk that I was talking about.  It is called “The 4^th Missionary”.  This has helped me so much on my mission so far.  It makes me want to become a better missionary.

I love being out here serving the Lord and inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

In your email you asked how to better prepare for you mission.  My answer is Preach My Gospel.  You will be using this every day so it is critical to get to know it.

My second answer is:

Read “The 4^th Missionary” and decide now what kind of missionary you want to be.  As for me, I want to be the 4^th missionary.  

I love being out here. I love my mission.  I love the Lord.

I hope you have a good Christmas. Love you.

Elder Condie

P.S. Read this with Dad