I have a very special story to tell. here it is! This “eternal” investigator named Bernice Castator has been investigating the church for almost a year. She would have been baptized a year ago but she has a problem smoking. She has smoked since she was 13 and is now 53 and has smoked for 40 years! I met her last week for the first time. We go over once a week to read scriptures. She was really nice. I like her alot. So last Wednesday night we were going on splits with the young men. I decided last minute that i needed to go to bernices (i had a feeling that i should), so i went to pray about it the night before, and before i got the chance my comp said, do you feel like you need to go to Bernice’s? I said yeah, so he agreed. That night, i asked her if she would stop smoking by November 24th? She replied no! so i said, how about before christmas! and she said no again, and said that she would let us know when she was ready to quit! I was very bold with her and telling her she knows the church is true and she wants to be baptized. (she has wanted to for a long time, just hasn’t been willing to stop).
The next day Elder Hendershot and I had an appointment to go read with her. We started reading 3 Nephi 12. We only got to a few verses and went off on tangents and continued that pattern. Until we read one and got off on the tangent about the Word of Wisdom. We talked and bore testimony of it and the spirit was very strong. She was looking flustered. Finally Elder Hendershot said, “how about you stop tonight?” she jumped up and “i hate you guys, leave!” and started walking towards her bedroom down the hall from the living room. We looked at each other puzzled. She said as she was walking into her room, “Don’t Leave!” We looked at each other puzzled. She walked out smoking a cigarrette. We couldn’t belive her. She said look what your making me do! (point at me), she said, “this is my last one” she went into her room and got all her cigarrettes and gave them to us. We then emptied our backpacks with any pictures of the savior and even ripped pictures out of all the pamplets we had, and gave her all the pass along cards we had, and all the books of mormons me had and bibles etc. We helped her put pictures up all over her living room and kitchen etc. We took every ashtray she had including the one in her car and put picture all over in her car! we did everything! We told her our phone would be turned up all the way and is on 24/7 and if she gets a cravying to call us no matter what time! We had her crumble one of them in her hands. (package)
The next day 18 hours with out smoking, (longest she ever went before was 4 hours) she called us and said that she went to the doctors and he upset her and she was driving home and passed a gas station and had a craving and pulled in. She sat in the parking lot for 20 minutes battling herself saying (she didn’t have her cell phone on her) “I just need to put the car in drive, and go home and call the Elders”. She finally went inside and bought some cigarettes and had one on the way home, got home and another one, had some black tea (usual for her when she smokes) and then called us and she figured since we were on bikes we’d be about 15-20 minutes, so she sat on the porch (cause we took all her ash trays) and had one more. We got there in 5 minutes! we booked it there on our bikes and she said she couldn’t believe that we got there that fast. She figured she could have one more before we got there, but she was wrong haha. We sat there and talked to her some more. The spirit was so strong we just said, hand them over! She went and got them, pulled one out and said this one is mine and sat it aside. She then ripped the entire pack, with cigarettes and all in half! She had the one left. She was holding it by then. She was thinking she could smoke it or she could smash it. So i just stood up and started singing “the Spirit of God” then my comp joined in. The spirit was really strong. As we were singing, she started focusing on us and then she just started rolling (smashing) the cigarrette inbetween her fingers with tobacco going on her lap. She told us after, she was going to smoke it but it was all my fault! We talk to her every day and she still is going strong. She has been 5 Days 21 hours and 50 minutes without smoking! She blames me for it! hahahahahaha We went over last night to plan her baptism for this Saturday the 24th (oct. 2009) and we were planning. She said, “Elder Norman, this is all your fault, Will you be the one to baptize me?” !!!!! i was so excited! i’ve only known her for 2 weeks today and my comp has known her for 2 ½ months. I think he was kinda ticked but she just needed to hear how it is! i never have let her get away without keeping a commitment and we call her everyday to see how she is! i’m so excited to baptize her on Saturday!Crazy story huh! OH and i guess my comp and all of the other missionaries have tried to get her to stop but she never would commit. I was talking to her on the phone yesterday and she said that, for some reason i hit home with her! i’m so glad. Just like in my patriarchical blessing it said i will be called to specific areas where only my talents are needed....
