Who's Your Beverly?

Downtown Richmond is where the party is at. I started out this transfer SUPER great by losing one of my suitcases at transfers, my driving card, and the charger to my razor so I'd say I'm off to a good start!! The area I am in now is COMPLETELY opposite to my last area. We are in the downtown branch with a bunch of married college students from Utah so I feel like I'm at BYU! Our friend Adriana has a date to he baptized for the 4th of April but we are going to try to move it up tonight! We are blessed by lots of teaching appointments and willing people who recognize their need and dependence on the gospel and Christ. I couldn't help but share this AMAZING and powerful lesson we had with Beverly. We found her through our Area Book and turns out she is struggling! She had to cut the heat to her house because she is poor and will stop her phone bill too in March. She is looking for any source of strength. We taught the Restoration and as a missionary, I always get worried that the person we are teaching isnt liking it or understanding or even feeling the HOLY Ghost. However, I took comfort from D&C 50:21-22 which promises that the teacher and the learner will be edified TOGETHER through the Spirit. I also love In Alma 7:17 which mentions the same principle--"I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me." Back to Beverly...my companion shared with her the First Vision and I always feel the spirit strong when I imagine those we are teaching hearing this message for the first time in their lives. I then remembered these scriptures and knew that Beverly was feeling the spirit--because I had felt Him. As we continued, I had felt very strongly to relate WHY the First Vision will bless Beverly specifically. I felt that I need to emphasize WHY the Book of Mormon is such an immediate answer to her prayers. I shared with her that because of Joseph Smith's vision it means that we can live as families forever; it means that Christ will strengthen us as we obey the things he teaches in his church; and it means that God loves us individually. I then did the same thing with the Book of Mormon and said "Why is this book important to you? It's important to you because in the introduction it says that men may 'gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.'" I asked her if that was something she wanted for herself but the answer we received was silence. We sat for a few mins and heard her crying on the other end. She composed herself a bit and told us how she now feels warmth can finally see a light through the dark years of depression she's dealt with. She stuttered and tried to convey what she was feeling but ultimately gave up and said It all through this single statement that she exclaimed to herself: "You have been listening to my prayers Lord. Thank you." What a humble statement. I cant even imagine the hard days, weeks, months, and even YEARS that she has been going through just needing the message of the gospel. She was in need of God's love and I couldn't been happier to have been part of that process. Beverly is just an example of the millions of God's children who are looking for truth and dont even know it themselves until the Gospel presents itself. We could almost physically hear a hole in her heart being filled that she never knew existed! I invite you all to go to churchofjesuschrist.org/share and find just ONE idea of what you can simply do to find your Beverly. To find THE ONE. Love you all!! Elder Gardanier