A Happy Saturday!

It is Saturday night and I have a few minutes to write about a wonderful day. Linda and I had a great walk to start the morning. About 1 and 1/2 hours in a light breeze with scattered clouds. What is not to like!
This afternoon we went with the Zone Leader, Elder Garlick and his companion Elder Vivish (Tahitian) to visit the non member mother of two active members of the branch. She is elderly - about our age... and her son is the other counselor in the branch presidency and her daughter who is single served a mission on Temple Square. The mother, Sister Bouchout (Boo-showed), greeted us warmly. I asked her if she was a member of the Church. She said, "Pas encore" (not yet). So I asked what I thought was a reasonable followup question, "So have you decided to join the Church?". Her daughter's jaw dropped at the question, but even more at her response, "Oui". The third question I also thought was a reasonable follow up, "Have you decided on a date?" She replied "Non". To which I replied, "These elders will be happy to work with you on setting a time where you can be baptized". I thought it was all straightforward, but apparently the family was surprised that she felt she was ready to make a full committment. We had a delightful visit and the Elders are going to follow up.
After visiting with her, we drove the long distance to Basse Terre (the bottom of the left hand wing of the butterfly) to visit a less active family named "Pommier" which is french for apple orchardist. Linda and I are their home teachers. The wife is active, the husband not so for a few years. They are temple married and he was very active in the Church and then for reasons not fully clear decided that the blessings he had hoped for had not come as he had wished and so he stopped coming "for a time". That time has stretched for a few years.
We visited them last month, but he declined to come out and meet us. He had been offended by a previous elder, but very much liked Elder Garlick who had worked in Basse Terre previously and who has just transferred back to Guadeloupe (although elsewhere on the island). So I invited Elder Garlick to come with us and hopefully be a good introduction to the man. We had high hopes that with Elder Garlick along, he would meet with us and help us make progress in getting to know the family.
He received us readily and was very pleased to see Elder Garlick. He then told us his wife was not at home, that she had left and that they were now separated - much to his sorrow. We proceeded to have a very nice visit with him. Part way through he called his wife and invited her to come, which she did. He expressed a desire to return to the Church and become fully active again. He hoped his wife would accept him. She had thought that giving him space would be helpful and that their relationship could continue as before, but found that without the spirit in their home, things didn't stay the same - they only got worse. She had finally moved out just earlier in the week. He had started reading the Book of Mormon again, had been fasting that day, and was hoping that the visit would give him strength to return to full activity. In fact, he was fully prepared for the spirit to touch him and the 2 full time elders did a great job of teaching and encouraging. The wife was pleased with the visit and the husband will be at Church tomorrow (and forever hereafter). It was a very remarkable visit with a man who was truly humble. There was a wonderful spirit of love in the home when we left. We felt blessed to have had the experience of helping to encourage them. We look forward to meeting with them again. His oldest son turns 8 next month and we brought a booklet "Faith in God for boys" which they can work on as a family. His return will be a great source of strength to the Capesterre Branch. What a privelege it is to see lives change as people try to repent and do better. It is true in all of us. Without the spirit of the Lord to encourage and help us, it is impossible to sustain the faith necessary to make the needed changes in our lives which bring us closer to God.