We currently have 8 investigator. Michael, a 17 year old from Nigeria who is actually on date to be baptized on May 30th, but if I get transferred I won't be here for that. He loves soccer and knows the bible inside and out, His mother back in Nigeria made sure that he grew up with religion in his life and he bore the most amazing testimony on how he has a need for baptism not just a desire.
John, a 77 year old man from Kentucky was found on Nov, 24, right before I came to Arizona and he is my overall favorite investigator in the whole world, mostly because we have only been able to teach him while we are on exchanges. I have been to every lesson with him so I have had the amazing opportunity to watch him excel as the spirit works it's power and influence. He worked in the mines when he was younger and developed COPD. He was an alcoholic but his niece, who is a member, got him to quit a few years ago. When we started teaching him he was horribly addicted to cigarettes but as I taught him about the priesthood he accepted a blessing and hasn't even touched a cigarette in 2 1/2 months, a miracle. He loves horses and farming, he owns a really cool model T Ford and a wheelchair that has a Harley motorcycle body.
Then there is a family of six with a very spiritual man named Duane at the head. Duane is not married to his "wife", but has lived with them for a really long time, they just need to find time to get married. I love this family because their daughters, who are all 10 years old and younger, give us missionaries each exactly 5 handshakes and they always have the best input on whatever principle of the gospel we end up sharing that day. We haven't been able to meet them a lot in the past couple of weeks, but that is fine because Duane says that they are attending his sister's ward. No one in this family is a member, yet.
As for Less-Actives, Part-Members, and Over-Aged-Youth the list is extremely large, so I will just talk about my favorites, even though I don't really have favorites. There is Aaron who served a mission in Jacksonville, Florida and got back in 2000. He has 2 kids, a son and a daughter who are not baptized, but really, really want to be. He lives with his girlfriend who he would love to marry, but he doesn't want the marriage to be a "because he is Mormon" thing and offend her which I don't really think would happen if he asked her to marry him. He loves cars and has allowed us to go to some car shows with him even though I know nothing about cars. He just recently had surgery to correct a torn bicep and asked his home-teacher to give him a blessing, first in years.
I have more but have no more time, I will add more next week. It is true that this area is so small and we don't really have enough to do to keep us busy and I haven't found a new investigator yet. But the fact is that I love this area and I love my mission and have the great blessing of serving in the Arizona, Gilbert mission.
-Elder Throckmorton
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