When I was in Cincinnati at the beginning of my mission, I had heard of two boys name Lamatrics and Lamaine Coleman. I could tell that the ward really loved them and cared about them by the way they talked about them. Members in Ward Council talked about how they weren't sure where the boys had ended up, but that they thought they had moved to Western Hills ward. I left the ward after 4 transfers and never head much about the Coleman's. I was lucky enough to go back to the Cincinnati ward training a new missionary. Ward Council still was talking about the Coleman's a few times every now and then. One day we were driving to meet the Highland Heights sisters for exchanges. We stopped at UDF to get ice cream, as we usually did. While we were ordering our ice cream, the boy scooping the ice cream said "Oh hey, I used to be Mormon". I looked up at him and read his name tag and it said "Lamatrics". I talked to him briefly about his love for the Blackwelder's in the Cincinnati ward. The next Sunday I told the ward council whereabouts the UDF was, and they were confused because it wasn't anywhere near Western Hills. They then gave my companion and me the assignment to go see his grandma Mamie Parker. We had limited miles and she was very far out of our area. We weren't ever able to get a member to drive us out there and we didn't ever end up fulfilling the assignment. My companion and I got transferred away from Cincinnati, and I ended up in the Eastgate ward a few transfers later. We got a call from the Cherry Grove Sisters to go see a member in our ward whose records aren't here. The members son in the Western Hills ward told them about her. We finally were able to go and see her a few weeks after they told us. Turns out... it was Mamie Parker along with Lamatrics and Lamaine Coleman!! I had finally found them month after I had heard about them in the Cincinnati ward. It's amazing how I am the only missionary other than my companion that would've known anything about them. I really have been wondering about them for months and have always wanted to meet them. The Lord led me to them in the last place I thought would find them! Mamie and Lamaine both came to church on Sunday as well! I am so excited to help this family progress and to teach Mamie's grandson who isn't a member yet.
Another great thing that happened this week was Melissa. We found her in the potentials list, and she has had missionaries come every year for 16 years, and so she is taking it as a sign. We taught her the Restoration on Saturday and the spirit was so strong. She said she would study and pray, and she's already started praying about it. I can tell that she has real intent. She even came to church yesterday! She almost didn't. The member we had set to give her a ride got the flu, and to make it worse we forgot our phone when we went to ward council. We ran home after before church started, and we got home at 8:40 when church starts at 9:00. That's when we saw the text from the member. We started to panic because we weren't sure who to ask. We called Melissa and turns out the members husband just decided to give her a ride despite that he would be alone with her, he just had a video call with his wife to be safe. So she was able to come to church! It was so amazing. She stayed for all of it and was so involved. At the end she said she had a lot to think about and pray about, she also expressed that she felt so welcome. It was so amazing. I really can see her progressing in the gospel.
Here are a few pictures from last week! We had a district meeting, and made a Title of Liberty and then us at a less actives house :)
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