A Pentecostal Revival in a Georgia Storm

Hello Friends and Family!

This week was another fantastic week here in Zion: Macon, Georgia. I love this place so much, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I know that this is where the Lord would have me be at this time, and that He would have me meet the people that are placed in my path. It has been a blessing to serve, and I cannot wait to continue to serve with obedience, diligence, and respect for our Father in Heaven. 

Almost two weeks ago, Elder McPherson and I met a very nice man and wife who were interested in learning more about the Lord's Church. They said that they were interested in coming to our Church, and also invited us to attend their current church for their Revival on Sunday. It was a straight Southern, Pentecostal Revival. Elder McPherson and I attended respectfully, but, accordingly, felt nothing there. For some reason the lit up crosses, the rock bands, and the screaming in tongues just didn't bring the same Spirit as a Sacrament Meeting does? 

During that meeting, Elder McPherson and I spotted a younger man (around our age) sitting just across the aisle from us. He clearly wasn't into the service, and wouldn't participate with everyone else around him. The Spirit kept bringing him to our attention, and we knew that he was an honest truth seeker (much as Joseph Smith was). Towards the middle/end of the Pentecostal Service, the young kid finally stood up and marched out the back doors. Elder McPherson and I hesitated, but we both felt so strongly that we needed to follow him out and talk with him. Suddenly, without warning, a thunder clap (louder than I had ever heard in my life) boomed overhead, and all the lights in this church building went out. I heard Elder McPherson's voice in the darkness saying, "God is telling us that we need to leave, now!" We quickly rushed out the back, but as we got to the parking lot, he drove away. 

I felt a deep pain hit my heart, and Elder McPherson and I realized that we had procrastinated a strong spiritual prompting just a few seconds too long. A verse from the Old Testament came quickly to my  mind, "Then beware lest thou forget the Lord..." (Deuteronomy 6). This was one of the hardest spiritual moments of my whole mission. I realized that the Lord has placed someone so prepared, and so elect, right in our path. Yet, we 'forgot' the lord, and saw the immediate consequences. As we drove home from the revival, the storm carried on around us. Right as we were about to exit off of the freeway, we both spotted a car on the side of the road with their hazards on. What do we do as Christians when we see someone in need? We pulled over. As we got out of the car, a man approached us from the other vehicle. We introduced ourselves as servants of the Lord to help him, and he smiled. He said, "You are the only people that have pulled over since I've been sitting here for 35 minutes. What Church are you from?" We told him, and then he responded, "My family [who was in the car] has been looking for more. This is a sign from God." There was a long silence as the rain kept beating down on us, and the lighting continue to light up the sky. We asked what had caused him to pull over, and he showed us the front of his car. Come to find out, a tree branch was struck by lightning that was overhanging the freeway, and this large branch fell on top of his car and made severe damage to the front hood/bumper. The man said, "I'm from Romania, and we have been driving up from Florida for vacation. Out of nowhere, this storm showed up, lighting hit this branch, and fell right on the front of our car. Then you both showed up. God needs me to know something. Do you guys have any material from your church that I could have?" We showed him the Book of Mormon, and he requested a missionary visit (in Florida) as well as a Romanian Book of Mormon.

As we continued home, and passed his information onto the Elder's in Florida, I couldn't help but look back at the evening. Elder McPherson and I had missed one Spiritual Prompting by just a few seconds, yet, Heavenly Father still showed mercy to us and this young family, by allowing us to meet them just moments later. I know that often times in life we face storms, such as the one that hit Macon, and sometimes in these storms we miss the greatest spiritual opportunities. However, I know that if we but continue, seek forgiveness, and press on, we will always be able to see the continued hand of the Lord in our daily and weekly lives. 

Thank you always for your love and support-   

Elder Robb

There is no one I would rather have "pick me up" at the airport
and welcome me to my mission than Elder Robb!