Erin's Conversion

See Leah's Conversion and The Reason I Came.
As we began to teach the Heffelfinger family, we were excited at the progress that Leah and her parents were making. We began to teach in their home twice per week; once for Leah, with her parents present; and once for the parents. Each member of the family was at a different point spiritually, and all had different questions. We were amazed (I'm still amazed) at how they were able to drink in the gospel so fully and deeply. As the weeks went by, they ceased to be the family I first knew. They had significantly changed.

We were very concerned, however because up to this point, only three of the four family members were attending lessons.

Erin, the seventeen-year-old daughter, was still on the outside of this miraculous conversion. We really had no connections to her. There was nothing for us to go on, and no common ground for us to use to invite her in to the lessons. She politely declined her parents' invitations. We met her at the door a few times, and she would say hello, smile, and then excuse herself to her room to do homework.
I remember praying that we would find some way to get through to her. I wanted so badly to have the entire family investigate, embrace, and live the gospel.
We continued teaching the rest of the family, amazed at the Lord's hand in their conversions.

Erin began to listen.


At first she left her bedroom door cracked. We could see the door from the couch where we sat to teach.
I didn't realize it at the time, but as we kept coming over, the door to her bedroom kept opening wider, and wider...and wider.
She would make occasional trips to get some water or something to eat, passing right by us as we taught. She was listening, thinking, softening.
I had no idea.

One day it finally happened.
The door was all the way open.
Erin came out, sat down, and listened, right in front of us. 
"Heavenly Father," I said, "I've been praying for this for awhile now. Please don't let me mess it up. Help us all know what we can do or say to make this work."

She had so many questions. Instead of answering them all as they came, we had her ask them all at once, and wrote them down. Then we promised her we would answer every one of them in the order that would best help her understand. We started from the ground, the Restoration, and worked up. We invited her to take the missionary lessons, and she agreed.

Picture: The door on the right is the door to Erin's room, which progressively opened wider through the weeks we taught Leah and her parents. We would teach on the couch on the right side the picture, facing the TV. They would usually sit on the couch we're standing in front of in the picture, and on chairs brought in from the table.
Erin tore through the Book of Mormon. She read, marked, flagged, and digested the Book of Mormon. It was quite amazing to see.

 In the future I'll be detailing the baptisms of Erin and her sister Leah, as well as the process of conversion of their parents. This story means everything to me, and is the reason I came on a mission.
I know that the gospel is true. What a testimony to see the progression and development of this family as they embraced the doctrine of Christ. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true and living Church of Christ today.