THE MAN AT THE DOOR HAD CONVERTED MY MOTHER

Dear President,

I had an awesome experience I had to share from this past week. We had just gotten home and changed into some service clothes to go help out a guy with some yard work and we got a knock on the door (weird for missionaries to be on the other side of the door haha). It was a guy in a button up shirt, a tie, and a clip board, so our first thought was that he was either a Jehova's witness or a sales person (a bit ironic I know because that's what everyone assumes about us too haha) But we answered the door and he seemed pretty surprised and was like "Oh hey Elders!" and so we got to talking to him and asked if he was a member because he seemed pretty familiar with missionaries and he told us his name was President Williams. He is a counselor in the DC North Mission Presidency!  It wasn't a name that sounded familiar by any means but he then asked us if he could tell us a story from his mission in Jacksonville, Florida. We of course said sure. We were both pretty sure he was still trying to sell us something though haha. But he said he had served in the late 80's and was GQ'ing (asking people "Golden Questions") at a restaurant with his companions.

They didn't have a lot of luck but he felt very strongly impressed that he should talk to the girl behind the cash register about the gospel and give her a Book of Mormon, so he did and she said that they could come over and teach her sometime. Well he was transferred out of the area shortly afterwards but a little while later he heard that she had been baptized! Always an awesome thing for a missionary to hear haha. So he finished up his mission and went back to BYU Provo and about a year later he got a wedding invitation in the mail that this girl was getting married in the temple in the Salt Lake area to one of his former missionary companions. So he went to their wedding and all was well. So a longer while down the line, about 20 years, he get's called to the Washington DC North Mission Presidency and a little bit into his term there he finds out that this girl's son is serving in the Washington DC South mission and he needed to go and meet him. Well he then told us that that girl who he gave the Book of Mormon to was my Mom, Julie Gronning, and the guy she had married was his missionary companion and my Dad Mike Gronning! How crazy awesome is that?!

So we talked for a little while and I made sure to let him know that he had changed my life and the lives of my family forever because he listened and acted on the promptings the spirit gave him. It was an amazing experience, he was able to give me some pictures he had of when he and my Dad were companions in the mission field and told me how great of a missionary my Dad was. It was so awesome! It really strengthened my testimony that the spirit prompts us to do things that may seem small at the time but can change the lives of others forever. It also strengthened my testimony that the Lord calls us to serve where we are truly needed the most. Had I never been called to the DC South mission I don't know if I would have ever been able to meet president Williams and give him thanks for the happiness he's brought to my family through his service. It was truly an experience I'll remember forever.

Much Love,
Elder Gronning