Week of October 13, 2014

What a week! I've had some interesting events transpire this week.... I'll list it out in a list today. Bare with me on this. Some are pretty freaky... Haha

Monday: We were trying an investigator and we saw him.... well breaking the law of chastity with his girlfriend we can put it that way to keep it simple. But after we left there we had a good lesson with some other people! They had bought a Family Proclamation that was framed at a thrift store, not knowing anything about it other than it said family on the top, and they were mad because it was colored on. Then we showed them that it was from our church and they freaked out and we replaced it for them!

Tuesday: I beat a little girl in a race at dinner (she's 5) because she was talking smack. haha And I had a good lesson with a lady who believes in Christ but hates Christianity because her son is gay.

Wednesday: We met a man named Billy. We set a baptismal date with him and he told us about how one time he was smoking dope and Satan appeared to him, and then Jesus came and shocked him with lightning and chased him away and he saw Jesus. Drugs are bad.

Thursday: I don't remember Thursday... Oh yeah we gave a blessing to Sister G who had to go to the ER. It was good spiritual experience.

Friday: District meeting and we met with Billy again. He told us a guy tried to make him sell his soul to the devil, and to show him how much power he would get he made the truck they were driving in fly.

Saturday: We had an investigator (the same one from Monday) come to a baptism while he was high.

Sunday: I bore my testimony and had a super great time at church, and after had one of the best lessons I've had on my mission. It was super powerful! And I found out I'm staying in Duncan. 

That was basically the week... it was super good! I love life! Things are great!

Week of October 6, 2014

Holy Cow what a week!!!! So we got to see the movie Meet the Mormons on Tuesday because they don't want missionaries going to the theater, so they sent President a copy to show to all the missionaries. IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!! You have to go see it! It was one of the best movies I've ever seen. They do an amazing job of capturing members as they really are, and showing not so much what our beliefs are, but showing who we are because of our beliefs. They showed it in Salt Lake to a trial group of non-members and 75% of the people said they would be more receptive if the missionaries came to their door. It's so powerful I loved it! And during the Navy Football coach part.... Haha I haven't felt adrenaline like that in 15 months! Haha just the whole sports atmosphere.... I miss it. Haha but it was such a good movie go see it!

So conference was ok for me.  It was just back to the basics, which was good and it made me think about ways I can tighten up.

Not much else is new here. Just keep pluggin along :) We're going disc golfing so that will be fun! I'm excited!  Have a good one!

Week of September 22, 2014

Well this week was a good one! It went quick. May I just say that I've learned that a loving, straight forward and head on approach makes all the difference in the world? We're teaching a guy named J and he had a lot of reasons why he couldn't come to church today. I said "J, let's look at this all like it's football. It's 3rd down right now. You need to move the chains!" I read Isaiah 58:14 with him and explained that riding on the high places of the earth means carried about from week to week by a forgiveness of sins, or in other words a "first down." I told him that the defense was going to do all they could to stop him from scoring a touchdown, or in other words getting baptized, and that they would throw every trick play at him in the books, and that if he didn't come to church before he knew it he'd be facing a 4th and long situation. He clicked with that, so we had a good time and he came to church! It looks like he's going to get baptized and he wants to do it before I leave Duncan. So we'll see how it all goes! His date is for November 1st.

So we were shopping at Homeland last week and I found some canned seasoned octopus in the dollar aisle. Haha so I bought it and everyone in the district tried it one night. It really didn't taste horrible, like it was bad but not horrible, but the texture was terrible! One sister couldn't swallow it, and one of the elders almost threw up. But no one got sick so we're all winners :)

Hope you have a great week!

Week of September 15, 2014

We had a General Authority in the mission this last week. Elder Foster. He was awesome that was one of the most powerful meetings I've ever been in! Let me tell you what I've learned from it, and then show as to why we keep the commandments.  From that meeting I realized that I know what our Bishop's goal is, but not his vision. We scheduled a time to sit down and talk with him and get his vision. He told us he wants everyone moving toward the temple ordinances of exaltation. Then we got to council as a district about how missionary work will help them get there. We realized that what missionary work does is it makes the gospel mean more for us, and we develop a greater love for God. So what missionary work will do for that vision is it will create more converted disciples of Christ. By the members doing missionary work they will become what bishop's vision is for them.

We had dinner with a member of the stake presidency's wife last night. It was my turn to share the spiritual thought so I asked her what her vision was for her spiritually. She's a regular temple attending person, she does her visiting teaching, she's a great member. She said she would love to be a better wife and mother, and just a better person overall. I read D&C 31:5 with her and it says "Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live." Sheaves could mean baptism, but I think the sheaves are a personal testimony of the gospel. As we continually thrust in our sickle, our testimony will continue to grow whether or not there's a baptism. I've been working hard on my mission and I wouldn't say that I've had a ton of sheaves, but my testimony has become stronger. As our testimony grows, we will naturally want to be better, we will naturally change and be more like Christ, because we'll want to. That's why we are commanded to do missionary work, because let's face it the Lord does all the work in conversion anyways. Nothing I said has ever converted anyone, it's always the Spirit. He has us do it so that we become like him, and change. It's a beautiful thing isn't it?

As far as the work went, we're blessed! Things were slow, but things are picking up again. I've realized that working for the members and helping them out is the only way to do missionary work. If we just do our own thing and invite the members to help us we'll continue to see no results. So I'm excited to see how the ward grows from this!

I wish I could really put into words exactly how much this gospel means to me. I've tried but I just can't say it adequately. I know its not the black name tag that's changed me. It's been sharing the gospel. I've been rejected a ton out here, and I know it's not about others' agency. It's about what sharing the gospel can bring into my life that I'm excited about. It just has to constantly be a part of us or else it just will never work. It really has been such a joyful experience. I just feel so blessed and to sing the song of redeeming love. I love it!

Hope you have a good one!

Week of September 9, 2014

My new comp is from Spanish Fork, and he's younger than McKenna. That's so weird to me. He turned 18 in June.... I actually understand what it feels like to be old... He's going to be a great missionary. I'm excited to see what big things he does!

A proposed to his girlfriend this last weekend. He had us meet him at a party on Friday night and he proposed to her there. It was one of the most powerful experiences I've had in a long time. I didn't expect it to be such a spiritual experience it was crazy... But they're getting married in October and sealed next year! I don't know that I'll be able to come back out here for that, but I for sure would love to!

So I've had a ton of things running through my mind lately. I taught a mission prep class on Tuesday for the youth. I taught on the Plan of Salvation. The Plan of Salvation just makes so much sense, and it's the framework that everything else is held up by. The better knowledge and understanding we have about the Plan of Salvation, the easier everything else will be, and the more sense things will make. Well I was teaching them the Plan so that they could teach others. The answers to the questions such as "What's my potential? How can I get there? Why am I on this earth?" Those questions have been answered to me in such deep terms. I've taught the plan of salvation so many times in the last couple weeks, and it's been on my mind a lot. As I've studied the commandments it's helped me understand how every single commandment has a "Why?" to it, and it makes it a ton easier to follow the commandments when we understand the "Why?"

Well, that does it for me this week. Hope you have a great week!

Week of September 2, 2014

Looks like I'll be staying in Duncan to train.  This week was pretty good. We traveled a ton, so not much happened, but we started teaching a new guy named K. He's an ex con.  He came to church and says he wants to get baptized and he's super awesome so that is exciting! Other than that not much else happened.

I'm excited to get to know this new missionary! He probably just got to Oklahoma a couple hours ago... So crazy. Seems like just last week.

Sorry I don't have a ton of time! Have a great week!

Week of August 25, 2014

So the baptism was GREAT! So powerful! I asked A how it felt when he was about to get changed and he just looked at me with a huge smile and was speechless. He was so happy and felt so good it was amazing! He's a stud! I got to do the confirmation on Sunday, and that was a powerful experience as well. The priesthood is so humbling.... Like I was able to play a role as a tool to giving A one of the greatest gifts of this life. How can that not humble you? And you just know that there's no way that this could be of man, because it has too much of an impact, and too much power behind it. I love it so much! Truly in the ordinances thereof the power of godliness is manifest!

I got a call on Saturday to be a trainer. I'll be one of 2 English speaking trainers, so I'm excited!

Well, that's about it for now. I get to see sweet miracles every day!