Dec. 12, 2011

First off before I forget. I need to know both Pres. Lyman's ( I don't remember his first name) and Bishop Ott's address. But this week has been way good. And hopefully at the end of this week, June, Mandy, and Lydia will be baptized! All of them have had there crazy moments this week. June, who has been so golden, was hit really hard when her boyfriend Bro. Barnes, broke up with her. He was the somewhat less-active that was bringing her to church and everything. But that night she was considering just going back to everything she used to do, in order to forget everything that happend when she was dating him. But the second she had that thought, she said that God rebuked her, by saying that we (the church) were her family, it was there she had found comfort, and that it was now part of her. And then she pointed to the book of Mormon, and said, that now she knew that was true, that it wasn't even an option to leave it behind. So that was super cool, and she is doin so awesome. With Mandy, who's been doing awesome with drugs and everything, but she did something equally as stupid last week that could have landed her a spot in jail. Not to mention that her main-fellowshipper, and really good friend in the ward was indirectly affected by it. And then when we rebuked her and said that it doesn't matter what the circumstances may be, and how bad your "friends" may need you; that you cannot break the law. And she was pretty irate, and got really down on herself to the point where she didn't feel like she could go to church or be baptized anymore. It was kinda pathetic actually; it reminded me of a tantrum that a kid might throw with his parents; but I know I've complained, and justified, and have done all that stuff as well, so I won't critizise. But either way she came to realize that the consequences will come from all angles, when we choose to make wrong decisions. But she says that she is ready to make that commitment and covenant with God; and so she should be getting baptized as well. Then Lydia... well we haven't seen Lydia, for nearly 2 weeks, although she has been coming to church the past couple weeks; and at sacrament meeting they announced that Mandy and June were going to be baptized, and she was kind of mad that they did not announce her name as well. So we were like, well we have to actually teach you to be baptized. So we will be teaching her alot this week, and then having a baptismal interview with her on thursday. But man she really does have a desire to be baptized; it's just that she lives with... well her jusband is an extremely less-active tatoo artist, her son lives with his girlfriend, and all of them smoke marijuana, with the exception of her. But I guess just because someone lives with people like that, doesn't mean that they can't choose righteousness. So we will see if she is ready to be baptized this week, and if she is, then awesome, and if she needs more time, then she needs more time. But we have taught so many awesome people this transfer, and we are fixing to be in the stage of needing to find some more strong people, and so I am excited for that. But ya I got my trunky papers last week, and I am going to put st. george airport on there, but if you want me to change it to Salt lake o algo, let me now, with Bishop's and President's address. I love yall so much, and have an awesome week.

Dec. 5, 2011

Thanks a ton for the package! Hey can yall pray for my companion's mom. (Elder Lubina) She's not very supprotive of him, and he received a really hard letter from her today. But as for the week; it was so awesome. All three of our investigators with baptismal dates came this Sunday to church and it was sweet. Sis. Robbins bore her testimony and told everyone how she knew the chuch was true and shared a missionary experience that she had with her granddaughter that happened while we were teaching her. I think her grand daughter is 16 and is dating a mormon young man. Well she called sis robbins in the middle of our lesson, and Sis Robbins told her how she was having a study with the mormon missionaries, and then told her how she was being baptized on the 17th of Dec. And she just began to tear up as she invited her to come and see it. And her grand daughter said that she definately would and said how she sees herself taking that same step in the near future. And she has just been telling everyone about her baptism and it has been amazing to see. It's just so cool to teach someone that has received a true witness that Joseph Smith is a prophet and then connect all the dots that follow; the word of wisdom, the true church, the priesthood and the ordinances that must be performed. We had showed her a picture in the church of John the Baptist baptizing Christ and, explained that Jesus went to him becasue he knew that he had been called of God and had been given the authority to baptize. To which she responded..."And that's why I need to be baptized again; because my other baptisms were done by false churches withouth the correct authority."  She is so awesome and just is doing so well. Mandy is also doing really well. She has realy been putting baptism as her priority. She called all her friends and told them that she was quitting the pills. And she finally came to all three hours of church for the very first time. She's come to church I think 4 times now, but only the first two hours. We watched the movie the church made about "The touch of the master's hand" and it was so awesome and I think it helped her understand how much she was worth to God, compared to her friends. I liked the video because it was interesting to note that the person who owned the violin, in the beggining cherished it but with time neglected it. It became more battered and scarred with every person that owned it. The people that bought it would try to fix it up, but with no avail..it eventually was neglected once again. In the end it was priced to the world at three dollars. Then from the room far back, a gray haired man, came forward and picked up the bow. As the master came, fixed the violin and showed the foolish crowd the people began to see the worth of the violin not in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of its creator...ifinite. Many people go to the world to fix the problems; it seems to solve the problem...but with time they too are forgotten and set aside as naught. It doesn't matter how many times we go to the world with our problems, they will never be fixed, and our worth is dimished. But if we go to the master, and partake of his atoning sacrifice, his touch will heal our many wounds, and we see our infinite worth as well as the worth of others. So she is doing well, and should be having her interview this week for baptism. We also took a drunk guy on a church tour, which was kind of frustrating seeing how we told him to not drink befroe he came, and he did anyways. I guess I should have tried to see his infinite worth a little bit more. But sometimes people that aren't in the right mind set are a little harder to reach. Needless to say it wasn't the best church tour. But hey he loved the picture of John baptizing Jesus as well; and just kept on talking about how beautiful it was for a good 20 min. Hopefully if he ever is sober he will remember that and will come back to it. But I love yall so much and thank you for everything yall do for me. Congratulations on getting everything moved Grandma and Grandpa! have an awesome week

Nov. 28, 2011

Thanks for all the emails. Alena you are about 0 for two in the last two weeks. But I heard that you got called to be laurel's president. Which is crazy, because I was thinking this morning, about being the president of the different quoroms that I've been in and how I didn't ever really understand the position and the responsibility that I had. I could've easily helped Jake Huston and Steve Ott and all the others; but I didn't understand why that was important. But sis I know you can reach people in that group of laurels that noone else can reach. You've been called by revelation, and like dad always says; even if you're on the right track you will get ran over if you just sit there. Don't just "sit there" and let it be a title; rather let it be a chance to see your potential, to serve and to be an example in both words and deeds. I love you sis and do work in your calling. Alisa and Angela I would love an email from yall as well. But I was thinking, and hopefully this wasn't a trunky thought, but I do really want to hit the ground running when I get back. I don't know if there is any way that I could fill out an application for UVU o algo? But man what a week! so many miracles and I still am just being humbled and amazed by the hand of God and the blessings he has been pouring out on us. I don't even know why. But I am beyond grateful for them and to be a part of it. So last Sunday, I think I may have told you about Sis. Robbins a Non-mem. who came to church w/ her Boyfriend ( My main black-man Bro. Barnes). Well at the end of church she said she would like to meet with us. We had an awesome first lesson with her in which she had asked Bro. Barnes not to come becasue she wanted to do this for herself. Well the lesson was awesome, and she agreed to read and pray. The next lesson, we finished the restoration with her and invited to her to be baptized in three weeks on the 17th of Dec. She said it was way too soon and she needed more time. We asked her what she needed to know in order to be baptized; that it is true and that this is where God needs me. Will you pray tonighight to knoww if you should be baptized on the 17th? I will. We will call you at 11:00 tomorrow to see how your prayer went. We called her. She told us that she had recieved an answer and that she was going to be baptized on the 17th! At 8:00 that night we got another call from her and she had told us how she was reading the BOM and came to a picture of Joseph Smith. She stared at it for a couple seconds, and the spirit overwhelmed her, she then noted, " I know he is a prophet of God" She came to church and apparently told the sisters in the relief society she was going to be baptized. So ya definite miracle. And then also last night we got a call from Bro. Barnes. He and Sis. Robbins had been talking to a guy, who lives in the same complex, about why bad things happen to good people, They bore there testimonies to him and then called us on the phone put it on speaker and had us explain the importance of agency. We have a lesson with that guy tonight! so I love it. And there's just so many more things that are happening that are just miracles, and now I just got to write them all down in my journal so that I can remember them forever. I love yall and thank yall for the e-mails and everything yall do for me. Have a good week