Email Letter - October 29, 2012

Hey all! It was another fair week. We did a few fun things like street contacting at the sundial bridge, went up to hayfork, had an exorcism performed, and had an exchange with the zone leaders.

At the sundial bridge, people were really cold. The only people that let us talk to them were some bethels. They were nice and all and it was good. Until we exchanged prayers at the end of our talk. We went first, said a nice simple prayer, and it was great. Then they went, it was kind of weird, they took turns as they went and were really casual. They prayed for interesting things like that we wouldn't be dizzy on our bikes. Then, when the last girl was praying, she was standing next to me, she briefly put her hand on my arm. NOT COOL! the really not good thing is, if you remember the rule from the first time I was here, was that they can pray for us, and "leave a blessing on us" as long as they don't touch us. I felt really icky. It was not good. It was the kind of feeling I have when passing the ouijii boards in Wal-mart. Not good. Not at all. So we hurried, after we had finished talking with them, up the mile long hill, and to a member's house so the evil spirit inside me could get exorcized. Yeah. Not kidding. We got there, got a blessing, and I immediately felt better. 

I sure love the priesthood and being able to discern what spirits are good and which are not. It sure is a blessing.

It was overall a really good week. No complaints here. I sure love you guys, have a great week!

Email Letter - October 22, 2012

Hello everyone! It was another good week, we're still working hard with those less-active families. We had a couple of them show up to the halloween carnival last week, which was great. We, and the Stake President, judged the chili cook off and the costume contest. It was a lot of fun!

The day after that, so Saturday, we made out way out to Hayfork to meet with Peter, one of our investigators up there. It was a great lesson, we taught about faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It was really cool though because as Elder Jackson extended the baptismal commitment, peter went on to tell us how he had been talking to his brother earlier that day and that they had talked about how they couldn't straddle the fence any longer. Peter has decided that he wants to be a "warrior for God" and join the church on November 17th! We're stoked. It's amazing when you have things like that to tell and share, how the Lord prepared Peter to accept the date just earlier that day. I think that if we had gone up on Sunday like originally planned we wouldn't have had the same result. It's amazing how that happens. There are no coincidences. Only miracles.

As is says, it's transfer week. We're both staying here to cover our 3 wonderful areas, and I was just called as the district leader. I'm excited to be able to serve the missionaries around me with a greater capacity. That's what it's all about, for me anyway. We'll see if my horrible group teaching skills improve. I know the Lord will help.

Anyway, that's all for this week, except.... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CARTER AND ANNA! Congrats on you temple trip, and enjoy the sealing this week. I love you guys, and I love you all!

Email Letter - October 15, 2012

Hello everyone! Another fabulous week here in red-hotting. Except it's not so hot anymore. Last week it dropped 20 degrees overnight and has stayed down in the 80s for the most part, it's been nice and cool.

We've started teaching and working with a few more less-active families and a few others as well. It's been really great, the ward's attitude really has changed. The bishop and Ward mission leader attended a meeting with a member of the mission presidency this last week and that really pumped them up. And we were finally able to follow through with a few referrals and assignments that we were given, and some that past missionaries were given but never got to, and have received more referrals and assignments. We feel the ward trust is really going. Momentum is on the rise!

This last week we finally organized something I've been wanting to do with these families for a while. We've been working with some older less-active couple, the Klaassens and the Donovans and in addition to our regular appointments we've set it up with them to have a "Book of Mormon book club" type thing. It's going really well. Everyone is at their own part of the Book of Mormon, and they all have different questions that are really good. The idea behind it is for the less-active couples to participate in teaching, and not just the learning and question asking part. It's been really exciting for this to finally turn out. We feel that with them helping teach as well as learn that the Spirit will testify of what THEY say and not just what we say, and with that they'll have more of a desire to come to church, and also a desire to participate.

It's been a really great week as I said. We got in contact with a lot of people. We found a less-active who has been coming recently, and her husband wants to take the lessons, and a number of other things. Elder Jackson and I have finally found a teaching pattern that is working for us, and giving him some responsibility in the area has been working out really well. It's been absolutely wonderful. Good things are a coming!

I love you each and all is well. Talk to you again soon.

Email Letter - October 8, 2012

What a week it was! We had a really good week, our plans on working with the ward council here are paying off and we're finding new people to teach. We had a lesson earlier today with a woman whose family is returning to activity. We're going to be working closely with the home and visiting teachers, as well as the leaders of her children's quorum and class leaders and teachers to help them gain Testimony and Conversion, like Elder Bednar talked about.

Conference was fabulous as always. It's always a joy to get to hear from the prophets and apostles of the Lord. I particularly enjoyed Elder Cook's talk on singing the song of redeeming love. It's a big section for missionaries to read in Alma 5 where we're given the self check to see if we are really reflecting the Lord's image on ours. As well as President Eyring's talk about removing the pavillian from ourselves, that it isn't covering God it's covering us. Those were two of the big ones for me.

As for the work, it's going up, as mentioned above we're really earning member trust and working really well with the ward leaders. It's enjoyable and we're doing well.

Sorry it's another short one but we're short on time. I love you guys!

Email Letter - October 1, 2012

Hey everyone. This week was alright. Things are still slow, and we're still hitting a lot of doors and talking to a lot of people.

We had some good lessons though in our trip up to Hayfork last friday. We had one with Pepper, who was on date but hasn't given up smoking and she's out of time for that. Also, when we got there to her house there was a huge pot plant hanging up to dry. Needless to say I was ever so pissed. Intrigued, but very angry none-the-less. We're really frustrated with her and her fiance, who is a member that uses. They're adamant that they won't be giving it up, so they can't move forward. We can't help them because they won't help themselves. That's been a real struggle with them. We'll do what we can but they need to make some big steps before they can move forward.

The other Hayfork investigator is doing really well on the other hand. He was working on the fire a few weeks ago so hasn't read or prayed as much as he should have been but he's working on it and committed to read at least one page a day. That's a start. He also told us that it will be soon that he's ready to commit to a date for baptism, but that he isn't quite ready just yet. Overall it was a productive trip out there, we went to the ward dinner in Weaverville, and got to see many of our old friends, and then had a lesson over there as well. The investigator there isn't taking it seriously anymore so we don't think we'll be working with him much longer. It's been a struggle with him but we work with what we've got.

Down in Redding, it's hot. It was over 100 yesterday, and will be again a few more times this week from what we hear. That's no bueno. But we'll get over it. Lots of water! Lots and lots.

We had a really good lesson here in Redding the other day actually. We stopped at a families house that recently returned to activity and we've been working with frequently, just for a surprise visit. They've been struggling lately, so we felt we should go by and while we were there I felt like I should show them a video from a talk that I found out here and really like. F. Enzio Busche's "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit" is what it was. And it was just a segment where he gives a list on how we can better have the Spirit with us in our lives. After the video was done they asked if we had been stalking them and knew exactly what they needed to hear because we knew their lives so well. We told them that we haven't stalked them at all but in a sense God has. It was pretty funny and the Spirit was strong the whole time. It's always good to listen to those small whisperings. And always worth it.

I love you all and have a wonderful week!