Email Letter - November 26, 2012

Hey everyone! This week was pretty rough. We had almost every appointment cancel. That's what happens when you have a big holiday though. So we understand, but it's a bummer when only 1 of your 13 set appointments doesn't fall through in one way or another. In any case we had a great week. Thanksgiving was great, we spent it with one of the families we're working really hard with, and we've really enjoyed working with them.

We're gearing up for transfers next week. We're pretty sure but I'll be leaving, but you never know. The bishop here thinks I'll stay and Jackson will go, which honestly I wouldn't be surprised either way. We never really know. But I'm getting pretty burnt out on redding. As fun as it is and with all the work going on. That's how it is with each area I've been in though, start with nothing, leave just before the fruits of our efforts come. But I sure love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. I got news of a guy that I started teaching in Yuba City getting baptized last week. That was really cool!

I hope all your thanksgiving day excitement was great. I love you guys and will talk to you next week!

Email Letter - November 19, 2012

Hey everyone! We had a great week this week. Things are going really well. Although the baptism in hayfork was postponed the man still wants to be baptized and is planning on it happening in December. It would be sooner but we have to get him interviewed again by the zone leaders before it can happen and things will go from there. Things up in Hayfork are starting to get Icy and snowy though so we'll see how much longer we'll be going up there. We got ourselves some chains from a member and we've got front wheel drive, and I know how to drive in the snow, so whatever happens we should be alright. I'm not looking forward to the cold though. I hate the cold. The Redding heat has destroyed any immunity I had for the cold.

Down here in Redding things are on fire. Not temp wise, but missionary work wise. We've picked up new investigators each week for the last 3 weeks, and we are set up to pick up two more this week and set dates with two others. The work of the Lord rolls forward. It's great because this is more work than this area has seen in years. So we're super stoked about it. The ward is excited and we've got people that are helping with lessons and are asking when they can come with us again, we're getting media referrals and some solid member referrals as well. We're also working with some great less-active families and all is going great. I'll be sad to leave if that's what the Lord asks in a couple of weeks. But if it does then such is the way of missionary work, and I'll be happy to go to another area that I'm needed in and work hard there too.

We had a great meeting with President Weston this last week too. A zone conference with the Chico and Anderson zones there too. It was a blast. We had some training on finding and the Book of Mormon, and about the new Christmas webpage that the church is launching. Among other things. I really enjoyed it. We received a really cool challenge too, each missionary was given a fresh, paper back Book of Mormon and given the challenge to read it in the 85 days following that zone conference. The Idea was that Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon in 85 days, and that means it would have been about 6 pages per day translating. We're reading it at the same pace, while also marking references to Jesus Christ, His attributes, His words spoken by Him or His prophets while prefaced "Thus saith the Lord" and also doctrines and principle outlined in the Book of Mormon. Things like prayer, faith, repentance and so on. It's been really good. In the first six pages, plus the title page, introduction, and testimonies of the 3 and 8 witnesses and also Joseph Smith, Christ was referred to over 100 times! Pretty amazing huh? It's been really exciting to have this challenge and to see what the Lord has done with His people throughout all time and is doing even now with us.

Anyway that's all for now, have a wonderful thanksgiving and week! I love you all!

Email Letter - November 12, 2012

Hello all! Another good week here in Redding, CA. We had a zone meeting here this week, and it really raised everyone's faith and vision. Almost every companionship had 20 lessons taught this week, there were 2 new baptismal dates set, and every companionship in my district found a new investigator. Booya! It was pretty exciting. We got a new investigator to teach, she's been coming to church for a couple of weeks and we were finally able to sit down with her and begin teaching her. She is really sensitive to the Spirit and feels really good at church. And with us. It's been really cool. The only problem is her friend is in 5th ward, and she wants to take the person we're teaching over there. That's a problem because in order to progress and be baptized and the such she has to go to church in the area she lives, and be taught by those missionaries. Which is frustrating for her friend who wants to take her to the other ward. But we'll work it out. It'll all be alright

The only really negative thing that happened this week was Peter, the investigator that is supposed to be baptized in Hayfork this week, failed his interview. He shouldn't have, we went over the questions with him the last week, and the answers he gave us were correct. For example, he bore Testimony about Joseph Smith to us, but with the zone leader he said something along the lines of "Yeah, I guess he could have been a prophet." It was frustrating. So the baptism isn't happening this week, before thanksgiving like Peter wanted. It's a bummer but it happens. We roll with the blows and move forward, take what we can get and work. It'll all work out.

 

Not too much to say, we had a fairly average week. It was good, and we had some good success.

Anyway, that's all I have, love you guys and have a great week!

Email Letter - November 5, 2012

Hello one and hello all! It was another fairly average week. We're still pushing really hard with our less-active work. I've been trying to teach Elder Jackson that I'm pretty sure the Lord sees a reactivation as the same as a baptism. They're all His lost sheep and need to be found, and we're the ones called to bring them in. So that's what we're doing.

 

Not to say that that we aren't trying to find new people to teach, that aren't members. That's always at the forefront of what we do. We're working hard on pushing member help to get this work going. And it seems to be working, we're still working with the ward council and getting plenty of referrals.

Talking to people on the street is something I'm getting more and more comfortable with, we're doing that more and more. Elder Jackson leads the way on that a lot, because it's not something I've been easy with. That's probably been the hardest proselyting thing that I've had to do. But I'm working on it, and I'm seeing the Lord bless me and Jackson. And it's going great.

 

Things are good. I'm loving going on all the exchanges with the other missionaries as district leader. It's been fun serving them and getting to know them. It's been a blast

Anyway, love you guys. Take care and be happy!