April 29, 2013

Dear Family

This week went very well. we were able to meet a man who was walking around the stake center during our pday activity and we were able to teach him! He lives in another ward in our stake so we will be doing the transition lesson this week!
We were able to finally get a lesson with Alissa and Alana ths week, other investigators that we havent been able to teach for a long time. The lesson was great! only alayna and zachary, her grandchildren were able to have the lesson this time but in the middle of the lesson alissas boyfriend walked in.  We were teaching the restoraiton and the boyfriend had some great quesitons! he was mainly concerned with the succession of prophets. We told him that it all boils down to Joseph Smith being a prophet. To which he said, "I have no problem with Joseph Smith and him sing God and Jesus Christ. I just have a problem with the people after". We can work with that! we explained how the process works and that it is always by revelation. Hopefully things will work out well this week as we teach the family again.
We had a great lesson with the Hao Kaawaloa family for a fhe on tuesday. they are a part member family with 8 daughters, 3 of which are not members.  We did an object lesson. pour water on a rock and on a sponge. then compare how the two are different. We shared John 4, the woman at the well, and shared how Christ is the living water and how we need to soak him in like the sponge.
We are also working very hard to get Mimi progressing. We prayed and planned for so long to try and see what we should teach her on Wednesday. We decided that we needed to go back to faith again. and this time not just read scriptures and talk about them. this time we needed to have her be an active participant in the lesson and really dig down deep to try and see what her concerns are. The lesson went great and we decided that we are just going to start the lessons over and get her more familiar with Joseph Smith.

Biking is great! I'm pretty sure I've lost some weight from fat and put on some more muscle to my legs!

This week I also got to go the the baptism of Anna in my last area! So fun to see some of the members and to see some missionaries that I got to work with in that zone.  I got to see the Bulmers too!!! great family!

Love you all and thanks for the support!!!

Love,

Elder John

I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do somehting. and becasue I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do. 

April 22, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was GREAT!! so we were able to

This week went great! Elder Pierre-Louis and I are getting along great and things are starting to pick up!
We were able to get a new investigator this week as well. She was a referrel and we biked all the way to the top corner of our area and contacted her. Susan was previously catholic and her husband died a few months ago.  While we were teaching the first lesson we were talking about the apostacy and bout different doctrine that was changed in several churched. She asked us to tell her what doctrine was changed and we told her about infant baptism and how people become 'Saints' and different things and she said 'that isnt doctrine, thats just stuff that man put into the church' haha!!! she is GOLDEN! so hopefully we can get her with a date for baptism soon!

After we met with her we had to ride FAST to our appointment that we were already late for, up the hill!!! (both ways) and when we got there, 7 people were sitting there to be at the lesson with our investigator! its great to have ward support but that was a lot of people at a lesson!

We have lists that have the name of streets in specific areas of our ward and the less actives that live on the streets and while we were making visits on wednesday I acidentaly wrote the wrong number down for the wrong street (this we found out yesterday) and while we were over there making the visit we talked to the neighbor of the house we were going to and set up to do service for her today! We cleaned out her garage and put it all back and she invited us to dinner soon! so hopefully we can get her to be an inestigator! I told Elder Pierre-Louis, yesterday, that the Lord blessed me for my stupidity.
We have a few other progresing investigators and we are working hard at getting new investigators by going through our former investigator list.
Elder Pierre-Louis is GREAT! is has no fear when talking with people, which is something that I need to work on.  Last night we were riding to a potential investigators house and when they werent home we rode back up the street and saw some kids coming out of a house. so instead of talking with the kids on the street, elder Pierre-Louis just went up and knocked on the door so we could talk strait to the mom instead. it was awesome because this lady might actually listen to us!

I am also going to try to get permission to go to Aprils baptism this week in my last area!!! I'll be able to see everyone in that area and see some of the investigators that Elder Golden and I taught there as well!
Things are going well with us here in the hillpointe ward and I cant wait for this next week!

Love you all! thanks for your support!

Love,

Elder John

 

"Let what will come, dont deny the faith, and all will be well." -Joseph Smith

April 15, 2013

This area is going to be great! Elder Pierre-Louis is a great Elder and is here to work! however I can tell that this transfer is going to be one that will be difficult but also full of joy.
I am one who needs to be on time to everything, and even early is preferable... Elder Pierre-Louis however is not like that. He is here to work but getting to the 'work' sometimes is the problem. We are, however, working things out and getting more organized so that we can get out faster. We are getting along great and that sometimes means me holding my tongue and just waiting for a few minutes. But I am excited for what this transfer will bring! I love Elder Pierre-Louis and cant wait to keep working! Elder Pierre-Louis is such a great Elder! He is really good at talking with people and relating to them in a very non thretening way and he can get any aspect of the gospel into any situation, while talking with people, and have it not be awkward... which is something that I am very impressed with and something that I admire in him! He is a fantastic teacher!!!
Well we had the baptism of Chelsea this week, something that I got to fall into since being transfered to this new area! so we go over to chelseas house to make programs for the baptism and see what all she wants and it turns ot that the nonmember dad is going to be out of town for a while so... they asked if we can do a fontside confirmation... which is against church policy so we get to call the mison president! So I got to call and explain the situation and then got to call the bishop and call the misison president again!! hurray!!! then that afternoon, after we get permission to do a fontside confirmation, they text and ask if their friendcan do a hula called 'the prayer' because it will mean a lot to the family(they are hawaiian) well since the baptismal service is a church meeting... not necessarliy the converts meeting... we got to go ahead and do it anyway!!! lol but it turns out that the hula was very spiritual and it turned out great!  The Fontisde confermation seemed to be a good thing for the family and the family was really touched by the entire meeting!

Things always go horrible the week before the baptism but then right after the baptism everything is great!!! haha I love being a missionary!!!
We are looking forward to working with the ward better, since we just cover the Hillpointe ward! the ward is really excited for us to be here and to be focused on them! We are focused with the ward misison leader to get everything very organized so that the work can continue to progress! This ward is very good at finding people to teach and setting it up for us, since our call is to find, TEACH, and baptize! (the other wards I was in did that as well! but just saying!)
This is going to be a great area and I am looking forward to the future!

Love,

Elder John

Keep the Faith

2Tim 4:7

April 8, 2013

Dear Family,

This week I am being transferred to Red Rock stake in the Hill Point Ward! My new companion is Elder Pierre-Louis! I'm really sad to leave this area but I'm excited for new experiences and a new area! I will miss all of the people in the San Miguel and North Star YSA wards! I will surely be back to visit in 14 months! 

So this week we had a great zone conference! Also, we got to see one of our investigators that was out of town and we will hopefully get her with a date for baptism! Then I will come back and visit.  

Oh so fun story!! we were knocking doors and the first house we knock on said 'we are Born Again, Go Away!'... so we knocked the rest of the street and on the way back we knocked on this door across from the 'born again' house and the daughter of the lady that answered the door said, 'get those Jehovah's witnesses to come and rake our yard and we will convert' so Elder Golden and I went over and Elder Golden said 'ya we will rake your yard! and you don't have to convert either' so we started raking and they didn't have the guts to say that they were joking so... after finishing their yard we became great friends with them. They also offered us a job in southern California so we said we would think about it after our missions haha... so it was great to take a situation that could have just been a dumb remark and turn it into a great experience where we can hopefully be able to teach the Gospel to them one day. 

We were also able to teach Abel and talk about baptism and joining the church. His whole family is Catholic so he says it would be hard to change... but he also said that if he feels the spirit confirm to him the truth of the church, it really doesn't matter what his family thinks! we told him to write down questions and watch conference and see them get answered! I am so grateful we are able to have a prophet and apostles that we can trust! and be able to tell people that their questions will be answered, if they search deep down in their soul! 

We also found out that Miranda, our recently baptized member in the ysa ward, watched conference and she took notes!!! she has always had the best questions and I cant wait to see what questions she wrote down and see how they were answered! 

Sorry this email is so boring but there weren't too many intense spiritual experiences... but thanks to everyone in the San Miguel and North Star ysa wards!!! love ya! 

And thanks for the support family!

Love,

Elder John 

April 1, 2013

Dear Family,

This week I have been able to see the blessings of putting your trust in the Lord and then being able to reap the rewards of that trust.  We have had a good week and we were hoping to get two families to come to church this Sunday. We did everything we could do! We called them the morning of and they said they were all set to come to church. But then the moment of truth came! Church started and nobody showed up! It was very difficult and frustrating to have to see how people just have their own choice! We want everyone to succeed but, in the end, it is up to them.
The BEST news we have received this week is that Melinda Bulmer, the investigator who called President Black to have us stay together, is getting baptized on the 20th of April! She got back in town on Saturday so we were able to see her yesterday. She was really bumbed when she found out that one of us is probably going to be transferred next week but she seemed to accept it now, and she realized that it was a blessing that we were both still together by the time she got back in town. But she was really excited to be baptized and she was able to have some great experiences while she was out of town. I have found that if someone is ready and willing the Lord will let everything possible happen to have them progress. We were stressing about the possibility of her falling away while she was gone but she told us of one experience that made her feel even more like she needs to be baptized. she said that a woman came up to her and asked her if she was LDS and she said no but I have been thinking about joining. why do you ask? then the woman said that it was because of the way she talked about her family and her attitude about life that made her wonder. I am thankful that people act on their spiritual impressions!
We were also able to get a new investigator this last week! Its a part member family and the dad, the member, wants the son to take the lessons. and we found out that these people had been taught by the previously missionaries.. but because they never made a teaching record we have been looking for them for 3 transfers and have finally found them! So we are grateful to be able to find him and teach him!
This week has been great and I look forward to what the next transfer brings! (btw elder golden and I are going to be split up and we will find out who will be staying this saturday)
I love you all and am thankful for the support that each of you have given to me and to the missionary effort!

Love,

Elder John

Keep the Faith 2 Tim 4:7

 

p.s. Leadership and Trainer calls come on Tuesday so I hope I get a call to train so I can be with Elder Gonzales from Pueblo, CO!

March 25, 2013

This week has been great! We were able to have the baptism of Miranda Springer on Saturday and it was amazing! It was very low stress and everything went well! Miranda's parents who are non-members came and they seemed to really enjoy it! They also came to her confirmation and the spirit seemed to really touch them! Hopefully something can come from that!
This last weeks district meeting was the most spiritual district meeting I've ever been in! We discussed the Atonement and the need for an atonement and then we watched the bible videos on lds.org.  We watched the one that takes place in the garden of Gethsemane. it was really touching and seemed to show the mortal side of Jesus. We then watched Missionary work and the Atonement.  We were all crying by the end and we all shared; 'because of the Atonement I can...' statements. It was very spiritual! Then after district meeting we went to a less actives house.  The wife has been in a lot of pain with her back and her daughter has made some horrible decisions and has gone off the deep end. they have been struggling with the daughter for years. So we talked about how Christ loves her and then we showed them the 'mountains to climb' mormon message, narrated by President Eyring.  It was so spiritual because this families life has been so hard and this video actually had an effect on them! I was crying so much and they were too! wow! Its been such a spiritual week!
One of our investigators, Deanna... the one who wants to start her own church has been difficult these last few weeks. but this last week was great! She asked us, 'so do you guys want me to be mormon' and we explained that we would like her to be baptized and talked more about that... and now she is actually progressing! She is having some trouble with the apostasy but hopefully we can work that out!
We were able to finally go and see Kui Kelly. He's a less active that was diagnosed with cancer so we havent been able  to see him for a while. He has been going through radiation and we were finally able to meet with him. We showed him Mountains to Climb and he said it was the most spiritual thing he had ever seen!

Ok so the worst thing about this week: At the baptism for Miranda we were waiting for the meeting to start (waiting for the Bishop haha) and then Elder Golden says "Is that Sister Mcdonald" then it clicked in my head that April was not getting baptized today... now let me give you some history ("no, it is too much, let me sum up"- Princess Bride) anyway... April was going to be baptized the same day as Miranda... and april was going to the employment center where all of the senior sisters work... and they got really close to her. so we told them about aprils baptism like a month ago... well after april was not able to be baptized because she would be out of town I fogot to call sister mcdonald and tell her. So I have to face this sweet little old lady on a motorized cart (not really on a cart but you know what I mean) and tell her that april is not being baptized today! I will never forget the face that she gave me. she grabbed her chest and fell backward a few inches against the wall... and I said 'I am so sorry its totally my fault' to which she said 'yes it was your fault' I was like... oh my gosh!!! I'm sorry Lady!! lol but then after talking for a while I finally softened her up (I think it was because of my tie and my suit) haha jk. but ya it was terrible!

Well sorry to end on a bad note but we just need to get used to disappointment lol (another princess bride quote) well love you all!!

Love,

Elder John

March 18, 2013

This week was great! We were able to get 3 new investigators and help less actives finally get to church! A few weeks ago we taught a Hispanic family; Abel, Aldo, and Abel jr. This week his wife walked in as we were finishing up the lesson and we were inviting them to church. We asked the wife if she would be willing to give the kids a ride to church because Abel had to work. She said that she was the one originally that wanted to become a member of the Church but her husband did not allow it because of everything going on in his work and the sports he wanted to do. Her history is amazing! When she was in the military she had to have a 'buddy' that she went everywhere with, because the females had to be in pairs. So she would go to church with her LDS buddy. she said that at first she would just sleep through the service but after a while she would sit through it and she really loved it! So she is so happy that her husband wants to pursue this! They were supposed to come to church but her father was in the hospital. I consider that to be a good excuse. But we are so excited to be able to stat teaching the whole family! And the members that we brought with us this last time are great and they have really clicked with the family!

One major bummer this week was that our investigator, Raul who was set with a date for baptism on the 13th of April, is now not meeting with us anymore. He said that his parents don't want him to be meeting with us and they don't want us to call his house. So he said he would continue meeting with us after he got a car. and since he doesn't have a job that is going to be in the far distant future. Despite us giving him options and promising him blessings he did not want to nurture the seed that was planted. It was ironic because we just read Alma 32 and discussed the principle of nurturing the seed right before he told us this. now it turns out that his ground is barren. not because the seed wasn't a good, true seed. but because his ground is barren.

This week has been a great one filled with trials... the trials are becoming less and less about me and myself... and more about peoples choices... sometimes no matter what I do I cant choose for them and can't make them choose eternal life!

we were supposed to have a bunch of people at church this last week but non of them showed! a new investigator that we got on friday was supposed to come. her name is Ashlee and we knocked on her door and did an Easter message approach. she let us in and we shared a message about Easter and then got the conversation toward different aspects of the gospel. she then asked how are mormons different so we were finally able to explain!! she was excited and sounded interested... but one draw back was that her mom is a prophet at their church and ashlee believes that she can tell the future and crap... so a kinda stinks... but we will see!

Love you all!

Love,

Elder John

pictures: Robert Pike: leaving on a mission this Wednesday

John Bulmer: Investigator we helped rake leave for

March 11, 2013

Dear Family

This week was great! our investigators are still doing well and are excited for baptism! I was really bummed though because one of them, when their fellow-shipper went to pick them up, said that they had family in town and that they were not going to come to church. So our next lesson will be about revelation through church attendance! Hurray! 

A week or so ago we decided to walk that day instead of driving our car, just in our local area, and we bumped into this guy, Raul. He is 34 and lives with his parents. He was kinda unsure about letting us in because his parents are catholic and they won't welcome us. so we stood outside and talked. This last Thursday we happened to be in the area and we bumped into him again. This time we shred the message of the Restoration and when we first were talking with him he seemed really sad and he said that he felt sick. but after talking with him and sharing the first vision with him, he said that he felt warm inside and that he had goosebumps! We talked about baptism and that after he is baptized he can have that feeling with him always! Isn't it amazing that people don't know they can feel this way all of the time!!! Well we committed him to baptism and then we set up a time for a member to pick him up to have a lesson in a member home on Saturday. So Saturday came and we watched the Restoration video. After discussing prophets and the priesthood we committed him to be baptized on the 13th of April!!! Legit! He is one of those souls who are ready and who needs the Gospel! He talked about sins in his past and we told him that all of those feelings of guilt will be gone if he turns to the Savior and he does the things that we ask him to. Not because we want him to but because the Savior wants him to. 

Also!!! we found an awesome Mexican family! We went trackting a few weeks ago and this guy names Juan answered the door and said that he would want to meet with us. then we stop by and this lady says "we speake no englis... I'm sorry' and it wasnt very convincing because the 'im sorry' part sounded very american. the next time we stop by a kid named Aldo answered the door and told us to come back... then the next time we come back and the dad, Abel answered the door (ps I refer to him as cain when we are planning haha) but he said to come back... and when we came back this time he said come on in! and he had his son there and his nephew too! the son said that he couldnt remember this scripture he learned in his christian school and the dad said 'ask them, they know everything' (ask the missionaries they can help! you're so right elder nelson!!) so we talked for a while and shared finding faith in christ with them and they were so excited and so we have the perfect members to be fellowshippers for them! We are going to have a lesson this next week! So happy!!!

Well... things are going great here! WE have a baptism on the 23rd of March and on the 13th of April! Miranda is getting interviewed tonight so hopefully all goes well!!!

Thanks for the support!!! 

Love, 

Elder John 

March 4, 2013

This week was amazing!!! So both of our investigators that are set with a date are doing really well! The ward is so excited and we cant wait to get them baptized! The baptism will be on the 23rd of March at 6:00pm at the Alexander and Ferrel building.
We were able to get 2 new investigators this week as well! one of them is a 10 year old girl that we found from a less active member, who also wants to start coming back to church. Our other new investigator we found in the most amazing way! We went to visit one of our investigators who wasnt home. since we were in the appartment complex we decided to visit a few less actives in the area.  well we knock on this ladies door and this black guy answers the door and says 'Gods here! come on in'. so we come in and he was a little drunk but the girl that was there was legit! she said that they were just talking about God and that this was an answer to her prayers, she just moved in with her friends that day and if she hadent have been there she wouldnt have met us. we sat down and as we did the guy was like, oh lets move some of this pot out of the way. so that really brought the spirit lol. Well we started off with a prayer and by that time she was crying.  We taught the first lesson, up to the apostacy, and then we talked about some of her concerns about God giving her direction. We were BOLD! the Boldest I've ever been on my mission, probably. We told her that this church will give her direction and that this experience is an answer to her prayers.  We then commited her to baptism and she said, "of course!". So we are super excited and cant wait to teach her again! we have a lesson with her tonight so hopefully it goes through!
This has been a great week!
Thanks for all of your support and for everything you do!!!

Love you all!

Elder John

1 TIM 1:12

February 25, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was great! we were able to have a lesson with our new investigator, April. And guess what!!! She's set with a date for baptism! 23rd of March! We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of baptism, on saturday... and we had stake conference on sunday and guess what Elder Ballard talked about?? the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  So that was pretty great!

Well transfers are this week and Elder Golden and I are gonig to be staying together for another 6 weeks! so we have some more chances to baptize that investigator that our president told us to lol. I think it will go well! We both will hopefully be able to continue to work together well and be able to continue to be patient haha.

Well we've had a pretty fun week! We went tracting for a few hours this last friday and we found some cool people that might actually want us to stop by sometime again!!! that never happens! I think I may have told you but in case I havent... We found an investigator off of tracting! This guy, after we told him about lessons and stuff like that, said 'you know I think my wife and I ... Will' so they werent home the last time we went over there but we have their number and we hope everything pans out!

Well we have an appointment with Miranda, our other investigator that is set for March 23rd for baptism so hopefully that will go well!!!

Sorry its so short this week but we've got souls to save lol

Love you all and thanks for your letters and support!

Love,

Elder John

2 Tim 4:7 - Keep the Faith, Lose the doubt

explanation of pictures:

Elder Lee pulling out my ingrown hairs

Me with a sickle ready to harvest

Us after running outside

The one of the poker chips I like to call "Tithing: is it really that difficult to pay in Vegas?"