Monday, March 23, 2015

Mission XP - 23 March 2015

I bet I can 1 up your story like dad used to always 1 up mine. I'm not going to tell you the story because I'm going to save it for when I give a talk at home but I crashed into a wall Tuesday and I tied the story very well into the light of Christ when I gave a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday.  It was pretty fun and I made the whole congregation laugh at something I said that wasn't even planned just my natural funny self. And I know saying I'm funny makes me not funny so just disregard that. I think it's great that you and Kristina got to go bowling and I apologize...I didn't even know your birthday was this month nor do I know dads. Soo...Happy Birthday! I told my companion I was just going to say that I remembered but I couldn't say it until Monday but I figured you'd know I had forgotten. Anyway this is what happened this week...

This week was another great week for Elder Celis and I. Early on in the week and throughout the week we were able to help Eduardo ( an investigator ) and his family pack up everything so they could move to Mexico. I was very sad to hear that they were leaving he has gotten really close to baptism. He understands a lot of what we teach him and believes most of it the thing that holds him back though is his wife and the fact that she is Catholic and her family is Catholic and he says he just doesn't want to take the chance of any arguments. I totally understand that, I'm just saddened because I know his potential and what blessings he could receive by learning, accepting, and applying the gospel to his life.

We were able to teach a few of our investigators this week which was as usual pretty awesome. I love seeing them grow as they learn new things. And we did pick up a new investigator Annie we just hope to be able to start teaching her father soon. And as for the rest of the week we prayed and looked but we weren't able to find anyone this week. However, we do have a lesson with a family of four that we were able to set up for the week after next which I find as a miracle in and of itself because we are never able to even get the door open with this family.

I learned quiet a bit from studies this week. Mainly from the white handbook small things I didn't catch before or fully understand. I also learned on exchanges that I need to testify more no matter what and that I need to speak more by finding something simple to talk about. Elder Dean was pretty darn good at that but I really need to work on it more. 

I've found Elder Celis and my unity have grown stronger over the past 5 and a half weeks. I know that it's mainly from us actually have a lot of lessons to teach together and work on our unity but I also know that it's from companionship inventories and helping each other with goals and things we ( I ) need to improve on. 

I've learned a lot and am excited to continue learning and I love my mission SALT LAKE CITY SOUTH!
 
And I love you guys have a great week!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Mission XP - 16 March 2015

We went to the  Oquirrh Mountain Temple last Tuesday and it was amazing! That's cool about the fundraiser mainly because the girl scouts are doing their cookie sale and it's hard not to buy some- haha. Good luck when you take jazz to the dog test on Mothers Day weekend. 

This  week has been pretty darn amazing and full of miracles.  I was able to learn a lot more of my area Friday and Saturday due to exchanges. It was a great learning and bonding experience.  I wanted to tract first but then I thought, I know a few members now and I know where they live so I ended up talking to several members about their neighbors and I did meet new members and now we have more contacts that have friends who aren't members. 

In studies I learners how important it is to help our investigator understand the importance of the covenant they make during baptism. How important it is for them to keep the commitments we give them to prepare them for baptism. I'd learned that before but now I definitely understand it a lot better.  

Elder Celis taught me a very important lesson on patience and understanding and most importantly thinking of how every one else views things. He taught it to me amazingly.  It was unfortunate that he needed to teach it to me but something I pondered on and prayed about so that I could become stronger in those needed areas. 

We finally got to have a lesson with a family we've been trying to meet with since I've been here and I think since Elder Celis has been here.  It went pretty darn good.  We picked them up as new investigators and I see a large amount of potential and growth in them.  They are very receptive and willing to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Some of the ward mission leaders here are very hard working and they come out with us to several of the lessons in their wards and the have such a strong testimony and presence of the spirit with them.  With some of the lessons we had I've actually thought wow that is exactly what our investigator needs what would have happened or wouldn't have happened if we didn't have fellowshipping there.  My testimony on fellowshipping has grown so much stronger, I've seen the importance of it and it work within the hearts of the members themselves.  I don't ever want to go to a lesson without fellowshipping again for fear of our investigator missing out on something they may very well need. 

                                        I love you guys a lot have a great week!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Mission XP - 16 March 2015

This  week has been pretty darn amazing and full of miracles.  I was able to learn a lot more of my area Friday and Saturday due to exchanges, it was a great learning and bonding experience.  I wanted to tract first but then I thought, I know a few members now and I know where they live so I ended up talking to several members about their neighbors and while I didn't find them from it I did meet new members and now we have more contacts that have friends who aren't members. 

In studies I learned how important it is to help our investigator understand the importance of the covenant they make during baptism. How important it is for them to keep the commitments we give them to prepare them for baptism. I'd learned that before but now I definitely understand it a lot better.  

Elder Celis taught me a very important lesson on patience and understanding and most importantly thinking of how every one else views things. And he taught it to me amazingly.  It was unfortunate that he needed to teach it to me, but was something I pondered on and prayed about so that I could become stronger in those needed areas. 

We finally got to have a lesson with a family we've been trying to meet with since I've been here and I think since Elder Celis has been here.  It went pretty darn good.  We picked them up as new investigators and I see a large amount of potential and growth in them.  They are very receptive and willing to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Some of the ward mission leaders here are very hard working and they come out with us to several of the lessons in their wards and the have such a strong testimony and presence of the spirit with them.  With some of the lessons we had I've actually thought wow that is exactly what our investigator needs what would have happened or wouldn't have happened if we didn't have fellowshipping there.  My testimony on fellowship has grown so much stronger, I've seen the importance of it and it works within the hearts of the members themselves.  I don't ever want to go to a lesson without fellowshipping again for fear of our investigator missing out on something they may very well need. 

                                        I love you guys a lot have a great week!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Mission XP - 10 March 2015

 Last week we found two new investigators and put another on date so we have four on date so far and one investigator asked for his date to be moved one week sooner because he couldn't do it on the twenty eighth we are very excited. I still love my area a lot and I think Elder Celia is one of my favorite companions so far he is pretty awesome.  Oh yea and most important we went to the temple today (which is why our prep day is today) and also we have iPads now so we can look at emails thought the week whenever but we can't respond until our prep day. Yes I did get the care package thank you so much mom. I love you and have a great week.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Mission XP - 2 March 2015

So wow! Talk about some fricken miracles. The week before last we hit the standards of excellence early in the week, well we picked up 3 investigators and had enough member present lessons,  then by a miracle we put two on date to be baptized. This last week was a bit tougher because I got the flu beginning Wednesday and I worked till about Thursday evening which is when I pretty much couldn't get up. I slept all day Friday and most of Saturday and felt super lazy  because I couldn't go work. The nurse said I had to rest, so we hadn't picked up any new investigators and we still needed a couple lessons and at six we went with a member to a couple houses we hadn't gotten into before and we got in one house and shared a message and prayed and really it was just a great conversation we had with them but we didn't realize till two hours later that we had picked 3 of them up as investigators and at six we went on splits and I taught a recent convert lesson (Jack) and Elder Celis went to a non members house with Brother Feterson and he picked someone up and put them on date. We were on a pretty big spiritual high  and we felt the presence of the spirit soo strong in our lessons that night.  All in all an amazing experience.