Monday, December 23, 2013 10:49 AM

This last week has been pretty dang eventful!  It has been very weird and different though because the missionary work we were doing was a different type.  We had the Missionary Musical Fireside a couple more times, so that means days were kinda shot by having to drive everywhere for it.  It was a hit so they are also going to be having it again this Sunday in Groton since the day we were suppose to perform there originally got canceled because of the winter storm.  Seeing that ALL the snow has melted and the temperature is now around 60 degrees I doubt it will get canceled again.

On Tuesday we headed up to Massachusetts to go to the Boston Temple in the morning.  It was an amazing experience!  Before we started the session, the Temple President spoke to us, and let's just say it opened my eyes a whole lot more and prepped me for going through the temple on a whole new level.  We also had pictures given to us from our mission president, of Peter and John as they first found out that the Savior was resurrected.  It was a very moving picture to see their facial expressions and to have President Packard expound on it by telling us about the background and bringing to remembrance the story.  As we went through the temple after this my eyes were opened to a whole lot more symbolism that there is.  It was a wonderful experience.

After the temple we had a few hours before the rest of the Christmas party started.  Instead of going to eat lunch with the rest of our zone, Elder Meservy and I had to go to the Longfellow chapel to hop on a computer to edit our video skit and also because President Packard asked us to pick up a slide show from the digital missionaries there.  Once we got back to the chapel, we then did the Musical fireside we had done previously in other areas.  After that we all went down to the basketball court area and had food, watched the skits, and just had a nice little party.  It was a blast!  We got all of our presents that were sent to the mission home, which was really nice, and then as it came time to leave, It was announced that they did not want us to drive home because of the storm that had come in.  So, the Elders stayed at the mission home and the Sisters went to the traveling sisters' house.  As we headed out to the cars, they were covered in snow, and so Elder Meservy and I started going to work cleaning off sisters' cars and everyone elses.  It was actually a blast and it is amazing even though we were the last ones to take off following President, we didn't get that cold. Truly the Lord blessed us with many tender blessings as we were in 5 degree weather and our burdens were made light in a sense.  I remember even stepping in a huge pile of snow and it getting in my shoes and afterwards how everyone's socks and shoes were wet except mine and Elder Meservy's.  So, we stayed at the mission home and then drove home in the morning.  It was a blast!

It seemed like the rest of the week was a very weird and hard week though.  Since people are getting ready for Christmas, and people leaving town it has been a bit difficult to meet with people.  That is OK, however, since we were able to get a little bit more planning in for the area.

What a wonderful time of year it is, and a great opportunity we have to turn our thought to the true meaning of CHRISTmas and so I would urge all of you to think about what gift it is that you could give your Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know that Jesus Christ came into the world to save it, and all those in it if they but turn to him. 

I know that He is the literal Son of God and that He lives, for I felt his presence and love lifting me up giving me hope when I felt all was lost.  He is my Savior, my Redeemer and Lord.  I leave these things with you in His name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 12/16/2013 10:11 AM

Where to begin?  There has been a lot that has transpired these past two weeks.  I hope that I can remember it all.  Last week the reason why I was not able to write was because our zone was filming a video for the Christmas party coming up tomorrow.  We had a lot of missionaries in a chapel with only 4 computers. so we had to be very brief so everyone had some time to email a little and finish what we needed to.

 

What we decided to do for the video was a movie trailer kind of theme about the infamous "T-Texts."  For those of you that do not know what that is, every six weeks all the missionaries in our mission receive texts Saturday night and we find out if people are getting transferred to another area and where they will be at sent. So, it can get pretty intense at times.  It sure was a lot of fun to film, that's for sure.

 

We had a great first lesson with our Branch Missionary Leader and his two friends from work.  They are twin sisters and their names are Isanety and Michelle.  They are Dominican and are in their 20's. We taught them the Restoration and it was a great visit.  They for sure felt the Spirit very strongly.  I am so excited to meet with them again, but a little sad at the same time since we found out they will be moving to Seattle, Washington the beginning of January, otherwise known as the "Boston West Mission," since it seems like we loose a lot of investigators to the west coast.  But, we will do what we can to continue to help their desire grow and keep it going as they move and pass them along to the missionaries and Ward over there.

 

So, after having a great, jam packed week of visits, the week before we had 55 people at church!  It was fantastic!  We were a little bummed though that one of the less active members we had a pretty intense spiritual lesson with ended up not coming after she promised she would. 

 

Since we have been getting snow, one of our days we gave service. We were at the other missionaries' apartment because we had to finish our studies to finish planning for the day. The Zone Leaders  dropped by to grab their laundry and let's just say some how it turned into a little snow fight.... =D.  It was a well needed break though to enliven our bodies and help our minds wake up a little more.  Later that day, we were meeting with a youth and as we were leaving, had another little snow ball fight with him.  Then later that night, the zone leaders picked us up from our apartment to go to the Waterford missionaries apartment because we all had to meet together and exchange things since somehow it seemed like we all ended up with each others stuff and since they were taking a while we ended up making some hot chocolate and waiting outside with a mass supply of snowballs!  So, that day was a ton of fun packed with a lot of work as well. Nothing better than that.

 

Now, this last week we had so much planned and it ALL seemed to fall through... But, that is how it goes some times.  We can't always expect everything to go smoothly and the way we plan, but we were still able to stay busy.  Plus I got a call Wed. asking me to give a 2-3 min talk/experience in a missionary musical fireside about how I came to know that Christ is the literal Son of God.  The fireside was fantastic!  It was a great blessing to be able to listen to such beautiful music.  All involved played and sang some of the most beautiful music I have heard.  There was one Sister in particular named Sister Hyoung who really knew how to play the piano. I do not think I have ever heard anyone play the piano as she did.  It was a great experience.

 

Saturday we sort of had a red dot day, which means the mission doesn't want us to go out.  But, it was more of a, "only if you think it is too bad to go out," kind of red dot day.  This was because we had our first winter storm!  It was really pretty tight!  It had been around 13 to 15 degrees all day and that morning we were helping members move.  Then later that night it picked up more and I was driving very slowly since it seemed like I would just slide to a stop.... Don't worry we were being safe... =D.  It was really cool, because EVERYTHING was just white.  There were some streets where you couldn't tell the street from the sidewalk, if the snow plows hadn't gone through yet.

 

So, in short, everything is going great.  I love it, I love the the work, the people, the weather and just everything. Tomorrow we will be having a Christmas party and so we get to start the day by leaving at 5am to get up to the temple by 8 and just have a wonderful day up in Boston until the Party later that afternoon.  So, I might be able to get to stop by some people's homes up there in Revere.

 

I would just like you all to know that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that He truly is the Literal Son of God.  I know this because I have experienced his love in my life and felt his transforming power helping me to become who it is He would have me become.  I have literally felt him picking me up when I had nothing left to give, when all hope seemed to have diminished. Truly He is the Son of God, The Light, Life and Truth, our Savior and Redeemer.  I invite all of you to look for his hand more abundantly in your lives, and promise you that as you do so you will find it.  As we look for others in need and strive to give an aiding hand to lift one another's burdens, we will more abundantly be able to feel of his love.  What better present can we give to Him than this?  He who suffered so much that it caused himself "even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore."  I leave you with my testimony that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a babe in a manger.  That He did come to take upon himself all of our sins, infirmities, sicknesses, pains and everything that we go through in life that just isn't right.  Truly He did come to free us from all bondage so that we can be happy.  I leave this with you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 12/2/2013 9:46 AM

This last week was Thanksgiving and it was fantastic!  We actually ended up having an American style Thanksgiving, which was a surprise, but it was delicious.  We ate at a member's house whose husband is not a member and has kind of been dodging missionaries before.  He is a really great guy though.  We shared a nice little message about gratitude and the importance of it.  It fit with the day pretty well.  After dinner and when people were leaving, he came up to us and thanked us for our message and we started talking.  He brought up a bunch of stories in the bible and it was a nice little discussion we had for about 15 minutes.  Now as a result we are going to start having a little bible study with him every week with our Branch President.  We will be trying to strengthen our relationship with him and try to start bringing the Book of Mormon into it here and there.  Also on Sunday the branch had a special fast for him.

 

After their house we went to Pops and Sweeties for dessert and ended up playing some games for a little bit.  So, after a long day of planning for the week and eating a ton it was nice to play a few games to keep us awake after all that turkey we ate!

We were able to find a few people that were lost before as well.  We have an appointment with 2 previous investigators this week and our finding pool has been growing a whole lot too with referrals from members and everything.

 

On Tuesday we were able to go out with our newly appointed Branch Mission Leader to meet Ramona and her family.  It turned out to be a good little visit.  They haven't been keeping their commitments to read the Book of Mormon so we were able to focus on it and address their concerns as well.  As a result they now are starting to read by themselves =). 

 

As for everything else there has just been a whole lot of planning and organizing, getting things that we need in order to get things going here.  We have been able to get our foot in the door with a lot of less active members who no one has been able to meet with for a while.

 

On Sunday we had a less active/part member family come to church for their baby son to be blessed and I was able to participate in that.  What a tender experience it was.  To stand around that newborn and the Spirit and love that was there.  It was incredible! 

 

Needless to say, this next week we have jammed pack and it seems a lot of good things are starting to come our way, so I am excited! The Lord truly has been blessing us with so many miracles daily and it has been great working with Elder Meservy.

I know that this church is true, that Jesus Christ is at the head of it and it is his church.  I know that he knows us perfectly and is filled with love, compassion and mercy toward us.  I know that He lives and truly the only better thing than knowing about him is coming to know him better than we do now.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.