Mon 1/27/2014 10:28 AM

This past week has been pretty dang good!  We had a great turn out on Sunday of 39, where people are coming more consistently and for those that are returning, they are doing the things they need to do and as a result it has been a great blessing to see the light in their eyes grow brighter and brighter!  Repentance truly is a beautiful, remarkable thing!  Especially to see people come and taste of it's fruits and come to know what true joy, peace and happiness is like.

I had a pretty interesting experience.  We were over at Ramona's house and I got attacked furiously by a little 6 year old girl... She jumped out of no where and.... well... needless to say, I had received 3 big kisses on my face by her before I knew what in the world happened lol!  They are an amazing family whom I have come to love and care about so much.  I cannot wait to see them enter the waters of baptism when they are ready and make that amazing step preparatory to receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, one of the greatest blessings and gifts we have in this life.  A gift where we have the wonderful companionship of a member of the Godhead always with us, to guide us in our lives, provide comfort when we stand in need of comfort and to help us increase in knowledge and truth of all things.  It truly is amazing and a gift that I am very grateful for in my life.

On Tuesday we got red-dotted.. again.  We were doing service and the Chester rolled in and dumped a descent amount of snow on the ground making it a bit difficult to head out and work.

During studies this last week I learned a lot which I am grateful for and I wish I could share it all with you.  During my studies I felt impressed on how we can go about inviting Ramona to be baptized and as well as some other things to help her have more Spiritual experiences confirming the truth to her so we can point out the Spirit to her.  I am looking forward to meeting with them this week.

Oh how lucky we are to have a loving Father in Heaven who has given us wonderful families on this earth!  Even more so as members of the Church to not only know that death has no victory over us - meaning death is not the end.  Also that we can live for ALL TIME AND ETERNITY with those we love and cherish the most, our families.  What a wonderful plan and example of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us!  We will experience times of sorrow, loneliness, heartache and many other not so fun emotions and events in life, but we have the enabling power of our Savior Jesus Christ to carry us through, allowing us to do those things that we ourselves are not able to do without him.  We do not need to wait to feel his warm, loving arms engulf us, but rather if we turn to him and pour out our heats to him and express our innermost feelings, doubts, fears, thoughts, He WILL be there for us.  I Know this to be true, as I have felt him literally lift me up and wrap me in his arms and I have seen that happen in the lives of others.  Trials will come, but only for a short season leaving us stronger, more compassionate and loving towards others as a result.  In essence, these trials are what shapes us to become more like our Heavenly Father.

I leave you all with my love, my support and my testimony.  That I know Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God, that He lives, and that through him we can have peace, joy and the strength to continue on and be shaped into who it is our Heavenly Father wants us to be.  I say these things in his name, the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 1/20/2014 10:54 AM

This past week has been incredible!  So much awesome stuff has happened I don't know where to begin.

W had our interviews with our Mission President, which was awesome.  Then we had a lot of great visits with members, less actives and our investigators.  On Thursday we went out with our Branch President to meet with a part member family (the man I described as the "not yet Paul.")  We weren't sure what to share, but then the thought came to mind to share the BYU Devotional by Tad R. Callister with him and his family.  That talk is very bold in the way where it uses the Bible to point out the organization of Christ's Church from the bible and how there is only ONE church today that fits that blueprint perfectly, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It addressed a lot of his concerns and questions as well, with some of the greatest questions and points I have ever heard.  The best part is that he was actually listening to it!  It was a very wonderful visit.  I hope that the things in that video are playing over in his mind and helping prepare a place in his heart to finally progress.

 

We had a great family home evening with a less active family who invited their sister who is less active and who's husband is not a member and their 3 kids are also not members and they are 8, 9 and 11 years old.  Also, Ramona, our investigator, was at it with her kids as well.  We watched the "Patterns of Light" videos for part of the message and Ramona wanted to watch the second one again!  It was a great opportunity.

 

There are so many more wonderful things that happened this last week as well that has been causing my heart to fill with such sweet joy and desire to sing the song of redeeming love with even more gusto than before (Alma 5:26).

 

This last week as well I felt I needed to start looking up ways to recognize and develop the gifts and talents that I have been given from our Heavenly Father to help those around me.  I am not close to being done yet but as I have found them and written them down  my soul has been expounding and it has been helping me to have yet another way I can exercise my faith in the Lord and better be able to help others come to him.  That is something that I would encourage each and every one of you to do, to start looking for the unique gifts and talents that you have and strive to develop them and share them with others.  I promise that you will find it will yield wonderful results, filling you life with more meaning, joy and happiness, for truly as we strive to magnify the talents and gifts the Lord has blessed us with, we will gain more and find more fulfillment in life.  It is important as well to remember that since we all have different talents that we should not compare ourselves to others when they seem to have another talent or gift that we do not. Rather, we should strive to develop the ones we have and strive to develop others as well.  For example, one of my wonderful sisters has the divine and great gift and talent of handling children, loving them and teaching them in very creative ways.  My other sister has a wonderful and great gift and talent of making people feel welcome and loved and is aware of how others may be feeling. These are two magnificent things, but cannot be compared to each other, for each is as important as the other because they are gifts and talents that are used to enrich the lives of others. WOW. I do not know where all that came from.  I am suppose to be giving an update and seem to be giving a discourse instead!

 

Well everyone just know that I love you all very much and am grateful for all that you do.  I do strongly encourage you to strive to come to know yourself better and our loving Heavenly Father as well by coming to recognize, develop and be faithful to those wonderful and beautiful gifts that each and every one of you has.

 

I encourage you to take time to remember daily all of your many blessings from the Lord and as you do these things you will find that your life will be enriched, that you will be filled with the Love of God, a love that will not fail you and will cause you to rejoice even in the most difficult of times as you strive to turn outward.

 

I leave you with these things and with my testimony that I know that these things are true, that we are all unique children of a Loving Heavenly Father, having our own special gifts to bless our lives more abundantly as we use them to bless the lives of others.  In the very sacred name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen. 

Mon 1/13/2014 4:12 PM

I do not have much time this week to write so hopefully I will be able to get some of the stuff in that transpired.

 

This last week has been pretty dang amazing!  At church on Sunday we had 35 people there and 9 women in Relief Society and 8 youth at church, 6 being from our branch.

 

We have been working like crazy and Ramona, one of our investigators, has finally been reading the Book of Moromon on her own and asking good questions!

 

We have been able to go out with our Branch President quite a bit which has been awesome.  He sure is dedicated in helping us.  He would be working in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, get off, drive home and come to help us visit with investigators and less actives.

 

The weather has been warming up here a bit which has been a little weird, but good.  We have been having good success coming our way and have picked up some of our previous investigators that we had before and then fell off the earth!  It's ok because they are back!

 

Today for P-day we went bowling which was fun.  Next to us was a small family and there was a very young, little girl who could hardly pick up the ball with both her hands so it was sure funny to watch her bend over to put it on the ground and push it.... She was actually doing pretty good and it was even more precious to see her do a little dance when she knocked down the pens... lol.

 

This last week as we were meeting with a part member family.  The husband is a non-member and is an awesome guy who is very committed already to the Lord and knows the Bible like the back of his hand.  Once he is able to give the truth a place in his heart I feel that he will decide to be baptized and be a powerhouse.

 

This past Sunday morning I had a rather important and beautiful experience as I was praying.  In the Lord's goodness and love He brought back to my mind an experience I had before my mission. An experience that was very powerful for me and one that I haven't thought about for a while.  As a result, the Holy Ghost taught me and increased my understanding of that experience and helped me to apply it to my life even more.  I have come to realize that so often in our lives we seem to ask to have some sort of new remarkable experience without really giving thought of one that we have already had; learning all we can from it.  It seems to me that the Lord has been teaching me lately the importance of REMEMBERING, something, that for me is very hard to do at times, but oh what marvelous things we can learn from these experiences if we but just take time to remember them! I have felt the power from remembering, and would like for those of you reading this do as I have and to remember those experiences you have already had.  There is always something that you can learn more from them and you will find as I have been that they will fill your soul with a new abundance of Spirit and with the ability to remember all that the Lord has done for you in your life.

 

I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ who love us beyond measure.  They have given us certain gifts, talents, abilities and experiences for us to share with others and as we seek to remember these things and do our best to learn from them, we will be strengthened in all areas of our lives.  We will have the peace of God even in the most trying of times.  I leave you all with this testimony and my love, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 1/6/2014 11:00 AM

Well, things have been a bit hectic and different lately.  I am sorry that I have not been able to write for the blog recently.

Christmas came, I was able to skype with the family.  That was a great experience for me.  It meant a lot to be able to see the people I love for once and not be limited only to typing or writing.  However, it was very weird at the same time.

The weather out here has been up and down, trying to decide if it wants to cool down or heat up.  I still don't think that it knows what it wants yet.  We had a "red dot" day last week since there was suppose to be a bad storm coming in.  The day we were red dotted nothing happened.  It came that night, so we had a total of 9 missionaries staying over since some of them didn't have heat at their apartments.  It was fun.  The next day it was a steady 5 degrees and at night got in the negatives around -15 F, from what we heard.

Elder Mortenson, our Zone Leader, left us last week as well since he just finished his mission.  It was sad to see him leave, but now he is off to the next step in life; looking for that special some one and going to college.  So, it turned out pretty good.

We went to where one of Taylor Swift's houses is last P-day since one of the Elders here has had a huge crush on her. There were a whole lot of guards there... so we were thinking about maybe, just maybe doing a blitz with all of our zone, to see who the lucky one would be that got past the guards, since we outnumbered them. Don't worry though.  We used our heads and didn't do it =D.

The work is finally starting to pick up again as it is getting back to normal.  Our investigator family is doing good.  The grandmother is not really interested in being baptized since she is content with her religion right now.  But, Ramona has a good strong desire to be, but doesn't want to be somebody who joins the church and then later leaves it to go to another.  Her son Brandon wants to be baptized as well.  He actually brought up baptism that night as we were there.

We are having a family home evening tonight at a less active members house, who invited her less active family over and we will also have Ramona and her family there as well.   It should be a lot of fun.

After Christmas we had yet another musical fireside.  It was great! We got the members pumped for it and so they brought friends from work and we had Ramona and her family come as well.  It was a great turn out.  The Spirit was so strong as well.  It is amazing to me to see more and more in my life, as time goes by, that truly, before and after great spiritual experiences, Satan will try to do everything in his power to hinder that experience from happening.  It seemed like everything was coming at us.  The weather that day was horrible, so if it got just a little bit worse we probably would have had to cancel it again like last time.  But, the Lord was merciful and blessed us with a great turn out and a great night.

I know that this truly is the work of God.  That this is His true church restored on the earth today and that Jesus Christ is truly at the head of it.  There may be times in our lives where we might think everything seems to be dumping on us and hitting us with everything its got; making our knees feel weak and soon to collapse.  But, I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that truly his grace, his enabling power, will enable us to do what we otherwise could not do if left to our own strength.

 

For those of you who may be feeling weighed down, beaten and battered from the many things life has to throw at you, I invite you to turn to your Savior Jesus Christ and pray.  You can always pray and talk to a loving Father in Heaven who wants to hear from you and help you.  For those of you whose knees gave way at the heavy burden placed upon you, I invite you as well to turn to Jesus Christ, that he may help you up, and embrace you with his loving arms.

 

I leave you with my testimony that I do know that Jesus Christ lives, that he is a merciful, loving, understanding and forgiving God.  He loves each and every one of us more than we can ever come close to comprehend.  Repent, or in other words, turn back to Him or to Him for the first time.  He is waiting to embrace you with a love and support you will not forget.  I leave you with these things in His name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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. 

Mon 11/25/2013 9:38 AM

This last week was busy meeting with people before Elder Pope took off.  Transfers were amazing!  I was able to see so many of the people I have become so close to and my heart has been swelling with great gratitude for the opportunity I have had to meet and become friends with so many wonderful people.  My heart rejoices, like Alma the Younger when he saw his friends again, the Son's of Mosiah, in seeing how far they have come and that they are still his brothers in the gospel. 

 

As I previously said, it was transfers! Elder Meservy and I are having a great time together and are honestly feeling a little bit overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to get done here, along with a great excitement because of the potential this area has.

 

This Sunday we also finally have a Branch Mission Leader!  He is a member in the Branch Presidency and his name is Moises (Moses in English).  He is a return missionary and an awesome guy, so we are stoked to work with him.

 

This last week we had a Thanksgiving Talent Show which was a lot of fun.  It sure was interesting having Hispanic style turkey!  It was actually pretty dang good!  There were also a whole lot of non-members there; it was a nice little turn out.  We weren't able to stay for the show though.  It got started too late.  I was going to sing in it, but we had to get back home.  As we went out to the car it was SNOWING!  Unfortunately none of it stuck.  It has been getting a bit chilly over here.  It was 19 degrees this morning without the windchill and it was pretty dang windy.

 

Yesterday was Pop's birthday and that was a lot of fun with a great beef stew and Reese's ice cream cake.  We have been having a whole lot of fun and good time working hard as well.  Also, we have stumbled across a pretty fun game which I would encourage those who love to laugh and act out ridiculous things, to look for.  It is called Hilarium and is an awesome game.

I do not know what more to say other than, I LOVE and am GRATEFUL for this wonderful gospel!  I LOVE and am GRATEFUL for all of the wonderful people the Lord has placed in my life, especially my wonderful family!  I LOVE and am GRATEFUL for the opportunity to be on a mission, to share the wonderful message of the gospel with others!  I LOVE and am so GRATEFUL for the LOVE that our Savior has for each and everyone of us and that he gave his life willingly, that we may once again return to live with him!  I LOVE and am GRATEFUL for the Book of Mormon!  Every time I pick it up to study it and squeeze the juice out of it, my understanding INCREASES; the LOVE, EXCITEMENT and GRATITUDE I have for this gospel and desire to share it with others INCREASES! 

For all of you reading this, I want you to know that I know this gospel is true.  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ's church fully restored on the earth today and that we are guided by The Good Shepard who is Jesus Christ, through the loving Prophet Thomas S. Monson.  I am so GRATEFUL for the LOVE, PEACE, added strength and Spirit the Spirit of GRATITUDE brings into our lives.  I know that as we seek to see the Lord's hand in our lives and our many blessings from him and our loved ones, our GRATITUDE and LOVE will INCREASE as a result.

 

There is so much power in GRATITUDE, brothers and sisters and I hope with all my heart and with all my soul that we will search for the Lord in our lives and therefore find him and all the many things He has done for us.  I know this is true. I leave these things with you in the name of our LOVING Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Wed 11/20/2013 10:25 AM

Well, Elder Pope is leaving me after only a transfer.  He is going to Franklin, MA and I am getting Elder Meservy as my new companion.  He was from my district in the MTC, so this will be pretty interesting!

 

This last week we have been saying good byes to people for Elder Pope and have had some great visits.  We have been working a lot with the members in our branch and helping them get more excited about missionary work; letting them self-discover how wonderful it truly is for themselves with our help =D.  If only we as members of the church could realize the direct correlation between our own personal righteous desires and goals for ourselves or our families and missionary work.  It's so amazing.  Truly as we seek first and foremost to build up the Kingdom of God everything else in our lives will be blessed and the windows of heaven will be opened and we will receive blessings so abundant that there wont be room enough to receive them!  It is amazing to see those things first hand in the lived of others and my own as well.

 

We have a family starting to see this in their lives.  They started by inviting a non member friend/family to activities, to church and we have been working with them to help this family come to know the truth of it for themselves.  Now they are inviting another non member family to a talent show we have this Sat. and to church on Sunday!  Can you imagine if all we did was invite those in our lives, who we already know, to come to such activities or church?

 

It is amazing to see the reaction on peoples faces when we talk  about missionary work, our baptismal covenant and then show them that we start doing it by simply inviting and introducing them to us at church or the event and other members.  Then if the person is interested, the member asks them if they want to meet with us!  It makes for a less awkward experience and better flow of things. 

 

We have been working with a less-active family who lives 30-45 minutes away from where we meet for church. The father is a recent convert and they have 3 kids.  A wonderful family, and it is amazing to see how faithful they are.  They cannot come, simply because they don't have a way to get there.  Their car is having issues and won't get that far.  Yet, they still read in the Book of Mormon as a family, have Family Home Evening and are doing everything they need to.  We have been looking for ways to get them to church, but so far haven't found one that can get them there every week since they live so far away.

 

This last week we had Zone Conference and Gifford Nielson, one of the Seventies, came to speak to us.  Yes, it was the EXCLAMATION POINT guy from General Conference, and yes, it was amazing!  He also went in depth a lot more about what prompted him referring to exclamation points in conference.  I would pose the question, how often do we pay attention to the way the Book of Mormon is written, and the "why" it is written the way it is?  He showed us some examples of where the exclamation points are and how it changes the way we read and understand the meaning. 

 

We also had a great lesson on what the word Repent means from it's definition in Greek, Hebrew and Latin and how it has changed so much to where people think of it as a scary thing because of how it comes across in Latin.  But, it really is just a beautiful thing that brings about a complete change in us to where we become new creatures, more beautiful and extraordinary beings like a caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly, and it means that we turn back to God.  There is nothing scary about that!  I wish I had time and the ability to explain everything so much more because really repentance is a beautiful concept when we get what it truly means and how it was used back when all the Apostles and Christ use to go around telling people to Repent.  Hopefully I haven't lost any of you in all of the information I am trying to throw out in such little time.  In short, the work is going great!

I love seeing people's lives change for the better coming to know our Savior more as they come to know the truthfulness of the gospel.  I have seen how it has changed my life and still is and how wonderful it is!

 

I know that this church is true.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the World and invites all of us to turn back unto him and repent - to become a new, more beautiful creature through His Atoning sacrifice and grace, that allows us to do so.  I know that as we become this new person, the person He would have us be, a desire in us will grow to bring others unto Him through the knowledge we have come to know.

 

I know that as we strive to invite others to taste and experience this change within themselves, the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings in our lives that there won't be room enough to receive them.  I leave these things with you all, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Tue 11/12/2013 11:04 AM

Some wonderful news!  It snowed this morning, and so that means that the time will soon come for me to freeze over!  It is starting to get just a little chilly here, but not too bad.

The work here in New London is going pretty well right now. There is a lot to do though.  We are still working with the people we have set for baptismal dates.  We are trying to help them based on their needs.  The members have been helping a lot as well which is wonderful because they do have some concerns, but nothing the Lord can't settle.

It is crazy that a whole transfer has already almost passed by.  Time sure does fly.  It will be interesting to see what happens.  Lately it seems like Elder Pope and I have been using a lot more English than Spanish, so we have come to the conclusion and set the goal to speak Spanish all the time, especially when it is only he and I.  So far it has been going pretty good.  It is nice to both be on the same page and want to push each other.

 New London has been a great blessing in disguise.  I love it here so much and the people, but it has also been a very trying place. The wonderful thing though is the Lord has been there by my side the entire time, even though at the time it may not have felt like it. We are all to go through times of trial where it may seem very hard for whatever reason.  The Lord requires us to go forward in darkness to test our faith and willingness to follow him.  I know that even though he requires us to do this He is there gently leading us along, planting little speckles of light just enough in-front of us to help us press on, but not seeing any more than that until the next saving speckle of light appears.  Oh how great the wisdom and love of our Heavenly Father!   I am so grateful that he allows us to have these experiences, for truly out of them we come to know ourselves, Him and our Savior so much more.  We come to develop our character and our ability to better help others.

For those of you who may be feeling that you are overwhelmed or are struggling with whatever it may be, I encourage you to press forward!  The Lord is there and I promise you that indeed a man or a woman does not stand taller than when they are on their knees praying to our Heavenly Father for help and guidance.  I know that as you move forward and press along, that the speckle of light will appear, even at those times where it seems you have nothing else to give. 

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the World.  I know that he has walked that path before us and therefore is able to guide is where we need to go.

I invite all you who may be laboring and feeling heavy-laden to turn to Christ for surely He will give you rest. I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 11/4/2013 1:04 PM

This past week has been pretty good.  We had Stake Conference and were invited to the Saturday night session.  It was all about Hastening the Work and our Mission President was there with his wife and gave wonderful talks.  They had all the missionaries stand up to introduced us.  There was 38 total.  It was an amazing night.

 

The next day was equally amazing.  We had another wonderful time listening to the talks prepared.   Afterward we went over to a member's house for lunch with a family that is investigating the church.  It turned out to be a really good lesson.

 

This past week we were able to meet with our Branch President and talk about the work in the branch.  It was a very spiritual  experience.  We let him know why we are there and that we want to work.  We also brought up a lot of great ideas that could help the work get moving along and the members involved.  It is cool to see how many times the things the Lord already has revealed to you can be applied to every situation and area.  Sometimes however, a little twist is required in order to fit the needs of the people and area.

 

Our people "finding pool" has been growing a lot and we have currently 4 baptismal dates extended and accepted.  Three to the family that we have been teaching for 2 weeks now and one to a lady we haven't met yet.  Her name is Alexandra, and the English missionaries met with her before and found out she is more comfortable with going to the Spanish Branch, so we need to get to know her now.  All of their baptismal dates just so happen to be on the same day, December 15th!  So, we shall see where all this goes and hopefully they will all be ready for that date. 

 

I am so grateful for the area I am in now.  It has been an area where I can see the Lord is developing me into the man He wants me to be.  It is a great blessing to look back at the time I have been here and see His hand in all of it.

 

I know that this is Christ's Church and that He lives.  That he has a plan for each and every one of us.  I say these things in His name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 10/28/2013 9:13 AM

Well, there have been a few highlights from this last week I would like to share.

 

Friday we had a trunk or treat that our branch and the English ward combined for, but I didn't go because Elder Pope and I were on exchanges with the Zone Leaders that night. 

 

I was in Groton for the Day.  I was with Elder Cooney, who is pretty awesome and very smart.  We met a lot of people who are in the Navy.  One of them was a young family where the wife is a member and the Husband isn't, but he pays tithing, works with the young men and really is just an awesome guy.  We also met with a lady who fell away from the church growing up.  She is in her early 20's and has a young child and she has felt the need to come back to church.  Her husband is out to sea right now, but to see the determination she has to come back, for herself and her child, is amazing.  It was even more amazing to hear how all these things started coming about for her.  The Lord truly knows each and everyone of us perfectly and His hands truly are in our lives guiding us.

 

Saturday night we had a little spanish dinner activity at the church where everyone brought unique dishes from their country.  There were a whole lot of non-members there that night and all had a pretty good time.  There was a younger family there and the fathers name was Jose.  I started talking to him and he loved the whole evening.  He was astonished at how well we spoke spanish and as everything was wrapping up he waved at us and wanted to come to church the next day!  He was a really awesome guy.

 

On Sunday we combined with the English ward since it was the Primary Program.  It was so amazing!  The Spirit that was there was incredible.  I always love hearing primary children sing and share their testimonies.  It touched my heart so deeply.  There truly is a sweet spirit in little children and there is so much we can learn from them.

My heart has been filling with gratitude day by day as I continue to see the Lords hands in my life more and more, guiding me all the day long.  This transfer so far has been very hard, but I am so grateful for that.  The Lord has been stretching me a lot to make me into what I need to be and it is a great blessing.  I can see how He has been blessing me with the grace of my Savior, Jesus Christ to carry me through.  Giving me the enabling power to do what I my self could not do alone.  I know that as we seek to know and learn what the Lord has in store for us, we can come to know more of the great love He has for each and everyone of us and the great plans he has in store for us.  I can see now that He truly is preparing me physically, spiritually, and emotionally for things to come; that my desires to follow Him increase each and every day and that I am now looking forward with an eye of faith to the things that will come.  I know that it will help me to become a better provider, a better husband and a better father down the road and aid me in all the things that I may seek to endeavor.  

 

I encourage all of you to seek out daily, through sincere prayer, what it is that the Lord wants you to know.  I promise you that as you do so you will come to know even more than you do now, that you are a Child of God, that He knows you and loves you perfectly and truly does have a plan for you, which is rightly called the plan of happiness.

 

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the World, and that He lives.  I leave these things with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 10/21/2013 9:08 AM

There has been a lot going on here in New London.  I love this place, the people and my companion now so much and in such little time.  It has been one of the hardest things so far in my mission, but it has been amazing to see the Lord's hands in my life guiding and directing me in all that I am doing here.

 

This past week we had 44 people at church!  It was our branch conference and so the Stake Presidency came down, and it was really good.  We had 4 non-members at sacrament that a member brought, and we have an appointment set up with them this next week.

 

At church on Sunday, before everything started, there was a sister there who was having a hard time and asked if we could give her a blessing.  It was a beautiful blessing and after, she wanted to talk to us.  It was hard to hear everything she had been through, but the love that I had for this women I just met, increased greatly and it was amazing to have the Spirit work through me to say the things that she needed to hear and guide her to our loving Banch President for advice.  It warmed my heart even more to see her after church and see her Spirit uplifted and to just let her know that we are there for her.  On Sunday, the love I have for all the members doubled, it was truly an amazing Sunday.  By the way, our Branch Pres. is the brother of Juan Diego who was in my first area in Bridgeport.  His wife is also the daughter of people I knew back there.  So it is cool to hear how everyone is doing back there in Bridgeport.

 

On Saturday we were able to go to the temple because we had a youth trip up there to do baptisms for the dead.  It was a great experience to get to know the youth more and I love any opportunity we get to go to the Temple anyway =D.  While we were there I saw Elder Sompii, Freeman, and Sousa, along with members from Revere ward.  That was a nice little treat.  They had taken a recent convert to the Temple for his 1st time.  It was awesome to see them all and hear about what is going on in Revere now.  All the hard work we started last transfer has taken off!!!! To where 6 missionaries do not have the time to do everything they need to and are going on splits with members every day and still are not able to get everything done and meet with everyone they need to!  It is so awesome to hear that!

 

Elder Pope and I have been getting around to meet with people, so I can get to know them.  As of right now we are going to try and do the same thing we did in Revere down here.  Work with the members and get the branch to be a place where all the less actives feel welcomed and wanted again and then also have them focus on finding people for us and getting excited about this great work!  So, we shall see how it all works out.  It will be a little hard because most of our active members work a ton and crazy schedules as well, but it is possible.

 

The stake is wanting our branch to focus on our less actives anyway, so it should be great.

I know that the Lord is very aware of each and every one of us and our situations.  I know that He may not always answer us when we want to be answered or when we think that we need His help, but He always is there in our greatest time of need.  I have seen that so much in my life and especially lately.  He can, if we let him, increase our capacity to do, to love, and to understand.  But, we need to put our trust and faith in him, even when it seems that He is stretching us beyond what we can bear.

 

I know that He loves each and every one of us more than we can ever comprehend and that truly the best way we can come close to taste this love, even in the smallest degree, is by serving others and putting them first.

 

I love this gospel so much!  I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I am so grateful for all that He does, and continues to do for me and everyone of us.  I know that those who trust Him, and look forward with faith will be supported in all their trials.  I know with all my hear and soul that He lives for I have felt his presence so many times in my life, picking me up and helping me to continue, when I myself had nothing else to give.

 

So, the invitation I leave with all of you reading this, who are laboring and are heavy laden, is to turn to your Savior Jesus Christ, and I promise you that He will give you rest.  I leave these things with all of you, in the sacred name, of Jesus Christ, amen.

10/15/2013 11:27 AM

Well, New area!  I am currently in New London, Connecticut.  My new companion is Elder Pope, who has currently been on his mission for 4 transfers now, not much less than I have.

 

For P-day we went up to the temple since it was a Holiday, and so that was beautiful.  We did have to get up at 4 though in order to make our 8am session.  After that we headed into Boston and walked around.  We did a little bit of the Freedom Trail since a lot of our zone hasn't been up to Boston before and wanted to do it.  It was a pretty good day.

 

We have a branch with only about 20 active members that go every Sunday, and so we meet in the primary room for sacrament since the English ward has the same block as us.  The kids then go off with the English kids and we have two classes in Spanish for the adults.

 

The people down here are very friendly and I already love them. After church a family invites us and the English Elders over for lunch every Sunday.  Their names (or rather nicknames) are Pops and Sweetie.   They are really nice and bring a little piece from home to the missionaries in the area.

 

Today we had service at a food pantry that we went to which was a lot of fun.  The people we were working with are so nice and fun.

 

Other than that I do not have to much to reply about.  I am still trying to get to know everyone down here and see what needs to be done in order to hopefully get the work moving along.  I will keep everyone posted as time goes on though.

 

As I keep having more and more experiences in the mission, the more and more I realize how important it is for each and every one of us to love one another.   The love that I have for people now is so much greater than when I first started out, and I am so grateful for that.  As I strive to look for ways to serve others my love for those individuals increases and my ability to do things the way our Heavenly Father would have me do for them increases as well. It truly is a great blessing.  I would encourage all of you who may be feeling down for whatever reason, to look for and pray for opportunities to serve others.  I promise and testify that as you do so, your love for others and your own happiness will increase.  As you do this you may come to know that truly, when we are in the service our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God. This is my invitation to you, to come and join me in the great peace and joy I feel when doing this.  I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mon 9/16/2013 8:30 AM

Some how this one got missed from Steven's 9/16/13 email.  Oops!

So, I have no time this week at all, the library is packed!  I have had a wonderful week and a lot of experiences I wish I could share but don't have the time, I will share them next week. The work is good and moving along, and all is well.

I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel in my life and what it has brought to me.  I know that truly whatsoever we shall desire will be granted unto us, for I have seen these blessings unfold in my life and my heart is filled with gratitude for them.

My relationship with my Savior has grown so much and I am so grateful for that and am looking forward to the day when I will know him perfectly.  I know that as we strive to come to know our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will develop the most important relationship we can ever develop.  I know Him now more than I did before and I am looking to come to know Him even more in the future.  I love Him and am so grateful for Him and what this knowledge has done for me in my life.

I invite all of you to come unto Him, come to truly, truly know him for that will be the greatest blessing in your life.  I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He is the Only Begotten Son of our Heavenly Father and that it is only through him that we can receive a remission of our sins and come to taste what true peace and happiness feel like.

I urge all of you to strive to come to know Him more, by first learning of Him and then striving to live your lives as He would.  I know these things are true with all my soul, with all my heart and with all my mind.  I say these things in the Sacred and Holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Wed 10/9/2013 9:57 AM

There is a lot to write about.  I found out that I am getting transferred tomorrow to Quaker Hill, Ct.  I am not sure the address yet, so everyone will have to wait in sending letters or just send them to the mission office.  It is hard to have to leave this area so soon, but the Lord can use me in another place now.  The people here are amazing and I was blessed with yet again another wonderful district; one that I became very close with in such little time.  I was told as well that if Pres. Packard doesn't call me back here to serve before I have 6 months left, that I just have to remind him and he will send me back here because he feels my work here in this area isn't finished yet.  I will for sure always remember this area and the people here because so far in my mission it has been a place where I have been tried a lot, but have grown a lot.  I have come closer to my Savior here through a lot of the experiences He has blessed me with and especially through some of the things He has brought to my mind.

A lot of the ideas that we have come up with during our planning sessions and correlation meetings are starting to be implemented and so far we can see a difference in the work.  The makeup of our ward missionaries will change a little bit though.  Sister Laudie is leaving and going to Lynne to be a digital missionary.  Sister Hileman will be getting Sister Brown from my MTC district, and they will be co-training a new sister missionary.  Elder Sompi will be with Elder Sousa and Elder Freeman, and it looks like Elder Freeman will be leaving soon since his Visa is coming along.  Also, the Sisters will be getting a car today, so that will allow them to meet with so many more people since they will no longer have to wait for the buses here.  So, there is a lot changing and going on now that will really help this work become even more efficient.

One of the ideas that just got started was to get a missionary backpack going in the ward.  We have one for the Priesthood holders, the Relief Society and the Sisters are working on one for the youth.  The idea is that one individual will get the back pack with all the supplies in it to share the gospel, and then they are assigned the responsibility to share the gospel with one of their friends that week or with any one.  Then, they come to church and have to report in front of the other people in their class.  It has been something we have seen in other wards that really help people get excited about sharing the gospel, and see how it can bless their lives as well as those they share it with.  One of the ladies that the sisters had given the backpack to just a few days ago, has shared the gospel with 3 people already and is so excited.  It is awesome to hear!

These past two weeks have honestly been some of the hardest weeks so far in my mission, but I am so grateful for them.  It seems to me that whenever we increase in knowledge or understanding about something in the gospel and come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, there is always something that follows to test us and help us grow even more as a result.  I remember I was talking to Elder Sompi a little bit about how hard it is to seem to remember things, especially spiritual experiences.  I think a lot of times we ask the Lord for more and more experiences, but do not look back enough to remember the previous ones we have already had.  These experiences are so wonderful and profitable all the days of our lives if we but remember them and continue to strive to learn something from them.  Because for me, as I do look back and try to remember, I find that I learn something new just about every time and see something I did not see before.  So as we talked about this, my mind was drawn to the story of Alma the younger and his conversion.  I remember thinking, "if there is one person I really look up to and can relate really well with it would have to be him." Then I asked myself, "how did Alma the younger stay so dedicated and focused serving the Lord his whole life?" As I turned to Alma 36, where he is recounting his conversion to his son, I found the answer.  Right in the beginning he tells his son to do as he has done, and that is to remember the captivity of their fathers and how the Lord delivered them.  He then talks about his own captivity and how the Lord delivered him as well.  Oh how I wish we all would strive each and every day to take time to just remember!  Remember all that the Lord has done for us, and how he has always been there for us.  That perhaps we can continue to grow, learn and progress as our Heavenly Father wants us to.

I had a faith shaking experience the last couple weeks where if I did not strive to remember the experience I had, and rely on the Lord then I would not have been able to grow as much as a result. Remembering didn’t make everything a whole lot better, but, it did help me get through it and get though it much better than I could have on my own.  I am so grateful for this faith shaking experience. Because of it my faith in my Savior has increased, and my faith in general has been strengthened as a result.  We cannot expect to have a faith strengthening experience if we do not have experiences where we have to walk into the dark, thereby exercising our faith in Christ to guide us through who is the Light and life of the world.

To all those who are reading this, I urge and invite you to remember.  Remember the Lord and his goodness to you.  Remember that all of the things that we go through in this life are put in our paths to make us stronger as a result.  I know and testify to all of you that IF we but remembered, our lives would be filled with so much gratitude for all that the Lord has done for us, for we will truly see his hand in our lives and know in whom we can turn to for help.

I love my Savior and his goodness, mercy and love towards me.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, and that He lives. I invite all of you reading this to remember what the Lord has done for you, and for members to seek and pray for opportunities to share the gospel.  That way you can come to feel the joy, peace and love that I feel as I share the gospel.

For those of you who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please read the Book of Mormon and ponder the words in it and ask God if it is right.  I promise that you will receive an answer to your question as countless others have and as a result will come to know your Savior so much more than you do now.  I leave these things with you and my love, in the Sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

10/1/2013 9:15 AM

Everything here is going really good.  The work is starting to pick up a bit and so there is a lot more to do.  But oh, so much planning!

 

We had a lot of service opportunities this last week, and had some great visits with some of the youth out here.

 

I do not have time right now to write all I would like to, but it is truly a great blessing in my life to be able to bring people to come to know what I have, to see their lives change for the better.

 

I know that this is Christ's church fully restored on the earth today and that we can know all things that we need to do if we but ask in faith.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.