Marysville, WA - through week 30 (through Sept 30, 2013)

Chris's emails have been a little sporadic and have not had a ton of info the past few weeks.  I'm including two weeks in one this week...

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013:

Please share this quote by Joseph Smith, and my thoughts after it.

"We don't ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more. What if all the world should embrace this gospel? They would then see eye to eye, and the blessings of God would be poured out upon the people, which is the desire of my whole soul." (Joseph Smith). 

I cant say it better than that. We are only here to show you more light and MORE knowledge. I can promise you that if you have a question that you should ask a missionary like me. If you have questions, you should continue to search until you find the answers you seek.  Don't give up. The missionaries, like me, love talking with people and would love to answer your questions.

He also shared this email that he sent to his mission president:

It's been a wonderful week up here in Smokey Point WA. We reached and exceeded most of our goals this week which means its time to shoot higher. This week I have truly seen the life cycle i think is what they call it. We see it all the time when we read the Book of Mormon. God gives them blessings, then they sin and are unrighteous, then they are warned to repent, then God humbles them and over and over. (This cycle is in one of the study guides for the Book of Mormon we have back home). Anyway, this week we got dropped by someone Elder Young and I thought was going to get baptized so quick because she was SO prepared. She said she will keep looking and searching and most importantly reading, but the lessons are good for now (those were her words). Day before that we got told by one of our less active guys that was coming to church every week and was wanting to recieve the melchezidek priesthood and was on his journey towards that when he told us that he was moving....sorta stinks but it's life. And some other things with people happened nothing major on those though. BUT for some reason we had a lot of teaching oppurtunities and lessons with people. That was pretty much our week. Luckily I did not get bit by a dog while riding my bike so we are all good there.

(I'm thinking there is a new dog story we haven't heard)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Today, I tried to ask some very specific questions, and asked him to share something that happened this week.

1.  Since you don't have a ton of investigators, describe a typical day?

Typical day. Get up usually go visit less actives or do service or have meetings in the morning till lunch. Then after lunch we have lessons but its with less actives and then visit people. Dinner. Then try to have lessons with inv. or members or LA. We are really trying to focus on goals with members and getting them involved.

2.  How often do you get district p-days?  District meetings?  Zone meetings?

District meetings are every week on wednesday. District P-Days are twice a transfer (3rd week and 6th week, so yes today is D- PDay). Zone Meetings once a transfer. Sometimes two.

3.  List three things you love about your mission.

Three things I love about my mission. 1. I can have courage that no matter what happens God will watch out for me if I am doing his will. 2. Working and meeting people from ALL walks of life. 3. Being able to fully understand heavenly joy when you see someone who has nothing go to having EVERYTHING!

4.  List two things you could do better

Ask for Refferals from EVERYONE. Make sure E. Young and I BOTH talk in appts and "dinner doctrine".

5.  What are some goals you have to work on this week

See number 4. And also add have the Family Mission Plan lesson like we have done with the Shepards with 3 more families. Now we are down to two because of last night.

6.  How are things with Elder Young?  When does he go home?  I thought he was almost done, but I can't remember.

Things with Elder Young are pretty good. Easiest comp to get along with so far in the mission. Weird fact: I am almost a 3rd done with my mission....not ok. Too fast. Too many people I havent talked to or met. Elder Young goes home right before Christmas or right after. He has 2 transfers left.

So I want to share an experience I had this week. I will not be using a name of this husband and wife. Just so they can keep their life stories to themselves. So we have a older lady in the ward. Very active and very very kind. She even has GREAT grandchildren and possibly 2 greats on the way....Yeah crazy. Anyways she has a grandson (non member) and recent wife (also non member) living with her in her house. We were over there to visit and the wife was sick and not feeling well at all. So we offered to give her a blessing. She agreed and was glad to recieve one. After giving her the blessing we were talking about the priesthood and how blessings work when the husband said,"I had an experience with the priesthood when I was really young." I asked him to share if he wouldnt mind and he started his story.  "I was 18 months old and had spinal menengitis (sp). I was floating above my body, looking at myself in the crib and all the people around. The doctors said I only had a few hours to live so everyone was saying goodbye. I wasnt freaked out by the fact that I was above my body. In all actuallity I was content. As I was there I remember two men in suits. The did the exact same thing that you two just did. They annointed me with oil and said those two prayers and gave me a blessing in the second prayer. At the end of the second prayer I was INSTANTLY back in my body. And had no sign of spinal menengitis and no signs of ANYTHING wrong. I was back to a healthy young child." I expressed my gratitude in him sharing that story and being able to do so comfortably. I told him that he had a work to do here on this earth. God had a plan for him and it was NOT just to gain a body and go back to live with Heavenly Father.

Sadly we havent met with that family since but we will be going by this week to check up and see how they are doing. The authority to act in Gods name is back on the earth and will remain till Jesus Christ comes again. The authority is not the Holy Spirit. Now those are two seprate things.Luke 1:9 states that He (Jesus) gave them authority to preach the gospel, cast out devils, etc. It also talks about the authority being used after Christ had died in Acts 8:12 - 21. Phillip has an authority to baptize and baptize he did both men and women (v. 12). Simon who was a one of those who was baptized and also followed Phillip while he preached the word of God. Now vs. 14. Why did they have to send Peter and John? vs 15-17. vs. 18-21 explain what Simon did next. This shows that 1) There is two types of authority. One to baptize and one to give the person the Holy Ghost. 2) That the authority to act in Gods name must be used in those sacred ordinances. My testimony of this Authority is that it is true and on the conditions of faith and righteousness can you use this authority. This is Christs church on the earth and EVERYONE can find out for themselves that this is true. All you have to do is read the Book of Mormon and pray about it with a sincere heart, real intent and faith in Christ and God will tell you what you need to know. I know that Christ walked this earth and gave the authority to preach the gospel to his apostles. I know that I have that same authority that they had. I know it to be the Authority that God gives to men to act in His name. I hope all who want to know come to know what I know. That this church is the church of our Savior Jesus Christ. I leave that with you in his name, Jesus Christ Amen. 

Marysville, WA - weeks 24 & 25 (August 20 - Sept 2)

A late video...

We sent Chris a CD called Popcorn Bopping which is LDS Children's songs set to a dance beat.  He listens to it often as exhibited by the memorized missionary rap here.  It makes me giggle each time I watch it, so I thought it needed to be shared. 

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August 26, 2013 - Short exchange of emails.  

There were transfers that week, so we weren't sure if Chris was staying in his location or not.  Approximately 25 new missionaries arrived in the Washington Everett Mission.  Of the 25 new missionaries, 22 were girls!  

My questions:

1.  Transfer?

2. Sports or other activities with youth?

3.  ASL investigators?  What happened?

4.  Moving out of home?

5.  Update on investigators??

6. How have you seen the Lord's hand in your life this week?

1. I am not transferred and neither was Elder Young. We ARE getting another set of missionaries in our home though. They are the elders in the ward below us. But no transfers.

2. Still nothing with the youth. I am tired of doing basketball. The guys there are not...its just different. Hopefully this week I can get it started with Bryce but school is starting next week so we will see how this goes.

3.  So a possible ASL investigator tonight. Bryce's younger sister Bethany has a friend whos parents are deaf and the mom needs an interpreter tonight for a parent meeting for the sport her daughter is playing. Sis Frenzel might be doing it or maybe myself. Not sure yet. BUT if you could send an ASL dictionary ASAP (not a overnighter, just a package this week) THANKS! :)

4. Still in our wonderful HOUSE :) We will have 2 other elders with us BUT it has to be temporary because the First Presidency doesn't want missionaries together in the same house.

5. Frank W. is our ONLY strong inv. We had 2 AWESOME lessons. Really stong spirit. Both were with less active members but they were good lessons.

6. I would say the Lords hand in my life is in those two lessons. One I will tell you about...We went over to Sis. C's house. She is 57, living alone, and was a member a LONG time ago (like 30 years). She was baptized in her early 20's. Our lesson at the beginning wasnt that great...Or at least i didnt think so. Although I knew we HAD the spirit and needed to testify about something. We had testified mult. times but nothing clicked. At the end, I felt like Heavenly Father talked through me....it was probably the craziest thing. All I really remember saying is, "As a disciple of Jesus Christ......"   I dont remember exactly what else I said but what I do know is it was what she needed to hear and it brought both her and me to tears. She didn't come to church this week but she will be back soon!   :) 

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September 3 

Questions - 

1.  did new missionaries move in?

2.  who are they?  and where are they from?

3.  heck - where is elder young from??

4.  what are you guys doing to stay obedient and focused with 4 in a house?

1.  Yes new missionaries moved in. I will have the member take a photo of us at the house.  (The members that live next door are in the photo here.  This pic is the kids showing the grasshoppers they are about to fry for a snack.  The link to the video at the end!  Don't miss watching it!)

2.  Our district leader is Elder Marshall from Alanta Georgia (a town a little north of Alanta). And Elder Rice who was in Firetrail last transfer from a little town in Az up near Sedona (I forgot the name).

3.  Elder Young is from Tremonton UT. Up near the border of Idaho and Utah.

4.  This is truly going to be the best transfer! We are all obedient! VERY!  AND we are having a blast while we are at it. We talk at night and in the morning but we stay pretty away from each other during the day and focus on our work!

Last week was good. We got the other elders in our house on Tuesday (Aug 27).  

Monday was just another pday of basketball and lunch and shopping and dinner and a lesson with that family and then thats it! 

Tuesday was probably the day of most excitement. We started by going to meet Sister Frenzel (a member of their ward) at the high school track to talk about interpreting that night for a mom whose daughter is friends with the Shepard's daughter.  After lunch we went to the jr. high school to pick up the ASL dictionary she is letting me borrow then to make some copies at the church. Afterwards we visited some names, met up with Bryce for 20 min or so and helped us see people. Then dinner with the Winters Family. We had terryaki again. There is terryaki EVERYWHERE UP HERE!!!  After that Brother and Sister Shepard came and picked us up so I could interpret for this mom. The beginning of this meeting was for the parents of all sports so it was good because 100+ people saw me interpreting...yay...haha! It was a good way for us to be seen not just as the guys who wear white shirts and ties and knock on doors and ride bikes.  haha! I will say that God helped me a lot during that meeting but he also gave me trials which humbled me and showed me that I was not prepared. But since I believe I have prepared more, we are going to visit the mom today. We then had a meeting with our bishop and the sister missionaries. 

Wednesday (Aug 28) District Meeting. In our district it is Firetrail Ward Elders and Sisters and Lakewood Elders and Sisters. Cool district too!  Sis. Gale (from my MTC district, and came out to WA with me, and was in my first zone) is now in my district! I think she is following me....just kidding.  Anyway, we visited some less actives. OH! We took more area of the ward, so we now have a little more of the ward area during the day. (this pic is typical of his new area)  I will take a picture of the shoulder and ditches we ride on.....or should I say non-shoulder we ride on, and the BIG ditches that we ride next too. If we lose our balance, or a car comes out of no where, or side sweeps us -  it's a 4 to sometimes 7 foot ditch usually holding MULTIPLE blackberry bushes.  (I'm guessing no one has had a major accident yet?!)   Anyway, after that we had dinner with the Hawkins Family and a lesson lesson with Marlene! She is our investigator that we found on the road 3 weeks ago or so.   We asked to help her with some service, she agreed and we have done service for her every week since. We watched the Restoration Video and talked about Moroni 10:3-5 and how this book, The Book of Mormon, is either from God or the Devil. And that the experience Joseph Smith had was either true or it was not. Now, if you already have your mind set that the book and Joseph Smith's vision is not true, we can not help those. BUT if you are willing to seek our Father out in prayer in the name of Christ, He will tell you the answer. 

Thursday, Had a lesson with a less active brother, Brother C. And afterwards, did service for a family with less active teens and young adults. We just shoveled grass or, actually, tore grass up. We had dinner at the Coopers. Love the Coopers but as we were on our bikes heading there, literally a minute and a half after we started biking, the rain came DOWN on us!  We were very very wet!  The bike ride to their house was about 8 miles or so. Maybe a little less from our house. They also have this HUGE hill right before their house. And right before we got to the hill, Brother Cooper was on the side of the road there to pick us up. We could have done the hill (we've done it before) but it was pretty nice to just ride up in a car!!  

Here's a video of the hill Chris mentions above:

Friday, We started doing our planning for the week when Marlene called asking for us to come help with stuff again. It was great! We picked up horse poop and helped move things in the garage around so she could get her car in there and I put some insulation (the big fluffy pink stuff) in her attic. (I hope he knew to wear gloves to do that!  Eeek.)   We visited people, then dinner with the Holmstead family! 

Saturday we finished planning for this week and then visited some less active families and potential investigators again. Then we had a WONDERFUL dinner at the Gates house. Brother and Sister Gates have just recently been sealed in the temple and we had an AMAZING dinner. Jalepeno Popper Sandwiches (I think is what they were called)   Whatever it was, it was GOOD!  Then we had a meeting with Bro. McClellan (the Ward Mission Leader). 

Sunday was meetings and a wonderful church session. I did bear my testimony on testimonies. I talked about what they are and how we need to bear them often. We had more meetings and visited people. Then we had a random dinner with Bishop's family because no one signed up to feed us and then more visits. 

Monday!!!! This P-day was a little different! We did shop and went with the Elders to drop off something to their investigator then went to the Thomas' house. Beautiful house and yard and EVERYTHING. It was a back to school party (because school starts tomorrow) and it was just a TON of fun!  Then we had dinner at the Greens. WOW that guy knows how to cook!  Roast and sautéed squash and macaroni zuccini something.  It was just good!  Afterwards we helped Brother and Sister Jones unload sixty 70 lb. bales of hay up to his rafters in the barn.  Now that is was I call a work out!!   SO good!  We then had Ice Cream with them after and then home. I am sorry I forgot the camera mom but I was COVERED in hay. I had my UDALL sweat going and all the hay just stuck to me!  Haha! Good night!   (Oh how I would have LOVED that photo!!!)

The "Udall sweat gene" is well known among Tom's side of the family.  All three brothers have it, but their grateful sister does not.  Several of the kids have it including two of mine, and some of the other cousins.  My niece is serving a mission in Bulgaria and commented in a recent letter that her sister would be a mess there due to the humidity causing heaps of sweat.  Chris must have read that recently enough to share this rather gross video with me, and I, in turn, had to share it here because of his comments above.

One thing I learned this week:  D&C 122 7 - 9 - Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. 

Joseph asks two questions, WHERE are you God?  WHY is this happening to your people? 

Answer to WHERE is verse 9, I think, and answer to WHY is in verse 8 "The Son of Man....". 

It is extremely important to remember that we are going through trials and afflictions for the benefit of growth. Even if the very jaws of hell gape open wide after thee, remember my son, thine adversity and thine affliction are but a small moment, and if thou endureth well, God shall exalt thee on high. 
(Paraphrased...I dont have my scriptures near me)
http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/122?lang=eng


Lastly - don't miss out on the video of the month!  Chris joined the Hepworth family (they live next door) for a snack of fried grasshoppers!!  The video is too long to embed in the blog, so click the youtube link!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkGJTfbRxu0