Hey family!
You guys are the best!!!
What's up? How are you doing!?
We had a pretty busy week this past week! Mainly just finalizing all the transfer stuff. We got all the new missionaries settled in. Got all the transfer stuff completed. We did some planning for this transfer and all the stuff going down. Trained all the new missionaries and all the new leaders. A lot of busy work! But luckily we had some great teaching opportunities this week!
We had some good experiences while sharing pure doctrine with others. We were talking to this girl, probably 18 or 19(generally not that interested in what we have to say), she wasn't that stoked during our door approach, but as we taught her doctrine and asked her questions and really just tried our best to follow the spirit, she became captivated at what we had to say. At the very end we asked what her thoughts were and how she felt as we talked, and she said,"I want to consider having God more in my life, I have a feeling like a want to know more." We have an appointment with her this friday. The principle of sharing doctrine to bring the spirit is something I've really come to understand. President Bowen teaches this principle really well. He talked about how that's why our sacrament meetings can get so boring, because they're forgetting that everything we sing, or speak, absolutely must be in harmony with the emblems of the sacrament. He gave the example of the testimony meeting where it goes a little something like,"Butch just got a scholarship to play football at BYU and our other kids have gone there too, and we're so blessed...in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen." He explained, we need to be careful when we speak in the name of the Lord. The spirit can't bare testimony of that. When we share the doctrine of Christ, the spirit has the opportunity to give us revelation and to touch our hearts, but when we get lost in the trap of sharing stories and way too many analogies of life principles, the spirit cannot touch hearts and edify. We're actually going to be training the zone leaders tomorrow about this subject. We're going to be talking about how we need to create an environment where the spirit can be present to teach others. We need the spirit with us, if He's not, we can't teach in the name of Christ(D&C 42:14). So remember that! When you're giving a talk, sharing a lesson, or sharing your testimony, it needs to be doctrine. That way, we have the chance to feel the Spirit. Then the sacrament meetings, and the lessons, and everything will become a well of revelation that everyone will be excited to come to drink from every opportunity they have!
Wasn't Conference the best!?!? I was so excited for this weekend, and they delivered just as they always do!! I felt many impressions and received answers to prayers as I listened to the talks of our leaders. Elder Holland threw it down as always, I loved President Uchtdorf and President Eyrings talks. Elder Bednar is awesome, Elder Christofferson is awesome. They're all awesome!!! I especially love President Uchtdorf's talk on saturday about living it up today and enjoying life!! He's so right! Dreams aren't something we should put on the back burner. We need to live life today! Like Incubus said for their new album name, "If not now, when?" Funny story about that actually. I got a call last week from a family I loved in La Habra! The Rodriguez's. They called to inform me that they went to an incubus concert a couple months ago and got me a shirt and they wanted to know the mission address so they could send it to me. haha I thought that was pretty stinking cool. Anyways! We had an investigator come to conference! John Bennum. I've talked a little bit about him. He's the good ol fashioned black guy that we teach from mississippi. Classic black guy. Wears a dirty white shirt with some overalls. Unfortunately he goes commando as well. I don't know who's butt I've seen more, John's or Aj's haha. John actually took us to Red Lobster the other day as well. Overalls and all. He wears it every single day! haha he's such a character, you guys would love him. His only concern for not joining the church is he thinks he's already mormon cuz he believes what we believe already, but we've explained to him time and time again that he needs to be baptized to become a member. I think he's coming around and my guess is he'll be baptize some day, that day could potentially be far away though. He leaned over to me during conference and said loud enough for everyone sitting around us,"You will become a member of the 12." haha in such a serious tone. He was dead serious! I chuckled and he reaffirmed,"I'm serious! I can see you up there." haha he's such a cool guy. He's a coin collector and the other day gave me an Arkansas(he loves that I lived in the south, He always says,"Maybe that's why you and I click so well and you understand me, cuz we're southerners.") coin that has never been touched by human hands. Ha hopefully you'll get to meet him some day!
Other than that there was nothing really too huge this week! The 1st week of transfer is always just filled with busy work when your an assistant. Kind of annoying at times. I wish we could just get out and do the work all day everyday! but we gotta help President train the missoinaries. I do love being around them and helping them out, especially being around President. He's awesome. We get closer and closer every week. I feel like we're getting to be pretty good friends. That's been the best part of this position for sure.
Dad. You are in my prayers all day everyday. Keep it going! Keep hanging in there! Stay strong. You would be amazed at all my friends out here in the mission field that come up to me and say,"I'm praying for your dad every night, how's he doing?" I'm so glad to report everytime. "He's hangin in there and staying strong." I always tell them thank you and tell them it means a lot to you that they are praying for you as well. Just know that you are in a lot of missionaries, including President and Sister Bowen's, prayers out here. We're all rootin for you Paps! I love you!
Aight you guys, sorry this is kind of short! Pretty uneventful week!
I love you so much! I miss you! Let me know if I can ever do anything for you!
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!
Love
Elder Keyes
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