Good Morning NO. Town, Utah!!!
Whats upp!! How is everyone!?
We had a huge busy week this past week, and this next week is going to be even busier!!
Check it,
Tuesday: We picked up our 2 new Vietnamese and Chinese missionaries and trained them all day. They are pretty awesome. Elder Anderson, and Elder Haviland. They are doing super well in their programs and we're excited to see what comes of them!
Wednesday(Halloween): We had a special Zone Leader Council! We were supposed to do it this tuesday, but we are too busy, so we had it Hallween night at the mission office instead! It was wayy fun! We figured there's nothing better to do on Hallween night, so we might as well meet. We did our training on what the brethren trained President Bowen on in San Diego for his Mission President Seminar. It is all on the Book of Mormon and really accessing the power of the Book of Mormon with everyone. Preach My Gospel teaches that we should impliment the Book of Mormon in every aspect of our work, so Elder Hartt, President and Sister Bowen, and I trained the Zone Leaders on how to do just that! It's incredible to see how the training really does affect the mission. After our training, certain key indicators went up this week. There are 130 investigators in our mission with a baptismal date right now. 98 came to sacrament and we have 92 progressing. Those are very good numbers for those areas. When priesthood keys are used and the training revealed gets passed down to the missionaries, it's incredible to see that take effect.
Thursday: We completely re-did our transfer board. Cleaned it up and everything, because we have a general authority coming this week who will be taking a look at it.
(I'll talk more about that in a second)
Friday: We completed our district leader outlines for the district meetings in January, because we always stay 3 months ahead and the general authority is going to be looking at those too. So now we have all the district meeting training set from now until february.
Saturday: We had a ton of teaching appointments and did our weekly planning.
Sunday: We had a Presidency Meeting with our Mission Presidency and got everything finalized for what we need to do for the General authority that's coming.
That's all the none-proselyting stuff we had to do! ha and this week is even fuller!! It's going to be crazy.
Ok so here's the cool stuff.
I don't know if I've been talking about the Zavala twins as much as I should be. We've been teaching them for like 3 weeks. I think I told you guys that next to tessa, they are the cutest little girls I've ever seen and I still stand by that. Here's a refresher about them. Their mom died when they were little. She wasn't a member. Their dad lives in Arizona. He's not a member either. They live with their guardian, Ana Zavala, who was baptized 3 years ago. She is the "Kind of girlfriend" to their dad. Therefore they are considered convert baptisms and under our stewardship since their parents aren't members. Their dad told Ana that he wants to talk with us before he gives permission for them to get baptized. We finally got to talk with him this past thursday! He drove up from Arizona. He doesn't speak very much english. It's all spanish. But he sat in on a lesson we had with the twins about scripture study, prayer, following the prophet, and obedience. They are so smart!! I love teaching them! BTW their names are Jaquline and Jerissa. Their older sisters are always in the lessons too. Jasmine(12) and Sabrina (14). They are both members. It's so much fun to teach all of them! I love it! Anyways, their dad sat in on the lesson and he liked it a lot. After the lesson we asked if he wanted to speak with us privately. He said,"I don't need to talk to you. You have my permission to baptize them. What you've taught tonight is good. As long as they are following Jesus Christ they can be baptized." It was such an answer to prayers!!! They are getting baptized on the 24th of this month! He is going to be there for it, which will be very special! We're excited for them!
We also met with Chiante Mataiatusi. The samoan. She's really coming along! She asks us for personal reading assignments nearly everyday about subjects in the Book of Mormon that she wants to research. and then she always texts us a summary of what she read and what it meant to her. She always prays that God will help her to be baptized. She's so ready, all she needs to do is come to church and she'll be there!
Marisella is awesome!! We taught her this past week and she's super ready! There's only one snag with her. Her and her husband aren't married. SHe refers to him as her husband. They have 2 children that are 8yrs old and 2 yrs old. They have been living together for a long time. They own a business together, they've always wanted to be married, they just haven't taken the time to do it. So she is now aware of what she needs to do. She has a baptismal date for this coming sunday and she told us she still wants to make that! If they get married this week she can definitely get baptized! We are going over with the Bishop tonight to talk about it with them. he can do it for free. All they need is a marriage certificate which only costs 61.50 from the local court house. And we can get them married! It's going to be an interesting week! haha hopefully we can get this done because she's soo ready to get baptized! She very well could be by sunday as well! We'll see how it goes!
Other than that our other people are coming right along too, but Marisella, Chiante, and the twins are the most progressing and are closest to baptism.
Elder Hartt and I are doing great! We're excitd to be serving with each other!! Chad, you asked about transfers. There will be a transfer a week from today. I will let you in on a secret, Elder Hartt and I are going to be staying the same this next transfer! I'm stayin in the 3rd ward to finish off and Elder Hartt will be my last companion. It's going to be awesome! I wouldn't finish any other way! The work is going soo well and I love having this opportunity to be so close with President Bowen. I'm getting to be soo close with him. He's truly an incredible man. I can't wait for you to meet him!
So this week we have Elder Kopishke from the 70 coming! He's going to train our mission for 2 days straight! The first day will be the north half from 11am to 5pm and then next day will be the south half. Then saturday we are having a special zone leader council with Elder Kopishke where he will be insructing us. It will be us, the zone leaders, President Bowen, and Elder Kopishke. It's going to be awesome! Ha it was fun, we helped President arragne his entire stay in California down to every minute. It's going to be awesome to be with him! This is going to be a week of learning and being spiritually fed!
I wanted to express my thoughts about the "homework" I gave you before I close.
I noticed that there are 3 main points in each of their conversions.
1. Personal Communication with God
2. Sincere Repentace & Submission to the Father
3. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who knows what the communication was like for Alma and Lamonia when they were laying "as if they were dead" they very well were talking personally face to face with Jehovah himself, or one of his disciples. Or in the case of Enos, that communication was simple prayer and prompting.
Each individual felt sincere desire to be forgiven and to change. To align their will with the will of Him who made them. They submissed all their desires and passions to Him. Kind of what we know to be the law of sacrifice, like we learn about in the temple. Devoting all the we've been given to the building up of the Kingdom of God.
In each case, they expressed that it was recognition and faith in the Savior that had the power to change. The Lord told Enos directly when he asked "how is it done?". "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
These different principles are the formula to personal conversion. In each of our lives we at one time or another have(and if we haven't, definitely should very soon) sought personal conversion to the Lord and His gospel.Our experience is no different than any of God's children. We each plead with the father for a confirmation from the Spirit, we turn over our will, and have faith that what we're doing is pleasing in the eyes of God. When we experience the "fruit" of how we exercise our agency, we gain a testimony of the divinity of the truths we have been taught, and have acted upon. I'm grateful to have a testimony of the gospel! I'm grateful to be on the earth at a time where there are prophets who guide us. I'm grateful to be in a family that taught me the gospel "in word and in deed" my whole life. Thanks to each of you for your example and wisdom.
Alright you guys! I love you so much! I pray for you everyday! I miss the heck out of you! I still can't belive how fast time is flying! I'm sprinting to the finish and making you proud!
Dad, last round of Chemo!! You got it! Hold Fast!! Stay strong!! You're at the final stretch!! The 9th Inning!! I love you!!
HARRAH FOR ISRAEL!
Elder Keyes
Elder Keyes
No comments:
Post a Comment