Dear family,
Sounds like your week was great! The cabin trip sounded cool
too. Yeah, the meeting yesterday, the broadcast, was amazing. It was so powerful
watching it and watching the videos, and also the new announcement about the
devices and the internet. President Meredith was telling us last night that the
Church is sending him an iPad mini and also he received a 199 page instruction
manual for what they talked about. That is so crazy, I don't know what to think
about the Facebook usage. We came in 40 minutes late too into the meeting
because we were in a lesson setting a baptismal date in the visitors center
with Consuelo. We heard though afterward about the changes and things. I have
heard rumors since I started my mission about iPad's and things. I didn't think
it would actually happen.
This week was really exciting and a lot of things
have happened. Missionary work is now called the Work of Salvation! That is so
amazing. We will see what happens with that though and the whole Facebook
thing. I think that will help a lot because really we never can keep contact
with people because of work and being busy. The only thing that is going to be
hard is with Spanish people is they don't use Facebook. We will see, but with
iPads that will really change things up with maps and ward directories. I feel
so old, "Back in my day...." All these new missionaries are blessed
with so many new tools.
Monday: After P-day we went to contact a referral. Her name
is Vana. We had talked to her aunt a few days ago and she told us that she thought
that her niece would be interested. We dropped by to visit Vana and the first
thing she says is "I'm catholic." We began to talk to her and told
her that her aunt had sent us to her. When we said that, Vana asked us why did
her aunt thing of her. We said that her aunt thought you would be interested in
the Book of Mormon. When we said the name of the Book of Mormon she stopped and
said, "Wait your Mormons right?" we said yes and she said, getting
emotional, she just got out of the hospital and her friend that came to support
her was a Mormon and she had showed her the Book of Mormon. It was a powerful
experience. The Lord prepares his children. We gave her copy of the Book of
Mormon and I marked Alma 37:35-37 about praying to the Lord and allowing him to
help us. She said that she would read it and get a hold of us when she had
finished it.
That night we taught Edgar again and it was a little different. He
was still the same but we didn't feel like we satisfied him with teaching the
plan of salvation. We taught to his needs but he asked us, "What happens
to those that die without ever hearing about the Gospel or Jesus Christ?"
We showed him the scriptures but the ones we showed he just replied and said,
"That makes sense but it doesn't say what happens to those who die without
hearing of Jesus Christ." He then explained that he had some bad
experiences in a war in his country where he had killed people. It was sad to
see him explain this, we didn't have a lot of time to explain to him everything
and so we told him we would study for his questions and answer them in the next
lesson. He said OK. He is doing really well! Today I learned that the Book of
Mormon really has power to change the hearts of the children of God.
Tuesday: Today was completely full of miracles. We had our
Zone planning this morning and arranged all of our 48 hour exchanges with the
missionaries we are assigned too. Afterward we picked up one of our less-active
members to come help us visit some investigators. We invited him to pay attention
to our testimonies and his as he shared it with these people. We had an
appointment at 1:30 with a less-active we found last week and his roommate but
they weren't there. They got called into work. We knocked there and talked to
some people that just wouldn't believe. They just told us, I don't believe
that. It was hard but we knew we were teaching and testifying by the spirit.
They just wouldn't except, it was hard to see that. After knocking there we
went over to a less-actives home to see if we could remind her of the
appointment we had for the next day. This is where we received a miracle. She
was outside the home (She is a bit different, purple hair and things.) and let
us in. We went in and sat down and began to teach her. Then we received a miracle.
She is the apartment manager of her apartment complex and was waiting for some
people to come and to fill out some paper to rent there. As we sat there and
were teaching this less-active, the family that wanted to rent showed up. They
came in and this less-active sat them down and said, "These are the
missionaries they share the gospel with people, you should listen to
them." She then went on to share her testimony to this family. We began to
ask them questions and get to know them and they just told us that they attend
tons of different churches and want to know what church was true and what was
the true baptism. We were able to teach a bit about the restoration and our
member and the other member was able to testify. It was such an amazing experience.
We just walked in on a family that was being prepared b the Lord and the member
was willing to be a missionary. It reminds me of the videos in the broadcast.
They accepted us to come back and to continue to teach them.
After that we
dropped by another less-active member and visited her. The blessing there was
one of our investigators showed up that we hadn't been able to meet with for a
long time. We were able to followup with her and teach her a lesson. The member
we visited gave us food to eat and the salsa was made out of pig, lets just say
from parts of the pig that I don't even want to think about. From there we were
able to call Consuelo and set an appointment for that evening. She said that
she was available and wanted us to come over. We had a member with us and we
were ready. The Lord provided the way. We visited Consuelo for the second time
in a good 3 weeks. It was such a powerful lesson with her. She said that she
had read in Moroni 10:3-5 and prayed and felt the spirit. We taught her that that
was the spirit and then we went into teaching the restoration. She was really
touched by it. She shared with us so much about her family and the dreams she
has been having about her being with her family that are members. One of her
grand kids called her the other day and told her that she wanted her to be a
member because then they could live together forever. Consuelo said that that
touched her heart so deeply. It was so powerful and I was so happy that things
were working out so well! That night we met with the bishop and right before
the meeting one of the members needed to practice lassoing for the ward party.
He had me run in a circle and lassoed me. It was funny, Ill send
pictures.
Wednesday: We texted Vana this morning to follow up with her
reading in the Book of Mormon and she said she had read it. Then she said that
she had been thinking about our question if she knew anyone we could go and
visit. She said that she knew someone and told us to go visit her friend. This
has been the biggest referral train. It was amazing. She is doing good and we
gave her another reading in Alma 7:11-13. She can't meet with us because she
has been having hospital appointments daily. Today was a bit slow. Not much
happened today, it all happened yesterday. All of our appointments canceled on
us which was a bummer. English class though was a really great success. We had
a good group of new people there and right after the class we took them over to
the visitors center and watched the presentation on the family. We ran out to
the car during the movie to grab some of the lesson 1 pamphlets to give them.
When they came out we gave them the pamphlets. The good thing we did too is
made a registration paper where they put down their info and also at the bottom
it asks if they want a free DVD of Jesus Christ. Of course they all said yes
and so we will now be able to go visit them and give them their DVD and then
have an opportunity to invite them to learn more. Missionary work is amazing.
We had 3 people and then a family at the class.
Thursday: Another day of blessings. I am watching the
broadcast again and its so powerful! Alex and McKenzie you both need to serve
missions, it is the best thing you will ever do! For lunch today I made
spaghetti squash and beets. A little weird but we are trying to eat better.
This morning we went down to a place of Oakland that we usually don't go to
contact people. We had an old referral we wanted to contact. We were able to
find the wife of the referral but she wasn't very interested at the moment. We
then walked down the street and talked to a guy that was putting a tire on his
car. We stopped and gave him a hand and were able to start off a good
conversation. He recognized us as missionaries and he said that we really wants
to stop drinking and wants to go to our church. He said he met with
missionaries before but wanted us to visit him now. We were able to get his
information and set an appointment with him. It was great! The Lord put him
right in our path , we gave service and then shared the restored gospel. We
then made daily contact with Edgar at his work. We did some follow up with him
and confirmed the appointment. He said that when we met he had some concerns
and questions for us. We were a little worried about his concerns but we felt
OK. We taught the missionary class that night and helped them practice inviting
friends and neighbors to the 30th anniversary party this weekend.
Friday: Today we met with our stake missionary coordinator
for Lunch. We talked about the zone and about a lot of the good things
with baptisms that are happening. We then had our weekly planning in the ISC
baptistery because we had district meeting right after. That was the best
weekly planning ever, Elder Bradford just had to open the baptistery font door
so we could get inspired. It was an amazing planning and we really exercised
some faith in our goals and in our plans. District meeting was really good too.
I personally learned a lot about how I can improve my teaching and extending
invitations earlier in the teaching process. I have been growing and learning
so much lately. That night we visited Consuelo again and the member we brought
really helped us! We read with her again in Moroni 10:3-5 and talked about
knowing that these things are true and what that means. She felt the spirit so
strong in that lesson. We taught about baptism and about the answers she has
received. We then extended the baptismal invitation and she accepted but not
the date. She wants to do it when her family is here (which was the date) but
is unsure about her husband, other daughter and she has to have a spine
injection around there and is unsure about the date. We understood and also
could tell she was a little unsure and nervous. We then invited her to church
and she said she is going to come.
We then ran up to the visitors center to
teach Edgar and Marvin his friend. We watched the Gods plan for the family
presentation and it was good but Marvin didn't get anything out of it. We then
went into a room and tried to teach the law of chastity to Edgar but Marvin was
being a pain. He just likes to joke around. We have tried to teach him for a
while now but he hasn't gone anywhere. We took him over to the English class
and then took Edgar to another room and taught him about his questions and the
law of Chastity. His questions and concerns were small little things. We were
worried before but then it was all fine. He is still working towards his
baptismal date and everything is fine!
Saturday: Today I was on exchanges with the Cambodian
Elders. We had a really good exchange today. I had learned so much this past
week and was able to share a lot of that with the Elder I was with and he was
able to apply it into his district meeting that day. We practiced inviting
earlier in the lesson and being more precise as we do it. We then had 4
opportunities that day to apply it. The Lord blessed us with opportunities to
apply what we learned. We went that early afternoon to an (at the time thought
he was a less-active member) investigators home to teach him. We asked him if
he really was baptized and he explained a little more and we realized that he
was a non-member and so we quickly taught him 10 minutes a powerful lesson on
prayer right there on his porch and added him as a new investigator. Later that
day we dropped by a less-active member with another member from Riverton, Utah,
and taught again a short powerful 15 minute lesson on prayer. The less-active
felt the spirit and it was a really good lesson. That was one of my better
lessons I have been in. I have learned so much lately about how to invite
stronger, more directly and then resolve concerns. He accepted to come to
church and pray and give up smoking in 15 minutes! In district meeting the
Elder I was with being the district leader gave a training on that exact thing,
Inviting earlier and more powerfully. It was really good. He used a lot of the
things I had shared with him. I love being able to be a Zone Leader and share
what I have learned with so many different Elders.
That night we taught one of
their investigators but it was weird because one of her friends showed up that
was american and was very agnostic. She was all over the place, she is only 20
years old. It was a hard lesson to control and we tried to keep it short and
powerful but it didn't work to well. For dinner we went to the graduation party
of one of the members sons in that is in the bishopric (the dad). I ate some
interesting Cambodian food! It is good but the dessert was really weird. I got
a picture with the graduate, which I laugh at because now I am in some random
members graduation picture. He didn't even know me ha. We had an amazing
exchange and were able to learn a lot from each other.
Sunday: Today was intense. We got up to the church at 9 to
do the agenda for "Why I believe" The fireside in Spanish we were
conducting. After that we practiced as a district a song that we were doing in
sacrament meeting. We then had coordination meeting and that was really good.
We are having a lot more help from the leaders of the ward. We then had
bishopric meeting and that got crazy. We had Edgar and Consuelo coming to
church and so Consuelo called us and said that she was coming to church, she
was going to get a ride from her daughter in law. We were super excited. We
were trying to figure all that out and then getting the special musical number
for Why I believe that we missed all of the bishopric meeting. right before
church Consuelo arrived!!!!!! We ran out and walked her in and we showed her to
a few members that sat with her during sacrament. After church we brought her
quickly over to the Visitors center and went into one of the rooms and had a
short follow-up lesson. She said that when she was in church she couldn't stop
imagining her grandchildren and her daughter at church and being members. She
said that she felt really good about it. The members were so good as they
supported. The miracle too is that she said that her husband before she left
couldn't believe she was coming to church and said she was crazy. She did everything
she could to get a ride. It was powerful but then we now know we have to work
on the husband or we will have problems. Right before she left the VC home she
wanted to get a picture in front of the Christus to prove to her family in
mexico that she came to church and is with the missionaries. It was awesome! We
then ran over to the broadcast and were blown away. I will have to admit I got
a bit teary eyed in it. . At 6:30 we began the fireside. Elder Bradford was
conducting and I translated. It was really good. It didn't start till 7 because
at 6:30 there was no one there. President Meredith was like "I would feel
a little bit better if there was at least one person here." It was good
though. We were running around everywhere today. I was very tired by the end of
the day and then we had indicators that night.
I am doing really well! I am super happy and I love
Missionary Work so much! This is the Work of Salvation!!!! About Ryan I will
send him a email, I have sent him an email about every week, we have been
writing.
I love you all, I loved the package, I go running in the
morning now because I have great shoes.
Thanks, love you all,
Elder HIll
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