Jan 23

Dearest dears,

I hope is going awesome in your neck of the woods. This morning we woke up with a very thin layer for snow over the world but it is already pretty much gone.

We had an awesome member referral this week. A member brought us over to her friend Will's house (actually both her and Will came and got us) . We taught him and he came to church yesterday. He has had a really troubling past and is in need of a lot of gospel healing. He says that he really wants to know the truth and what he needs to do. I am really excited to work with him even more. We are going to his place tomorrow evening for dinner and a lesson. We even are teaching his neighbor and she was going to come to church too but she had an extreemety in the family happen.

Another awesome investigator we met this week is Sarah. Sarah is a non-denominational Christian. Her husband Paul is an agnostic. We tracted into her (on Tuesday) and at first she was disinterested but then we got talking and she got really into it. She committed herself to come to church after we explained how our services and beliefs were. She said at the end that our church sounds a lot like what she has been looking for. We went back on Friday and she showed that she had been thinking a lot about the church and even the potential of joining it. We got to talk to Paul and he had a few great question, though alot of them were the same questions she asked on the first visit. He was very intrigued with our perspective on faith, hell, 3 degrees of glory and stuff like that. They both accepted a soft commitment (even though he said that he was not really interested in learning) and she was planning to come to church. She didn't and when we called Sunday afternoon she said that the night before he got really sick and she needed to stay home and take care of her husband. We are going over there with the ward mission leader on Thursday. I am way excited to continue teaching them.

We are also helping a less active quit smoking. He thus far has not smoked since Saturday.

Last week after I emailed I was browsing Mormon.org and found Joan Sowards's profile. It was really cool to find My mothers profile and to read why she's a mormon.

So I finished reading Genesis and started reading Exodus this week. I love the story of Moses. It makes me want to watch Prince of Egypt. One thing that really stands out to me as I read it is the idea of Heavenly Father, a true God, vs Pharaoh, a false god, and the other idols of Egypt. It shows how the things of the world truly are worthless and that God will always win and that with out God we are literally nothing at all. I know that thinking you can do missionary work (or any other kind of work) without seeking the Lords help is literally just as worthless as Pharaoh thinking he could best the Lord God of Israel. It is of nothing.

-eldervonsowards

Jan 16 2011

*Disclaimer: The Message Von sent on the 4th literally only said Happy New Year


Dear Family,

did you guys not get the email were I sayed happy new year? that would have been on the 4th. I didn't really have anything to say. I guess I just wasn't in the mood. Last week South Pittsburg (and pretty much the rest of the mission) was covered with snow. It came in sunday night (the sunday of the CES fireside with elder christopherson) it was something like 6 or 7 inches and every thing shut down. We still got out and worked though, we just had to walk. Then that wednesday I got transfered. There were a couple areas that were unable to make it to the meeting due to blizards. It was different.

So now I am no longer with elder march and no longer in an area that covers 3, states only 2. I left south Pittsburg and am now serving in Bristol. Bristol is a city right on the virgina/tenessee boarder. Last week they annoinced and this week was the begining of a ward split. The ward use to cover abingdon virgina but now they are thier own ward, still in the same building. It's pretty cool.

well I'm glad to hear that you are getting over your illnesses.

love,
eldervonsowards