End of Feb 2011

Dear familia,

Yes. Thank you so much for the valentine's day package. It kept slipping my mind these last two weeks every time I email. Sorry. And thank you!

I'm glad to hear that the play worked out in the end and that it was well attended. I hope that every one enjoyed themselves. And I also hope that this year's videoing part works out better then the last video.

So is Mom still in young woman's on top of cub scouts? That sounds stressful in it's self. That was one thing that was different out here, in all my areas they would hold cub scouts on wednesday nights along with all the other activities. I thought that that was discouraged but I guess it doesn't really matter. It makes sense out here because everyone has to drive into town so just make one trip. Where as in Mesa it would be to big deal to take go to the church several times a week. Different world, same church.

Who of my friends in Mesa could they teach? I'll think about that. Though last night while I was praying a guy I worked with at Geronimo came to mind. John Harold (sadly I am second guessing his last name, I've done that with alot of people lately, It's been a while). I gave him a Book of Mormon when I left. You could find him on my facebook. He lives in Tucson. He's who comes to mind.

So Elder Thonpson left Bristol and now I an serving with Elder Manoa. Elder Manoa is a Tongan from California. He's pretty fun, though he think's I'm out of my mind. We were going to this meal appointment that I had only been to once before. So we get to the street and I'm like "that looks like the house" he's like "looks like? are you sure dog?" I say "no. but I think it's it." So we go up to it and this random girl walks out. So we just teach them as if we were just tracting. As we walked away he was like "man dog! you got the wrong house!" we got a good laugh about it. He doesn't trust my directions now.

-eldervonsowards

21 Feb 2011

Dear people,

Well that is some pretty exciting news about Tasanee. Twins? wow! I didn't know our family could do that... I guess you never know. A member yesterday related a story from his mission where they were teaching this couple that had no kids. They loved the message that the missionaries shared and came to church. They went over there after to see how they liked it and they said that they liked it but they felt uncomfortable being in a church that was SO family oriented and not having any kids themselves. The couple shared with them that they were told by doctors that they would not be able to ever have kids. Then this member boldly said that the Lord had children waiting to be born into their family but would not give this family any children until they accepted and unbraced the gospel and were baptized. The family was baptized and then had twins, shortly followed by triplets.

This week we got the chance to start teaching a less active family. only the parents had been baptized but their 9, 10, and 11 year old girls had not. We invited them to be baptized and they said that they wanted to. The family came to church yesterday and loved it. I will let you know what day they will be baptized. We had planned for March 5th but it looks like that will be moved.

I hope and pray that the Come to Lehi will be as awesome as years past if that better!

-eldervonsowards

Feb 13

D-ear familia,

The last 2 weeks we wasted our time on preparation day and we did not get around to emailing, so we took some very brief time out of proselyting time to shoot our weekly president report email out. We went spelunking with a member 2 weeks ago. I attached some pictures from it. It was pretty fun but shouldn't have been a priority. Last week we had a zone activity and wasted time there too. I am starting to consider p-days my least favorite days of the week. I always just feel so worldly on Mondays.

 

This last week was pretty good. We met this girl (13) that wants to be baptized so we invited her to be baptized on March 5th. The only thing is we feel that she is looking at it as a baptism in general and not a baptism into Christ's restored Church. I'm sure similar situations happen like this. The way the conversation went was that she said that she had been saved but still needed to get baptized and that the only reason she hadn't yet was because her church hadn't had any baptismal services. Then I felt we would invite her and said "we will you be baptized and follow the example of Jesus Christ?" she said "what?" then I felt the spirit slap his own forehead and I found myself saying "we will be holding a baptismal service on March 5th, will you prepare yourself to be baptized on that date?" she checked her calendar and said "I'm open, I will." we went on and talked about proper authority and apostasy, but I'm still not sure what her understanding of it is. She still went to her church yesterday. If it was the spirit telling me to say those thing then there is an answer it this predicament. I went to church yesterday praying for God to teach me what to do, he told me too fast. I am confident that things will work out as I follow the spirit's guidance. Please pray for Tamia and Elder Thompson and me.

 

-eldervonsowards

 

Pictures: guy in red is brother harris, the member

guy in camo is elder thompson (the one being hold up side down)