Aug 7

Dear All, Aug 7, 2011

Thank you for the letters. I'm glad to hear that Cory is home safely and that all is going well. It definitely would be interesting if the little girls were born this week. Their family is in my prayers.

So I've got news. I will be leaving Bristol this Wednesday. For once, I actually know were I am going, or at least think I do. I will be going to Cleveland TN. The reason I know is because I have been called to serve as a zone leader, and that is the only area that will be lacking a zone leader. Who knows, anything can happen.

So I stood and bore my testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday. I was trying not to cry. I'm not sure if I won. T had also got up to bare her testimony, and she broke down. Not because I was leaving (she didn't know yet) but because she had [struggled all week]. Have you ever felt like you finally started to figure things out and do things right, and every one was so happy for you, but then it gets really hard to continue being perfect and so you are so ashamed to face all those people that thought you were doing SO well? That is how she was feeling.

On Wednesday we met her at a park and we brought her two talks by elder Holland. One, he takes the story from Moses chapter 1 where after Moses has this marvelous revelation, Satan attacks him. It shows us that we should never let our guard down. In the the other article, he shares an experience when, many years ago when he was a young father, he felt all hope was lost, but now he can see that there were good things to come.

Anyway, she has been going through some hard times and she got up and explained her situation. I remember feeling.... maybe compassion.... for her as she pleaded for the ward's forgiveness. No one in the ward held anything against her. There were several members that got up later and gave their love and support, and also their testimonies of how they know that when we sin we just need to keep going, and repent.

I got up at the end of the meeting and announced that I was leaving. After sharing my love, gratitude, and testimony that Christ will always helps us through our darkest hours, I asked the ward to please keep T safe. She is such an amazing lady with such an amazing story and spirit. She will always love. I had many members thank me for my service as well as my charge to them to keep her safe. That meant a lot.

The best part of it all was seeing all the members who went to T afterwards, giving her hugs and commending her for her courage and endurance. I know that she is in good hands.

-eldervonsowards

Aug 01

Dear family, Aug 1, 2011

This week was kind of slow. We did a lot of tracting, with not so much success. I do know that tracting helps. It shows God that he can trust us. It is interesting. I have found that even if blessings don't come directly from tracting, they will still come later another way. It's like all those blessing are just stored away in a savings account that you never use and later down the road you have this nice goose egg waiting for you. I've seen that being diligent and faithful always yields blessings later, some way or another.

We did get 7 referrals this week! And we started the week with a few referrals. Then we contacted 6 of all those referrals! That has to be the most I've received and contacted in one week. The only thing that bugs me is that none of them became new investigators. I know you're not suppose to beat yourself up over stuff like that, because of people's agency and all, but it is true that you do need to sometimes take a step back and re-evaluation yourself and see where correction is needed. Do ya'll have any advice?

I am really happy with my district and how they are willing to work with me. Our mission has had this tradition of going out to eat "district lunch" every Friday at a restaurant after our meeting. Our mission president, Pres. Irion, asked the mission to stop eating district lunch at restraunts every week except for maybe once a month. There was a time when President Griffin asked us to do that and the district I was in refused to obey that rule. When I was told, I was kind of scared to see how my district would take to it. They took it very well. They rejoiced because they were all running out of money on their mission fund cards, due to eating out so often, and would have to use thier home cards. Now every week, we organize a lunch that every one brings something to add. This will be cheaper and healthier. I am glad it is going so well.

-eldervonsowards

July 24

Dear all, July 24, 2011

This last week was fabulouso!
Monday: Appointments fell through, tracted and taught one lesson.

Tuesday: We tracted, volunteered and played BINGO at an assisted living home, then had T's baptism. The baptism was beautiful and probably the best attended we've have had here in Bristol. We asked T. if she would bear her testimony and she said that she was hoping we would ask. We had implied that we would have the baptism, get into dry clothing and then afterwards, have her stand up. I guess we didn't explain that right bacause when she popped out of the water she immediately proceeded to tell her story and the feelings of her heart right there standing in the water. I was the one performing the ordinance and so that just left me standing behind her unsure if I should step to the side and leave her in the "spotlight," or just stay there standing behind her. I compromised by leaning against the back wall. It was an amazing testimony and being there in the font just made it SO uniquely her. The ward wouldn't have her any other way.

Wednesday, we had a lot of appointments and all but one fell through. So lots of back up tracting that day. BUT! that one appointment made it all worth it. It always does! It was with a part member brother. Awesome lesson! We read Moses ch 1 and he had some amazing insight.

Thursday we held a district meeting and I went on an exchange with Elder Hansen, a missionary in my district. We had an excellent day. We taught a media refferal, gave a less-active a job lead and a lesson, had dinner at an awesome active member home, went on a team-up with the member and taught T about family history and temples, then went on a follow-up appointment to a new investigator who had actually read the pamphlet we gave him, and had questions. It was a good day.

Friday, we weekly planned. We were invited to teach at the stake Youth conference. The youth seemed a little bored but all the leaders said it was because the youth wouldn't go to sleep the previous night.

Saturday: lots of tracting and fall throughs.

On Sunday we got to see T confirmed. The part member brother came, too, and stayed the whole time. The ward is so excited to have this new member.

I love being a missionary!
-eldervonsowards

July 03

Dear all,

Last week was pretty cool.

Monday night, we were coming back from Abingdaon where we spent P-day. We figured we should use that time and visit people who were on our way back to the house. So we called a part-member/rescue family to ask if we could come by. We visited them and had an awesome lesson on the spirit world.

Tuesday, we had a return appointment with a guy we met the previous week. He was not home, but we noticed the family next door had all their stuff out on the yard and the father was loading everything into a Durango while the mother and little girls brought stuff out to the yard. They all looked very stressed. We asked if we could help and he said, "Oh you wouldn't want to." We said, "We do want to help you," so we got to spend the rest of the afternoon helping this little family. The father hadn't slept for 3 days! It was pouring rain by the end of the afternoon, but we got to help them. Afterward, we went to teach T., who is getting baptized on the 12th, and took with us a member of the bishopric. It was an awesome lesson.

Wednesday, we did a lot of tracting. In the evening, we went with a brother, who JUST got home from his mission, to teach a guy referred to us by a member in Nashville. M., the investigator, has a lot of skeptical questions. We invited him to pray and read, and promised that God would give him understanding.

Thursday we went with the high priest group leader to teach T. again, She is doing awesome! The brother loved the lesson and said it was the best team-up he had gone on for a while. We then went on another team up and saw a less-active.

Friday we visited F. Great lesson. He is preparing to be batized on the 12th, as well.

Saturday we visited alot of people from the area book but did not get to teach any of them.

On Sunday T. got up and bore her testimony and told the ward that she is going to become a Mormon on the 12th and that she is putting down the cigarette. She is awesome!

-eldervonsowards

June 26

Dearest Family,

This week was pretty awesome.

On Monday night we were walking around, trying to figure out what to do and two less-actives pull over and ask if we could help move a dryer. So we helped, and they bought us dinner.

Tuesday we had dinner with a member family that I had never been to their house and they sent food home with us (we were literally out of food in the apartment). Then we went and taught T, the investigator who we re-contacted and she came to church, an awesome lesson about the pre-earth life and Adam and Eve. She is awesome!

Then on Wednesday we got to go with a member to teach a less-active/part-member family and talk to them about what they need to become active. They committed themselves to come to church. Then they asked us to dedicate their home, so we did. As we went home, an Idaho number called us and gave us a referral. Miracle!

Thursday, I got a member, who loves to take us to Golden Coral every other week (you get tired of it after 6 months,) to actually do something different and take us to Cracker Barrel! We contacted the [Idahoans] referral. The man was pretty cool, a little skeptical though.

On Friday, we were able to go with a member to teach T. She is going through some hard time. We invited her to set a goal to quit smoking and be baptized on the 12th of July. She accepted the invitation.

On Saturday we went with a member to teach Cousin Freddy. We read with him the Word of Wisdom. Then we went to dinner and the family gave us a referral to visit, so we went to the house, but no answer. We will go back another time.

So Sunday--I love Sundays. It is like the test at the end of the week to see if your week's work was effective, but unlike Friday school tests, you don't have to be nervous because even if the investigators don't come, you still get to take the Sacrament, be around others who have the same beliefs, and get to be the student in a lesson instead of being the teacher. So at church, T came, Freddy came, the less-active/part-member family came, and a returning member who we didn't get to see during the week but came last week. Wonderful day!

It truly was a good week!

-eldervonsowards

June 19

Dear family,

Wow! Is there going to be anything left of Arizona when I get back, or is it just going to be a big pile of ashes? I'm glad to hear that Tas and Al are safe and that their house is too. I hope everyone else is safe, too.

You know in times like this, I really get excited, then scared. Is that heartless to say? Maybe once I actually have a career and property to loose, things that would throw my life out of whack, then I would be more emotional in situations like fires, and tornadoes and tsunamis. Right now I see going through something like [a disaster] as adventurous. Is that bad?

Anyway, last week was pretty cool. We had been using the area book alot more. We met a guy named Tony whom we met from a "potential investigator record". He was not the guy we were looking for, but he was interested. We also met a lady named Teressa, from the "former investigators". She, at first, was not interested, but as we talked to her, she made up her mind to come to church this Sunday. SHE CAME! and is eagerly waiting for our visit on tuesday night. I am excited.

We also had cousin Freddy come. He has been a little stagnant for a while, but is turning a round. He told us he feels like he is merely going through the motions and not really putting effort into it and that he feels that there is more for him to do. We challenged him to put more effort into his study and prayer. He will be reading section 89 of the D&C and Daniel ch. 1-2.

Now apart from the investigators we had 2 less actives come to church last week and a non-member couple who work with 2 different members. They came about a month ago and accepted us coming over but things didn't work out then and they were dropped. We will drop in on them later this week.

I will be in Bristol for at least another 7 weeks. That will total 7 1/2 months in Bristol, the longest I have been in an area. Wow. I am excited. This means that I will get to be at the member fireside "symposium" on July 7th that I originally suggested back in Feb. Everyone in the ward is really curious to see what the turn out will be. It kind of reminds me of the first Institute Academy Awards night, when it was very questionable about who would come. I hope that it will be the same story and we will have more then we predicted.

Well, I hope you all are safe through the fires.

-eldervonsowards

June 12

Dear family,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! or anniversary for Mom and Dad! That is exciting!

Crazy wild fires. I am surprised that no one has asked me about it. Didn't Ted hear about the Rodeo-Chedisky fire(s) all the way in Australia? That is just crazy.

Speaking of crazy! Ryan is already leaving?! Jared is marred?! To whom? So who's next? I remember hearing about Jamie being engaged. Who did she marry? Crazy, crazy. I told my former companion from Seattle, Elder Samuel Dyer Roisum, who just went home, to keep an eye out for an Elder Stock. Maybe they will meet.

After the baptism last week, this week was a little slower. We got to volunteer at National Heath Care (we go there every couple weeks. Our ward mission leader is the administrator), help a less-active member move, walk forever miles, and enjoy happinesses from Mesa! I brought the Sweet Cakes to district meeting and the district devoured both in like 7 seconds or less!! everyone loved it. Personally, I was most enthusiastic about the salsa! Last week we didn't have a car, so I have not been able to obtain the chips, or the mariachi band, to truly enjoy the salsa yet. So I have been saving it.

Missionary wise, we are funneling back down to square one and trying new things. We've moved on from just the Former Media Referrals to any and every name in the area book, which would be: former investigators, potential investigators, old progress record names, less-actives, actives, anyone! The problem I usually encounter is my own lack of omniscientness. I look at a record and see "Jack on Ridgecrest Dr." Where on earth is that?! Our maps are not user friendly and the GPS still doesn't show it to you properly. There are just SO MANY names and SO MANY roads, that it is impossible for me to wrap my mind around it all and be as effective as I possibly can in just a few months. Wow! Even dividing it up in 4ths is still out there. Elder Dangerfield and myself have come up with a system. We will select a route and along that route we will hit up every person, place, and thing that might be there, and if that all falls through, then we go tracting. I pray that this will be a success for us in finding new people to teach and to baptize.

-eldervonsowards