Blessings from the Storms of Life

Biking, Tracting , Service, and Flooding ... of Blessings
We did a lot of biking this past week, one day we rode our bikes 24 miles, that was a lot of biking, we went tracting on last tuesday and we found a 62 year old (Earnest Brishke) He said he is good where is at but is having a bad day, he told us that he has a broken back and he has no heat in the house, he has logs but they are too big, he can't split them becasue of his back, so we went the next morning to help him split wood so he has heat in his house, we did it about for an hour, than it started to pour rain, we headed back, when we got to our apartment we played in the rain for a little bit, there was a little flooding. then we were told to stay inside becasue of the bad weather, possibily a tornado but there was not a tornado. but there was a lot of flooding in some areas. Earnest called us the next night and told us how grateful he was that we did that for him, that he has been thinking all day about us. we went the next day and taught the restoration with him and committed him to be baptized and he accepted. he told us he was selling his house, he had people clean his house for him, when they were cleaning his house they stole his computer, tools, T.V. and his social security papers. He doesn't have that much money anymore. We are working with him and going do all that we can to help him. His date is for the Feb. 19.

Faith

This past week we have been teaching and focusing on faith with all of our investigators, to help them to build faith to overcome the thing that is keeping them for being baptized. because with faith all things are possible. Just working really hard, and with all the baptisms we had that really got them going and got them really excited. when we go over to members houses we go over to teach not to hang out.

The Blessing of Fasting

I fasted and prayed to have more faith and bold, while I was teaching one of our investigators I already could tell, I was more bold in a loving way and I was more clear. I can't really describe it but it was really amazing of what had happened. I know that fasting and sincere prayer works and Heavenly Father is watching and will always answer every prayer.

The Miracle of a Mission

Baptisms
The baptisms were really great. there dad a recent convert got to baptize them. It was a really neat expeience for them all.

Kettler's Conversion Story
there were some elders that served here about two years ago and was tracting and saw the father outside doing yardwork, they offered help but he did not want them to get dirty, I think he let them in to teach him, then he didn't want the missionaries to come by again. than about a year and a half later they just showed up at church, no one knew who they were but they welcomed them in, they have been going ever since. He decided that he wanted to be baptized. the ward mission leader said that you have to take the missionary lessons, he did and got baptized. Know his two sons are baptized and hopefully his wife will be baptized pretty soon. she siad that if she joins the church than she would have to give up her buddhist culture. we are going to give her a Thai book of mormon, I hope that will help.

Cameron and Kristie Mulkey- Cameron has been to other churches when he was little and he did not like it, Kristie has been to the Catholic church, she does not like it becasue it does not feel right and it is weird. They both came to church and they said we have found the church that we will be going to, and they said they felt right at home. they both want to be baptized. They have been taught pretty much everything that we have to teach them, but coming to church is a struggle for them because of there work schedules. Cameron is a cop and he works late saturdays and works untill 2 in the morning on sunday or sometimes even longer, and his wife works every other sunday. cameron is trying to change his shift on that day, so he can get more sleep. He does not feel comfortable of coming by himself. they come to church every other week, if something does not come up.

Mr. Smesney- His wife is a active member of the church. he comes to church with her and has been coming for awhile. He knows that it is true and wants to be baptized, he is praying for a date to be baptized. He has touble with the coffee.

Tommy Montgomerey- He has been coming to church and he loves it, know that it is true, has a deep knowledge of the gospel, wants to be baptized, but he said it is hard for him to give up the coffee and he said he can give up the alcholol pretty easily.

From Crimson to as White as Snow

Baptism
Samantha's Baptism went really well my companion baptized her and when she came out of the water she had a big smile, the spirit was so strong. We have two baptisms this Saturday it is Levi and Lucas Kettlers baptism.

Mulkeys

the husband is a police officer and the wife is a nurse. He told us how he
got contacted with the missionaries. He was driving around in his cop
car and was having a bad day and he was praying and wanted to change,
then he saw two missionaries Elder Hunt and my MTC companion Elder
Shelton, He pulled them over and they thought they were in trouble but
he wanted to learn more about God and get his life straightened up so
Elder Hunt gave him a Book of Mormon and he started to reading it and
right then he knew the book was true, the missionaries tried to get in
contact with him but couldn't, then he was like oh well but then he
found out that his captain was a member of the church. he know always
goes in his office and talks with him. the missionaries finally got
contacted back with him, we set a baptismal date for January 8, they
accepted. we are taking them on a church tour and hopefully to church.
Then we helped a member move some furniture and they were pretty cool.

A Tornado of Missionary Activity

We were on lockdown for a little bit today, becasue there was a tornado warning, I don't think there is going to a tornado, but it is raining really, really, really HARD, there will be a lot of floods.

Samantha Powell one of our investigatiors is getting baptized this week. we are so excited. than two more of our investigators is getting baptized next week. The ward is really pumped up, because we have three baptisms for january, two or more in Febuary. the ward is really excited and they love us, they said we are the best companionship they ever have had before. Oh yeah we found another person that we are going to start teaching, his name is Rufus, we talked to him a bit and he wants to change his life and wants to find that peace and happinness in life and wants a better life for his family, I know him and his family will be baptized soon, they will see the many blessings come forth.

The mulkeys are so close to being baptized but they have a hard time of coming to church. because of cameron mulkey, he works from 3 PM to 2 in the morning, so it is really hard for him to come to church, by church he is exhuasted and tired from his work, and his wifre works every other sunday, they have crazy work hours, we are trying to get them to church.

we are going to the temple on Tuesday which is going to be really great. I love going to the temple, it is so beautiful.

Faith, Goals, and Power

Life Comparison
we have been teaching a less active the lesons and we taught her about the plan of slavation, since she is a visual person and likes football, we compared it to a football game, here are some examples

football field = earth,

other team= satan/temptation

quarterback = you

your team = family, friends, the ward, etc,

coach = Heavenly Father

assistant coach= prophet

Goals

Yeah goals are very important, not only need to write the goal down, but you got to write down how you will acheive that goal and you need to put it were you will see it everyday, for me I write the goal down in my planner, I sometimes look at the goal but not all the time so we wrote the goals down and how we will achieve it on the white board in our apartment, because we look at it all the time, just to make sure we write down in our planner too. Also prayer is important in setting goals, we can pray to our Heavenly Father about our goals, ask help to acheieve them, and at the end of the day you can report to him on how well you did, and ask what can I do to improve or do better at? Than new insights will come in and he will see that your desire of wanting to achieve the goal that you had set and he will help you along the way to acheieve that goal. Faith is another one, you have to have faith that he is there and will help you and will give you guidance along the way. you have to beleive in yourself that you can do it, that you can acheive that goal, to show that faith you must act, go and do the things that you need to do to accomplish that goal. there is so much more that goes into goal setting but I liked what you did about goals, they have to be specific, measurable, attainable, reachable, and time bound. I know that you all can achieve those goals that you wrote down, becuse you all are AMAZING!!!. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING as you put your trust in him

Christmas in the Service of Christ

Christmas dinner
We had a great Christmas dinner with the Waddells. It was like a Thanksgiving dinner. we got to talk to there son that is on a mission in Alaska. I think he has been out for five or six months. It was so nice to talk to you guys and y'all are growing up so fast. I loved that Christmas was on a Sunday, the spirit was strong and some of our investigators came to church for the first time which was really great. That was funny with all the clues that you gave for the mystery family gift.

The Work

Yesterday we went back and saw Ryan he is a person that we tracted into last Friday and gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet, we came back yesterday and saw him, he loved it and we found out that his dad passed away two weeks ago, We talked him about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and he said he would start reading it and we set a baptismal date with him for january 21 and he accepted. Know we have 6 baptisms that are in January, that is double the baptisms I have had so far on my mission, we are going to set another one tomorrow, so it will be 7 baptisms. I love this area and it is growing so much, I am so grateful to serve for the Lord. Seeing how the gospel changes people. That is pretty much what has happened since I have talked to you guys.