The Snake Lady

So this week has been pretty slow, but busy too!  It's the life of a Missionary I guess.  Day's feel like weeks, and Weeks feel like days, and that is definately how it feels out here.  I can't believe we are already halfway through the month of April...  Crazy to me how fast this month has gone already, but each day sometimes feels like an eternity! 

We have several people that we are teaching at the moment, and it's amazing how they are progressing and gaining a testimony.  It's fun to watch it grow, because if I look back at myself and my testimony it's hard to see the progress i've made, but the people we are teaching it's very easy to see the progress they are making.   I'm going to be posting a few pictures of "the snake lady"  She is an investigator we have who has almost 75 pets... all in a 2 bedroom apartment.  Smells like a zoo.  We sit outside a lot, which i'm really grateful for.  I'll make sure that next week I won't forget my camera, and i'll send a few pictures via email so you all can see what she is living with.  Really sweet lady, we are helping her a ton, and the Lord is blessing her with so many things.  She's recognizing every day how this is helping her in her life, and we are so close to being able to set a baptismal date with her!  I'd love to be a part of that one!  She is a super fun lady, and has a wonderful sense of humor. 

We have a baptism next weekend, on the 30th, a 10 year old boy who loves learning about the gospel.  For instance we were watching the Testimants, with him, and he was sitting there, "wait, those people are the kingsman, they want to overthrow the government" "that guy has to be a lamanite" little things like that, he's super smart, and super willing to learn, and will be hopefully a life long member.  His nonmember dad sits in on the lessons too, and it will be great to have him baptised soon too, we haven't really taught him much, he simply gets to over hear, but he attends church, and is willing to do things too, so one day he'll simply have to get wet!   There really isn't much else to report.  I'll be sure to have a longer post next week. 

Keep the letters and emails coming.   Always good to have them! 

TRANSFER #2

OK, so as some of you may know, for the first 6 weeks I was serving in the Lafayette 2nd ward, which really felt like home.  Tons of members from SLC and surrounding areas, and it was a very active ward, and we had a blast there.   But sadly we all must move on, and learn and grow from other experiences!  So, I'm very happy to tell you all that I'm now serving in the Logansport Ward, in Logansport Indiana!   What a Drastic change!  I went from the 2nd largest area in the mission (geographically) to the largest!  Yet the ward is small, tons of less active work to do (we have help), and several people that are already set with baptismal dates!  So the ward is growing.  The problem is that the ward boundaries are so spread out that it makes coming to church a very difficult thing for a lot of people.  It's kinda fun though to see just how small a ward can be, and how loving they still are!  Really neat, and humbling!   I had to get up and give a talk this week, more of just a thought, and my testimony, but all the same it was good. 

New Address:  815 S. 17th St.  Logansport, IN 46949

New Companion:   Elder Chance Edwards!  OF  Phoenix AZ!   as i prayed for a new companion, i prayed it would be someone that I could get along with... and I was Blessed!   Elder Edwards is 25 TOO!!!  In Fact he was born just 2 days before me!  So at transfer meeting it was kinda funny because we are the 2 oldest in the mission and are now companions!   We've been able to see a ton of things that we have in common...  Nearly the same eye sight, both were lifeguards growing up, close birthdays, and both have had to sacrifice a bit more than those around us to make it onto a mission.   He is really nice, and very outgoing, I see that he truly is himself around people, and that makes him very likable.  I have told myself to stop worrying what people are thinking about me, and just be myself, and have more fun, but that's hard.  We have several people that are progressing in the gospel, and it's going to be fun to see them be baptised!  We are teaching a 10 year old, who understand the gospel SO WELL!!!  It's amazing how his spirit and mind grasp on to this, and crave it!   Neat to see that even a young person can grasp the concept of a covenant even better than most adults!  

We live in a house!  We have the basement, (old rock foundation, and dirt floors) and the bottom level.  We have a huge kitchen, washer and dryer, a dining room, (study room) and a front living room, a second study room, a bathroom, and then our bedroom!  So really a 2 bedroom apartment, but it's big!   A little about the Weather: If you don't like it, wait 15 minutes!  It's so TRUE!! the other day it was raining cats and dogs!  Literally went from dry to 2 inch puddles in about 15 min!  then just as quick as the thunder started, the rain was over, and the sun came out, and was warm the rest of the day!  Near 80!  and HUMID!!!  UGH!!!  and the locals say the humidity hasn't even started but I'm for sure feeling sticky most days already! 

So i said earlier that we have help with our less actives!  We have the blessing of having a senior couple in our area, they work mainly on activation of less actives!  They are Great!  They are the Slades, from  Star IDAHO!   We had a talk about if they knew Pat and Steve, but they seem to think they are in a different ward... but i still need some information on Pat and Steve, mainly their address, they are interested in finding out where they live and try and place them in which ward they might be in...   but kind of cool to have someone there that might know someone i might know...

There was a brother in the ward who asked me where I was from, and instantly asked if i knew an Elder Potter!  It was cool to know that he had remembered Seth Potter from Lyman, even since it's been 10 years or so since he was in the area, but they have kept in touch, and have really like the Potters!   anyway, that was kinda cool...   The brother in the wards name is: Brother Lonni King.  The potters may know him...  kinda strange family ;)  but most Hoosiers are....

A few observations: LAWN JUNK!  I don't really want to call them ornaments, because they are junk, but everyone has them.   They are named "hoosier_____"  so for instance, there are these ceramic geese, which people dress up, aptly named "Hoosier Goose", and these orbs, glass orbs, sometimes sold at Walmart, and they are called a "hoosier ball", people also have Deer, fake ones in their yard...  and in general JUNK!  

My companion has this really cool connector, so I'm going to attach some photos...  Things here are great, we are getting along really well, and are working hard.  There is still so much for me to learn, and this transfer is going to be a great on, full of success!  

I love you all, and wish you all the best, Stay Strong in the Church! 

Ok so here are a few pictures of the landscape of West Lafayette Indiana!    These were taken last transfer, and i hope you all like them...  See how flat it is?  and there are always trees around!   We also took a shortcut on these old railroad tracks, kinda of cliche, but it shows how thick the trees are in places, most places!

 

What if Apostles had Trading Cards?

I've been thinking a lot about our culture as Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and how we often are looked upon as outsiders to mainstream Christianity...  I sit and listen to the messages presented at General Conference, and wonder how anyone can not feel the Spirit of God, and Truth from the mouths of His servants?  I want you all to know I had Prayers answered from Conference.  I wasn't thinking about a question I needed answered till 2 days before the Conference commenced, but was amazed when Elder Bednar got up and shared so much truth about revelation.  I've been struggling to know if I'm receiving revelation, or just having thoughts, but most of my thoughts are random, and don't have anything to do with investigators or their needs, or to help me become a better and more effective missionary, and have wondered am I even capable of receiving revelation?  I know I've done it in the past, and it's been as he's described it, as if a light switch had been turned on, and i knew right away what I was to do.  It's the more difficult revelation, that comes upon our diligence to seek it, and willingness to look back at the past few weeks, months, years, and see just how much revelation we have truly received in our life.  Much as Elder Bednar described the rising of the sun, gradual, line upon line, here a little and there a little.  What a wonderful PROMISE!!!  I KNOW I can receive training from the Heavens!   As can we all!  It's what we commit our investigators to do, and I pray they may see it the way I've just begun to see it. 

We were also able to sit there and anticipate what each representative would speak on, and we all were excited about our 'favorite' Apostle.  It makes me laugh when we sit there as children with Trading Cards, and saying this one; has 10 Spirituality, and 8 miracles.  This one, has a level 20 testimony!!!   I think the Apostle Trading cards would be fun to have around each of us, starting when we were young, and having them redone every 6 months, with this conference's focus.   We could study the cards, with the names faces of the apostles, and messages they shared.  I'm glad we have their words so readily available to us today, and that we truly are being taught by Heaven, when they speak.  I truly loved conference, and have gained so much as I was taught by heaven.  It's another testimony to me that we Lived with our Heavenly Father before we came here, and he Truly knows us Perfectly.  Enough that he knows when we need a little uplift in a conference talk, visit from a friend, or from the words of His Prophets, either modern or ancient. 

So What if Apostles had trading cards?  Would you carry them around, Collect the  all?  Or allow their faces and words to fade, the spirit of their messages, and the revelation they give us slip away....?
        

Anyway, on a more fun note.  I'm being transferred.  It's a good thing.  I am looking forward to it.  I have really loved my trainer, and we were just starting to be able to teach in unity, but that is how the Lord works, keeps us at stages of uncomfortableness.  So I'll be posting a new address soon,  thanks for the birthday gifts again, Heather, and Mandy!  They were great to get a few days later! :)    Oh also, As of 2 days ago, 4/2/2011, I've been out for 2 months.  Cool huh?!  It's been flying by, and i really hope it continues to go fast!  

I want you all to know how grateful i am to have a testimony of this gospel, it truly is a rare thing in the world to have the truth, an investigator asked me why don't all the other churches accept the Book of Mormon?  and all i could say is that we are trying...

I love you all and wish you all the best, Keep the emails coming even if they are short, it's fun to have little notes from you all! 

Love Elder Rees