Spiritual Thoughts...

June 27, 2011

Hey well I'm going to write down a few spiritual things today...

1st off:  I've been struggling the last few weeks with my thoughts, and realizing I wasn't "feeling" it as well as other missionaries.  We had a very spiritual district meeting last week, where we took our name tags off, and just looked at them, contemplated what it meant to us to be a missionary, and what it would be like to not be able to put the tag back on.  It was emotional for some, and for me it simply felt empty, didn't really feel like it would be a loss.  However, after some very earnest prayers, I'm glad to have my testimony strengthened everyday by our Lord.  As I pray to fully understand what the promptings of the spirit are, and when they come, I'm began to "feel" this week that being a missionary is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I don't want to waste it.   My thoughts about the Value of my misison have really changed. 

Here are a few things that have led me to really value my time here more. 

Jessi:  Jessi is a lady we got as a referral, and she's been amazing since day one.  She has been converted to live this gospel far before we started meeting with her, and she has takend all the steps necessary for baptism. We've set a date with her, but she has had some trouble getting to church, and that makes us have to push her day back a little bit more. Satan works on those that are trying to do what is right.  She has 3 kids, and the middle one went off this week, enough that it was either press charges and send him to jail, or admit him to an institution and get him medicated.  Jessi had to let her other 2 kids go for a little while, and it's been killing her.  She's a wonderful parent, we see bad ones all the time, and she is doing what any parent would do, and is striving to keep her kids happy and healthy, but this is just another trial.  She has so much faith.  We shared that she needs to be reading more in her scriptures, and then offered and explained what a Priesthood blessing is, and she accepted.  It was the blessing that is a little miracle of God.  We sat there talking about scriptures and modern day prophets, and I Knew that she needed to understand and experience what a blessing is.  I Knew we couldn't leave that house without giving her some council from her Father in Heaven.  I hope that over time she'll come to a full understanding about what a Priesthood blessing is, and then she'll really value that day.  I felt the spirit so strongly pressing me to voice up,  and offer her a blessing. 

Cindy: Cindy has been to church more frequently lately, and is striving ever closer to baptism, and will be baptized within the next 2 months.  She has worked hard on her testimony, and has gained the strength she needs to endure the temptations of satan.   She missed this week at church, mainly because we were over at her house ripping up the old carpet in her house.   She's renting this house, and knew that it would need to be replaced one day before she moved out so they said better do it now.  She has 2 dogs that were never really potty trained, and i must say once again, our God is a god of Miracles!  Only gagged 1 time, and the smell of dog pee was overpowering.  We knew it was bad because we have been teaching her for about 4 months and have always had a bad smell when we entered her house.  The Pad was still wet, the carpet was still wet, and i must say it was a tougher thing for my companion to do than for me.  I knew how embarrassed Cindy was to have let it get this bad, and making a gag sound, or a comment about it would have only hurt her feelings, but i'm glad to say that we got the job done, and she spent the rest of the night, till 3 am, pulling staples up out of the hardwood floors that were underneath the carpet.  Her back was a little sore the next day, and didn't sleep much and really couldn't make it to church this sunday.  Which we didn't want her to feel bad about, or give up on coming to church.  No one is perfect, and all we have to do is pick our selves back up, and keep pushing on. 

That is the lesson that I learned again this week, I  say again, because I feel i've had to learn that lesson countless times already in preparation for my mission. 

I have really begun to understand what it is going to take to keep the spirit in my misison, and that is going to be the hardest part about being a missionary.  Giving talks in church, and talking with people on the street, or presenting lessons is the easy part, it's carrying with you the Spirit of God, that can touch the hearts and minds of those people around you that makes the difference.  I have been lifted up this week,  and have had such a wonderful last week in the Logansport area.

Trasnfers are this week, and we got called this morning and i'll be leaving the area, and will find out wednesday where i'm going to be.  Mom, i'll give my info to my last companion, and have our last ward mission leader give you a call sometime wednesday evening, at least you'll know what town i'm in. 

Here are a few pictures, I'm doing these pictures with all of my companions name tags, and here is just a little something to remember Elder Savas by.

Fun with Fireflies

June 20, 2011

Here are a few videos and picturs of Fireflies!  They are super cool!  


Here is one of them in the dark! 

Here is one in the light! 



Just so you can see what they look like in person, here is a few pictures.  

They are always on the move so it's hard to actually get them to hold still long enough to take a picture, but you'll see their light butts, that is what flashes neon green or yellow in the dark.  They simply hover over the grass, and you'll see just a flash of them.  We spent a few minutes catching them the other night, and were able to wrangle in about 10 in a matter of minutes.  They are very easy to catch, and are fun to play with! 

More to come later! 

on a more spiritual note...  
 

I hope you all like the pictures and the videos!  They are pretty cool little bugs! 

This week has been a rough one...  We only taught 5 lessons, and that makes for unhappy missionaries.  Not unhappy, just wish we could teach more.  We have a lady who has so many questions!  I mean we don't even get a chance to answer her first question when she has 4 others lined up!  She wants to know about the dinasours....  where they came from, and why we aren't all inbred retards becasue Adam and Eve's kids were married?!  And who is God's God?!   Too many lame or super deep questions that we don't have answers to.  We came out of that appointment very frustrated, and were fighting over it.  Dumb stuff, but we often let our pride rule us. 

We received a Referral this week from a lady in Arizona.  The lady here in Indiana went out to Arizona to be with her dying father, and was able to learn a lot about the gospel from his nurse...  So we got to go and talk with the nurse, in order to get the information for the lady here in Indiana, and she's amazing!  She's active in her faith, but is open to listen to what God has to share with her!  It's going to be fun to have an open person to teach!

Our branch just got smaller...  They officially made new boundaries, and that took out our most solid young family...  We had 8 in our primary, and with their family leaving we'll have 4.  UGH!!!   But "we are all enlisted till the conflict is over" and most of our people are now realizing that people aren't just going to walk in off the streets.  We need to get our branch members more involved!  But for most what we are asking is kind of a big sacrafice.  I mean to come out with us, some people have to drive 20 minutes, and then spend 2 hours with us, and then drive home.  It makes it hard to get the support we need, but we are working with what we have. 

Transfers are next week.  I'm thinking I'm going to be transferred so if you are planning a package, hold off for a few weeks.  In 1 week we'll find out if i'm leaving or not, and i'll make sure you all get my address in 2 weeks from today if so. 

Well as far as anything else goes we are just hanging out the rest of the day, our "p"days are pretty lame here.  I wish we were closer to other missionaries so we could play basketball or something.  We don't get to have too much fun on days like this.  We are going to get rain all week, which won't do anything but make the corn grow faster!  There are corn fields all over and it's going to be good to be able to eat corn on the cob here.  I hear it's pretty dang good! 

Well i love you all, i've got to run and write a letter to my mission president! 

Love Elder Rees

Bat and Birds

Ok, so this week has "Flown" by...  little aviation humor there..  :)  It's been fun to get all of your emails this week because you've all expressed the same thing, that it's flown by!  And ironically enough this week we have had a few encounters worth sharing... 

First off, Birds.... 

This is a quick picture of what happens to baby birds that can't yet fly, and end up on our porch....   Now don't get too upset, we didn't actually harm the little guy, and he was soon let out free to become a product of the food chain. 

So that is all for the Birds story....

Bats! 

Ok so we have seen a few bats around at dusk, but nothing to this extent!  Ready for this! 

BAT MOBILE!!! 

I don't know how authentic this is, or who even owns this, but we were driving home from an appointment, and saw this on the side of the road and stopped to take a few pictures!  It's sweet!  It has parachutes, and from what i can tell it even shoots flames out the back end!  It was really cool to see so here are the few pictures I took, and my companion had one that I'll add too!

The work here is still going strong, we are still waiting till the end of the month till we get our baptism, but for our whole zone, our monthly baptism goal is 2, and it's the 2 companionship's of elders in our district that are going to help achieve that! 

Something else that is kind of exciting....

This last week we had President interviews, and they are always fun.  This is my second one to go to, and it was great!  We have been hearing about changes coming in the mission, in regards to the way new missionaries are trained, and we are getting 18 new elders this upcoming transfer on the 29th of this month, and in August, we are getting a few more, it will be fun to be a part of the training process.  Yep, I'm implying that I "might" be a trainer.  As i sat in with President Collins he shared that he'd be "Relying on my leadership in August" and as I took that I'll more than likely become a trainer to a new missionary.  It's nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time!  I'm excited because we are going to have some extra time to study in the morning, and really focus and help each other learn how to be a better missionary, and work even better in companionship's, but nervous to know that he'll always remember his trainer, and the kind of missionary he was...  It's making me strive to be better today so that when I have that opportunity I'll not waste it. 

I don't yet feel ready for that responsibility, but I'm sure that it's coming, and I can only prepare as best I can.  It's been fun because my prayers have changed, my study habits have changed, and I'm really excited to be apart of the new training program, that may still be in place when nephews or nieces go out on their missions. 

I love you all, and am very glad that I get such wonderful love and support from home!  Your prayers, and letters, packages (thanks grandma for the Bread, and Cookies), wedding announcements (seriously you'd be surprised at how many i'm getting of those)  and your thoughts!  They are helping and i'm really happy to be here and to really focus on my own testimony, and the companionship of the spirit! 

Love Elder Rees

Happy Flying!

From the missionary

Hey well today i don't have any pictures to add, there was a really cool sunset the other night, but with all the trees it was hard to get a good angle on it, so I'll have to wait for another one to see if i can get a good picture.   Well for those of you that are keeping track, I'm one of them, I'm at 4 months!  And I'm really starting to show!  LOL, sorry too many sisters that have had babies, or are having babies, to not make that joke.  Life here in Logansport is Good!  We've set a baptismal date with an investigator of ours, her name is Jessi, and she's so cool!  She's a single mom, and has 3 kids, she started dating a Less Active member, and he wanted to get back into church, and invited her to as well.  A referral came to our cell phone from Church Headquarters and we searched her out.  We've gotten to know her very well, and the Gospel is exactly what she needed!  It's amazing to see that she is already so converted to this Gospel, and was converted Far before we ever met with her!  It's been such a blessing to have someone that is so receptive to the gospel, and to want to live it!  I hope her fire doesn't burn out, and ends up on the Less active roster with well over half of our ward!   It's been hot here!  I hate the Heat!  The locals keep saying it's been a wet spring, which it has, it's rained about 2 weeks straight, but yesterday it was 95, and SUPER HUMID!  It makes for a long day, especially when your companion wants to walk...  We have a car, but with our mileage limitations we have to walk most days in order to make it out the the other areas that we have members or investigators.  I'm starting to get pretty tan. 

Well there really isn't too much else to share...  The days go slow, the weeks go fast, I'm at month 4, and can't believe it. 

I hope you all are doing well, I checked a few of the blogs today, and they all look great, thanks for the pictures you keep sending!   It's so great to see you and read good news from you all! 

Love Elder Rees

Weeks gone by

More and more the weeks go by, there are so many times i look back and realize just how fast it fly's.  (sorry that rhymed, i guess I'm just that cool)  Anyway, It's 'P' day once again, and we are sitting here in the Library, and coming to terms with Transfers....  Yep it's that wonderful/dreadful time of the mission once again.  This time.................. I'M STAYING!   I know I know, I've only had 2 transfer meetings, (one being from the mtc) but they are kind of an exciting and nerve racking time for missionaries, i mean it's the next 6 weeks of your life we are talking about here.  I must say that this transfer has FLOWN by!  I can't believe I've been in this area for 6 weeks already.  Well my companion Elder Edwards is leaving...  Kinda mixed emotions about that...  We have had a few differences and have struggled with each other and the rules we want to keep, and others that are "guidelines" but we've really been able to open up with each other, and i hope that I've been able to help him as much as I've learned from him.  It's going to be great actually, I'm very excited to be able to stick around here in Logansport, and work with some truly great investigators and help get them to baptism, success is always such a blessing, and boost!   There are so many unknowns however...  I'm not sure who my next companion will be, and what things I'll have to deal with, or help correct on the next go around.  It's been great to have an older companion I'll say that 100% but there are things I've had to push myself to do and say, that have gotten me out of my comfort zone a bit, but they've helped me grow too!   Last night we went and had dinner at our Branch mission leaders home, and he and his wife are big 'Y' fans...  and they always celebrate each missionaries birthdays, even if they are passed, with a big cake with 'BYU' spelled out in the icing.  My pictures they took aren't very happy ones, it's hard to smile when you are eating such bad tasting letters... KIDDING!  But my request to have the cake made out of "RED" velvet wasn't accepted either...  They are fun to tease, and will shoot them right back at us.  Very fun older couple!  It was crazy to sit there and think that my birthday was 2 and a half months ago...!!!  Crazy right, and I'm almost done with month 4 of the mission!  Anyway I'm really excited to be able to stay in this area of Logansport, there are great people here, and the branch really needs help from the missionaries.  I wanted to attach a few files, but the computer here isn't reading my SD card right, so you'll have to wait till next time.  We had Stake conference this weekend, and it was great!  We got to experience a Broadcast stake conference.  Where we had speakers from the General Authorities of the church, and we just had to sit back and listen, even the Stake President!  We were blessed to hear from President Eyring, and from the 2nd counselor in the Primary Presidency, and 2nd counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, as well as Elder Ballard.  It was a great meeting, and the adult session the night before was great too!  It was a good break from regular church, it's just too bad we only had 1 investigator there.  Cool story actually we knocked this guys door, and he lives down this 1/4 mile driveway, anyway we were invited right in, asked us if we were a Christian Church, which we are, and he said he'd be there on Sunday...  We haven't even had a lesson with him, and he's coming to church... and wants to come back next week according to his feelings after stake conference. 

Some of you may be wondering about my tooth...  Well for those who need a little background i don't know if i blogged about it or not, but i had an infection above my implant and had it checked out by an oral surgeon in Indy, he ended up opening up my gum line and giving me a treatment (scraping out the soft tissue) and then packing the area with an injectable antibiotic, which should help the infection, and prevent me from losing my implant over the next 2 years.  The procedure went well, and my gums are almost already healed.  I'm optimistic that i won't have any more dental problems while I'm out here on the mission, but I'm in for some when i get home!  UGH!   Have i mentioned yet that the time is flying by?    Well my time is about spent, but I'm having tons of fun, and am striving every day to do a little better, after all, that is all that is asked of us!  I'm excited for more change in the future, and for the opportunities to learn and grow from another missionary here...   I'll keep you updated with a few more pictures, on a later day, anyway, thanks for everything.

Love you all! 

Love Elder Rees