OK, so you'll see a few of the pictures here!  This is of the downtown area.  We are just on the other side of the Zoo, there is a little walkway that cuts from the church, (across the street from the zoo) over to downtown.  This was the weekend we did that service project as a Zone for PBS Kids in the Park.

There is another of a Lucas Oil Stadium... They may have a hard time selling all of their seats this year... :*(

The other one... HA!  Oh man!  OK, so when a missionary dies, they have "death" pictures...  How fitting that in the Pearl of Great Price there is this Facsimile, of when the Servant of Pharaoh was trying to slay Abraham... We reenacted it.  Makes me laugh... that was Elder Jones Dying by the way...  Funny stuff the day we did this picture there was an actual funeral going on at the church, and he went and got another picture by the Hearse!  :)  Funny stuff. 

June 18, 2012

Hey family!   here is a few pictures to start with.  My new companion Elder Horikami!  He's a big guy, and is very loving and I am going to miss him when he goes home in 3 weeks.  His family is from Caldwell ID, but his family moved about 1 year ago to Jasper ID...  I think it's over by Jackson WY.  His dad is a pastry chef over there for a ski resort.  I think I have an in for some awesome wedding cake in the future...  Yep so he's 6'7'' and does a pretty good impression of the Giant from "The Princess Bride."  He caught me off guard one night, and he said a quote from it, and I about spewed the water I was drinking right out of my mouth.   Life this week...  Hmmm.. Monday we were on exchange with another companionship up in Indy 2nd ward.  They share our church building with us.  We had a great time up there, and I spent the day with a great Elder.  He's truly striving to follow the spirit as he plans, and listens for the very subtle promptings of the spirit.  It was amazing to see how proper planning and study pay off.  We happened upon a guy who said something like, "Yeah, I downloaded the Book of Mormon on my Ipad the other day, and with that musical being out, and stuff, who knows, I've been having a real crisis of my faith lately, and have just been wondering what it's been all about."  So needless to say we were pretty excited to have been listening to the little promptings.  They made a big difference in our day.   We also were able to meet with one of our newer investigators.  They were good.  It still seems like we just happened upon them, and they aren't too sure about acting on our message just yet.  I like using the ward roster to find people to teach, and baptize, and even for God to inspire a name to put us in the right area so we can meet the right people on the street...  I've seen them all work in my mission.  I have wondered if these new people will plant the seed of faith and test out our message... I know the blessings that await them, and it's hard to describe the feelings they are going to look forward to.   Friday was another exchange... This time I was able to stay in our area and work.  It was SO HOT!  I felt so drained after just a few hours of being in the heat.  We haven't had rain for about 2 weeks, and there is none in or forecast, people are beginning to get nervous here.  I think it's a good humbling experience!  Anyway, I was able to spend the day with one of our district leaders, and he is doing great!  He's 25, and it was fun to work with him.  Both he and I like to have fun, but understand our efforts here are for the Lord, and we do take that calling very seriously, even if we keep a smile on our face while we do it.  I think it's meant to happen that way.  He's a newer district leader, and I shared with him the importance of his assignment.  He's the one that can get all of the things that we talk about in Zone Leader council, and the things we pass along into the elders of the district.  He can receive inspiration and revelation about the needs and concerns of the missionaries he's over.  He is striving everyday to love them, and to serve them!  It's neat to watch the growth that happens in missionaries so fast when they are put into a situation that demands it.   Saturday... ok up to this point our week was pretty good, yet Saturday.....  5 teaching appointments scheduled... this is where almost all of our numbers for the week were going to be coming from, and all 5 cancelled!  I seriously thought about quitting and going inside at like 5 that night and just pouting.  We stayed out, and were able to stop by an investigator of ours and it resulted in us being able to give them a bit of service!  It was good to work a little bit.  He was digging out a circle in the grass for a new pool.  Just a little cheap above ground ones, but in this heat those things are pretty popular.  We talked about different gospel topics as we worked.  He offered us a Tea... HA!  that sparked a huge line of questions and as he drank his tea, he said it didn't taste as good now that he knew a little about the word of wisdom.  It was fun to watch the spirit work in that situation.  He offered to pay us for our work, and we said the only payment we'll accept is for him to come to church... he didn't.  We invited so many people this week, it was a commitment in almost all of our lessons, and we didn't have anyone show!  Rough... yet I was able to sit in Sacrament meeting and just absorb the peace that was there... I didn't want to leave.  There are times as a missionary that aren't fun, they are stressful, and depressing at times, and when you go from all of that frustration and allow it to be placed at the "altar" of God, and let him take care of it, the peace that was there was so awesome to feel.  It didn't matter if we had a poorly prepared lesson in gospel principles or priesthood, it mattered that I felt the love of my Father(s) in Heaven, and the warmth the Spirit brings.  That is what it's about!  Well I'm hopeful that through our planning this next week will be greatly improved!   Love you all!  -- Love, Elder Rees

June 11, 2012

PBS!!! OK, Well here is this weeks post... We have had a pretty good week, we have worked hard, and are glad to have been able to find a few more people to teach!  We hope that they will progress well, and if we stay in tune with the spirit we should have no problem with that! Elder Horikami and I are getting along very well.  We have a lot in common, and are able to talk with each other.  It has also been fun to spend more time out tracting!  We have had some pretty hot weather, but overall not unbearable.  The humidity is what makes it really bad, and the weather hear has been pretty dry.  We have found some wonderful people that are allowing us to come back.  It's kind of a law of tracting.... if you want to find families, tract where families are!  We have found some really great people and hope to make more of them investigators as well.  It's always a weird interaction... I still haven't figured out how people have us knock on their door and invite us to come back...?  I truly know that the spirit is apart of  this work! PBS KIDS!  Well part 2 of our week is we got to go and do a service activity at Military Park downtown.  PBS puts on a free event for families every year, and each year the missionaries in the Indy North and Indy West stakes get to participate!  It was pretty crazy!  This park was set up with a ton of booths from other vendor giving out free things for kids, and helping families out... We as the missionaries got to participate in the "meet and greets."  There were a few characters from  the different PBS shows and kids got to come up and take a picture, and hug and kick and scream and cry, as their parents encouraged them to stand still...  We got to cover the "Clifford" tent, and it was pretty cool, most of the kids seemed to warm right up to the big red dog, but a couple went kicking and screaming for their picture.  We were really there to help support the people in the suits.  They NEED a break after 30 minutes, so we had to be the ones to cut off the line of people and allow our characters time to go and cool off!  It was like 87 degrees this weekend so when they stepped out of their suits they were dripping wet with sweat!   A few years ago it was 95 degrees and "Clifford" said he'd lost 7 pounds that day!  While drinking water near constantly from his Camel-back!  It was fun to interact a little bit in a different way with the public of Indiana, their kids were crazy for some of those characters!  HMMM.... Not much else...  We are finally starting to see some real efforts by members in our ward to make the ward more friendly!  It was good to see them at church on Sunday as they mingled, and greeted people at the doors!  It's something that is going to help change the culture of the ward, and help the people really fellowship the new members, or investigators in to a ward family.  The people are willing we just have to ask them to participate!  Well the weather today is pretty overcast, warm and HUMID!  It's almost as if you can feel the air... anyone that's spent time out in the Midwest or the south can tell what I'm talking about!   Super uncomfortable.  Well I'd better run!  It has been great to chat with you all, and thanks for the letters and prayers they are helping! Love you tons Love Elder Rees

June 4, 2012

Ok, Well Sorry this has been a long time coming, I didn't take the opportunity to send an email last week.  We had Memorial day and then when we went and emailed on Tuesday, it was super busy, so we didn't have as much time as I'd like.  But I'll try and make up for it this week. New Events: I killed my first companion!   Sam Jones is now officially back home in the sunny weather of Arizona, and has already been out with the missionaries in AZ.  That means that I'm now a proud owner of a new companion.  His name is Elder Horikami...  I'll have to take a picture and send it to you all.  He's awesome.  I will be his last companion on his mission.  He only has 5 weeks left, and we will send him home to Idaho.  He's very spiritual, and is a great example.  He's officially 6'7'' he's HUGE!  I walk the streets and feel so much safer.  He's very quiet, in a way, he's a quiet giant.  To better explain his name, he's been adopted by his step dad, who is half Hawaiian, and half Japanese, hence the Japanese name.   So I'm still serving in the Cumberland ward, and things are starting to progress a bit more.  We have had some time to work with the ward leaders and have been trying to implement a program that will help them focus on the ward families that will begin to progress back into activity, and help us fellowship new members or investigators that will bring more strength to the ward.  The ward has a reputation for not being very friendly, but this Sunday there was a very good spirit in the ward, and it felt very different.  We had several visitors, and several new members that just moved in, and the ward in my opinion, made some great efforts in welcoming.  As far as teaching, we are always trying to find more people to teach.  We have encouraged members each time we are with them to ask more people that they know to investigate the church, and keep an open ear (spiritual too) to the promptings of the spirit that will direct them to those that are ready.  It's been cool because we have had a few members this week say that  they are working on a referral for us, or that they have someone that they want us to meet.  Those are so cool, and we do our best to take the best care of them.   I'm excited to still be serving in Cumberland.  Each missionary seems to have an idea of what he'd like to accomplish in a ward, and there is still work here for me.  I have seen a change start to take place among the ward members.  Some are really becoming aware of the role that the church and themselves have in the work of God.  I have a wonderful vision about this work now.  It's awesome to think of it on a large scale.  God lives, and he directs this work,  the work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  He's accomplished the immortality via our Savior, and the Eternal life is being accomplished from the work that we do in the temples, and the work we do with our friends and neighbors who have not yet made the necessary covenants for salvation or exaltation.  We are his hands!  We are his voice!  We have to be the ones to open our mouths!   He's developed such a wonderful organization that works seamlessly!  Moroni 6:4-6!   Going to church is how we rely upon the merits of Christ!  It's how we become cleansed, and eventually perfected!  IT'S SO SIMPLE!  Yet our imperfect human minds forget it so often.   The scriptures have become such a wonderful guide to our life, and are full of so much revelation and answers for our everyday questions of the soul.  We should all be anxiously engaged in the study and sharing of the words of God and Christ!   Well family and friends, I love you all, and hope that you all have a wonderful week!   I'll be sure to send another email next week!  With a few pictures of my companion and our area...  I'll do better at taking my camera with us so that you all can see what I see. -- Love, Elder Rees