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 

May 7, 2012

Well I don't have much to write about today. 

We have a General Authority coming to our mission this next week, the 19th.  It should be fun, we are getting the whole mission together to listen to him....  He may be a Jr. Member of the 12, oh wait, in fact he is!  Elder Anderson is coming and we are going to be able to listen to him for a few hours on Saturday morning.  It's going to be really fun to have him in our mission.

We had Zone Conference this last week!  It was very fun to be around President and Sister Collins.  They are doing smaller zone conferences so it was our zone and the Muncie zone that met and were trained.  They used to have 4 zones all together for them, but I like the smaller groups we get to be in.   E. Jones and I prepared a training for the afternoon, and we were able to train our zone on helping people see the bigger picture of the gospel. All too often we meet people and they don't want to continue to meet with us, yet there isn't 1 spirit on this earth that didn't at one point choose this very plan, and we need to be able to remind that spirit inside of them that it's true.  Sometimes we have to look at the box when we are putting a puzzle together! 

We have seen a big jump in the progress and understanding of our own investigators over the last week as we have been able to apply the lesson we trained on.  We have investigators that weren't really progressing decide that  they want to share this message with other family and friends, and that means that their faith is growing and that they are gaining a testimony!  It's fun to watch and be apart of. 

Well last week I officially hit 15 months...  kind of sad to think that there are only going to be 9 more of these....  It's hard to think back about how life was before the mission, and even more intimidating to think about how life could be after...  Scary thoughts all around. 

Well other than that, not much else is going on.  We are prepping for a good week of teaching, and going on several exchanges with elders in our zone, and then mothers day is here, and call number 3 out of 4 will take place!  Scary!?  You have no idea what it's like to press send and call home. 

I hope all is well and that life keeps going well for all of you!

Love Elder Rees

April 30, 2012

Hey Family!

Well, another beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Really, the weather here has been great!  One thing that I love here is the rain storms.  There is great lightening, and thunder, and then you'll get absolute downpours!   Days when it's raining I'm so glad to have a full time car! 

Well we have been busy, and not so busy this week.  I have emotionally and spiritually be doing so much better than a few weeks ago, and that has truly come because of the power of Prayer.  I have for sure been lifted by prayers from family and friends back home, and here on the mission, and have realized more and more my lack of truly praying.  I am very good at ordering food from a menu at a restaurant... I know how I like it, and will order food that will meet my needs and wants.  I was approaching prayer in this way...  Well those of you that have kids will know this principle, come dinner time, "I don't like this....  It's gross!  I want Cereal"  My prayers are/were much the same way.  All i want is the sugary goodness of blessings, and not the crunchy vegetables that will help my body be stronger.  Parents know what is going to be best for their kids, and God is no different.  Trials are a way of growing!   My prayers have been so much harder to do...  They are now very hard work.  I still struggle, and find myself placing orders some nights, but other times it's been amazing to feel the love of God come into my heart.

Here is an example of a neat thing that has happened because of prayer.

We are teaching a man that is on house arrest...  His wife went back to work to support their 5 kids and him, but she was only working through a temp agency.  The agency cancelled her job for at least a month.  They were already behind on most bills, which is the first time this has ever happened in their lives together.  He struggled to find a job because of his situation, and put it off and allowed their family to kind of squeak by, but now the situation became very real for them, they needed an income, or their electricity would be shut off, thereby turning off the home detention box, and he'd be in violation and would be sent to jail.  He called us one night and expressed his frustration, and said it wouldn't be a good night for an appointment...  I kindly said NO!, we are still coming over!  To which he responded nicely, and welcomed us over.  We discussed 1 Nephi 8, and reviewed the neat things contained in that chapter, and then came time for the closing prayer.  He invited me to say it.  So, I didn't hold back.  It was a time when I truly felt that I was communicating with God, and from the moment I started I knew He was listening!  A truly indescribable feeling.  I opened up and called down blessings, that he'd find a job, and would be able to keep providing for his family, and that they could continue to see blessings and feel of the Holy Ghost more in their lives.  We concluded the prayer, talked about the feelings of Joy, Peace, and Happiness we all felt.... obviously the spirit was there greatly!   The next day we got a call in the evening from our investigator.  He said he woke up, got online, made 1 phone call, and secured a job!  He would be starting tomorrow, and that he was going to be able to pay his bills.  Greater miracles worked out.  In order for him to get to work he needed gas, but they also needed food... In some old clothes he found a gift card, and was able buy food with that for his family to make it through the week and was able to use the other money to pay for gas so he could travel to work.  God is real.  So are miracles, this is a great miracle!  He hears and answers prayers.  It's hard to describe the feelings of the spirit when praying, but we prayed according to the will of God.  These are all righteous blessings that have resulted in an increased testimony of His existence.  One of my most powerful experiences on the mission for sure. 

I have to push myself every day to repeat the steps of actual communication with God, and not everyday is it this powerful, but I know it can be if needed. 

Well best run!

Love you all! 

Love Elder Rees

April 23, 2012

Well Family and friends,

Here we are, another week has gone by and I'm still alive.  Good news huh!  hahah!  Well I'm still serving in Cumberland ward, and now am serving with my "Brother" Elder S. Jones. 

He was trained by Elder Eric Jones (jones and jones, i know right!?), and they were in Crawfordsville... so we have a few things to talk about.  Elder Eric Jones then served as a Zone leader for a while, and then became My Trainer TOO, (hence he's my brother).   Elder Jones is from the NW corner of Phoenix.  He's got about 5 weeks left... he's a super missionary, and is my companion at this time for all the right reasons.  I am so blessed to have him. 

Well not much else has changed.  Life is getting better, we have lost a bunch of our investigators due to their laziness, and them not making us a priority.  It's kind of sad when people exercise their agency to make a choice that doesn't end in a covenant, but all we are allowed to do is invite.  We are out to find those who are prepared right now to find  the gospel.  We are going to be stepping up our efforts with the members of the ward, and increase the spirit of missionary work in their lives.... It's starting to show that they are not too motivated.  The bishop actually had us re-sing the rest hymn of "Put your shoulder to the wheel" because our first attempt was pitiful.  Members and investigators alike have a hard time feeling welcomed in that ward, and i know that is something that we can help with. 

My life the past 6 weeks was pretty hard.  I didn't realize it but I was slacking in the work.  I was allowing my companion to do everything and outshine me in every way, which then led to a hard few last weeks, and it made it very hard to function.  As I talked with President Collins about a few things that were on my mind he helped me apply this tool, it can be applied to almost any trial, or temptation for that matter, and I can testify that having put it to work for the last week it is working:

 I'm paraphrasing from memory....

We seem to approach our trials in a very head on way... As if there is a doorway to get through, and in that door way is a Giant, a man so large there is no way around him.  So we gird up our loins, fresh courage take, arm ourselves with the armor of God, and get to the fight!  We swing, jab, poke, slash, cut, thrust, stab, attack at full force, and eventually end up exhausted, and tired.  Easily able to be knocked over by the smallest of temptations that Giant still has in his arsenal.  The trick is to back up.  We know that every step backwards is a success!  Even if we only move a few inches or a few feet, we are moving away from that fight against the giant, and each step is a victory.  We continue to step back until we manage to move ourselves out of range, but don't stop there, keep going backward until we see that giant as a small little speck on our horizon.  The giant won't and can't follow us!  We are now safe!  The temptations of Satan are still there, but they are now so small and far away, we see them coming, and are able to push them aside very quickly.  They no longer have effect. 

As I once again reflect on his story, and parallel it with one Jodi sent me, it's easier to see that we aren't only stepping away from our giants, but we are stepping closer to the Lord.  We look to him, turn your back to the giant and face the joy of the truly living the gospel. 

I've had to do a lot of self reflecting these past few weeks, and it's been a joy to realize that I may not be as close to the Lord as I thought, and have a wonderful opportunity to put myself closer and closer to him by truly living his gospel...  Faith, Repentance, Sacrament, and relying on the Holy Ghost! 

I'm not out of reach from my giant yet, but I know I will be soon.

I love you all, and look forward to Mothers day when I can talk with some of you! 


Love Elder Rees