COMPANION: ELDER WELSH
ASSISTANTS
I was in Fernandina Beach for a week! A WEEK! It was crazy! I finally got back on Friday. From Friday to Sunday night we had 12 hours to proselyte and we found 6 new investigators and taught 18 lessons! Lessons are apparently only supposed to be 40 minutes, apparently. So that was a busy weekend.
Miracles! Elder Kopischke told us to ask members not to find someone for us to teach, but to pray that WE would find someone to teach in their home. So while I was gone Elder Welsh tried it with a recent convert family in their 70's. People in their 70's are great, but not a ton of them are super excited to make major life changes and join a new church, so having this family pray that we would find a family perfect for them to fellowship was something of a faith stretcher. But we DID!!!!!!!! Hah! We knocked on the wrong door looking for a part-member family in the ward and an 85 year old lady who had previously been taught by the sisters and already had a Book of Mormon came to the door and asked us to teach her! Miracle!
Fernandina Beach is on an Island called Amelia Island. The Elders there also cover a city on the mainland called Yulee. One day we biked from the Island to Yulee. We biked. Over the ocean. To a whole other city. Where there were no bike lanes. So we biked through the grass. And my companion was type 1 diabetic and his blood sugar crashed to 45 and wouldn't go back up so we bought him a pie and I lost my phone and some crazy person found it and called a bunch of other crazy people and then I got the phone back and got a bunch of calls at 1 in the morning and yeah. It was an adventure.
What else happened? One of our investigators in Fernandina Beach is going to be baptized! Woooooooo!!! I was only there a week but I feel like we walked the whole path together! Her name is Tyanna and she is great. We taught the family they are renting from while we were there. Tyanna's husband was in a car accident and lost his arm. But then they found it and sewed it back on! But it doesn't work very well. But one day it might! So we helped him rake leaves. But the gnats live in the leaves. And the gnats bite here. So I was bitten. Many times. Many much bites. Yikes.
Right now we are re-furnishing our house. We took all the old lame furniture and put it into storage. Goodbye plastic desks and wood chairs, hello wood desks and leather chairs! Hehehee. We live the high life. I'm not sure how we fit two desks, two lamps, and a dresser into our mini van, but that's what's back there right now. Adventure time.
The week mostly consisted of an absolutely ridiculous series of attempts to apply everything we were taught by Elder Kopischke the previous week. I would just walk up to people and say, "Hello! We want to talk with you about baptism!" or something equally interesting/awkward. Elder Welsh had a couple of complaints about my record keeping. He'd only been in the area for a week when I left, so he didn't exactly know everyone. And on my record keeping.... Well, it leaves something to be desired. Elder Welsh was not pleased. Record keeping is definitely not a strong suit of mine. I'll send a picture of one of the teaching reports he pulled up at random... Anyway.
We found a patch of woods with a street sign in it! I'll send that picture. We also found a giant spider that looked poisonous.... You'll get that picture too. Yes, it's a real spider.
I'm not sure there are many other stories. Except for the regular craziness. We're teaching a lady with a dog named bacon. We found a new investigator from Syria who wants an Arabic Book of Mormon. You really should not leave chia seeds in water for two weeks and then drink it, apparently. Trying to train up missionaries. Trying to inspire. Trying to become converted myself. Trying to aim higher.
I've been pondering a lot of things this week. One of my assignments was to make a list one one second question approaches. I'll send the list along and you can evaluate how you would feel if two smiling young men walked up to you, said hello, and then said something from the list. It's prompted me to ask myself a lot of questions. I'm not sure of the answers. But I'm excited for conference. I'm excited for life. I'm excited for my mission. I love it.
More Quotes! I had some thoughts this week I'd like to share. All of these come from past general conference talks I studied this week. Isn't conference exciting???? We need to be more excited as a people, I think. More reverent, and more excited. Anyway, on the importance of a Prophet:
Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Council of the Twelve said: “The Latter-day Saints do not do things because they happen to be printed in a book. They do not do things because God told the Jews to do them; nor do they do or leave undone anything because of instructions that Christ gave to the Nephites. Whatever is done by this Church is because God speaking from heaven in our day has commanded this Church to do it. No book presides over this Church and no books lie at its foundation. You cannot pile up books enough to take the place of God’s priesthood inspired by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Conference Reports, Oct. 1916.)
A Living Prophet
On the importance of humility:
“There is no end to the good that can be accomplished when we are not concerned as to the one who will receive the credit.”
The Right to Choose
On the wonders of the world:
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Value of the Holy Scriptures
On the value of the spirit over logic:
Dim as the borrow’d beams of moon and stars
To lonely, weary, wand’ring travelers,
Is Reason to the soul; and, as on high
Those rolling fires discover but the sky,
Not light us here, so reason’s glimmering ray
Was lent, not to assure our doubtful way,
But guide us upward to a better day.
And as those nightly tapers disappear,
When day’s bright lord ascends our hemisphere;
So pale grows Reason at Religion’s sight;
So dies, and so dissolves in supernatural light.
~John Dryden
The Matter of Personal Testimony
This next one is an official declaration of President Abraham Lincoln. Imagine having a president who would say:
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the Offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” ~Abraham Lincoln (“A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America,” March 30, 1863, as cited in Richardson, Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Washington, D.C.: United States Congress, 1897, pp. 164–65.)
The Constitution—A Glorious Standard
That is what our nation needs. Men of righteousness. Men of God. George Washington was such a man. When serving in the army, he had a member of his staff write this letter to the officers of the army:
“The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in our American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little hope of the blessing of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impropriety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.”
Seeking Eternal Riches
And Joseph Smith was such a man.
The great question which all men in our day must answer--and that at the peril of their own salvation--is: Was Joseph Smith called of God?
Joseph Smith—The Mighty Prophet of the Restoration
I testify that he was. I declare that I know it, for it has been made known unto me by a heavenly power. I testify of his divine call and his magnificent calling as the prophet of the Restoration in the name of Jesus Christ, and I lie not, God bearing witness of it.
~Elder Jorgensen
P.S. The approach list. First say, "Hello!" Then say...
1) Jesus Christ is the most important name in my life. He is my Savior and Redeemer. What do you think about Jesus Christ?
2) We are here to talk with you about peace. What brings you peace?
3) I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He has done everything for us. What are some things that you have done for Him?
4) We are here to talk with you because of an answer to a prayer. How does God answer your prayers?
5) We were led here by the spirit to talk with you. What does the spirit feel like to you?
6) We are guides sent to help those who are searching for answers to life's questions. Have you ever asked the question: (insert question of the soul, use corresponding Book of Mormon chapter to testify)
7) We are here to talk with you because we have come to know a loving God. What are some ways your Heavenly Father has shown His love for you?
8) Our families have been blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. How has the gospel blessed your family?
9) We are here on a mission from God. What do you believe God is like?
10) We are here to talk with you about eternal life. What do you believe life is like after death?
11) We have a message for you from Jesus Christ that will enable you to improve the quality of your life. Without getting too personal, what are some problems or challenges that you are going through that you need Jesus Christ's help with?
12) We want to talk with you about how Jesus Christ can help you change. What does the word "repentance" mean to you?
13) Our message is simple. God is our Father. Do you believe that you are a son (or daughter) of God? What does this mean to you?
14) We are here to help you learn to protect yourself from sin. How do you avoid sin?
15) We teach simple truths to help fathers and mothers, and husbands and wives, to protect their families. How do you avoid the evils of the world that threaten your family?
16) The family is central to the message that we share. How do you strengthen your relationship with your spouse?
17) We are here to help you find balance in your life. How do you balance your career and family?
18) We are here because of a message that has brought immense joy into our hearts. What brings you joy?
19) We share simple, inspired tools with those who are willing to listen that will strengthen individuals and families. What do you do to help your family be happy and united?
20) We want to talk with you about your relationship with God. How would God describe you?
21) We teach and prepare individuals and families for baptism. What significance does baptism have to you?
22) We are here to help you find questions and receive answers to them. Have you ever asked the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" What are your thoughts?
23) We are here to discuss with you the purpose of your life. What is the purpose of your life?
24) We are here to bring you a hope and confidence in where you stand with God and what comes next for you. What do you believe happens after death?
25) We want to talk to you about the blessings of your belief. I have been helped so much by a belief in Jesus Christ. How does (or would) a belief in Jesus Christ help you?
26) We have a message for you of the Savior's love and mercy, and also of His expectations. What do you feel that Jesus Christ expects of you?
27) We are here to teach you how to have a greater hope. What gives you hope? What do you hope for?
28) We are here to propose an experiment to you to build your faith. What do you do to strengthen your faith?
29) We want to discuss with you the process of personal revelation. Have you had an experience where you felt God answer your prayers? If so, will you share it with us?
30) We have evidence that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have come to earth and shown themselves to men not only anciently, but in these modern times! What would it mean to you to know for sure that the Lord has appeared and spoken to mankind again?
31) Our message will enable you to change not only your behaviors, but also your desires. What are some things that you know you SHOULD do, but that you have no DESIRE to do?
32) Our purpose is to help you expand your faith. What do you have faith in?
33) We believe that the purpose of life is to prepare to meet God. If you were to stand before God and meet Him again today, how would you feel?
34) We have come to teach you our Father's great Plan of Happiness. At what time in your life were you the most happy?
35) We want to teach you how to come to know for sure and to be certain of things that you may now only hope are true. What are some hopes you have that you wish you were more certain of?
36) We have one message for you today. Through a modern prophet, God has restored knowledge about the Plan of Salvation. What does the word "salvation" mean to you?
37) In only a few moments, we help people to better recognize what the spirit feels like to them. What was your last experience feeling the Holy Spirit?
38) We have a message for you about modern miracles. What miracles have you seen on your life?
39) We are here to share our knowledge and our testimony with you that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to a man named Joseph Smith and called him to be a prophet for the whole earth. What does the word "prophet" mean to you?
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