Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Great Falls

Two Mommas boys
I really enjoyed this week. This week went by really fast I thought. It seems like yesterday I was writing you all. Me and Elder Burnham have been working really hard this past week. During our zone meeting, We made a goal to have 10 people on date for baptism by the end of the transfer. At first I thought it was absolutely crazy, but just this past week we met with T who is a less active lady and she has not met with the missionaries for quite a while. Then we get a call from a lady telling us that she wants to meet with the missionaries again! When we went over and talked with T. As we were talking with her; her son, walked in and we asked him if he was still interested in learning about the gospel. He said yes! So we taught the first lesson and we invited him to be baptized after talking about the experience that Joseph Smith  had in the grove of trees,  and he said that he would want to. We were so exited! 

I really enjoyed the zone conference that we had as a mission. I took alot of things out of it. I feel that alot of the things that were said were very inspired. 

Then yesterday, we met with another less active who is an older man. We talked with him to see how he was doing. As the conversation went on, we started talking about his grandkids and he told us that all of his grandkids had not been baptized yet! We asked him how many he had he said eight!  So that leaves us still with 6 potential people on date! When we met with him he said that he was going to call a big family meeting where they are going to talk about the grandkids and how they need to be baptized. We have prayed about help to find a family to teach and to get 10 people on date. and we both feel strongly that that is an answer to our prayers. We could have 7 people on date and baptized in the next month, and we have a big family to teach. 

Also something amazing this week was this past Sunday where the whole stake met in the stake center for a massive sacrament meeting and we also talked about the boundary changes and every bishop got released and new bishops called. Something interesting was that since all the bishops got released, everyone that had a job got released as well! Now the newly called bishops have to basically start there own ward organization again. I thought to myself, "I wonder how Joseph Smith felt when he had to build up the church." This  week went really well and I hope everyone else's was too.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Farewell Malta

This week was the longest week ever. I thought that I was going to be staying in Malta for sure. Elder Sumner and I got along really well, and we did a lot of service and work there and I loved the area.

a picture of my zone
At least now I won't have to drive for 4 hours each week for district meetings. My new companion is the district leader. 
I am now in a big city, with 6 sets of missionaries. My companion and I live with a member in their basement. I am already seeing myself adjusting to this area and I love the people here. I am doing very well.

I sent a box home that has a hat or two or three in it. These were given to me by a really cool guy. I kept others to wear during service projects. You can try them on and take pics with them and send them to me to see how you look with them. That's the only time that you can wear them. When I come back off my mission,  and speak at my homecoming, I might be wearing boots and pants and a vest and a hat. That would be a sight to see. (Don't forget the bolo tie)

Monday, July 7, 2014

Happy 4th of July

This  week had some ups and downs. I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! Mine was awesome! I like the firework shows because even though they are beautiful, it resembles the bombs during the wars. It really makes me grateful that we are here in this country and that I know that this is the promised land. I also finished the book of mormon for the first time on july 6th. The cool thing is that I finished it in 6 WEEKS!!!!!! I started at the beginning of the transfer, I have started reading it again and I want to keep trying to finish it by the end of every single transfer. if I do that, then I would have read the book of mormon 15 or so times before the end of my mission. I was reading and this scripture came up and I thought it was appropriate for the 4th of july. 


  "And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles. And I will fortify this land against all other nations. And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God." (2 Nephi 10:11-13)



 I had mixed emotions as i found out about the transfer information. I am grateful to be going to GreatFalls  for this next transfer. I thought that I was going to be staying here in Malta for sure! When the zone leader called and said that I was  leaving, I said, "TAKE IT BACK, TAKE IT BACK!!!"  once again, I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!





 here are the stats.... it was a really slow week

Investigators baptized=0
Investigators confirmed=0
Investigators with a baptismal date=4
Investigators who attended sacrament meeting=0
Lessons taught with a member present=0
Other lessons taught=1
Progressing investigators=4
Referrals received=0
Referrals contacted=0
New investigators=0

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Have a cookie there captain

I am so exited for this upcoming transfer! I can’t believe that it has already been 6 weeks! This past transfer went by so fast, me and Elder Sumner are really good friends now.  We both think that we are going to stay here in Malta for this next transfer, but who knows where we might go? I’ve really come to love this place and this people here in Malta. It would be really hard to see myself leaving this place, but I couldn't see myself leaving Belgrade either. I feel like I am supposed to be here for another transfer. The work is going really well. We have been working with members, and have a few people progressing toward baptism in the next few weeks. We have been praying long and hard for them. 

Should have been a cowboy

This picture is of me and Cliff. He is the coolest guy you could ever meet! He is so nice and he always says, " so how many did you convert today?" every time that we would go and see him. When we are there he always feed us cookies and he always says, " have a cookie there, captain.."
We helped out with the rodeo again this week, pushing cows up the chutes. I almost got kicked a few times.

Thanks for the packages that came this week. I got a packaged that contained some cowboy boots, and another package that had some 4th of July decorations and homemade treats.