July 15, 2009

The missionary work has been about the same this week, not too much of a change. We dropped the Ewashen family because we couldn't get in contact with them. They live next to the Bishop. We hope he will keep in contact with them.

Last night we had the opportunity to work with a less active man and his son, Landon. Landon is in his twenties and has never been baptized. We had a really good conversation with him and invited him to play basketball with us on Tuesday nights. He said he was busy that night, but to call anytime we need an extra player.

Ben was out of town this week, but we read and studied Third Nephi 11 with his mother on Monday night. The Blanchards should be back in town and able to get to church with us this next Sunday. We just have to make contact with them his week.

A typical Sunday is waking up and writing my weekly letter to President Rhodes, or reading the lesson that we may be teaching that morning. We arrive at the meeting house about 9 a.m. so we can greet people as they arrive or help where needed. Sacrament meeting begins at 10 a.m. with the other meetings of the block following. We return to our apartment afterward for lunch and a break. We also study for two hours from the missionary library; Preach My Gospel and the standard works. After that we usually go tracting for an hour. Then we go to dinner and visit a few members. We are back at our apartment by 8 p.m. to fill our reports.

Hmm! It's weird to think of my Dad being in the stake high council, but I guess I kind of knew something of the sort would happen eventurally. After all, he is worthy and knows a lot about the Gospel. Congrats Dad.

July 8, 2009

So I have some exciting news. We have an investigator with a baptismal date? He is ten years old and is the son of a less active member who is trying to come back to church. Ben wants to be baptized in August and right now the 29th is set for the his baptism day. Judy, his mother, has been having a lot of really big trials. We're helping her through them the best we can, but of course it's still going to be hard for her. Of course I could be transferred by then.

Our other investigators are doing well. The Blanchard's, Lorraine and Chuck, have committed to come to church in a couple of weeks, after Lorraine gets back from San Francisco. They want to do things together.

We've been playing tennis with a couple of the guys in the ward on our preparation day. FUN

The visit to Jasper Park was good. It was a long trip, eight hours in the car round trip. We were tired when we got home.

July 8, 2009

July 2, 2009

I've got some pretty exciting news. Lorraine and Chuck Blanchard have been talking about joining the church! We've been taking things nice and slow with them. We haven't received an impression to challenge them to baptism quite yet, but they are progressing quite well. They are reading the gospel principles book, They have read the True to the Faith book that we gave them. We feel that they may get baptized in the closer future than we first thought.

By the way, I gave a talk in Zone conference a few days ago. We had the topic of how hearing the restored doctrines of the gospel helps people to eagerly choose to be baptized and join the church. I shared the story about great-great-great-great-grandpa William Morley Black. It was quite a good testimony of how things can go if taught to the needs and interests of the investigator. I even shared the quote that is on his head stone in the Blanding cemetery, "I found the Gold I was looking for." I've never forgotten that from the first time I saw it. It again touched my heart while I told the story of his conversion and how much he knew the gospel was true. It's amazing how the spirit works because that's similar to the way things are going with Lorraine and Chuck. They are becoming closer and closer to making that decision ever since they made the choice to listen to our message.

We celebrated Canaday day on July 1st. It is similar to July 4th in the United States. I feel more inclined to celebrate the 4th than the 1st.