Now Testify! - 01/28/13

I don't know how many of you knew this, but Saturday the 26th was Australia Day. I celebrated by eating two traditional Australian desserts with my Cole Canyon ward mission leader: lambington and pavlova. Then they sang God Save the Queen really loudly while I was in the bathroom. We also looked at his photo albums of his mission in Australia where he biked everywhere and was basically far less of a wimp than I am.

 

My companion and I enjoyed our week together. Our car is still at the shop and will probably stay there for another week. Our fleet coordinator didn't think it was fair for us to bike 3 weeks straight because of an accident that wasn't our fault, so he found a loaner car for us to use. I'm pretty happy that we can drive now. But since this car is so nice and new, it makes me nervous about what would happen if it got messed up. I guess I'm just really not used to that new car smell and it weirds me out.

 

We managed to pick up some straggling investigators and less actives this week. I'm confident that some of them will continue to progress towards baptism.  We are working with a young married couple.  The husband is an inactive member, his wife was once a pretty solid investigator but they haven't been very reliable recently. On Tuesday, we taught them a lesson, and the wife made her husband turn off the tv, get off the couch, and participate in the lesson. And we now have a standing appointment to teach them and hopefully prepare him for baptism. 

Another sister has two kids, 8 and 9 years old, who are both unbaptized. They recently found out that the 8 year old may have throat cancer. The ward is offering lots of help, and we now have a standing appointment to teach them. The kids love hearing scripture stories and I pray that we might be able to soften the heart of the father and ex-husband to get them baptised. 

The real miracle of this week was "EA"'s friend. We taught him three times this week. On Wednesday, after we finished the plan of salvation, he handed over his cigarettes and lighter and committed to quit smoking right then and there. He hasn't smoked since. We didn't think he would make it to church on Sunday, because he was out of town with family, but he got home at 12:30 and made it to church at 1. Good thing, too, because it was the first time that "EA" got to help bless the sacrament, and it brought a tear to my eye to see my friend progress in the gospel like that.  The friend also walked up to us and told us that he had a profound experience this weekend, and that he's made the decision to get baptised. I couldn't be happier! I will have to get him an interview with the Mission President, who wants to talk to our bishop first before he does anything. We will see how it pans out, but it sounds like he is finding the same deep conversion that "EA" has found. They both contribute a lot in our lessons and in the sunday school class. They really get it and they really love it. It's so cool to watch. 

I also really enjoyed a multizone conference this week. I've found a conference talk that I love as a result. The Love of God, Dieter F Uchtdorf, October 2009.

"Why Should We Love God? God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration. No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!  For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ."

We spent a lot of time tracting in the rain this week. I got really, really dejected the first day we tried biking in the rain and I ended up with mud splattered all over the back of my white shirt before we even got to our first house. We decided to go home and clean up instead of get mud everywhere. I took pictures of it, then made myself a cup of hot chocolate and tried not to let my depression rub off too much on my companion. We did get some good work done, and I thoroughly enjoyed wearing my trench coat that my grandpa Tuckett gave me. One of our recent convert families told me it makes me look like Sherlock Holmes from the new BBC series. I know of at least a couple friends at home that would just squeal at that idea. I'll have to take pictures sometime.

The work continues to roll forward. We sat down with both of our Relief Society presidents recently and went over the ward lists. I made lots of notes and I think we have a good idea of who in the wards need our help the most, and who can help us the most. From here on out, we are going to try and be more organized and more efficient. I want to train my companion as best I can. I want to be the very best, like no one ever was.

Something that I really enjoyed recently was the Mormon Message Reclaimed. It's based off a Shayne Bowen talk. http://www.mormonchannel.org/video?v=1795507066001

Have a fantastic week guys!

Death by bicycle - 01/22/13

Day 7. By the grace and mercy of God, I have been spared the tedium of biking to the library by virtue of my Zone Leaders' benevolence. I shall engrave their names upon my heart forever. I still have to bike to the top of the Cole Canyon ward for a lesson at 5, back down to the Murrieta Hills Ward for dinner at 6, and then back to the middle of Cole Canyon for a lesson at 7. At 8, the Cole Canyon Relief Society President will be meeting us at our homeshare. I could not be more pleased with her decision to come and meet us.

 

Up until day 4, I was under the impression that biking would be a 3 or 4 day experiment. Now I am told it will last 9 days. May the Almighty have mercy upon my legs, for the hills of Calle Del Oso Oro beneath my bicycle tires will have none.

 

In all seriousness, my area is not as hilly as it could be, and it's quite small by comparison to other areas in the zone, but I am so out of shape that I am completely whipped at the end of the day. It is difficult enough that I can't help but think about how much cushier my computer chair was back home compared to the bicycle seat that I find myself struggling to stay on top of.

 

My greenie used to bike from his home in Springville, Utah to classes at BYU every day, and then after the 20 mile round trip, he'd sometimes go biking for fun for an additional 30+ miles. He bikes circles around me. And every time he passes by somebody that we could have stopped to talk to, it hurts me. I've skipped right by people out of fear of my companion waiting at our destination for 45 minutes while I plod along at my own pace and stop to talk to everyone he skips. It's a little bit frustrating. But I'm getting better. And I'm sure that I'm getting stronger at cycling. But I'm still pretty weak, and it's humbling, for sure.

 We've talked to a lot of people in the past week, including several inactives that miraculously let us in even though nobody else has been able to get in the door in months. I guess that's the power of greenie work. Or perhaps they just can't help but let me in when I look so tired and pathetic. Who knows.

The lessons are starting to pick back up after the holiday excuses. Our new investigators from last week continue to progress. I love being a missionary here.

The homeshare has a baby in it. The daughter and son in law of Sister "Y", had their baby boy Jacob last week but he had to stay in the NICU until just last night. So now we have the tiny sounds of newborn cries in the hallways whenever we're home. Which honestly, is more often than I'd like because of the training program that takes 12 weeks to finish.

 Well, I'm off to save the world. Thanks to anyone who's still sending me mail!

I can tell we are going to be friends - 01/14/13

Another week has come and gone. Things are looking up.

My new companion is Elder "E". He likes a lot of nerdy things, so we have a lot to talk about. He's from Springville, Utah; so we had a fun little discussion about the difference between the LDS Church and Utah Mormon Culture. So far he seems willing to work and ready to learn. I like that. Now if only I knew what to teach him, we'd be golden. I'm constantly finding myself at a loss as to what to teach him first, and how to convey that information in a way that sticks without overwhelming him. I think the best thing has been for him to just come along and do missionary work. I've put him on the spot a couple of times, so that he's not just watching me do missionary work the whole time, but I'm trying to give him enough space to get comfortable and let him learn by watching me. But I've got to turn up the pressure a little bit to make sure he pays attention. His critical thinking skills are top notch, actually, and I'm quite excited to see how we can work into a pair of legendary missionaries.
Both of our ward mission leaders are completely stoked and on fire.  The Cole Canyon ward mission leader is an attorney by trade and has lots to offer us in terms of organization and teaching skills.  The Murrieta Hills mission leader has so much drive and passion for missionary work, he reminds me of the apostle Peter jumping off the boat to see his Lord that much quicker. Both of our bishops back us up completely, and the ward council seems very friendly towards missionary work. So now we just need to have faith, be obedient, and work as hard as we can to live up to the potential of this area and the expectations that our wards have for us.

Hopefully sometime soon we can get some more missionaries in this zone so we don't have to share two wards to one set of missionaries. Apparently this was brought up in a stake correlation meeting. It wouldn't surprise me if we got a ton more missionaries in the next two transfers. The one that my greenie came in had 14 elders and 1 sister. I'm told there are a lot more sisters on the way.

My companion is being trained in the ways of Missionary work by yours truly, but he is my personal trainer when it comes to personal fitness. I've worked out harder in the past week than I have since I used to rock climb. It's actually pretty fun. I just hope that my poor little lungs and heart can handle it.

Starting tomorrow, we will be getting our car fixed at the body shop, so we will have to bike or get rides to all of our appointments. I think we can handle biking most of the Cole Canyon ward, since it's so darn tiny, but biking the Murrieta Hills ward will be both a long way and a hilly way to go. We have a ride to our first HM appointment on Tuesday, but nothing else has been worked out yet. We will see.

We got two new investigators this week! One in each of the wards. Our recent convert brought his friend to church yesterday, and we taught them at a member's home Sunday night. He seems very spiritual and very interested in what we have to say. In the Murrieta Hills ward, we got a phone call to give someone a blessing, so we walked in blindly and witnessed a miracle. A sickly and coherent man lay on the bed before us, and after we gave him a priesthood blessing, he sat up and spoke to us. The friend that gave us the phone call is actually a member of the Spanish branch, and we are so proud of him for having so much faith and sharing the gospel at work.

Hopefully I can continue to exercise faith and train my greenie to work hard! The miracles will keep on coming.

Psalms 4:7.  Elder Hansen

Life comes at you fast - 01/07/13

Tomorrow, I will be going to the mission office to pick up my new companion fresh off the plane. I will be training a new missionary. I have no clue what his name is yet, and I am humbled at the prospect of teaching someone the ropes in the second area of my mission. My mission president must trust me a lot.

 

My enthusiasm for the work in Murrieta has been growing even more. The thought of losing my companion's knowledge and having to train here would have terrified me three weeks ago, but I think I've learned enough to keep the ball rolling here. Mostly I think my attitude just needed a bit of adjusting. A little self-introspection has helped me a lot.

 

I went on my first hike this morning, up a little ridge to a outcrop they call Pride Rock. It was a short little hike up a brushy little hill, but it was my first outdoor excursion since the surgery, and probably the most exercise I've had in one go since then, as well. I took a couple of pictures. It was a nice feeling, making it all the way to the top. My pulse was quicker and I was sweating a bit, but I didn't feel like an invalid. It was nice.

 

I had to scold myself a little bit for not getting my paperwork filled out promptly for the baptisms we had in December. The mission office called us for them and we made a special hour-long commute to deliver them in person so they could get reported in 2012 instead of 2013. I should have stayed on top of those, considering I've baptized before and my companion hadn't, and I should have understood the magnitude and importance of getting the papers in. But we got them in on time for the 2012 deadline, and made our office staff pretty happy.

 

Now, we have to go back and pack like madmen for my current companion's first transfer. He is being doubled in training as a district leader in an area that was primarily neglected by previous Elders. That's pretty hardcore in my humble opinion. I was amazed that President Smart trusts me enough to train already, but Elder "C" is definitely leadership material despite being a transfer younger than me. He is looking forward to the new challenges and the new area. I am humbly asking that you guys pray for me to have patience, love, and discernment. I am way stoked about teaching a new guy but also very nervous about screwing him up. I guess I'm already a neurotic paranoid parent and I should loosen up a bit. We will see how this guy is when I meet him tomorrow.

 I met some very interesting characters on the street this week. There's a Starbucks barista that I really kick myself for not getting any information from, but I imagine if we hang around that Starbucks across from our chapel, we can find her again. She has Salvador Dali artwork tattooed on one arm, and Allen Ginsberg poetry on her other arm: "The weight of the world is love." Think about that one for a minute. Outside that same Starbucks, we met a musician.  His guitar playing was pretty intense, in an emotionally inspiring kind of way. He believes in the Torah, but isn't a practicing Jew. He told us he is almost certain that the events in the Torah can be proven by scientific understanding. That was an interesting idea to turn over.

 I know that God loves us all and wants us all to be happy. "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39.

Well, this is it. Let's see how things go with me and my greenie.

It has been awhile - 01/03/13

Thanks to the holidays, I haven't been able to email in a long time. But I'm very happy to report that I'm very happy.

Transfers are coming up! Calls go out Saturday, and Monday is transfer day. Since my companion has been here for so darn long, I'm guessing he will be leaving for greener pastures. But you never know what mission president has in store for us.

 

I'm impressed with how wonderful the Lord is in directing us exactly to where we need to be in order to answer someone's prayers. Right after Christmas, I felt like we should visit a certain older couple. When we showed up, the wife told us that she was feeling sick, and that she had been praying for us to show up. Why she didn't pick up the phone and call us, I'm not sure. But the Lord knows his children, and he demonstrated to us his love through that soft and gentle prompting which led to spiritual experience for all of us that were involved.

 

Similarly, I received a letter from an investigator in my past area expressing her struggles to follow the right path after we left. She thanked me for not giving up on her even when she was hard to get a hold of, and that the sister missionaries that replaced me stopped visiting or calling. She also shared with me a scripture verse that I had never shared with her, so she must have been studying. It was Alma 32:13, very similar to Ether 12:27, which she really enjoyed. But I was dismayed to hear that she was slipping back into old habits, and that she felt farther away from God than she did when we were teaching her. I decided to text the sister missionaries and ask them to try to visit her again. Again, I was amazed to find out that they had followed up on a similar spiritual prompting and they had visited this woman, taught her, and set a return appointment. I should have more faith in my fellow missionaries, it seems! But it's so great to hear about how they are bringing her back into the fold.

The mail has picked back up again, with everybody sending me Christmas wishes and holiday cards. It's good to know that I'm not completely forgotten. Spending Christmas as a missionary was a little bit lonely, but I was never really alone. I imagine Moroni must have felt terribly lonely as one of the last remaining survivors of an exterminated race of people, but as he followed the promptings of the Holy Ghost, he was able to fulfill his mission and feel the love of God no matter what the circumstances.

 

I'm hoping that I will continue to faithfully serve without whining and being trunky throughout this brand new year. So far, 2013 has been pretty fun, and full of invigorating missionary experiences. As I continue to learn and grow, God blesses me more and more. 

"The more faithful service you give, the more the Lord asks of you. Your smile is a happy one because you know that He increases our power to carry the heavier load. The tough part of that reality, however, is that for Him to give you that increased power, you must go in service and faith to your outer limits." Henry B. Eyring 

Love you guys, have a fun holiday. I'll be emailing again on Monday.