Focus on Christ

 Wow! I heard Christmas music in Walmart for the first time today, so that just started the day off right!

These last few weeks have flown by! We've had four of five days of Zone Conference and about eight or more exchanges within that time frame as well. Things are incredibly busy, but it's been so good to stay focused and motivated. Building relationships with the missionaries is still just one of the highlights of my service, being able to interact and work alongside one another.

Lately I've been refocusing my studies into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Those studies have placed me primarily in the New Testament Gospels as well as in 3rd Nephi in the Book of Mormon. It's been stunning to learn more about, and see His characteristics in action. It seems to me that we all too often talk about following Christ's example and replicating His attributes, yet we don't fully comprehend how He Himself exemplifies those characteristics. Because of those thoughts I'd been having, my study has been simply following His actions and looking for ways that I can replicate them.

Simply put, I think it's time we all study and learn a little more about Christ, as He is the center of all we do. Join with me! Study the 2200 references for Cjrist in the Topical Guide, or find something that works for you, but develop some way that you can come to know your Savior better!

John 17:3 

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

 It has been an insane week, but as always, somehow everything worked out extremely well! Time and time again the Lord magnifies our efforts and helps for everything to work out as He desires. 

" Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."

The Lord will always enable us to do more, and be more, as we trust in Him and His power. Great miracles are in store for all of us!

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

 Well I just recently realized that I didnt write last week, so sorry about that! 

General Conference was INCREDIBLE, especially the third session. That one really answered many of my key questions. Lately I've been trying to recognize what is most important for me to work on and develop, and simply, my answer has been to get to know Christ  and the Father better. To get started I've been diving into the New Testament and studying from the Jesus Christ section in Gospel Library. It's crazy to see how much we truly do know about Him! 

The true value of knowing Christ is incomparable. It allows us to see what we lack, what we can achieve, and the means by which we can get there. Luckily, I've found that consistent effort to live like Christ is truly what brings us the most joy!

Mosiah 4:9-12

Letter from President Ames

 THE CHURCH OF

Jesus Christ

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS



MISSOURI INDEPENDENCE MISSION

517 W. Walnut Street

Independence, Missouri 64050-6050





 



Dear Parents,
 
Greetings from the Missouri Independence Mission.  I hope to periodically write a letter to all of you to report on the mission.  I know you get some information from your children but this may give a big picture view.  Sister Ames and I prayed and fasted that we would be filled with love for each and every missionary.  I can say that I have felt that love for these wonderful missionaries.  As you are likely aware, we have a large number right now.  We have 231 currently and will be getting 35 new ones in two weeks.  We will be sending 10 home so a net increase of 25 missionaries that will put us at 257.  It has been a joy to get to know each of them. 
 
It is good I am writing as I get a little emotional when I talk to people about this band of missionaries serving here in the center place of Zion during a global pandemic.  I am happy to report, that to date, we have not had a single missionary test positive for the COVID-19 virus (knock on wood).  We have had many scares and have had to quarantine a number of them for a time due to some exposure of one kind or another.  Missionaries are still restricted from tracting, street contacting, and teaching in the homes of people they teach.  They are also not allowed to eat inside a member’s home.  They have been able to eat outside a member’s home but sadly, the weather is cooling off a little too much for that to be comfortable.   They are allowed short meetings in member homes where all involved are masked up.  Sister Ames and I have a serious focus on keeping the missionaries safe as well as those with whom they meet.
 
The work itself is moving ahead in a big way.  We no longer feel too restricted with the pandemic.  We are finding more effective ways to find and teach people that will ultimately hasten the work.  It is not likely we will go back to the old methods much.  Tracting may be a thing of the past.  We do best when we work with members to find people and this is happening more than ever before.  This is a result of the pandemic.  We manage 17 Facebook pages in the mission right now and we run ads on those pages which have proven to be successful.  We have miracles reported around the mission every day.  For the first few months, the finding process was very hard on missionaries and mainly focused on them getting on Facebook and trying to connect with people.  It was long, boring and difficult.  We now have some organized efforts around using Facebook pages and ways to better engage the members.   Our teaching pools are generally up as are the spirits of the missionaries.  The COVID clouds are parting and we can see the sun.   Missionary work in the future will be some much better than before.  These missionaries will likely need to do very few outdoor things during the cold weather months.  So, we are seeing happier, busier and more productive missionaries than we did just two months ago.  I must say it is really impressive to see all they can do on just a phone, they are all pretty amazing.
 
We consider it a great honor to serve with your sons and daughters.  They are truly among the very elect of God.  I am confident that the Lord Jesus Christ is fulfilling His commitment to watch over them and protect them.  We feel the power of Christ each day in this work.  Thanks for helping to prepare these wonderful missionaries to serve the Lord.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Lynn J Ames
President
Missouri Independence Mission
816-830-3604

 All I can say is it has been another week!

 Camilo hasn't been super responsive lately which had been tough, but we've been seeing many miracles with a girl named Alyssa! She is so cool and loves being able to feel the Spirit! Expect big things here soon!

The weather has also been incredible this week, so we've done a lot of driving with the windows down. It's been a memorable week!

Great Scott!

 My goodness, it has been a long week! We had 20+ hours of meetings with Elder Wong this week, which was such an incredible to be a part of! He taught so interactively while helping us both with our personal conversion as well as how we can improve as a mission. I've definitely felt the drive to improve and take my efforts one notch up. That was one message he shared often and very powerfully throughout the various meetings. He compared our efforts to high jump, and that when you practice, you can't just leave the bar low and make it every time; sometimes you've got to take it up a notch. Though you will likely knock it over often, it's the only way to improve! I have a goal to take my efforts up one notch each day, and I'd invite you to find a way to do the same for yourself!

Vale la Pena

 This previous week has been an good one. We were able to take a lot more time and work in our area which was super beneficial! As of last Friday we began a mission tour when a general authority comes to the mission to see how everything is going. This time around Elder Chi Hong Wong of the seventy has been zooming in to some meetings with us. On Friday we had a meeting with him just as the leadership of the mission and it was incredible! He is a very funny but straightforward man and is pushing a lot of faith and heart into the mission right now. That's pretty much been the theme of my week. I'm trying to find way that I can continue to grind and push myself with greater heart, and help other missionaries to raise the bar, and ultimately lead to greater success and conversion. It's definitely an uphill battle, but the cost is worth it!

Release Date

 Hello Parents,     

Good News…President Ames has made his final decision on the November Release date…it is now going to be on Tuesday, November 24th. I believe I have everyone’s airport information and will be ordering the flights sometime tomorrow. I will forward you a copy of your missionary’s itinerary once I receive it.

Madhouse

 Well, transfers were successful. My new companion Elder Call is a longtime mission pal and we are doing great! It was a crazy crazy week getting prepped and executing that while training my new companion, but it ended up going really well! Afterwards we headed up to Far West with the departures which is always a valuable experience. Right now, to summarize my week and feeling, I am beginning to feel as if I'm being placed again into the fiery furnace of affliction. Perhaps not due to terrible conditions, anxiety, or other difficulties, but simply due to added pressure and responsibility on my plate! I know that as I put my trust in the Lord and allow Him to make up for my shortcomings, all will be for my experience and betterment!

Fore!

 Well today President took us out to Top Golf, so that took up a bunch of the day. I purchased a polo for the occasion and it turned out really well! I hit those dang golf balls super good, I was surprised. President Ames was impressed as well, so I guess I'm just a natural.

This was a crazy week too! I got a new companion, Elder Call, who actually came out with me and who I've worked with for a long time as Zone Leaders, so it's super exciting to be companions. Elder Cruz also has a new companion and we're all living together as four assistants. It is the best time in the world! We are preparing for all the arrivals and other things going on, so the next week will be loaded! Anyways, the work is carrying forward, and we are taking steps to change the entire way we are doing things. We've come so far and there is more to uncover!

 Well, today was an odd day. We had planned to hang out with President for P-Day but it didn't end up working out, so we had to improvise which didn't go well. But it ended up being a good day! This week we did a lot of meetings and planning for the next step of the mission, so that has taken a lot of our time. Transfers are also coming up super soon so these next two weeks are going to be super busy. There are 24 new missionaries coming in, so the mission is still growing. Our friend Camilo is learning a ton and absolutely loves the Book of Mormon, so it is always great to teach him. This week we also got a new Bishop in our ward which was sad because we had to let Bishop Ames go, but our new bishop was actually pulled out of our mission presidency, so President Freestone is our new Bishop! That's pretty sweet. Anyways, things are going well and I'm loving every minute of it!

Deck

 These last couple of weeks have been a blast! I've been able to go on a bunch of exchanges, and I even got to help our Bishop rebuild his deck. (Thanks Dad for all you taught me!) Recently we've been developing a lot of new strategies for member missionary work and social media work to get everyone busy again! There are tons of changes going on, but it's incredible to be able to adapt and change to catch up with the hastening of this work! Today we had nothing boxing workout with Brother Campbell which was sweet! I think I'm starting to enjoy those workouts a little bit too much. We've been working with our pal Camilo lately. He's a friend of a couple new people in the ward and he is learning super quickly! We have a good feeling that he will get baptized pretty quickly here, and we are really excited for him to be able to receive those blessings. Elder Cruz and I are also working really well together which has been so much fun; it's even helped me to get back into using my Spanish a good amount! Everything going on lately has just been an incredible growing experience for me as I continue to try to support and teach a variety of different people throughout the mission. I've truly found that no growth can truly come without my trust and reliance upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ!

I'm still alive! Carry on!

Zoo

 Sorry everybody, but this week is going to be super short. We went to the zoo today so it was super busy! This week was great; we moved into a new apartment and it is super sweet! This upcoming week we have zone conference so itll be a super busy one! Just for your enjoyment, I read one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon this week. Its 2 Nephi chapter 4, so if you get a chance, go read it! Until next week!

Milagros

I  think that this has been the topic of plenty of emails before, but this week has been full of miracles! 

First of all, it is a miracle that we brought in a whole slew of new trainees so smoothly! The mission is booming now and there are only more to come! This whole group was full of powerful, prepared young missionaries which is super exciting to see.

Also, there are two new YSAs who moved into the ward who have been bringing their friend! He is super engaged in church, loves the Book of Mormon, and wants to have lessons weekly! He is golden and just so happy to be meeting with us. 

We've got some big goals for the upcoming month, but I'm excited to see how the Lord brings those goals to pass! 

Here's a scripture I love that teaches how those miracles can come to pass, even at crazy times!

Alma 34:9 "For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made."

Bienvenido a la Jungla

 Here we go again!

This week is transfer week, and it's going to be BIG! This go around we are getting 27 new missionaries into the mission, the biggest group yet. But that's not all, each of them is a brand new trainee! That means like a quarter of the mission will be training.

With all that happening it's going to be a very very busy week! I probably keep saying something like that in each of these emails, but it's TRUE! We are super busy. I can't believe that I've already been in this new area for over a transfer.

Despite all that's going on right now, bothered in the mission and in the world, this scripture I read this week really stood out to me. 

Moroni 6:3 "And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end."

Although we may be facing difficult circumstances, I intend to serve Christ to the end!

I am Happy

 This will probably be relatively short. I had to move my p-day around because we had a new Elder come in yesterday we had to pick up from the airport and take him to his new area! 

Yesterday we faced some negativity in the mission as well, and it was powerful to see missionaries come together and dispel it all together! I shared a thought on Facebook that I'll share here, but ultimately I want to testify that if we place our focus on the Savior, we can find joy no matter the circumstance!

...

As a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, I testify that Christ is leading His work in the direction He desires it to go! He is at the head of this work and is "[hastening His] work in its time," especially as He reroutes our efforts through means of social media. The prophet Joseph Smith declared...

“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done”

There are souls being found, taught, and baptized through the diligent efforts of YOUR missionaries; some of these individuals can be found right here within mission boundaries, while others are accepting the gospel from distant lands in various languages!

If nothing else, I have seen that my testimony of the Savior and His infinite Atonement has grown immensely as I have labored through these difficult, trying times. 

2 Corinthians 4:14,17

“Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus...

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

I can promise that as we rely on and trust in the Savior of the world and follow His chosen servants, we will be filled with His light and "rejoice evermore!"

It's Done

 Well, I now know how it feels to be a personal caddy. This wee has basically been Elder Cruz and I driving President and Sister Ames around the mission. We set everything up, make suggestions, and then hand him the club to swing. It's a pretty smooth process. Those two are great though! They are fired up about being here in the MIM and it is clear that they have been receiving revelation for a long time. They are about to do great things!

Here's one of my scriptures a read this week I wanted to share!

 Its Alma 13:28-29 "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest."

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Transition Time

 It is incredible to see how the Lord sustains His servants. I have received energy and strength more than ever before. Last week we had four-zone conferences we had to set up and help run, and the week ahead is even more insane. Tomorrow night we have our new mission President arrive, and seeing that my companion and I are the APs, we will have the first meeting with them after President Love leaves. The week ahead will have a lot of organizing to take care of, not to mention all the teaching and counseling that will have to happen with the new President.

We'll have the opportunity to take President and Sister Love to the airport and say our final goodbyes, and then its go time. It's extremely exciting to await the possible changes and improvements that will come with new revelation in the mission.

A great scripture that I read last night perhaps sums up how I feel.

Leviticus 19:5 "And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will."

A huge part of learning to serve the Lord is learning to love and follow His will no matter what sacrifice it may require.

True to the Faith

 "Shall the youth of Zion falter

In defending truth and right?

While the enemy assaileth,

Shall we shrink or shun the fight?

 No!

True to the faith that our parents have cherished,

True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,

To God’s command,

Soul, heart, and hand,

Faithful and true we will ever stand."

Golly

 Well, this has been a week, to say the least. I believe we've driven close to 1000 miles just in the last 10 days or so. This has been the busiest week of my existence.

We have spent so much time handling the administrative side of missionary work that we only spent about 6 hours total working in our ward doing "real" missionary work, but it has been great! I haven't had a normal night's rest yet, but I love being busy and being able to help manage so much within the mission. We had transfers this last week and we coordinated all the 23 missionaries coming in, moving 50+ to their new assigned areas, and the 14 missionaries going home over a three-day span. There is so much going on! But, to sum it all up, basically Elder Cruz and I have to set up and manage everything President Love does.

A quick quote for you,

"When you're on the Lord's errand, you're entitled to the Lord's help" -President Monson

I will definitely need His help!

A New Call

 Well, this week has been one to remember.

Everything is a blur. Early this week on Tuesday I got to train in MLC which went great, but that night around 7 I got a call from President Love asking if I could come to the mission home. So we scooted over, he pulled me into his office, and he asked if I could accept the call to be his assistant... so, yeah. Since then I have been in a trio with the other two APs learning the ropes and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. There is a lot of administrative work to be done, especially with the loads of reassigned missionaries coming into the mission, not to mention the prep for the new president coming in July.

I don't feel adequate at all to be fulfilling this position, but it will be a privilege to learn and grow under this new capacity. A scripture comes to mind as I embark in this new endeavor. It's found in Mosiah chapter 2 verse 21, and it says, "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants."

I intend to move forward with all that I can give, and work as diligently and effectively as possible. I know that despite my best efforts, I truly won't ever be a fully profitable servant, but with the Lord's support, all things are possible.

June 12, 2020  



Dear Elder Shepard,  



 After prayerful consideration, it is my privilege  to extend to you the sacred and special calling of Assistant to President .  You have become a wonderful missionary and the Lord is mindful of you.



This calling of highest trust and confidence has come to you because you have distinguished yourself as one who has thrust in his sickle with all his might, mind and strength.  You have the desires to serve that have qualified you for this sacred assignment. 



Many missionaries are called but few are chosen as Assistants to the President.  Be ever mindful of the responsibility this calling brings with it.  Be kind, humble and considerate of the missionaries you serve. Lift and strengthen those that are weak.  Be ever mindful that all the missionaries see you as a perfect example of what a missionary should be and do.



This calling will require you to drive extensively. Be very careful and mindful of your speed, and traffic and road conditions.



You will work closely with me. I look forward to our association.  You will carry out special assignments, help with transfers and serve as needed to support the work of this wonderful mission.  Be prayerful and worthy to respond as needed.



Sister Love and I trust and love you very much and look forward to serving with you.



        May the Lord Bless you always, 

          









Adams J. Love, President

Mission Update

 Dear Family and Priesthood leaders of our Missionaries;


We just wanted to reach out and reassure you the Missouri Independence Mission is doing great! We are being very blessed with good health.

Our Missionaries have been having great success and yes miracles with the technology they are using; if you haven't yet, check out the Facebook page Missouri Independence Family & Friends,here you will see some of the great Facebook ads our missionaries are doing, and they've gotten very creative.
It has been amazing to see people who are responding, in May we had 18 baptisms,!  That's a miracle considering the quarantine situation we've been serving under. People were so ready when we were given permission to hold these small baptisms, with others joining via media!
The Lord is in the details.

Weekly we've been receiving new missionaries who have served the first part of their mission in an International Mission and now serve here!  Wow they are strong missionaries and such a great addition to us. We are so happy to have them join our mission.


The Thoughts and Intents of His Heart

This week has flown by!

Nothing of great interest has really happened this week; though, we did have a flat tire that required us to get new tires. Unfortunately, the day after we got them we ran over a nail... so I'm currently typing this up while we wait for it to get changed. It was just our luck!

Oh, wait, I lied. There were some things of great interest that happened this week! Last Tuesday morning the mission had a personal devotional with Andy Reid which was incredible! He got into coach mode a bit, which I think really pumped up a lot if the missionaries. He taught about a wide variety of subjects, but of the most influential for me was his focus on bringing everything he has every day, and expecting the same from his team. That wasn't even the best part of the week though. Yesterday morning we had another devotional, this time with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland! We just had a big mission wide zoom call with him, so that was great. He spoke a lot about the benefit of a mission experience, and more specifically about the significance of our mission here in Zion. It was definitely a privilege. 

One of the things he mentioned near the end had to do with our relationship with and conversion to the Savior. He said that we can determine how much we love the Lord simply based on the amount of time we spend thinking about Him. Mosiah 15:13 says, "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"

I think that's a great thought to consider. How much is Christ on my mind? I have found that as I focus my efforts, my mind, and my heart on Him, I am much happier. It's as simple as that.

Stony Hearts and ZOCO pics

Here's a short thought for you.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This is a powerful scripture that really resonates with me. We live in a world that is full of temptation and distraction, and that can be difficult to overcome; yet, perhaps the more notable hurdle is not simply avoiding such sins, but having no desire to follow them. The Book of Mormon recounts a story where the people had such a change of heart, that they had no more disposition to do evil. I think often we feel that we simply need to commit the act of sinning, but more importantly is the change that can happen in us, through the Atonement of Christ, which allows us to "shake at the appearance of sin." That's no simple task though! I have found that some of the simplest ways we can allow the Savior to change our heart come through fervent prayer and diligent scripture study. As we turn our lives to the Lord, He can "take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and [He] will give you an heart of flesh."

Message from President Love

To our beloved fellow missionaries,

 Almost three years ago Sister Love and I arrived here in the MIM with hearts full of faith and excitement. We already felt a connection to and love for you, our missionaries. Our utmost desire was to have a culture where faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with a deep and abiding love for Him was always at the forefront of our desires and the object of our vision. We had a desire for our missionaries to be fully converted and to claim the blessings of fierce obedience and diligence. We knew that to obtain our vision of that culture would require the Lord’s constant help. We have seen His hand daily for which we are grateful. With His constant care and with the willing hearts of some of the choicest spirits of this dispensation we feel we have, as Lehi of old obtained our land of promise. We, like Lehi have seen some adversity with those who lacked vision but the Standard of Truth was erected in the Missouri Independence Mission of which each of you has some ownership. We commend you, we thank you for the privilege of rubbing shoulders with you, some of the most elect of God. May we continue to claim the happiness and prosperity predicated on obedience to God’s commandments.

This week Megan and Emma were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  This brings our May total to 5! Make sure every contact we make includes some kind of invitation to act with a testimony and follow-up.

We are in the sprint portion of this great race…..running shoes are on! 

Let’s go! 

President and Sister Love

What a wonderfully, crazy week it has been. Our week started off with a call asking if we had four beds... we said no. Twenty minutes later we had two more beds sitting in our apartment, and news that we would be hosting two new elders due to reassignments. So we started pulling out all our furniture and rearranging so we could make another bedroom.

After about four hours of rearranging and then a wonderful night's rest, we spent the following day driving up about an hour to pick up our new missionary pals. We didn't end up getting any missionaries from other missions, just a couple MIM missionaries being shifted around. So it's been interesting getting used to, but it's been good to have a couple more people to talk to!

A highlight from my studies this week comes from Alma 11, as Amulek preaches in Ammonihah. One powerful statement he makes comes a He teaches the role of Jesus Christ. He explains that Christ "cannot save them IN their sins." It is true that Christ can save us FROM our sins, but unless we follow Him, repent, and forsake our sins, He cannot remit those wrongdoings. That's where our agency comes is! It is our choice whether we accept that gift of forgiveness or not because He will not force us to abandon our sins. With that in mind, it's our simple responsibility to strive to overcome our mistakes, right our wrongs, and become a better person and disciple each day!

Far West Temple

I got a little carried away playing Spikeball, so this probably won't be incredibly long.

Another week has passed. This week we received news that we can now go on exchanges, so I had the wonderful opportunity to be on exchanges with one of the assistants, Elder Peterson, this week. We didn't necessarily do anything very different than our regular schedule, but it was great to just be with another human for a day.

We also found out this week that Zone Conference will be held at the Far West temple site, which is sweeeeet! We're praying for good weather so we don't have to sit through the rain for 6 hours. I'm sure that will be a very memorable experience!

One of my favorite verses that I read this week in my personal study of the Book of Mormon is Alma 9:26, which says, "And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers." I love the description of Christ in these verses, especially that He is QUICK to hear our prayers. I know that prayer is an incredible way to maintain a connection with heaven and receive strength daily. 

O Remember, Remember

Howdy!

I'm not quite sure how to describe exactly what life has been like around here. This week went by incredibly quickly, and I can't remember a thing we did. Everything seems to be blending into one big glop... but that doesn't mean we're not enjoying it!

 I have easily become much more grateful for the simple blessings provided to us each and every day. Things such as face to face conversations, beautiful, sunny weather, and even my respect for mothers who cook and clean... for a WHOLE family. Since we've actually started living in our apartment, rather than just sleeping here, we have found those two tasks specifically more difficult than anticipated. Meal planning, dishwashing, and simply keeping things tidy is no easy task, but I am also grateful for a mother who taught me how to do those things! We're learning a lot around here.

Yesterday we found out that the mission is about to receive over 100 reassigned missionaries. That will take our regular carrying capacity of about 180 missionaries to a healthy 280 by the time everyone shows up. Crazy, huh!? With that in mind, there will be loads of people transferred, areas opened, and companionships split. There is a lot happening, and boy is it exciting to be right in the middle of it. The Lord really knows what He's talking about when He says He'll hasten His work in His time.

As of late, I've been reflecting a lot on one of the Book of Mormon's simple themes: remember. Consistently, the Lord reveals His arm in an effort to remind His people that He is there, yet they always seem to revert to their own wills and desires. But, those who have been righteous, or decide to repent, have the windows of heaven opened up to them. 

We are living in a time where the Lord is extending His mighty arm. A worldwide pandemic has swept through nations, causing us to change our way of life. We don't have to look too closely to recognize Who is behind this all,  as well as His intent behind it. He wants us to remember. As I mentioned before, I and many others have recognized some of the simplest blessings that come from the Lord. Also, for those who have been righteous, this is a simple time where preparation and heed to the Lord's command have led to many a miracle. For others who are recognizing the Lord's role at this time, and turning unto Him, are finding the peace that comes through Christ. And lastly (there may be a few other options, but bear with me), for those who continue to deny the existence and hand of the Lord, surely will suffer some form of difficulty at this time.

The moral?

For me, I have been reviewing each night the ways that I see God's goodness in my life. It was direction provided by Elder Renlund in Conference that I heeded, and have seen great blessing from it. I look forward to the future miracles that are approaching as well. Here is a snippet from that talk he gave. 

"By acknowledging that every good thing comes from Jesus Christ, we will communicate our faith more effectively to others. We will have courage when confronted with seemingly impossible tasks and circumstances. We will strengthen our resolve to keep the covenants we have made to follow the Savior. We will be filled with the love of God, want to help those in need without being judgmental, love our children and raise them in righteousness, retain a remission of our sins, and always rejoice. These are the remarkable fruits of remembering God’s goodness and mercy."

I hope each of you strives to remember the Lord in your life each day!

Birthday Party

Below I have a few pictures from my birthday party attached, it was a good time. Thank you to everyone who helped make that day great!

This week has been pretty much exactly the same as last week. More video lessons, more cooking meals, more studying. The last month the mission did read the Doctrine and Covenants, and that was very enlightening! I hadn't read through since my freshman year of Seminary, and it was really beneficial to have a deeper understanding of the context, not to mention being able to be where some of it was written! A beautiful scripture from the Prophet Joseph's time in Liberty jail provides an excellent outlook for this time. 

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we standstill

, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

Quarantine Extended

What day is it?

It must be Monday because I'm emailing this, but BOY, time is slowly losing its meaning. I can't remember what day it is. I think I ask Elder Andrew at least 5 times a day, so it's a miracle he hasn't thumped me yet. The days aren't necessarily going by slow, they just... they're all the same, so the time just... goes.

During all that time we have stayed very busy though! The mission has a goal to teach 10 lessons a day, and we're getting up there. Some nights we have so many appointments in a row that we don't eat until after 9. Along with all those lessons, we are now also running church Facebook pages based upon our geographical location. These puppies will be popping up all around the States; you may have already seen one! It has definitely been interesting learning how to use them because we are posting so often. We are starting to feel like YouTubers or something.

Times are surely changing here in the mission field, and the work has a completely new look, but we will have so many new skills by the times we're back doing our old work! It's incredible to see the way the Lord has prepared technological means to reach out to His children at this turbulent time.

Lastly, we went on a little zone tour delivering mail, masks, and supplies to each of the companionships, so that is basically all that has kept us going! I crave social interaction terribly, but it does make any moment you do get with anyone just that much better. 

I hope each of you is not dying, and that you're taking this time to study the scriptures and develop your talents. Not to mention taking some family time as well! 

¡Adelante!

This is a Must Read!

I just finished playing the most intense Jenga game of my life. It lasted a solid half hour probably. Also, yesterday was Easter, and because we couldn't have an Easter egg hunt, we instead went on a worm hunt. Yes, yes you heard me right... a worm hunt!

Let me explain. A few days back we moved our couch so that it faced the nice big window we have. With the springtime starting, more birds have been out, and we thought,

"Wouldn't it be great if the birds came right up here by our window?"

Well of course it would be great! We are on the third story, and right outside our back window is the deck and stairs. So, Plan A was to take some peanut butter and granola and smear it over the railing right outside the window. We thought we were pretty clever, but after a few days we realized that we must not be clever enough... no birds. So yesterday we moved to Plan B. It was pretty stormy and rainy out, so we knew the little wormys would be making their way up, allowing them to be more easily snatched. So we grabbed a jar and headed out! It took about 15 minutes before we had a nice amount of worms, all varying in length and girth to meet our bird friends' picky appetites. Then we hauled them back up the stairs, plopped them into the jar's lid (so they couldn't escape), and retired back to our warm, dry apartment to await the swarm of birds coming to munch those worms. So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. To our disappointment, many of the worms escaped the lid and plummeted the three stories down to the sloppy ground. Even though we'd caught such a large batch, and had at least a few worms hanging out all day, not one bird came for a free snack. 

So, if you have any tips on attracting birds, let me know.

On a more serious note, we had a really great week! At this point, we're really starting to figure out setting virtual appointments and learning how to teach through that medium. You may have also noticed that I'm actually learning how to use Facebook relatively well, that's a miracle! I'm developing a deeper love for the scriptures, for prayer, and the other simple things that center our lives on Christ. I've seen that as I've centered myself on these simple things, miracles come to pass... for instance...

We had a HUGE miracle! One of the ladies we're teaching, in the first formal lesson we've been able to have during the quarantine, basically told us that she is undoubtedly going to be baptized and that she just wants to make sure her kids know for themselves that they want to as well. The following morning we got a text from her that said she had talked with her daughter until 2 in the morning, and at the end of it she too wanted to be baptized!

Her daughter had previously (meaning about 2 months ago) not wanted anything to do with religion at all, yet through a couple lessons, and her own efforts to read and pray, she's had a 180 in her life and we are simply glad to be part of it!

In closing, one of the simple takeaways I've had from General Conference, was to record in my journal ways that I've seen God's goodness throughout my day. I've been doing that since, and it is incredible to see the simple ways that you can see His influence in your life. He knows us personally, and will speak to us in personal ways! So be in the lookout for those simple ways the Lord reminds you of His infinite love towards you.

Keep'r Goin!

Wowee, this has been another great week!

Despite the strangeness of not knowing which day is which and when it happens, we are still able to accomplish some things each day! We also were able to go the Bishop's Storehouse to do service filling food orders. It was the fastest four hours of service ever! Those locations are truly incredible. They are clean, orderly, and help so many people. We were told that the many other religious groups that visit the Storehouse are amazed by the production going on. It was very enjoyable to be a part of and provide some service during these trying times.

I have learned to rely on prayer to receive specific direction from the Lord of what I can and cannot do. That has helped me to feel more productive, as I heed and carry out those errands, I feel that I'm being used as a tool in God's hands. "When you're on the Lord's errand, you're entitled to the Lord's help" -Thomas S. Monson. I've definitely had the Lord's help the last week, we even had a few people we're teaching participate and watch Conference!

And what an excellent experience that wonderful Conference was. As I went into the weekend, I came with the question of how I can grow to have "no more disposition to do evil," and "shake at the appearance of sin." What an incredible blessing it was to receive very direct revelation from the talks given by Elders Andersen, Renlund, and Bednar. If you're interested in finding similar answers, check those talks out! I truly felt the Spirit of God as I heard His word spoken by His chosen servants. What a blessing it is that the gospel of Christ is Restored upon the Earth!

D&C 121-123

Hello,

This has been an enlightening week, I have been trying all kinds of new things. I even learned how to share something on Facebook this week... it was a miracle! 

We have been working hard to find creative ways to move the Lord's work forward because He most definitely has a purpose in this whole situation. We've learned how to utilize video calls, fiddled a bit with family history, and most assuredly have had good practice making and sending videos to people. Teaching through messages is great, you can retake a video as many times as you need to get it right! Members have been very generous as well, especially with food. Our kitchen is LOADED. We even had two dinners the other day, not to mention bags of treats, plates of cookies, the whole nine yards. Not to mention lots of good exercise time!

On a different note, it has been an incredible blessing to be able to study more thoroughly, truly develop the ability to pray with sincerity and to draw closer to the other missionaries. Those simple skills have had time to grow and develop, and I know they are laying a spiritual foundation for my future growth. This is a great time for all of you to work on developing those abilities too! Learn to study, to truly pray, and build relationships through whatever means possible.

In closing, I've also come to recognize that this is an excellent time for Satan to utilize some of his deadliest tools against us, idleness, and excuses. What a terrible combo! It would be simple to take this time and say,

"Well, can't do much, so why do anything?"

... leading to weeks of lounging, boredom, and complete slothfulness. This is the time that the natural man will do all he can to keep your spirit from thriving. You have an excellent opportunity to try new, or develop old talents. Time to grind our past goals and find further attributes you desire to attain. This is most importantly a time to draw near to the Savior.

So, please, take the time to set some goals, to focus your minds, and take advantage of the time the Lord has provided. "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

Mission Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for all your prayers, the most important thing right now is keeping all the missionaries safe and well. We are trying to keep them happy and inspired. Please continue to pray for us at 9:45. We are still seeing miracles and we believe that more people will be looking for hope in their lives and wanting Christ in their homes.
We humble ask for your consideration of the following request: we are concerned with the spiritual, mental and emotional health of the missionaries. Busy is a blessing. We would like to have our young missionaries teach the lessons via technology to as many good inactive members and nonmembers both. We feel this would bless missionaries and people of interest allowing both to have a meaningful social interaction allowing the virtue of the word of God to have a powerful effect upon the minds(and hearts) of the people. This will help us be better teachers as we receive good feedback on how to improve.
As you might guess, things change every day. Here are some answers to your questions.
1. No hand shakes or hugs.
2. They are no longer allowing door to door contact.
3. “Stay at home” is in effect in some area, they can still go to the stores, doctors.
4. Missionaries will receive more money on their missionary card because they are getting less meals from members.
5. The historical sites are closed.
6. They will be using technology to teach from their apartments, we are asking you to help them stay busy by inviting family and fiends to skype into lessons with them.
7. We have put together boxes for any missionary that is quarantined with two weeks of food and medicine.
8. Missionaries can now call on Mondays and a short call on Fridays to check in with you. Please keep all calls positive, happy and inspiring.
9. We are doing a Sunday devotional each Sunday, the district and zone leaders can help the sisters receive the sacrament.
10. We will email you each week for now with new information, God bless each of you.
11. We have asked each ward to reach out to the missionaries and check up on them, make sure they are well and have what they need.
We love you and your faithful missionaries, they are working in tremendous faith. We are so thankful to be enlisted with each of you till this conflict is over.
President and Sister Love

91-DIVOC

Hello. I have some updates.

Over the last week, there have been many changes and things are getting very real here in Missouri. We've gone from no church to quarantine real fast. Missionaries are heading home, and I'm not quite sure what will happen next! One thing that I do know is that for at least the next 30 or so days, I will be inside the apartment doing missionary work. I look forward to a lot of wonderful studies, plus some other creative uses of my talents. Pray for us! 

If you're worried, we are being well taken care of and things will be alright. It is crazy to think about those changes that will take place in the mission within the next few months as missionaries go home early and missionaries that are reassigned come here. It will be a different mission, so it'll take a lot of focus to try and keep the culture of our great mission going.

If you've got any ideas of things to keep me busy, please send them! Also, if you have any recipes for things we can cook, those would be gladly excepted as well. Good luck to all of you!

Happy St. Patty's!

Welcome, from the infected mission field! 

I'm here to answer all of the many questions that everyone is asking, so here we go.

1. I am not quarantined

2. We are still able to do all types of missionary work, but we are advised to tract as little as possible.

3. There is plenty of food in our apartment.

If you have any other questions, I'm sorry but I probably won't answer them.

This has been a great week of self-evaluation. I've had some incredible experience receiving revelation on obedience and the ways that I can improve personally. At this time I've decided that I want to start working to consecrate any fear that remains. With all that is going on, it will require a more on my part to be on my best game. 

On a different note, despite the new difficulties we face, there have been tons of miracles happening! One example of many was actually today as we finished our shopping. On our way out there was a woman who came up to us and asked if we were missionaries. She said that she had been meeting with some but that she had a visitor who had pushed them away against her desire. She asked if we could get the missionaries to come back and visit. We said, "Of course!" 

Have miracles ceased? I say unto you...

It's been another great week!

Probably the highlight of the week came through another lesson that we had with Fred and Ose. As usual, they were excited to have us and graciously welcomed us into their home. As we sat down, Fred told us that he wouldn't talk the whole time so we could teach. As we were giving a brief overview, Fred told us that he'd always had questions about what happened after the apostles had died. Luckily for us, we had an answer for him. It was an excellent lesson, especially because Fred knows scripture well, so as we flipped through the Bible the bigger picture really started to come into view for them.

It's always I credible to be able to teach without using simplified language and having people truly put together the things we teach as we utilize scripture. I love to be able to teach and help others to come unto Christ by sharing my sincere testimony and teaching divine truths I've come to know through the Spirit.

One last thing, in prep for Conference I've been listening to The Joseph Smith Lectures, and I would definitely recommend that to anyone who has a desire to prepare for conference.

See you next week!