7/15/13
“It has been another great week of missionary
work. It has involved lots of water, sunscreen, and white shirt sweat stains
but in the end it is all completely worth it. To answer Dad's question most of
the work we do here is with part-member families, less actives, lots of
unbaptized 9 year olds (right now we are teaching 4 and will soon be teaching
5), and new move ins. So we do knock on their doors a lot its like tracting but
more focused and usually more effective. We work with members a lot especially
our ward mission leaders they are all amazing. They usually can tell us who
will be receptive and who will not but we keep trying anyway. I got my first
door slammed on me this week but I also extended my first baptismal invitation
and it was accepted. It is funny that uncle Ben lives in Washington I was just
there last week and I also have an amazing story for you about some future
events I will participate in on Pioneer day in Washington. We received a call
from our Zone leaders two days ago. They told us that the Elders in our
district would get to be in the parade and singing hymn number 248, not only
that but the person who would be leading us is Elder Jeffery R. Holland!!!! It
was like Christmas for missionaries we were jumping up and down so excited to
be able to meet him and be in a parade with him. We have practices each day so
that we can get the song down and be able to do our best in the Washington
Pioneer Day Parade. Anyways this week was full of spiritual experiences, we
taught a girl named Tavan who lives in a trailer park (we teach in a lot of
those). Her Dad is a less active member who is super excited about getting back
to church. It was an amazing testimony to me of the literal change in his
eyes when we taught her about the gospel. He went from a million dollar
home (pride) to living in a trailer within months after the economic
crash. He told us the story of how he was truly humbled and brought before God.
He told us that the only thing that matters to him are his children. It is easy
to see that this is true because during his lunch he was having a pillow fight
with the kids. We see a lot of people that grow up in rough surroundings here.
It is so hard for me to see this. I am so grateful for the vast wealth my
father in heaven has blessed me with. I have more than I could ever possibly
need or want. I have a family that is completely functional (although sometimes
we are a I feel so blessed and know I need to give back to others around me and
my father in heaven…I keep talking to members here and everyone keeps telling
me they have been to Whidbey island or that they know someone who lives on it.
weird huh? Well I love you all and hope that everything is going great wherever
you are and whatever you are doing!!”
7/22/13
Hello from Hurricane once again, it has been
another great week in the service of my Lord. It is still really really hot. I
found out just how hot it can be when we helped a non-member move on Saturday.
The work continues to move along. We found a new investigator this week,
another unbaptized nine year old with less active parents. She is already
prepared for baptism, teaching her is really more of a technicality. It is
really more for the parents then it is for her… The Lord keeps blessing me, we
have a ward mission leader who is simply on fire. He literally lost his toe a
couple of weeks ago but he is still going. He has already found two potential
investigators for us and we have four baptisms scheduled in his ward alone next
month! His name is Brother Erickson and he is one of the kindest souls I have
ever met. We had our zone conference this past week. Sister Center is best she
said that her motto for us while she is here is "Don't Be Stupid"
everyone laughed so hard and Elder Wright snapped a picture hopefully I will
get a copy that I can send your way. President Center is also the best he let
some elders act out the story of Ammon trying to teach King Lamoni's father. I
have it reaffirmed each week that the Lord tailored me for this mission because
sometimes it seems that this mission was tailored for me. Members take care of
us so well here we really are spoiled. We have freebies at restaurants,
sometimes I feel like a member of the football team from Remember the Titans
because we eat free at restaurants and those who cheer for the titans (members)
cheer for us and those who cheer for the Hayfield Hawks (non-members/
less-actives) don't like us that much…Anyways on to the weird/funny moment of
the week. We were at a member's house for dinner last night. The wife is a
convert and was telling us this story about a certain pinecone she kept in her
car. She explained how she believed that the pinecone kept everyone safe that
was in the car when it was being driven. As she reflected she believed it was
because of the energy it possessed because it was from Sharon, Vermont the same
place that Joseph Smith was born. She sold the car to her brother and told him
to keep it in the car no matter what. One day her brother got into an accident
and his friend was hurt, this lady asked him if the pinecone was in the car. He
said that his friends had taken it out of the car the day before..... Now I
want a magic pine cone.... haha. Anyways I love the work here it is so hard but
it is also so worth it. Time flies, we find ourselves busy every second of
every day. There is nothing that I would rather be doing. I have grown so much
closer to my Father in Heaven and learned to love and serve others like never
before. I pray for you all and want you to know how much I love you!
Ammon with his companion:
He sounds and looks so happy! We are so very proud of his hard work and dedication! Until next week Elder...we are sending love your way!
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