Changes in the Missionary Program!

I feel like each week I sit down and think. Wow a lot has happened. It is the best to be busy. This week consisted of Zone conference, Our stake report with the Stake President, Exchanges, and Stake Conference.

Elder Kelly, Tay Givhan, Elder Conley

Tay is still doing great! We were able to teach her twice this week.

She also came to stake Conference! The first lesson we taught the first half of the plan of Salvation and she really liked our knowledge of Adam and Eve and their story. Our Bishop was with us too at that lesson and he was able to explain it very well. Anyone reading this should go out with the missionaries and ask if you can help teach; it makes all the difference! Sunday we saw her at the stake center and then had a lesson later that night and she told us that she could feel the spirit while she was at stake conference. Tay is also reading from the BofM everyday! She is in the middle of 1st Nephi right now and has enjoyed it thus far. She hasn't 100% committed to baptism but she knows this is where she needs to be. She is just building up the courage to commit. I think if I was an investigator I would probably be the same way. Sometimes I forget how much we ask of these people to change in their life.

Kali isn't doing as well. We had an appointment with her on Friday that she cancelled and we haven't been able to connect with her since to reschedule an appointment. Hopefully everything is ok there and that she was just busy. But you never know.

Ivan is also doing well! He too is still reading from the BofM and is still looking for another job that allows him to have work off on Sundays. We were talking with Brother Johnson in the ward and we may have found one that will fit Ivan's needs and wants so hopefully that can start moving forward. We are hoping to help him make his date of the 22nd of February. We taught him twice this week too. His mom who lives with him makes us food every time we go over there and it is SO good. We had Empanadas and Tamales this week! I'll send pictures. I honestly wish I could know what she is saying because she is the best.

Ward Mission Leader, E Kelly, E Conley, Ivan, Fatina, Ian

Ivan's son

Empanadas and Tamales, from scratch! Mmm

Last week I mentioned that there was a soup and bread activity that Tay came to. Anyways E. Conley and I were hoping to have 5 non members there. And we counted it up and we hit the goal! Our dinner messages were all focused on helping members invite someone to that activity.

Now there is a Family Valentine's dance this month featuring Bishop DJ John at the Mic. It should be fun. But we are again hoping to have more non members there and are focusing on that.

On Tuesday we swung by a part member family. It is an older couple named Victor and Maria Matos. She is a member and he is not. He used to be a hair stylist and moved from Lima, Peru when he was 18 and speaks broken English. Well we go and share lessons about once a week to help her since she doesn't have a ton of support from him and hopefully one day he will be ready. Anyways, we were saying the closing prayer and we invited him to say it. One of the funniest prayers I've heard in a while. Imagine broken English with heavy Hispanic like accent "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for my beautiful wife and her delicious meals she cooks. I'm going to get heavy.. It's her fault.

Thank you for these young boys coming over to bother us..." He kept going but that was the funny stuff.

This is Carol, a recent convert.  Elder Childress

actually found her when we were on exchanges. 

She is crazy but we love her.

Carol again.  I don't know why she had her hand up, but Elder 

Conley though she was going to hug him so he was uncomfortable. 

It cracked me up!

Random cool experiences from these last weeks:

- Asked a 5 year old named Evalyn if she wants to live with Heavenly Father again. Response I got, "I'm not big enough yet!". Classic and so true

- There is a family who came back into activity and the father in the home received the Melchizedek Priesthood last October. We asked them if they have been able to notice a difference in the home. They said there was less contention in the home, They were able to recognize the Spirit more easily, especially when it wasn't there any longer, A quiet peace in the home. Don't forget how blessed we are to live the restored gospel!

Dinner with the Giroux family.  They are sweet!

 Sunday at stake conference our stake presidency was reorganized and so there were two members of the 70 there who spoke to us and it was a great conference. Some of my favorite notes:

- There are only 3 times in the church when Revelation is supposed to happen instantaneously. When a mission call is assigned, when a patriarchal blessing is given, and when a stake presidency is called.

- We make covenants here on earth but have you ever thought that it is might just be a renewal of covenants? We already promised to follow God once in the pre-earth life. Shouldn't that allow us to take courage to withstand temptation to a greater degree. We already chose.

- We are agents unto ourselves. If you want to play the piano then practice and play the piano. If you want to be a master in the scriptures then put in the time and read the scriptures. If you want to be a better parent than re-evaluate what you are doing and set goals, if you want to make it the Celestial kingdom then check where your desires are and repent. #DoEpicStuff It is all about getting up and DOING!

Last thing I want to talk about it the new changed schedule missionaries have world wide now along with the key indicator change that was made by the brethren.

Our new schedule is pretty awesome in my option. There is a lot more freedom which allows for us to be "agents unto ourselves" and get more done. It also allows for way less stress in the evening and on preparation day. My journal has improved quite immensely actually.

I'll send a picture of the changes.

The other really cool thing that they changes is we now only have 4 key indicators.

1. Baptized/Confirmed

2. On Baptismal Date

3. At Sacrament Meeting

4. New Investigators

This is so awesome because everything that was happening before should still be happening but it is going to help us remember that the reason those things are done is to accomplish this four goals. Not to just do "stuff"

Exchanges

Elder Conley and Elder Kelly

 I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and I know that it is only through Him that we can have our heart filled every day with the peace that comes from the His Gospel!

Elder Kelly :)