“I’m Leavin’ on a Jet Plane”….

“I’m Leavin’ on a Jet Plane”…..

...Don't know when I'll be back again

2 Timothy 4:6-7
“ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

-- 
--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Another winter day has come and gone away, even in Paris and Rome and I wanna go home

Haha, I'm just messin, I was just trying to think of the most trunky sounding lyrics I could remember, and that's what came to mind. I don't even know if it's right.

After 23 1/2 months of telling y'all about things from week to week, I have to admit, I don't have any idea what things are and are not fun for y'all to read. I have no idea because now it's literally just day to day life. Knocking on doors, testifying of the restoration, explaining to people what the Book of Mormon actually is, clarifying their obscure views created by the uneducated minds of ignorant, and often arrogant self-proclaimed preachers of the gospel, mingling scripture within their worldly philosophies and business ventures. Does that sound fun or exciting to you? it honestly is still fun and exciting, but I don't know what it's like to be on your end reading it.

Anyway, this week was pretty much just like any other. "shawnie" is back on an upward progression as opposed to the downward spiral she was on before. So that's awesome. She is hoping to be baptized before the end of the month, so that'll be good for Elder Parker and his new companion, who I hope will be a new missionary. I keep telling him he'll get an 18 yr old, which would be awesome.

Saturday we had the ward Chili Cook-off, which we were the judges for, that was a lot of fun. There was some dang good chili there. and great corn bread. Just so y'all know, real chili doesn't have beans. we had a separate category called "Best Frijoles" for those with beans. Texans are passionate about that. No beans in chili.

There is one thing I love about being at the end of the mission, and that is the respect you get from pretty much everyone who understands anything about Mormon Missionaries. Obviously members understand, but when you meet non-members that are like "So you do this for 2 years right?" "yeah" "And how long have you been doing it now?" "23 1/2 months" and then their eyes get wide and they can't believe that we actually do it for 24 months. I love it.

Speaking of that, yesterday at church the 1st counselor in the bishopric was conducting and the first thing he says after the sacrament is over is "Well, Brother so and so was supposed to speak first today, but he was not able to make it. But Elder Foust is going home in just under two weeks, so we'll invite him to come up and speak to us about his feelings for his mission and some things he's learned from it." and then he just smiled at me and sat down. But I was fine with that. For making it up on the spot I felt like I did a pretty good job of teaching the Doctrine of Christ. But that was the ah-hah moment for about 60% of the ward that didn't know I was at the end. It was pretty funny.

Some of you may be thinking "wow, Elder Foust is trunky," well guess what, I haven't even started packing yet, so by definition I am not trunky. So there. :)

Well, I can't think of much of anything else to say this week. Hopefully there'll be another email from me next week.

I Love y'all!

--
--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Seeking What's Good

God is like a master chess player. A good chess player can envision what they will do several moves in advance, and even better ones anticipate what their opponent will do in that time. God is the Master Chess Player, because he doesn't envision it, but he has a perfect knowledge of the moves the adversary will make. He doesn't only see 5, 10, or 15 moves ahead, but everything from seconds to centuries in advance. The same God that prepared the world for the restoration through inspiring different men and women throughout the years following the deaths of Christ and the apostles, guiding them to have the bible translated, freedom of speech and religion desired and instituted, and many other events, has also given each of us, His children, resources and events preparing us for our futures. (I don't know if that sentence would be considered a "run-on" or not. That was a lot of commas).

One example in church history is Zion's Camp, a story that many of you may not be familiar with. To be brief, the saints were being persecuted in an area, and Joseph Smith organized a group of men to march to their rescue. There were many trials and struggles, and a few men died. And in the end, there was no combat. With the return of the camp many of the men felt it was a waste of time and energy. Little did the know that 9 of the original 12 apostles of this dispensation, as well as the entire quorum of 70 and the presidents of the 70, would come from that group of men. And that through those experiences, one future apostle in particular, Brigham Young, would learn everything he needed to know in order to lead the saints to the Salt Lake Valley. (you can even watch it here)

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/doctrine-and-covenants-visual-resources?lang=eng&query=zion%27s+camp#2010-07-03-zions-camp

I have seen God's hand a lot in these past 2 months. Events that we have gone through, that our investigators have gone through, and that our recent converts have gone through, have all shown me that God is in control. (I won't go into details, because I don't feel it would be appropriate in this setting.). He knows what is going to be thrown at us, and He is providing the way for us to overcome them. He is in control and if we rely on Him, we will get through it all. That is why he provided the Atonement. That is why he provided the restoration. We just have to do our part.

It's hard to see sometimes. A lot of the time in fact. But as long as we are "doing the things we should, and seeking what's good," we will find it, and we will grow. God has provided the way.

--

 --Elder Braxton C Foust--

Para- Para- Paradise. Para- Para- Paradise

Well, this week has had some more ups and downs, but that is to be expected as this is, life. Especially missionary life. Let's start with some ups.

Tuesday we had a lesson with "Shawnie." Before we even got to the door she came out and handed us a bag of the rest of her cigarette packs and asked us to get rid of them for her. Then we had an awesome lesson on the Plan of Salvation, and the Relief Society President was able to come with us, so that was a huge help to have that support for her.

Wednesday Night we had a lesson with "Sarah", who I told you about last week. She is doing very well. We taught the Plan of Salvation, which to her was mostly a clarification and reminder lesson because she has been around members most of her life. At the end of the lesson I was preparing to give an invitation to be baptized on a specific day, and right before I said it she looked at me and said, "So when can I be baptized?" We had a member with us, and his jaw just about hit the floor. It was awesome. She has a date now for March 2nd, and she's on track to be baptized on that day. I love how the spirit works with people and helps them recognize the truth.

Thursday Night we had dinner with the "Nielsen" family and with our Ward Mission Leader and his wife, who we are also really close with. It was great. First of all, he is an incredible cook. He made probably the best brisket I have ever had, which wasn't a surprise because he has won competitions. We had a dang good meal, and then he and his wife sat down with "Sister Nielsen" in the living room and they explained callings, and patriarchal blessings, and some things about the temple, while we stayed at the table with the girls and talked some more. We set a baptismal date with the 15 yr old daughter for February 15th. I really really really hope everything works out so she will be baptized before I leave. I love this family, and getting to see the change that has happened because of the gospel has been a huge blessing for me.

Then Sunday we had a bit of a down. "Shawnie" fell and hurt something from some surgeries in the past and it put her in immense pain for a couple days, she couldn't even sleep, and finally she decided that since the pain pills weren't working she would kick it up a notch, and she bought a 6 pack of beer and a carton of cigarettes, and some coffee. She called us and was kind of freaking out, so we went over there and she was, like I said, freaking out a little. Mostly about the teachings of the church, mostly the word of wisdom. So we gave it to her very clearly and simply, focusing a lot on "No man can serve two masters" from the sermon on the mount. By the end of the lesson, she randomly stood up and walked over and dumped out the rest of her beer. But she told us she wouldn't get rid of the cigarettes or coffee again yet though. That night she called us laughing, cause she made a pot of coffee and it randomly exploded and she decided that was God telling her to quit, so she ran outside and tore up her cigarettes. It was pretty funny. And we'll see what happens there.

The weather has been interesting here this week. It's been warmer than you would expect January to feel. 2 years ago right now there were ice storms, similar to what I have been told has been going on back home lately. But the last couple days it has been between 50 and 70 degress, with just a bit of humidity. It is quite pleasant actually. today is just a little warm for my taste, it's like 79 with 54% humidity, but I know a lot of people love it right about there. It is still nice. We're supposed to be getting some thunderstorms tonight or tomorrow, so hopefully that will happen. But regardless, it has felt a little like paradise these last couple days.

Sorry the weather sucks so bad in Utah. (or as a girl here said the other day, it "inhales profusely")

Love y'all!

-- 
--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Crunch Time

This week has been awesome. Especially compared to the emotion of last week, this one has been much better.
It's not very often, especially in Texas, that you have someone tell you that they want to join the LDS church the first time they meet you. But this week it happened to us.

Twice.

The first one was almost expected. When we got to go teach the lady I told you about last week, who lost her grandson, she was on fire. I'll call her "Shawnie". She has been reading the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants a lot. And she is having very meaningful experiences with them each day. It is incredible to see someone who so sincerely wants to learn from what she's reading, and as she has that sincerity it all speaks to her. I love it. She's just working on quitting smoking, and she'll do it. She's got a lot of will power and she has the resources. She's scheduled to be baptized the last weekend I'm here.

The second one was completely and utterly a shocker. We had an appointment with another family that is close to the family that lost the 8 yr old daughter. They had some questions about the Plan of Salvation (they are less-active and a part-member family). The one with most of the questions is the 16 yr old daughter, and we were able to help her understand quite a bit of it better. The mom, who I will call "Ginny", has a sister-in-law that has moved in with them for a short time. I will call her "Sarah." Sarah proceeded to tell us that her husband is Mormon (but less-active), but she is baptist. They have been having the religion division in their house for their whole marriage, and she is sick of it. She finally told him that she is going to raise their daughter baptist, and he finally put his foot down and said she can't do that because he wants to be sealed in the temple eventually. When they had that discussion she decided it was time to sincerely investigate the church because he was finally being immovable. She asked us "what do I need to do to be baptized?" So we told her the most important thing is getting a testimony of the Book of Mormon, so she is going to read it and pray about it. We went by the next night and taught her lesson 1 so she would know what it's all about. She felt the spirit in the first vision, which is always a good indicator as to their sincerity.

One more awesome thing that happened this week. The "Nielsens" are still having a hard time, and "Sister Nielsen" has been stressed beyond anything she expected. She told us how hurt she is because she feels like this is what she is supposed to be doing, but everything is going against her. She told us that she has stopped studying and praying as much, and we pointed out that she hasn't been to church since the new year (not that it is her fault on that one, circumstances were beyond her control). But we promised that if she would come to church things would get better. Our exchange offered a blessing of comfort and counsel and she accepted. The next day at church, she was beaming. During sunday school she wrote a note to Elder Parker and I that said "THIS is what has been missing. Church is a must!" When we went over last night after church you could see and feel such a significant difference in her and in their home, I can't even describe it. It was a powerful experience for all of us. She pointed out that the three blessings she has received have been very powerful for her (two for sickness one for comfort). And she has had a powerful experience with fasting, and saturday night she had an incredible experience with prayer. I am grateful to be able to see this happen in someone's life. And while we were teaching her she stopped us and said "I just had a thought. I think we (she and her family) need to pray specifically for help understanding the scriptures before we study together." We then explained that she just received personal revelation, and an answer to her prayers. The spirit was strong. She has such a powerful conversion in such a short time, I can't put into words how I feel about it all. I love this work.

I am so grateful to be here at this time. I am grateful to Father in Heaven for putting me in Granbury for my last 2 transfers. 1 month from today, I fly to Utah. I am excited to go home, and even more excited to see my family. At the same time, I am going to miss this home. I am going to miss my family here. I am so grateful to the Lord for these experiences.

I love y'all. The Church is true! God is in charge of this work, as it is His work. I know it.

--
--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Master the Tempest is Raging... Peace, Peace, Be Still

Well, it is transfer week, and it is official, I am staying here until the end of my mission. Boo-yah.

This week was what you could consider "difficult". But it was a different kind of difficult.

Last Tuesday morning the 8 yr old daughter of a former investigator passed away to cancer. They are next door neighbors and best friends of the "Nielsens" who were just baptized, so there was a lot of emotion there with them. We had the opportunity to share again with them the Plan of Salvation and provide some comfort. We also gave them a copy of Elder Shayne M. Bowen's talk from this last conference where he shared the story of losing his 2 yr old son, and it seemed to help. Sister "Nielsen" told us that the 11 yr old daughter told her and the 15 yr old daughter that it was ok because this 8 yr old girl was in the spirit world and they would get to see her again in the Celestial Kingdom, and that was before we got to teach them about the Plan of Salvation again. It was a testimony builder to me of the gift of the Holy Ghost and its effect even on children.

So it was hard, and very emotional, but things are going to be ok. They have an understanding of the eternal truths that will bring them comfort, and that they can share with their friends.

It's incredible the power of God's Plan for our Happiness. We were contacted by a recent convert who recently moved, who said his mother that was investigating for a long time would like us to come by again. This convert lost their baby boy in December, and through it all, his mother kept thinking back on the Plan of Salvation that she had been taught and she wants to learn again and be baptized so she can be sealed to her family. Her biggest problem before was that she was an alcoholic, and couldn't quit drinking, but since the death of this baby, and the testimony she has of the restoration, she has just stopped. Without any real problems, just stopped. And she was so excited to see us yesterday. 

I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the peace it brings to our lives. I am grateful to God for restoring the knowledge of this plan to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I kno that God lives and speaks to His prophets today. I know he has restored the fulness of the gospel. I know this is Christ's church. I know families can be together forever.

I love you all!

--
--Elder Braxton C Foust—

Press Forward Saints

It has been a good week. We taught a couple good lessons, and things are going forward. Not really any specific stories to share from the week though. Sorry.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the basics. Not only the basics of missionary work, but of the gospel, of family, of... life the universe and everything... basically...
Anyway. The basics. In any situation you talk about the basics of something, it refers to the foundational principles upon which everything else in that subject stands. For example, if you want to be a basketball player, you first have to know how to run, dribble, and shoot. If you want to play the piano, you need to learn what keys make what sounds and how to push them down in patterns that sound good. If you want to be happy, you have to do things that make you happy.

The basics.

So what are the basics of the gospel of Jesus Christ? What are the foundational principles and doctrines of the gospel? As far as information goes, the answer is simple. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. But what good is information if it is not applied directly to us? What good does doctrine do if it is not implanted in our hearts and souls? Well, what good is a building's foundation if you never let it dry? What good is a building's foundation if all you do is read about building a foundation, and then skip that step in the construction process? What good is a house if the foundation starts getting damaged and we do nothing to repair it?
What we need to do is work on the basics. When the basics are exercised, everything else falls into place.

Faith - We are to believe in Christ as the Savior of the world. We are to accept and follow his teachings. We develop faith by living the commandments, starting with thebasic/fundamental commandments of personal prayer, personal scripture study, and personal participation at church.

Repentance - As we develop faith in Christ it leads us to repent. We recognize that we are not perfect, and it leads us to the desire to be more like our savior. We stop doing things that are wrong, and continue doing things that are right. We make restitution for the wrongs we have done, and we do all we can to never fall into that sin again. As we continually repent each day, we realize other things we can change and we constantly strive to do better.

Baptism - We make covenants with God through priesthood ordinances. Only through priesthood ordinances can we make saving covenants. But making them is not enough, we have to live them. We have to keep them. We covenant to take upon us the name of Christ - to emulate His life as His disciple, we covenant to always remember Him, and to keep his commandments (which in turn increases our faith and leads us to more repentance). We are promised remission of our sins, His Spirit to be with us, and being born again.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost - Through another ordinance we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gives us the right to the constant companionship to the Holy Ghost, which is tied directly into the covenant of baptism, thus making baptism incomplete if the gift of the Holy Ghost is not conferred. We are sanctified by Him.

Endure to the End - in the simplest terms I can manage, "Keep on Trying." We continue to exercise our faith (through obedience to commandments) we continue to repent, we renew our covenants through the sacrament, and we qualify for and listen to and act on the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

It all goes back to the basics. So if you find yourself feeling lost, confused, scared, angry, hurt, or even just complacent, start with the most basic of the basic fundamental princples, Pray. Then study the scriptures. Then go to church. do it over and over and over again. It all starts there, and they lead you to everything else. The biggest problems anyone will face in this life is caused when they stop doing those things. 

Press forward, Saints, with steadfast faith in Christ,

With hope's bright flame alight in heart and mind,

With love of God and love of all mankind.

Press forward, feasting on the word of Christ.

Receive his name, rejoicing in his might.

Come unto God; find everlasting light.

Press on, enduring in the ways of Christ.

His love proclaim thru days of mortal strife.

Thus saith our God: "Ye have eternal life!"

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

6 weeks to go. Bring it on.

-- 

--Elder Braxton C Foust--