Happy New Year!!!
Here we are, 2013. It's crazy how fast time goes by. It seems like just 2 days ago it was 2012.
:)
Anyway, things have been awesome in Granbury. (it rhymes with cranberry if you've tried to figure it out).
On Saturday we had 2 baptisms! It was a good day despite the circumstances. They wanted to be baptized in the morning so they could feel clean and spiritual all day, so we scheduled if for 10:00am. We got there about 9, and the ward mission leader was there filling the font. Here's the problem, the water heater was broken, and none of us knew it until that point. Three weeks ago there was a baptism and they water was way too hot, like it hurt the guy when he got in. Then about a week ago there were two little boys in the ward that got baptized, and they got it just right. So we had no idea it was going to be cold. And in case you don't know, it is not exactly warm in this part of Texas during the winter. It was between 35-40 degrees that morning. Plus humidity, which makes cold air colder and bite harder. But again, despite the circumstances, the baptism was awesome. Elder Parker baptized "Sister Nielsen" and I baptized the 11 yr old daughter. So we were all cold together.
As they left to go get lunch we asked if we could visit that night to explain more about the confirmation. But then that night during our dinner she texted us and said she was very sick and needed to cancel. We offered a priesthood blessing and she said she would love one (we had already taught about those, so she knew what we were talking about). We went there and she told us that for lunch they went to a steak house to celebrate, but her steak tasted funny and on the way home she was feeling sick, and then she was throwing up all day. But you could see she was still so happy, and just upset that she had to get sick that day. So we gave her a blessing, and left. The next day, she came walking in for sacrament meeting at quarter to 10 perfectly healthy and ready to go. We were all so happy.
I love seeing and hearing about how the work is moving forward throughout the world. It is picking up a lot. With the age requirement change for missionary service, obviously there has been a huge increase in the number of missionaries. So many that the MTC has to use some of BYU's housing in order to hold them all (scary thought). And now they have a need to get missionaries out of there more quickly. So they are modifying a transfer in a lot of (if not all) missions. Our next transfer (starting January 16) is only going to be 5 weeks long, instead of 6. President Sagers told us that there are some missions that are having as short as a 3 week transfer, and others are going as long as a 9 week transfer at that time, because they need to move missionaries out. So, if you do the math, I am going to be home a week earlier than I have thought I would for the last 22 months.
Anyway, I will be reporting my mission in Sacrament Meeting on February 24th.
Well, back to the work here, We are loving it. Things are starting to pick up and hopefully we'll be seeing some more miracles happening. We've got one more baptism scheduled, the other daughter of "Sister Nielsen" on January 19th, and then we have a few people that we have goals and dates to set with them too. It is awesome seeing progress. One of my high school buddies sent me a Christmas Card to my Arlington address, and before he forwarded it, Elder Johnson wrote a note on the back for me telling me that the investigator who I referred to as Vanessa, was baptized as scheduled, which I was really happy to hear. And the investigator I talked about who I called John who is married to a less-active and they came to church and loved it and all that, is getting baptized this weekend. So that was really good to hear too.
Missionary work is awesome. Everything about it. Everything from baptisms, to finding the elect, to getting sick, to getting bit by a dog, is just awesome. The persecutions and painful moments just make us more appreciate the good times. I love everything about this work.
I love all y'all! (I don't actually use "all y'all" by the way)
Have a great week, and Happy New Year!
Here we are, 2013. It's crazy how fast time goes by. It seems like just 2 days ago it was 2012.
:)
Anyway, things have been awesome in Granbury. (it rhymes with cranberry if you've tried to figure it out).
On Saturday we had 2 baptisms! It was a good day despite the circumstances. They wanted to be baptized in the morning so they could feel clean and spiritual all day, so we scheduled if for 10:00am. We got there about 9, and the ward mission leader was there filling the font. Here's the problem, the water heater was broken, and none of us knew it until that point. Three weeks ago there was a baptism and they water was way too hot, like it hurt the guy when he got in. Then about a week ago there were two little boys in the ward that got baptized, and they got it just right. So we had no idea it was going to be cold. And in case you don't know, it is not exactly warm in this part of Texas during the winter. It was between 35-40 degrees that morning. Plus humidity, which makes cold air colder and bite harder. But again, despite the circumstances, the baptism was awesome. Elder Parker baptized "Sister Nielsen" and I baptized the 11 yr old daughter. So we were all cold together.
As they left to go get lunch we asked if we could visit that night to explain more about the confirmation. But then that night during our dinner she texted us and said she was very sick and needed to cancel. We offered a priesthood blessing and she said she would love one (we had already taught about those, so she knew what we were talking about). We went there and she told us that for lunch they went to a steak house to celebrate, but her steak tasted funny and on the way home she was feeling sick, and then she was throwing up all day. But you could see she was still so happy, and just upset that she had to get sick that day. So we gave her a blessing, and left. The next day, she came walking in for sacrament meeting at quarter to 10 perfectly healthy and ready to go. We were all so happy.
I love seeing and hearing about how the work is moving forward throughout the world. It is picking up a lot. With the age requirement change for missionary service, obviously there has been a huge increase in the number of missionaries. So many that the MTC has to use some of BYU's housing in order to hold them all (scary thought). And now they have a need to get missionaries out of there more quickly. So they are modifying a transfer in a lot of (if not all) missions. Our next transfer (starting January 16) is only going to be 5 weeks long, instead of 6. President Sagers told us that there are some missions that are having as short as a 3 week transfer, and others are going as long as a 9 week transfer at that time, because they need to move missionaries out. So, if you do the math, I am going to be home a week earlier than I have thought I would for the last 22 months.
Anyway, I will be reporting my mission in Sacrament Meeting on February 24th.
Well, back to the work here, We are loving it. Things are starting to pick up and hopefully we'll be seeing some more miracles happening. We've got one more baptism scheduled, the other daughter of "Sister Nielsen" on January 19th, and then we have a few people that we have goals and dates to set with them too. It is awesome seeing progress. One of my high school buddies sent me a Christmas Card to my Arlington address, and before he forwarded it, Elder Johnson wrote a note on the back for me telling me that the investigator who I referred to as Vanessa, was baptized as scheduled, which I was really happy to hear. And the investigator I talked about who I called John who is married to a less-active and they came to church and loved it and all that, is getting baptized this weekend. So that was really good to hear too.
Missionary work is awesome. Everything about it. Everything from baptisms, to finding the elect, to getting sick, to getting bit by a dog, is just awesome. The persecutions and painful moments just make us more appreciate the good times. I love everything about this work.
I love all y'all! (I don't actually use "all y'all" by the way)
Have a great week, and Happy New Year!
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