Hey everyone,
So, last week was a pretty eventful week...but then as a missionary EVERY DAY IS EVENTFUL.
Elder Argyle and I began to go through the entire ward list, which is about 19 pages long, and visit all of the names that we felt impressed to go see this transfer. It's a pretty big list, but it's pretty cool to see some of these people. There have been many diferent responses to us being on their doorstep, and for the most part they have been pretty warm and receptive to missionaries. We've actually have set up three separate opportunites to serve these families, so we are praying these opportunities will open doors for teaching.
We also had zone conference this week, and it was great! I had the opportunity to conduct the meeting...and I'll be honest, I as kinda nervous. But, I got over that quickly and just had a positive attitude about it. It was weird. I have spoken several times in sacrament meeting and at various other meetings, but I can usually do that with not much problem at all. I think it was because Pres. Merkley was there. A lot of really great things were spoken about in regards to us, as missionaries, preparing ourselves to help our investigators make and keep commitments. We also spoke about how our investigators can receive revelation as they attend church, and so we had a workshop on that. Then, Elder Argyle and I instructed on how as missionaries, we are to teach people, and not lessons. So, we went into how we can ask effective questions and then listen with love so we can help them gain faith in Jesus Christ and repent of those things that need to be changed in their lives.
This week, I am also coming up on my 18th month mark...and it's kinda freaky! I feel so old in the mission. At transfers, I looked at all the missionaries that were around me, and i thought "you have been out so much longer than they have", and then it hit me how old I was in the mission. I wonder if that's how it'll feel when I reach the age of 60 or 70 or 80....
Anyways, to celebrate, the missionaries in our apartment are going to buy uncooked miniature drummettes, some buffalo hot sauce, and we are going to grill some hot wings that night! I am so stoked for that!
Now that I have said all of that, it is time for something I learned out of the Book of Mormon. President Merkley invited all of the missionaries in zone conference to read the Book of Mormon, and highlight all the names of Christ in one color, the words he speaks in another color, His attributes in one color, and the doctrines and principles taught in another. As I was reading, every time something good happens, whether it be they got out of Jerusalem, or Nephi and his brothers returning with the brass plates, or when Nephi and his brothers return with Ishmael and his household, Lehi and his family always offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. I thought to myself, "that is so humble of him to always give thanks unto God, and to sacrifice something". In our own lives, we now offer a "broken heart and a contrite spirit", but what does that mean. Well, I think of a broken heart as something like "godly sorrow", an so when we go to Lord, we go to Him in humility with something to be mended because broken implies that something is not correctly situated or complete. Contrite is a feeling of remorse or penitence for something, so it implies a similar thing than the first statement "a broken heart", but it speaks about our spirit. So both our hearts and spirits are in a state where we are feeling like our ways are not His ways, so we give those things the natrual man is endowed with to the Lord, thus offering a sacrifce to Him.
I love all of you, and I pray for you often
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, February 28, 2011
Beware of the Groove!!
Hey everyone
So, the last couple of weeks have been kinda weird for me. For awhile, I was not feeling very comfortable because of all of the "different" situations I was in, and it kinda threw me off my "groove". I now know why the old man was so afraid to throw off the Emperor's groove...because no one likes being interrupted in their routine that they are used to.
But, with that being said, I learned a great deal about relying upon Heavenly Father to guide through these last couple of weeks. I have, many times, went to my own personal liahona and sought for direction as to where I should go and how can I accomplish what I have been commissioned to do. I know that many of you, if not all of you, know what I am talking about. None of us like to be taken out of our comfort zone; none of us enjoy the trials that come to us unexpectadly. But, I was reading today in the 2 Book of Nephi, where it speaks of our first parents, and the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy" brought me to contemplate on how the life we have here on earth should be one centered on the Lord Jesus Christ because we know that through His atonement, all mankind may have that "joy". So, that should be our quest everyday. Also, in 2 Nephi, it spoke about how, "there are things to act, and things to be acted upon" and that "men are free, according to the flesh" so that we may choose for ourselves to have joy in our lives or misery. Now, as we choose the first, we can enjoy all the blessings that our Father in Heaven has for us, but if we choose the second, we become more ensnared by the "angel that fell from heaven" and who became "miserable forever" and thus, becoming miserable like him.
So, moral of the thought: Choose to be happy today. Even when someone cuts you off while you are driving, or while you are waiting for someone to call you that you love, or while you are trying to find a job, or while you are overloaded at your current occupation. Remember to choose joy over misery when the Bishop asks you to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting when you are petrified of speaking in front of people, even when you cannot handle the pressures of having to go do home/visiting teaching.
Remember to choose joy.
...I am sorry if that sounded "preachy". I just read what I wrote and it sounded very very preachy. That's not what I'm trying to do.
Anyway, the work has been going well. We had dinner last night with an investigator family of 5, and we ate Puerto Rican rice and pork steaks...ohh it was so goood. And then, we watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, and it was really great! They have been reading he Book of Mormon daily, along with the New Testament from lds.org...so, they have the audio of the scriptures playing while they read along from the books! And they have read the entire Gospel Principles manual(by the way, if you want to give a non-member ANY kind of literature, First: The Book of Mormon Second: The Gospel Principles manual).
They have a lot of things they have to overcome, but they want to change and they want to be an eternal family.
Oh, and something cool I read today: So, in 2 Nephi 1: 10-12, Lehi is speaking to his sons Laman and Lemuel, and lets back up to verse 9 as well. In v. 9 , Lehi says that he has "obtained a promise" from the Lord that those that are brought out of the land of Jerusalem will, in essence dwell in the land and shall prosper in the land, IF THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS (ok, duh...that's the big theme in the Book of Mormon), but in the following verses, it states that if Laman and Lemuel's posterity are not righteous, OTHER PEOPLE will come, "and he(the Lord) will give them(other nations) power, and he will take away their possessions". So, this is a prophesy of "nations" coming over and taking over the people that inhabit the land A.K.A. the Lamanites.
Ok...so from these few verses...we have just proven the Book of Mormon true
I do not know what was taught in schools in the early 1800s (i do not have the textbooks at my disposal), but I do know the history of the United States at the time Joseph Smith was translating the gold plates. Andrew Jackson was president. The Louisiana Purchase had barely taken place, and not much of anything past the Rockies we owned. The Mexicans were fighting with Texas. The "Trail of Tears" would not be taking place until AFTER the saints were already in Missouri (1838). HOW COULD JOSEPH HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALL OF THIS BEING A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHESY WHEN MUCH OF IT STILL HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE? Now, Coronado, Cortez, and Columbus, and others had come over...but that was more Central America. Young Joseph, at 20 years-old, in Pennsylvania, probably did not know much of what was happening with all of these things. Anyway, just some food for thought.
I love all of you, and I pray for all of you constantly. I am so happy to be serving a mission, and I am excited to see all of you sooner rather than later.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, the last couple of weeks have been kinda weird for me. For awhile, I was not feeling very comfortable because of all of the "different" situations I was in, and it kinda threw me off my "groove". I now know why the old man was so afraid to throw off the Emperor's groove...because no one likes being interrupted in their routine that they are used to.
But, with that being said, I learned a great deal about relying upon Heavenly Father to guide through these last couple of weeks. I have, many times, went to my own personal liahona and sought for direction as to where I should go and how can I accomplish what I have been commissioned to do. I know that many of you, if not all of you, know what I am talking about. None of us like to be taken out of our comfort zone; none of us enjoy the trials that come to us unexpectadly. But, I was reading today in the 2 Book of Nephi, where it speaks of our first parents, and the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy" brought me to contemplate on how the life we have here on earth should be one centered on the Lord Jesus Christ because we know that through His atonement, all mankind may have that "joy". So, that should be our quest everyday. Also, in 2 Nephi, it spoke about how, "there are things to act, and things to be acted upon" and that "men are free, according to the flesh" so that we may choose for ourselves to have joy in our lives or misery. Now, as we choose the first, we can enjoy all the blessings that our Father in Heaven has for us, but if we choose the second, we become more ensnared by the "angel that fell from heaven" and who became "miserable forever" and thus, becoming miserable like him.
So, moral of the thought: Choose to be happy today. Even when someone cuts you off while you are driving, or while you are waiting for someone to call you that you love, or while you are trying to find a job, or while you are overloaded at your current occupation. Remember to choose joy over misery when the Bishop asks you to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting when you are petrified of speaking in front of people, even when you cannot handle the pressures of having to go do home/visiting teaching.
Remember to choose joy.
...I am sorry if that sounded "preachy". I just read what I wrote and it sounded very very preachy. That's not what I'm trying to do.
Anyway, the work has been going well. We had dinner last night with an investigator family of 5, and we ate Puerto Rican rice and pork steaks...ohh it was so goood. And then, we watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, and it was really great! They have been reading he Book of Mormon daily, along with the New Testament from lds.org...so, they have the audio of the scriptures playing while they read along from the books! And they have read the entire Gospel Principles manual(by the way, if you want to give a non-member ANY kind of literature, First: The Book of Mormon Second: The Gospel Principles manual).
They have a lot of things they have to overcome, but they want to change and they want to be an eternal family.
Oh, and something cool I read today: So, in 2 Nephi 1: 10-12, Lehi is speaking to his sons Laman and Lemuel, and lets back up to verse 9 as well. In v. 9 , Lehi says that he has "obtained a promise" from the Lord that those that are brought out of the land of Jerusalem will, in essence dwell in the land and shall prosper in the land, IF THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS (ok, duh...that's the big theme in the Book of Mormon), but in the following verses, it states that if Laman and Lemuel's posterity are not righteous, OTHER PEOPLE will come, "and he(the Lord) will give them(other nations) power, and he will take away their possessions". So, this is a prophesy of "nations" coming over and taking over the people that inhabit the land A.K.A. the Lamanites.
Ok...so from these few verses...we have just proven the Book of Mormon true
I do not know what was taught in schools in the early 1800s (i do not have the textbooks at my disposal), but I do know the history of the United States at the time Joseph Smith was translating the gold plates. Andrew Jackson was president. The Louisiana Purchase had barely taken place, and not much of anything past the Rockies we owned. The Mexicans were fighting with Texas. The "Trail of Tears" would not be taking place until AFTER the saints were already in Missouri (1838). HOW COULD JOSEPH HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALL OF THIS BEING A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHESY WHEN MUCH OF IT STILL HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE? Now, Coronado, Cortez, and Columbus, and others had come over...but that was more Central America. Young Joseph, at 20 years-old, in Pennsylvania, probably did not know much of what was happening with all of these things. Anyway, just some food for thought.
I love all of you, and I pray for all of you constantly. I am so happy to be serving a mission, and I am excited to see all of you sooner rather than later.
Elder Brad Fellows
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
This one is out of order...should be reversed with the one below
Hey everyone,
So, we got word from the Assistants that there's this storm that about to blow through Missouri, I think, starting tonight, and it's suppose to go until Wednesday some time. It's gonna get pretty cold here, and I am kinda excited because usually when things like these storms happen...MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP!
So, the work is going great! We had a baptism of a 10 year-old girl a couple of weeks ago, and we are having 2 more people being baptized this coming Saturday. My companion and I are very excited for these two being baptized.
The first person's name is Ashley Gossett. She is a 9 year-old, and her mom is a less-active member of the church, but her dad is not a member. The family has been a big focus for the people in the ward, and they have been very excited for Ashley to be baptized.
The next person is a 37 year-old man named Chris Dwyer. He is AWESOME! He was previously an active Catholic member, but since he's been introduced to the restored gospel, he has been soaking it all in. For quite some time, he was attending Institute twice a week here in Springfield, and he has been STUDYING out of the standard works and the manuals for Institute for 2 HOURS EVERY DAY. He is very knowledgeable about the gospel, and he has a tremendous testimony of the truth of it all.
He is also ex-military, and so he also soaked up the structure of the organization of the church. He's great.
We are also teaching a family of 5, a couple and they have 3 little girls. They are so great. They have come to church a couple of time already and they have enjoyed both times. They also have been reading from the Book of Mormon, but they have almost finished the Gospel Principles Manual. We are actually going to be eating at their house next week.
Oh, and here's a thought for everyone. This is something I came across in my study, and I thought of all of the people in my life, and the things we go through in this mortal probation. Here it is from the Doctrine and Covenants, and this revelation came to the saints while the persecution was very severe in Missouri.
"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament--the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.
(D&C 98:1-3)
I hope all of you pull something from this. I love all of you and pray for you constantly.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, we got word from the Assistants that there's this storm that about to blow through Missouri, I think, starting tonight, and it's suppose to go until Wednesday some time. It's gonna get pretty cold here, and I am kinda excited because usually when things like these storms happen...MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP!
So, the work is going great! We had a baptism of a 10 year-old girl a couple of weeks ago, and we are having 2 more people being baptized this coming Saturday. My companion and I are very excited for these two being baptized.
The first person's name is Ashley Gossett. She is a 9 year-old, and her mom is a less-active member of the church, but her dad is not a member. The family has been a big focus for the people in the ward, and they have been very excited for Ashley to be baptized.
The next person is a 37 year-old man named Chris Dwyer. He is AWESOME! He was previously an active Catholic member, but since he's been introduced to the restored gospel, he has been soaking it all in. For quite some time, he was attending Institute twice a week here in Springfield, and he has been STUDYING out of the standard works and the manuals for Institute for 2 HOURS EVERY DAY. He is very knowledgeable about the gospel, and he has a tremendous testimony of the truth of it all.
He is also ex-military, and so he also soaked up the structure of the organization of the church. He's great.
We are also teaching a family of 5, a couple and they have 3 little girls. They are so great. They have come to church a couple of time already and they have enjoyed both times. They also have been reading from the Book of Mormon, but they have almost finished the Gospel Principles Manual. We are actually going to be eating at their house next week.
Oh, and here's a thought for everyone. This is something I came across in my study, and I thought of all of the people in my life, and the things we go through in this mortal probation. Here it is from the Doctrine and Covenants, and this revelation came to the saints while the persecution was very severe in Missouri.
"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament--the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.
(D&C 98:1-3)
I hope all of you pull something from this. I love all of you and pray for you constantly.
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Stormin' Mormon Missionaries
Hey everyone,
So, the storm that hit us last week REALLY slowed down the work. We ended up just doing a lot of shovelling and pushing people's cars out of the snow. We haven't been able to get out and drive, so we were not able to see many of our investigators, but we hopefully will be able to see them soon and teach them.
The entire mission was affected by the snow, and here in Springfield, we acquired about 12-15 inches of snow plus about an inch or two of ice underneath it all. Fortunately, Springfield did not get hit the hardest. The thing about Springfield is that it is not equpped to handle such storms, but that's okay.
This week has been really weird for me. We got transfer calls Saturday night, and Elder Smith is going to St. Robert, and I am staying here and getting Elder Argyle. This entire zone is changing around, and now I will have been the person who has probably been here the longest. I am a little worried, but it'll be a wonderful growing experience for me. I have thought about all the things I have been through on my mission the last week, and I feel very good about the things that I have pushed through.
Lately I have been tired, but I'm doing my best to keep trucking! I feel so blessed for the enegy God has given me.
That's all I have for this week. Transfers are coming soon.
I love all of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, the storm that hit us last week REALLY slowed down the work. We ended up just doing a lot of shovelling and pushing people's cars out of the snow. We haven't been able to get out and drive, so we were not able to see many of our investigators, but we hopefully will be able to see them soon and teach them.
The entire mission was affected by the snow, and here in Springfield, we acquired about 12-15 inches of snow plus about an inch or two of ice underneath it all. Fortunately, Springfield did not get hit the hardest. The thing about Springfield is that it is not equpped to handle such storms, but that's okay.
This week has been really weird for me. We got transfer calls Saturday night, and Elder Smith is going to St. Robert, and I am staying here and getting Elder Argyle. This entire zone is changing around, and now I will have been the person who has probably been here the longest. I am a little worried, but it'll be a wonderful growing experience for me. I have thought about all the things I have been through on my mission the last week, and I feel very good about the things that I have pushed through.
Lately I have been tired, but I'm doing my best to keep trucking! I feel so blessed for the enegy God has given me.
That's all I have for this week. Transfers are coming soon.
I love all of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
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