Good Bye, Morgan City!

Transferred after 10 1/2 months!

I’m being transferred! 10 1/2 months in Morgan City. I don’t really know 

anything else but Morgan City! So I’m a little nervous. But, President Wall 

called me last night and asked if I would be a Zone Leader. I’m excited for 

the " higher calling of love" as I like to look at it, and look forward to seeing 

a new part of the mission.

But on Tuesday of last week we had the small Zone Leader meeting with

Elder Packer, President Packer’s son, and it was awesome! I love it, I

feel like he was a lot more straight up with us than he was with the

rest of the mission on Wednesday. It was great instruction and such

a sweet spirit could be felt. I learned a lot and realized that I have

a lot of things to work on if I’m gonna be a zone leader, but it made

me really excited, cause I need a change to happen in order to take

the next step of progression in my path to discipleship. Sometimes it’s

a rough and bumpy path, other times it is smooth. I am grateful for

the bumpy paths, and try to stay humble on the smooth ones.

Elder Packer taught us something that I would like to share. He talked

about the process that has to take place in order to have lasting

conversion with members, less active members, investigators etc. First

we have to hear then remember, then understand, then act, then we become.

That is the process that takes the things we know and turn them into

action to make them a part of who we are. For example, in order to

live a principle of the Gospel such as Faith. First we need to hear

and learn about faith, and then we need to remember what we learned,

sometimes it is easy to remember, other times it might take several

reminders. Once we remember Faith then we need to gain an

understanding of what Faith actually is, and once we understand that

Faith is a strong belief that motivates us to act, then we can take

that understanding and turn it into action. (Following promptings,

paying tithing etc.) Eventually, if we do enough actions of faith then

it will just become a part of us. That is how the entire Gospel of

Jesus Christ can be turned from a knowing into a being or becoming.

We didn’t teach a whole lot of lessons this week due to all the

meetings, plus it’s rained everyday for over a week now. I freaking

hate the rain!  That’s why I love AZ! It rains for like 15 min a

year.

We had a really awesome week this week. We got a referral from
missionaries in another area and so we went and taught them a
Christmas message. We used the story of the 3 wise men in Matthew 2
and then crossed referenced it to 3 Nephi 1: 19-21. It is an older
couple, and they just loved it. We invited them to come to the Church
Christmas party on Friday and they came! They even brought friends! We
are going back this week to start teaching them about the restored
gospel and doing service for them! The lady is so sweet, she didn't
want us to come do service because she had no way of paying us, she
was gonna have her 64-year-old, 350 pound husband do all of this back
breaking labor, just because she can't afford help. It was so sweet to
see the smile on her face when we told her we want to help her without
any type of payment! It warmed my heart to know that she could feel
the Savior's love through us!
 
Another sweet totally awesome ridiculously cool miracle! This is why I
think I've been her for so long... So earlier this week we got a text
from Alex (an investigator that we have been teaching for nearly a
year) and he asked where he could get a marraige license at. He has
asked that before, so I wasnt too excited. But I asked him if he was
serious about getting married to Alicia? He said..."Yes, I have been
noticing a lot of changes in here, she has been a lot of the things
that I have been looking for her to do." Well we as missionaries know
why she has changed. About 2 months ago we got sister missionaries in
our area (they are amazing) but they started to meet with Alicia while
Alex was at work. They started off by just reading the Book of Mormon
with her, then Alicia started reading on her own. So they started
teaching her the lessons in a way that she could apply. Slowly her
actions reflected what she was reading and what she was being taught.
She has read up to Mosiah 7 and yesterday asked for a blessing to help
her to live the word of wisdom. She asked me to give her the blessing,
which I was honored to do. I was nervous to give this blessing because
I knew how big of an impact it would have on her. It would basically
make or break her testimony of the priesthood.  Well this morning we 

got a text from her, to summarize... "Hey guys I just thought you should 

know that I think the blessing worked, I lit a cigarette this morning 

and when I took one puff I felt sick to my stomach" The spirit hit me 

like a ton of bricks. I knew that it was because of her faith that the 

blessing worked, not because anything I did or said. I love Alex and Alicia 

like my own brother and sister. To see them progress to the point where 

hopefully, by the time I leave, I can see them get baptized, if not at 

least married, would make everything worth it. I feel it's the gospel
that changes people, not other people. And Alex and Alicia are huge
examples of how that is true!
 

So I got a new companion this last week. His name is Elder Gates, and
he is from Las Vegas. He is a really good kid. 
 

The beginning of the week was kinda rough, we weren't really teaching 

a lot of lessons. But Saturday and Sunday were really good. We were 

able to find a few people that are interested. Church was awesome this 

Sunday! Mainly because Alan Hettinger, who has become one of my closest 

friends in Morgan City,finally came to church. In all 9 months of me 

being here, he had never come to church. But this Sunday he did! We went 

and ate at his house last night and he had a friend over that was asking 

us a bunch of questions and said he is going to go to church with Alan 

next week! So that was probably the best part of my week! You couldn't wipe the
smile off my face when I saw him walk in. We could really use him in
the branch. 

President Wall wants us to become the best teaching mission in the
world. So we have been working really hard on using different ways of 

teaching the gospel. ie) pamplets, the scriptures, videos, pictures. We are
also working on getting really good at asking inspired questions--questions 

that make people think and really get down on a spiritual level. The more 

and more I practice, the more and more I realize that I have a lot of 

improvement to make! 

 
I love being a missionary, I know that the Savior lives and that this
season is the best of them all, to reflect on his birth and sacrafice
for us. This season I would wish that y'all would find someone that
maybe "uncool" or doesnt have a lot of friends, and then go befriend
them. Be an angel in their lives!
 

So the news on transfers is that I'm staying! I'm actually really happy 

about that. I get to stay here for Christmas and it should be really fun. 
 

I'm thinking of getting my records transferred here and
then I have tithing settlement with President Jordan on Sunday after
church. The members here are starting to joke about me getting an off
shore job and getting my own apartment. At the end of this transfer it
will be about 10 1/2 months I've been in Morgan City. Like I've said in
the past, I would like to get a few more things accomplished before I leave
here. 
 
I hope everything is going well back home. Just know that the Savior
loves you and that he is the reason for the season! 

Last P'day we went to New Orleans and played in a big turkey bowl. 

Our team was one of the best, but at the end they decided to just 

make an All Star team. New Orleans Vs Baton Rouge. I played with the 

New Orleans side and we won. Jake played on the Baton Rouge side. 

We had two main appointments on Turkey day. In the morning we went 

to the Jackson's and had Brunch. Then in the evening we went to the 

Albert's where they served a deep fat fried turkey! It was
so good! I loved it. Definitely one of the most unhealthy things I
have even eaten. But it was totally worth it. 
 
We had another rough week missionary-wise. One of our top
investigators moved back to Texas and doesn't want the missionaries to
stop by. Another one has just disappeared and Alex and Alicia can't
seem to get along. 
 
On a happy note.. the Gospel is still true! Jesus is the reason for
this wonderful season. And I'm so thankful for the opportunity that we
have to remember the Savior and enjoy this time of the year! I know
that as we push all the worldly items of Christmas aside and remember
the true meaning Christmas, the Savior, that we will have more love in
our hearts and have endless joy. I love y'all and I can't wait for next
year when I get to spend this time of year with y'all! 

I don't have much time this week cause we are going to New Orleans to
play football with a bunch of other missionaries! It should be really
fun.
 
Something cool that happened this week is that we had Zone
Conference. The Assistants instructed us on leadership, and then

President took a long time to talk about missionaries. Specifically
about missionaries feeling like they arent acceptable to the Lord, 

which I feel like every missionary feels a certain degree of. But
basically what President did was just quote President Uchdorf
"Stop it" It was great. I loved it because what I heard was... "
Get over it, man up and just be a missionary" President didn't really
say that, he said it in a much nicer way. But that's what I took from
it. 

I really do feel that if we do our best and do all that we can, even 

if sometimes we don't see success, then the Lord will say "Well done 

thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, 

I will make thee a ruler over many." He only expects our best. And that 

is different for every single person. But our best can always become better. 

I've learned that when we become satisfied with our efforts, then it's time
to look for more improvement in ourselves. It's our job to find out
what the Lord expects from us, and then we need to do it! "And If you
believe all these things, see that you do them" Mosiah 4:10