Best week in a long time. 3 stories and the GA visit - from September 18, 2017

Man last night elder Butikofer and I were talking about how we feel
like this last week was actually successful and how it feels so good!

So we were walking down the street and I asked this guy on his porch
if I could give him a card and he said no. He said he wasn't a
"believer." So I had no clue what to say and so I said, "... oh.....
why?" Haha. He didn't really give a specific answer. And again I
didn't know what to say so I just said, "we'll have you ever heard of
the Book of Mormon?" Then explained that if he read it and prayed
about it God would tell him it's true therefore he would know God
exists and that Jesus is the Christ. He said he would read it and said
we could come back. So he went from saying no to a card and saying he
wasn't a believer to taking a Book of Mormon and saying we could come
back.

Then we also talked and shared a Book of Mormon with this other guy.
We grabbed the car and left that town. As we were driving out we saw
him reading the Book of Mormon already. We texted him and he said he
read the witnesses and all of the entire index. Haha so sweet. He
loved it.

Then we went to see Danelle, our 13 year old investigator. She comes
out and 2 other girls follow her and they say, "what are we doing?"
And Danelle said, "were having a God lesson!" Haha so we taught all
three of them. 1 of them didn't know who Jesus Christ was or why he
was important or anything. She didn't really know anything about God.
It was sad. So we taught them about the Godhead and then the
Atonement. They were all super into it. We taught them how to pray
because they said they didn't know how to. As we taught them they were
so into it. They kept yelling at each other to shut up haha and stuff
because they were "learning cool things." Danelle said something about
them not being here again for a lesson, and one of them said, "you
don't know that!" Implying that she might. Then 1 of the girls said a
prayer and Danelle prayed too! Which was cool cause she is always
scared to pray.
But it's crazy that there are people who don't know anything about
Jesus Christ. We have to find them and help them.

Elder Brent h. Nielsen visited the mission. He is so cool. He is the
missionary Director over the entire church. He was awesome. He talked
about the atonement and how there are two parts to it- the redeeming
power and also the enabling power. That was so cool. I asked him what
his greatest experience was on his mission, he then told a story about
a guy he taught that turned out to be a stake president after
struggling with accepting the gospel. Then at a mission he, elder
Nielsen, visited which was his old one, he met a missionary with a
name that sounded familiar. It was the son of that stake president. He
said it was just super cool to be able to see the fruit of his
teaching and that it produced a missionary and is now a rolling stone.
He cried as he told us that. It was cool. He was so cool!!!!!! I love
him! Then he told us about some technologies the church is coming out
with for missionaries, so insane. We are going to be getting iPhones
and we will begin to teach people online and just a bunch of other
crazy awesome things the church is coming out with for missionaries.
It's so sweet.

Things are really starting to come together in this area. The high
counselor of missionary work is working with us and the branch now,
the branch president and us had a talk last night and it was so good,
we got him and his wife excited about missionary work, and things are
slowly but surely moving forward!! It's looking good. We made goals
this week that are very accomplishable and that will help move the
work in this area. Man just things are looking so up right now
compared to the past like... 2-3 months. Haha. So things are going.

The work of the Lord is real. This is His work and nothing can stop

it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Same Old Same Old - from September 11, 2017

All is the same here in Millersburg really.

This past week we went around to the members and taught them the
restoration. As we did so I felt the spirit testify to me that the
message I was sharing was true. Every time as we told the story of The
restoration I felt the power of the message. The members did as well.
A few of them actually geared up as elder Butikofer and I shared the
message.
Why do people not act on that feeling? I have no clue. But I do know
that they do get a feeling when we share that message.
I feel like I have tried everything that I know or can think of to do
and it just doesn't work. But you know what I'll keep doing it. I came
across this scripture of Mormon's epistle to Moroni in chapter 9 of
Moroni:
4 Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the
word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when
I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I
fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them.
6 And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us
labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be
brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in
this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all
righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

So I'm going to do it because I have been called and assigned to this
area and I have a labor to perform, no matter the results. Hopefully
we do get positive results but if we don't then let it be Gods Will.

Had interviews with president this week. He is awesome. He asked me in
my interview with him what kind of companion I needed. I told him one
that knows what he is doing and is ready to saddle up and go to work.
He said he will put that in his heart and will seriously pray and
consider it. He concluded the prayer and when he finished saying the
prayer he didn't move for a couple of seconds. He opened his eyes, sat
up, began to smirk and said, "missions are awesome... aren't they
elder segon?" Haha so who knows what he brewed up in his head just
then but it's was funny to see his reaction if the answer he got!

This work is true. It's is.

Amish Man - From September 4, 2017

This week was good. We went around to as many of the members as we
could to help them set up a family mission plan. That's been
exhausting. It takes all of my energy to be going out and pleading
with the members to do missionary work. We have had to be bold and a
lot of the members have not liked it, but a lot of members have. So we
know we are doing what it right. Being bold and feeling the anger of
others has been making us weary but we both feel with all our hearts
that being bold regardless of what the result is is what the Lord
wants us to do right now. Even though some members just get upset at
it we feel so strongly that we are doing what's right. And doing what
the Lord asks especially to people you feel would be on your team and
having them kind of get annoyed at you for doing it, is exhausting.
You feel like your just stuck. You're doing the right thing but it
seems like it isn't working or helping, only making things worse, and
you just are in this weird like agh. It's weird.
We talked to some Amish this week. Passed out 2 Book of Mormons to
them and they told us we could come back! That's exciting!!
I finished the Book of Mormon yesterday and I want to just copy on
here what I wrote in my journal after finishing.
"9/3/17 Sunday.

I have just finished reading the Book of Mormon again, and I feel to write down my testimony. I feel also to say I love my family. Although doubts arise, I still believe that the Book of Mormon is true with all of my heart! I was thinking as I was reading the last bit of
the Book of Mormon about how amazing it is that every time I read it, I can always grab something out of it that applies to my life and what I have struggles with or what I need to know to do in a situation. The words of Christ will tell you all that ye should do! I definitely
learn a lot as I study the Book of Mormon. Whether it be faith, pride, humility, charity, the Atonement, Heavenly Father, or repentance,
baptism, the Holy Ghost, or enduring to the end with all diligence, I
always learn. I feel like every time I read over something I have
already read, that I just get deeper into it, learn new things, get a
greater knowledge, and a stronger excitement to... life, really.
Stronger excitement about all aspects of my testimony, and stronger
excitement to be better. The teaching and power of the Book of Mormon
have given me the strength to be better and given me the knowledge of
how I can become better. I can tell a difference in myself on days
when I read the Book of Mormon and when I don't. There is a
difference. I have pondered hard about the purpose and message of the
Book of Mormon. I have come to see that God brought forth the Book of
Mormon because He loves us. He wanted us to have more knowledge of the
Savior and His Great and Redeeming Sacrifice. He enabled enabling. He
got the power and strength to give us power and strength! Jesus is the
Christ. He loves us. The Atonement is a Real, Holy, Powerful, Infinite
Sacrifice that our finite minds cannot fully comprehend. I know this.
The Book of Mormon has helped me come to know this. I wish every home
would read the Book of Mormon, for, truly the world would become holy.
Think about it. Well, by golly, Joseph Smith was a prophet! The Book
of Mormon is true! Jesus is the Christ. The gospel and the proper
priesthood have been restored back to the earth in full! In the name
of Jesus Christ, amen."

Love yous.

Winds - From August 28, 2017

This week was great!

I got sick!

Tuesday night I didn't sleep at all cause I felt like throwing up all

night, the next day was the same, and then the following night, with

still some sickness the next day. Pretty much have had health problems all week but it's been great! I've been thinking a lot about the role of afflictions in our lives a lot. In the Book of Mormon this week I was reading ether chapter 6. This was a people trying to cross the ocean and they had made these ships that we totally enclosing. No sails, no paddles or anything. So God has to cause winds and storms upon the ocean in order to get them to move across the ocean. So these winds were blowing towards the "promised land" and the waves would come crashing down upon their vessels and they would then be tossed around and even sometimes totally submerged and deep in the ocean until they prayed and were brought back up to the surface to then again be hit with a wave. But a verse in this chapter is this: 8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.

I can't imagine what these people were thinking. Maybe, "why is God

punishing us with all these stormy windy waves when we have been

good?" They may have wondered why God couldn't just have a gentle wind gently blow them over, across the ocean, into the promised land. But the fact is that God just doesn't work like that. He uses the recourses of the earth and the elements and season of the earth to perform such miracles. But what caught me in this scripture is that the winds never did cease to blow towards the promised land. We will always face some kind of wind, trial, or affliction in life. But the other half of this statement is that it will be for our good, it will always be blowing us towards the promised land, toward Him.

So this week when I got upset or something I just said, "keep blowing me to the promised land baby!!!"

Speaking of wind. A tornado happened across the river from us. We were driving home though and it started raining soooo hard. The winds just blew against the car so hard. We couldn't see out the window with the

blades going all the way even when we were stopped. I got so scared I had my comp say a prayer while I was driving. I thought I was about to die. Ahaha. But I was just being a baby.

Friday was super good! President Bednar had a special conference and he rebuked the mission! It was awesome. He set us straight! I liked it

so much. Haha. Why did I? Because he did it with such love. Love was his force, not power. I can honestly say I've never felt so much love from someone that is not family, than from president Bednar. He is

awesome.

My testimony this week I feel to share is that the words of Christ will tell you all that you should do. I know.... that is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Miracles of the Priesthood - from August 21, 2017

This week was great!

I got sick!

Tuesday night I didn't sleep at all cause I felt like throwing up all
night, the next day was the same, and then the following night, with
still some sickness the next day. Pretty much have had health problems
all week but it's been great! I've been thinking a lot about the role
of afflictions in our lives a lot. In the Book of Mormon this week I
was reading ether chapter 6. This was a people trying to cross the
ocean and they had made these ships that we totally enclosing. No
sails, no paddles or anything. So God has to cause winds and storms
upon the ocean in order to get them to move across the ocean. So these
winds were blowing towards the "promised land" and the waves would
come crashing down upon their vessels and they would then be tossed
around and even sometimes totally submerged and deep in the ocean
until they prayed and were brought back up to the surface to then
again be hit with a wave. But a verse in this chapter is this:
8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards
the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were
driven forth before the wind.
I can't imagine what these people were thinking. Maybe, "why is God
punishing us with all these stormy windy waves when we have been
good?" They may have wondered why God couldn't just have a gentle wind
gently blow them over, across the ocean, into the promised land. But
the fact is that God just doesn't work like that. He uses the
recourses of the earth and the elements and season of the earth to
perform such miracles. But what caught me in this scripture is that
the winds never did cease to blow towards the promised land. We will
always face some kind of wind, trial, or affliction in life. But the
other half of this statement is that it will be for our good, it will
always be blowing us towards the promised land, toward Him.
So this week when I got upset or something I just said, "keep blowing
me to the promised land baby!!!"

Speaking of wind. A tornado happened across the river from us. We were
driving home though and it started raining soooo hard. The winds just
blew against the car so hard. We couldn't see out the window with the
blades going all the way even when we were stopped. I got so scared I
had my comp say a prayer while I was driving. I thought I was about to
die. Ahaha. But I was just being a baby.

Friday was super good! President Bednar had a special conference and
he rebuked the mission! It was awesome. He set us straight! I liked it
so much. Haha. Why did I? Because he did it with such love. Love was
his force, not power. I can honestly say I've never felt so much love
from someone that is not family, than from president Bednar. He is
awesome.

My testimony this week I feel to share is that the words of Christ
will tell you all that you should do. I know.... that is true. In the
name of Jesus Christ, amen.