Hey!
Great email. I love how much you write. All the other missionaries near me barely get to read anything from their families back home. I love to look forward to a nice update week after week!
Well this week has been one of the best yet. That kid who came to church last week for the first time with one of his member friends is probably the most legit person I've been able to teach my entire mission. His name is Nick. He has the most sincere desire to leave his past life and change himself for the better. Our first lesson with him was on Wednesday while eating dinner. As we talked, we found out a little about him. Five years ago his dad died of a sudden heart attack which took a major toll on him. Nick turned to drugs, alcohol, and other commandment breaking to try to get away from the pain. As he told us this experience, tears filled his eyes as he said, "I just want to see my dad again. I want to live a life that is pleasing to him." A few weeks ago he was covering his shift at Subway when one of his best friends walked in the door to grab a sandwich. Tyler (his friend) is also a member of our ward. They had been friends since they were six years old. They played football while growing up on the same little league team and then on opposing teams in high school. After graduation, they each went their separate ways. Tyler went to Tucson to the U of Arizona to walk on to their football program and Nick moved to Phoenix. While Tyler was in Tucson, he received his answer to serve a mission. He did so faithfully in North Carolina and returned home two years later. About two and a half years after returning home, he found himself living in Phoenix, working at a Mexican Tile company on 19th Avenue and Greenway. This brings us to now. Nick worked at Subway on 19th and Greenway just across the intersection from Tyler and had no idea that Tyler worked so close. Tyler just happened to run into him at the Subway a few weeks ago and they were reunited as best friends. That night, Nick committed to stop smoking and drinking, and quit everything cold turkey. One thing led to another (haha) and Nick came to church. It is an amazing story. During the lesson, while Nick was tearing up, we testified to him of the healing power of the atonement, promised him the blessings of repentance and baptism, and his face lit up as we invited him to do so. He was beaming from ear to ear when we asked him if he would prepare himself to be baptized on October 22. Nick is awesome, hilarious, super sincere and emotional. We set up another lesson for Sunday morning where we were going to have breakfast at Tyler's home. We did so and taught him about some of his concerns (which aren't much if anything). We then went to our meetings and met up again at church. After church they asked us to come over for dinner and have another lesson. Yeah, Nick just loves to learn and wants to soak everything in. This time we taught him about the Restoration. He believed it all. Towards the end it turned into one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. Nick started to share is newly found testimony about how God's hand has been in his life. He talked about his best friend, Tyler, and how if it wasn't for Tyler in his life he would still be doing all the bad stuff and could possibly even be in jail. He asked a question that many faithful members of the church even ask. "How do I know if God is answering my prayers? If I'm seeking answers regarding my career, school, friends, girls, how do I know?" I remembered reading an article earlier in the week about how to receive personal revelation if we aren't too good at recognizing the answers. I shared my experience with my mission call, about how I prayed my heart out up on the mountain but received no answer...yet. Then I went home and realized my answer came through my awesome mom who was so inspired to share with me her learnings from her scripture study. I told him that often times we receive answers in ways that are far from what we expect. And to learn how to receive answers, we have to ask the right questions. First, it would be good to ask Yes or No questions and often times make our best decision and take it to the Lord. Then it can be confirmed to us. Tyler then shared the experience when he found out he needed to serve a mission. Through it all, Nick was in tears. For a while, there was a long pause of silence. I think the spirit touched each of us in the room. Nick broke the silence by looking up, and through his quivering voice said, "I love you guys." We've only known each other a week, but the spirit has bound us together as eternal friends. He stood up and gave each of us a long, drawn out hug. It was a neat experience.
Wednesday we had one of the greatest zone meetings I've ever been to. We showed the video from LDS.org called "Sanctify Yourselves." I would highly recommend you watch it if you haven't already. That set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Elder Buttars talked for 3-4 min about The Power and Authority of Our Calling. Then, Elder Tameilau shared an experience about how he knew that he was sent at the specific time, to the specific place, to a specific person. Next, Elder Hamblin got up and shared his conversion story that I shared with you last week. He is amazing. He brought the spirit so strong. I had prepared a slide that showed the history of the Phoenix North zone. It's been crazy to have been in this zone for the entire year and to have seen where we have been and where we've come. I hope to be here the rest of the year. Over the past couple months the key indicators (investigators at sacrament, members present at lessons, new investigators, and investigators with a baptism date) have all gone progressively down, while baptisms have gone up or stayed around the same. The zone members realized this. We told them that we will be transitioning from being a number-oriented zone and mission to a people-oriented zone and mission. We had each companionship give us two names that they are planning on baptizing in the month of October. They then went out of the room and planned for 30 minutes what they are going to do over the next few weeks to help those specific people get baptized. I think this effort is going to greatly help the work. We've already seen a major attitude change. Several missionaries came up to me after and said, "This was awesome. This was the spiritual rejuvenation that I needed to boost my spirit of missionary work." It made me feel so good. A wise missionary once said, "It takes a really good meeting to beat not having a meeting at all." I think it was one of the best. Following the planning session, a missionary shared his departing testimony. He went around the room, called each missionary by name, and said something about them that he loved and appreciated. After, I got up and shared my testimony about the power of miracles. I talked about my shoulder. It was impossible to hold back the tears. I talked about how this focus of two people per month per companionship getting baptized might seem miraculous. But I know that miracles happen. I am a direct recipient of one. I said, as we sanctify ourselves, are obedient to the promptings of the spirit, and immerse ourselves in the work, people will be immersed in the water. It's such a good feeling to be an influence in the life of another who desires to change for the gospel's sake.
I think back to what Nick said: "I want to see my dad again. I want to live a life that is pleasing to him." He was speaking clearly about his earthly father who has passed on. I say the same thing about you dad, but I think we can all apply this comment to ourselves by constantly living a life that would be pleasing to our Father who is in heaven. We will all see him again, this is true. But how will He see us? I hope that we will be able to lift up our heads, look Him in the eye, and wash His feet with our tears as He speaks; "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
I love and appreciate all that you do! Thanks for having such strong testimonies and examples for all to follow. I hope to receive a key learning from general conference from everyone!
Love,
Elder Colton Mouritsen
Great email. I love how much you write. All the other missionaries near me barely get to read anything from their families back home. I love to look forward to a nice update week after week!
Well this week has been one of the best yet. That kid who came to church last week for the first time with one of his member friends is probably the most legit person I've been able to teach my entire mission. His name is Nick. He has the most sincere desire to leave his past life and change himself for the better. Our first lesson with him was on Wednesday while eating dinner. As we talked, we found out a little about him. Five years ago his dad died of a sudden heart attack which took a major toll on him. Nick turned to drugs, alcohol, and other commandment breaking to try to get away from the pain. As he told us this experience, tears filled his eyes as he said, "I just want to see my dad again. I want to live a life that is pleasing to him." A few weeks ago he was covering his shift at Subway when one of his best friends walked in the door to grab a sandwich. Tyler (his friend) is also a member of our ward. They had been friends since they were six years old. They played football while growing up on the same little league team and then on opposing teams in high school. After graduation, they each went their separate ways. Tyler went to Tucson to the U of Arizona to walk on to their football program and Nick moved to Phoenix. While Tyler was in Tucson, he received his answer to serve a mission. He did so faithfully in North Carolina and returned home two years later. About two and a half years after returning home, he found himself living in Phoenix, working at a Mexican Tile company on 19th Avenue and Greenway. This brings us to now. Nick worked at Subway on 19th and Greenway just across the intersection from Tyler and had no idea that Tyler worked so close. Tyler just happened to run into him at the Subway a few weeks ago and they were reunited as best friends. That night, Nick committed to stop smoking and drinking, and quit everything cold turkey. One thing led to another (haha) and Nick came to church. It is an amazing story. During the lesson, while Nick was tearing up, we testified to him of the healing power of the atonement, promised him the blessings of repentance and baptism, and his face lit up as we invited him to do so. He was beaming from ear to ear when we asked him if he would prepare himself to be baptized on October 22. Nick is awesome, hilarious, super sincere and emotional. We set up another lesson for Sunday morning where we were going to have breakfast at Tyler's home. We did so and taught him about some of his concerns (which aren't much if anything). We then went to our meetings and met up again at church. After church they asked us to come over for dinner and have another lesson. Yeah, Nick just loves to learn and wants to soak everything in. This time we taught him about the Restoration. He believed it all. Towards the end it turned into one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. Nick started to share is newly found testimony about how God's hand has been in his life. He talked about his best friend, Tyler, and how if it wasn't for Tyler in his life he would still be doing all the bad stuff and could possibly even be in jail. He asked a question that many faithful members of the church even ask. "How do I know if God is answering my prayers? If I'm seeking answers regarding my career, school, friends, girls, how do I know?" I remembered reading an article earlier in the week about how to receive personal revelation if we aren't too good at recognizing the answers. I shared my experience with my mission call, about how I prayed my heart out up on the mountain but received no answer...yet. Then I went home and realized my answer came through my awesome mom who was so inspired to share with me her learnings from her scripture study. I told him that often times we receive answers in ways that are far from what we expect. And to learn how to receive answers, we have to ask the right questions. First, it would be good to ask Yes or No questions and often times make our best decision and take it to the Lord. Then it can be confirmed to us. Tyler then shared the experience when he found out he needed to serve a mission. Through it all, Nick was in tears. For a while, there was a long pause of silence. I think the spirit touched each of us in the room. Nick broke the silence by looking up, and through his quivering voice said, "I love you guys." We've only known each other a week, but the spirit has bound us together as eternal friends. He stood up and gave each of us a long, drawn out hug. It was a neat experience.
Wednesday we had one of the greatest zone meetings I've ever been to. We showed the video from LDS.org called "Sanctify Yourselves." I would highly recommend you watch it if you haven't already. That set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Elder Buttars talked for 3-4 min about The Power and Authority of Our Calling. Then, Elder Tameilau shared an experience about how he knew that he was sent at the specific time, to the specific place, to a specific person. Next, Elder Hamblin got up and shared his conversion story that I shared with you last week. He is amazing. He brought the spirit so strong. I had prepared a slide that showed the history of the Phoenix North zone. It's been crazy to have been in this zone for the entire year and to have seen where we have been and where we've come. I hope to be here the rest of the year. Over the past couple months the key indicators (investigators at sacrament, members present at lessons, new investigators, and investigators with a baptism date) have all gone progressively down, while baptisms have gone up or stayed around the same. The zone members realized this. We told them that we will be transitioning from being a number-oriented zone and mission to a people-oriented zone and mission. We had each companionship give us two names that they are planning on baptizing in the month of October. They then went out of the room and planned for 30 minutes what they are going to do over the next few weeks to help those specific people get baptized. I think this effort is going to greatly help the work. We've already seen a major attitude change. Several missionaries came up to me after and said, "This was awesome. This was the spiritual rejuvenation that I needed to boost my spirit of missionary work." It made me feel so good. A wise missionary once said, "It takes a really good meeting to beat not having a meeting at all." I think it was one of the best. Following the planning session, a missionary shared his departing testimony. He went around the room, called each missionary by name, and said something about them that he loved and appreciated. After, I got up and shared my testimony about the power of miracles. I talked about my shoulder. It was impossible to hold back the tears. I talked about how this focus of two people per month per companionship getting baptized might seem miraculous. But I know that miracles happen. I am a direct recipient of one. I said, as we sanctify ourselves, are obedient to the promptings of the spirit, and immerse ourselves in the work, people will be immersed in the water. It's such a good feeling to be an influence in the life of another who desires to change for the gospel's sake.I think back to what Nick said: "I want to see my dad again. I want to live a life that is pleasing to him." He was speaking clearly about his earthly father who has passed on. I say the same thing about you dad, but I think we can all apply this comment to ourselves by constantly living a life that would be pleasing to our Father who is in heaven. We will all see him again, this is true. But how will He see us? I hope that we will be able to lift up our heads, look Him in the eye, and wash His feet with our tears as He speaks; "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
I love and appreciate all that you do! Thanks for having such strong testimonies and examples for all to follow. I hope to receive a key learning from general conference from everyone!
Love,
Elder Colton Mouritsen
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