May Time

Hey Everyone!

Things are going absolutely great here I hope you are looked online at google images at what I see everyday. 2 snow peaked mountains in both directions it's incredible!

Maleck

you fasted? are you kidding me that's crazy! I think that is so cool you fasted I'm so proud of you pal! you're growing up so fast and making Jesus so happy! 

Emma

Hey Emma! so excited to talk to you on Sunday! I want you to know I'm working hard out here for you! I'm trying my best to Serve Jesus and be like him so maybe I can help someone like you feel safe!

Madsen

Sounds like you killed it this last week in Baseball Man! So proud of you! Keep it up and can't wait for you to tease me this Sunday!

Stockton

Hey Stock!

I heard this week has been a tough one for you pal. I'm sorry man. This last week I had to take a stand and tell this nice atheist lady that God is real and that if we pray to him he will make himself known to us and bring us peace. I say the same to you my good friend. He lives and loves you. I know you already know this but I just want to let you know that even though the path may seem dark he knows your path and if you trust him it will lead you to the happiest Stockton you can be! keep being awesome bro! Can't wait to talk to you later this week!

Dad 

Hey Chief! Hope your doing great! thank you for the email! I print them out and save them.I was recently able to tell elder Najarian the story about how I almost lost you and how I'm so very grateful for you. You are doing such a great job as a Dad. I'm super lucky to have you around. 

Mom

thank you Mom for the package and email. Love both of them thank you! I'm writing a surprise:) Also you are doing a fantastic job with your calling! so proud of you! Don't know when exactly when we will call on Sunday but Saturday night around 9 pm my time be ready for a call and I'll let you know!-we can do that:)

-The Area-

Jorge Selano-on date for May 27

He was a slippery one this week we weren't able to talk to him. He was going to come to church, he got called into the orchard, and couldn't come. We are going to get him this week!:)

Joshua Lively

We had an incredible lesson with him all focusing on Moroni 10:3-5 breaking it down and discussing it bit by bit. He truly has great desires to come to Christ. He voiced mid lesson that he felt like he had something in his chest. We described that this is the spirit and the answer to your question. He knows he has received an answer, but yet he is afraid. He gave such a sincere prayer asking God to strengthen him and guide him.  We invited him in a later lesson to pray for a date that he could work to; however, the truth is he may just need time. With daily contact(texting) and lessons focused on getting him doing or helping him build his faith, I know he'll get there. He wants to just afraid.

Rosario and her boys Bryan and Anthony

We were able to sit down with Rosario, her husband Anthony, and her boys Bryan and Anthony. Rosario is the only one baptized. Rosario's husband, from what I have heard from the ward counsel, is abusive. We decided to share the message of the Restoration. During the lesson, the husband gave negative remarks meant to disprove our message. Thanks be to our father in heaven. We sat with them and the spirit spoke through us confounding him and giving Rosario words of love and hope-things were going to be ok. We came back a few days later and had a chat with the boys where Bryan opened up for the first time. He's a larger kid and it seems like he feels unsure of himself and very sad of the situation that is going on in the home. We helped him understand to pray and that he should come to church in order to feel God's love. They said they would come to church but didn't:

Sandra 

Sadly Sandra needs some professional mental help. We need to pray more in order to find out how we can help her

Maria-on date for June 6

We were able to get into more of the message of the restoration with Maria. She is now preparing to be baptized on June 6. She has a great spirit about her but lacks much understanding. We will be going back tomorrow night to share more.

Charley and Debra

We met a very kind couple baptist couple in their 50's, shared the prince of peace video and bore testimony of Jesus Christ. Debra overcame breast cancer. Charley and Debra have great faith in Christ, have never heard about our Church, and they like us because they invited us back to share more and to eat some burgers! 

We tracted a ton this week. We've spent a lot of time in a small town called Odell it is near a fruit processing plant and many orchards. We love the trailer park because it has more than 100 trailers. There are too many people to list but we have met many young couples, young single adults, and teenagers(may turn into solid new investigators this week) that do not know where we came from, why we're here, and where we are going. We share the video "our eternal life" nearly 10 times a day. I love testifying that because we all make mistakes (we're imperfect) and we will die there is no way for us to return home without someone to save us-Jesus Christ.

Every day at 8 pm and every dinner appointment we help families establish their family mission plan. We help them understand that they have a light. A light that shines where no other light does, and we need them on the team.

 Their plan fits within the ward's mission plan for every family that encourages them to

#1 read book of Mormon as a family all the way through before October

#2 pray for missionary opportunities

#3 invite a friend to(church, read Book of Mormon, ward activity)

#4 Serve

We meet with the families, go over how their efforts individually and as a family are going and then we help give them a paper that lets them write who they want to invite and by what date. 

The Hood River Ward also had a goal for 24 convert baptisms-last year was 0. We voiced in Ward counsel that this goal is very feasible we just have to work very hard as a ward to do so. With such a great powerful ward(ward missionaries, great ward mission leader, strong members, and great group/quorom leaders) we are working to delegate to them. having every group give us a list of names that we need to stop by so we can go by those people and then fully put our efforts into finding new investigators primarily through tracting and fruits of the family mission plans. We can do this.

Companionship

I honestly feel like I'm being trained over again. Elder Najarian is helping me how to move beyond the point of getting someone's trust and then really helping them by teaching very simply, asking good questions , and then molding the message to fit their needs. We laugh and have a lot of fun. He gets a little physically frustrated when we are rejected but I wouldn't change him for anyone

Personal

Recently I strained a muscle in my foot. I have stopped running so it can heal. This has taught me that I have limitations and that's ok. I have to take it easy so I don't get injured mentally. I feel much better now. I feel like I am able to fight off the lies of Satan more easily. My goals have been to get down in their shoes and love them(forget myself), think of Jesus Christ(when my mind is full of him no lies exist) and to pray and read more. I read my scriptures before I go to bed as well! All these efforts have helped me have a great week. I was recently directed to Alma 32 and realized you know what I have these struggles and they make me humble, I learn, without these struggles I wouldn't be learning so much about my father in heaven. I'm grateful for my struggles.

Love,

Elder Rigby