Elder Adams
Buenos dias a todos!
I hope you are enjoying your morning as well in Lake powell! Looks like you are all having so much fun!
I wanted to reply to some of your emails before I go into the great happenings here in Toppenish!
Emma
Hey Emma!
So glad you're having a great time at Lake Powell! Don't Get sunburned! Good luck in your race tomorrow! You're going to do so great! Enjoy the wind in your face! It's turning into fall here! It's cooling down and the night is coming sooner so we get to knock on doors when it's dark
sometimes people get grumpy but oh well!
Stockton
Hey Stockton! I love the picture of you driving the boat! looks like a lot of fun! I'm so glad you are enjoying your Senior year. Yesterday we ate dinner with a member family. The son is in his senior year of football! It reminded me of the good times we had on the team together under the lights! Hope you have a great week and you stay Healthy. Beat them Cedar chumps for me:)
Maleck
Hey Maleck! I saw your picture! It looks like you're having so much fun! Love you Maleck! Yesterday we taught a little girl about your age to pray! It made me think of you and how important it is to talk to him. Maleck he loves you!
Madsen
It was sad not to hear from you bro. but I really hope you're having a great labor day! I heard you guys went to hole in the rock and talked about the challenges we face to make us more! Madsen I want to let you know that this mission has changed me and has helped me see that everything God gives us is because he loves us!
Dad
So funny to hear that you're still not taking lunch breaks! Sounds like you had such a great time. Dad I'll be honest haha that was really hard to be with him. It's not like he was a bad person we were just on the mission for very different reasons. I know it was for a reason and grateful to God for the lesson. Yesterday during the fast and testimony meeting of the branch. The first counselor Hermano Maravilla stood up and bore his testimony how God has been with him through his hear surgery and painful recovery. I then stood up and described how you as well had a very frightening event with your heart and how God preserved you to help me in my path to him. I then shared testimony how I'm very honest and frankly struggling believing in myself.
It was there I understood a root to many of my problems. I for whatever reason have found a disconnect from believing and God and myself(lessons, spanish learning, helping the people here, life in general) this has caused great stress and a lack of peace. I know that I have to find the faith that he will fufil the promise of making a way for me to accomplish what he has asked. Love you Dad!
What are your plans now Dad?
Mom
Hey mom! A nice sister in the ward made us waffels yesterday that reminds me so much of you. her other 5 boys have left the home and now she only has her senior son playing football. Reminds me of how it will look like when it's only maleck in the home. Anyways it sounds like you're becoming fearless. Mom God has blessed me with such a great companion. I'm so excited and relieved I really feel like I'm truning a corner!
So proud of you that you jumped off the cliff! Love you!
Now for the update:
What an amazing week. God has blessed me tremendously. I followed the counsel of the bishop to write down a list of what I wanted help with on a piece of paper and pray about them throughout the week and then fast over them on Sunday.
Some of my concerns, and questions have been...
God what are we to do?
This place has so much fruit to harvest I see it everyday but how must it be done? Please teach me! I know we can baptize here but how?
What is our purpose in the ward and branch and what must we do to fufil it to help them? Where are we to start?
The ward is full of great people but the truth is they are older and in 20 years they will all be dead or in rest homes! We have to get new people. There are so many less actives and many of the members are bound to have friends that need and are ready to hear the message.
The Branch is very small. My dream is just to bring life to it! They have such great faith but when they gather together in such small numbers it's burdensome to their souls.
How am I supposed to learn this language. I seem to work 2x as hard as others but I'm not getting the results that I should be seeing where's the problem.
I hate driving in the car because I want to be out working and it stresses me out-help me
Ok there you see it all the questions, issues and concerns. I frankly don't have all the answers right now but I got the one that really counts!
The real problem is I don't believe that I can do any of this! The truth is I can't but That's ok it's not about me! God has commanded me to come here and declare his gospel and to baptize! He's commanded me to help the ward and Branch come closer to Christ and by golly is he going to provide away and because he's is God he can even do it through Elder Travis Seleck Rigby!
Elder Adams shared a scripture with me that puts it into perfect perspective how I feel!
11 But Ammon said unto him: I
12 Yea, I know that I am nothi
No where in the scriptures does it say to believe in yourself. I felt the mission really has torn down all belief in myself. All of us must trust in Christ and trust as long as we are honestly trying to keep his commandments he will part the see and provide a way! I know he will provide a way for us to save souls!
I'm going to be sending some videos but just and update on the area and my new companion!
Elder Adams! He is the answer to all our prayers! He is such a joyful guy! He calls himself a bon-bon or a marshmallow in Spanish because he is big and fluffy. He's always talking! He loves to get to know people and he's super loving. Sometimes he gives me hugs! I'm not worthy to have a friend like him. He's reached out to me this week when he's seen that I've been sad. This week when he noticed I've changed in my spirit of enthusiasm for the work since I was with him in the Dalles zone and he helped cheer me up! our goal as crazy as it sounds is to baptize 3 by the end of the transfer! I love his faith and his determination and joy to get it done! He's also great at speaking Spanish and is helping me a ton! He is from a suburb a little out of Boston and he is a professional cello player! So cool! He does get easily distracted but I love him.
We found 6 new investigators this week in just the end of the week with Elder Adams!
1. Carrie
Carrie is 26 she has 2 kids
riley-2months
Christof-2years
She has been in a abusive relationship with her boyfriend and believes that God is there but is bitter towards him because her whole life has been one of pain. Elder Adams and I really tried to help her understand that God is there and he loves her and really wants to help her and for that reason sent Jesus Christ who has suffered all her pains. She didn't all of the sudden change or truly commit to pray but she's listening and I felt a change in her heart
Juan
Juan is a young 15 year old kid we found that wants to receive God's helping hand with his life. He's stressed with School. I love talking to kids just younger than me because it makes me feel I'm helping my younger brother Stockton
Perla
Perla is the first door we knocked together in Toppenish. Perla is 29 and has 3 kids
Evelette-7
Jose-5
Alexa-3ish
Her husband was recently sent to jail because Perla had a restraing order between her and her husband, then they made things right, then some neighbor called the cops and it's possible that he may deported to Mexico.
Obviously perla doesn't have all her eggs in the Basket. But she really wants to be a better mom for her kids, wants to quit smoking and then start coming to church. Above all else, we helped her begin to understand that no matter what she's done God loves her and wants to talk to her. Last night we taught her little daughter Evelette to pray. We commited them to pray as a family. Perla is working towards being baptized on October 7
There are many others but those are the highlights!
Love, Elder Rigby
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