Founders Park

November 14, 2016

It's been a really great week. Sorry this isn't gonna be very long, we have been pretty busy today. And all this week. So as I said last week, Monday I got the call to be a zone leader and Tuesday I had to move a whopping 2 miles across Daybreak to the Founders park stake, then we spent a good portion of the day taking care of administrative stuff. In our area  We are doing what we call "Building focus," where we cover one church building and the 3 wards that meet there. It's been really neat, I've already learned the area pretty good and have been meeting some cool members. When I got into the area we had one solid investigator (Shelly) on date for the 26th and a few others that don't have baptismal dates yet, and we have been able to pick up a few new investigators, one of which (Kadyn) accepted a baptismal date and is looking really good for December 3rd. Both him and Shelly came to church on Sunday. We had district meeting on Wednesday, it was really nice to not have to lead that for a change! Haha. But then Thursday we had a zone meeting. We have a lot of good missionaries in the zone and are stoked for what these next few months will bring! I'll really miss the Oquirrh Lake Stake and the people in it, but life goes on, change is good!

Talk to you next week!

Love
-Elder Ray

Leaving Oquirrh Lake Stake

First Pday in Founders Park Stake with Elder Rossette

Elder Ray

Moving

November 7, 2016

Alright. So Monday was Halloween. Not much happened, we played tennis as a district, then we had a zone training meeting all night long, it was pretty fun/spiritual.

Tuesday we had another zone meeting instead of district meeting, then we worked. We taught a non member and a couple less actives. We taught about Christlike service and it had K., one of the less actives (huge Tongan) and elder Westover both in tears after the Mormon message "Lift". Later that night we swung in on E. and his family and drilled on the importance of coming to church, and they committed to come again. Haha.

Wednesday we visited an old catholic guy named E. Haha... every time we see him he tells us how his dog is already Mormon, haha. Then we met with a Christian pastor again for the last time, then taught a couple less actives.

Thursday was pretty sweet. We took a kid out with us -J.- who came home from his mish early for depression, and when we biked to the bottom of the hill we stopped to talk to someone, then we turned around to head back and John looked like he was dead. His face was pale white, no color in his lips, and he was staring blankly and just kinda stumbling. We walked him over to the curb and sat him down. Apparently he hadn't eaten anything all day haha, it was 4pm. So his dad came and picked him up. That night we taught S. and her mom A., two non members, and picked them up and put them on date! It was great.

Friday was pretty crazy dealing with the district, but we got out to work around 3. That night we met with H.'s dad T., who we want to baptize her on the 19th, and we took away his cigarettes and really taught about the word of wisdom and set up a plan to help him quit so he can baptize her.

Saturday we worked hard. Didn't teach much, but got some good things done. We swung by E.'s again and recommitted for church.

Sunday the B.'s flaked out again. Haha. But we sat in church a couple rows in front of an unbaptized child, then taught her after church and put her on date! R. will get baptized this month!

Today's been good. We got another scary call this morning. I didn't think much of it because lately, with elder Simmons getting emergency transferred and everything, we have been getting a lot of calls from the assistants and president. And so at about 9:30 this morning one of the assistants calls and I don't think much of it, until he says "Elder Ray, do you know why I am calling?" Then it hit me. Today is transfer day, and I was getting a call from the Assistants at 9:30. So, I am getting transferred to a neighboring stake in South Jordan, the Founders Park stake, and my new companion is Elder Rosette (pronounced Hosetchee) from Brazil. Elder Rosette is one of our zone leaders. Which means I'm now a zone leader. Crazy! It'll be all new stuff... but I'm excited! I know the Lord calls imperfect people to do his perfect work, so I'm ready for Him to continue to shape me into who He wants me to be. 

Peace

Love 

-Elder Ray

Elders Ray and Westover

Tennis with South Jordan Elders

South Jordan Zone

A Killer Halloween and Catered Cookies

October 31, 2016

Well this week was great, but it had a horrible start!

It all started on Monday morning during personal study, when we got a call from the APs! 😨They gave us terrible news! They needed our car! So we took it back to the mission office then got a ride shopping, then carved up some pumpkins with the zone. After pday I interviewed one of the zone leaders investigators for baptism, then we met with W. and his family and gave him a blessing, then we met with Grace and Charlotte.

Tuesday we had district meeting which went well, I had Erik come bear his testimony and teach us how the Holy Ghost played a role in his conversion which was super rad, then we went to a new missionary training meeting at the mission office which took up all the time till diner. After dinner we had RTC with a few Ward mission leaders and we split up which was really good for elder Westover, because when he is out with a Ward mission leader I am not there for him to lean on, so it has helped him grow faster.

Wednesday we went on exchanges, elder Bouchillon came to my area with me. It was great, we ended the exchange Thursday and then taught a few less actives. 

Friday it rained a lot, but it wasn't that cold so we still biked. We had a good weekly planning sesh and had call I am then went out to work. That night we had like 3 chili cookoffs to go to which was super fun. We saw W. and his family and heard awesome news that he got permission to baptize his daughter! He hasn't been to church for 8 years up until about a month ago, now he's been coming strong! It's so cool to see people progress so quickly, anything is possible in Gods eyes! 

Saturday we had breakfast with a less active family and shared a lesson, then at 1 we went with the zone leaders into one of the other areas in our district that is struggling and basically blitzed the area to try and get things moving. We were able to find an investigator and put him on date! So that was real cool. Sunday was great, elder Westover gave a talk in the 9th Ward while I gave a talk in the 3rd Ward. Haha, then after that we taught a young women's class about Christlike service which was pretty cool. Young Women's class is always way more spiritual than young men's haha. So that's about it. 

Hope y'all have a killer Halloween, we will be in a meeting all night. But hey someone gave us a ton of catered cookies to bring so that's nice.

Love,

-Elder Ray

Carving Pumpkins with the South Jordan Zone

South Jordan Zone

A ton of catered cookies...

I'm a Dad!

October 24, 2016

This week was pure insanity.

 

Monday was normal, after all the usual pday stuff we taught a couple less actives, then taught Charlotte and Grace (recent converts) then met with the stake high counselor over missionary work.

Tuesday we had a good district meeting, then after that had a lesson set up with a potential investigator. We get to the house and, nothing, he is not there, so we pray and ask the lord where we need to be and we feel we need to head down the hill. So when we get down there we are driving along and see someone and get out to talk to him, just to find out it's a former investigator. So we ask him when we can teach him again and he invited us over right then, so we taught K. and put him on date! Then we ate dinner, taught an excommunicated member, and a less active family that has been come back to church, then taught H.

Wednesday we started exchanges, I stayed in the area and Elder Bower came to be with me. We were able to find a new investigator which was great. We taught a couple less actives and our investigator J.

Thursday morning I had to go to a meeting so elder Bower worked with another district leaders companion while we went to the meeting, then after the excuse we taught K. again, which went pretty good. He definitely seems to be getting more enthusiastic about the gospel. We worked till dinner then split up after dinner, and we found some super good potentials!

Friday. Ha. So I can't give too much detail about Friday and Saturday, other than we spent more time with the Mission President than any missionary wants to, but basically it ended with Elder Simmons getting Emergency Transferred out. My new companion is great!

Elder Westover is from Washington state and has been out for 3 weeks! So I'm training which has been fun so far!

Sunday was pretty long, we were slammed all day. We taught a family, the dad of which is less active and has been coming back to church. Great family.  And today has already had a rough start, we had to give our car back :( but that's good because the weight gain season is coming up! Haha.

Well I hope all your weeks weren't as crazy as mine! Here's a crappy pic of elder Westover and me with dinner last night!

Love

-Elder Ray

Elder Westover and Elder Ray at a dinner appointment