October 27, 2010

Hello Alberta!

How are you guys? I am good and it's nice to hear from you. I love being a missionary. It sounds so korny but I really do. I am starting to realize how short two years really is! This time is precious and there is so much to do! So much to change! To improve on! To become! It's a little scary sometimes, I can't let my game down. So thank you to the Low's, Grandma and Nana! All of your cards/presents have been perfect. I have a great family. As far as the winner goes for birthday presents... I feel bad picking one because they were all so different and so great. But I would have to say one of the most simple presents I got and that would have to be the Heavenors! The steak sauce!? Genious. I love them all though.

So mom you have been stressing out because I haven't got a jacket or new glasses yet. Well it shouldn't be that hard anymore since I have a CAR! No more stressful Pday's that are full of organizing rides and feeling guilty for having someone drive us around all day. This morning we were in the grocery store and the phone rang. The mission office! I love the senior couples in the mission office! Well it was Elder Hamilton the mission vehicle coordinator and he let me know the assistants and President Miller want me to have a vehicle! So we buzzed down to Hariman to take it away from the Elders who had it. Felt bad acutally, 2008 Toyota Corola! It's a beauty.

So it's not that cold here, just really slushy. No more riding in the snow though, it was pretty fun. Being all bundled up. Mitties. Scarf. Just riding through the darkness with our lights on, ice/snow peppering our faces. We will most likely park the car for the main part of the day and just use it at night to get from appointment to appointment, for those key hours.

So in this past week we picked up four new investigators, right now we have seven people working towards a baptismal date. Actually we have two baptisms tonight! (BTW Happy Birthday Dave! Love you man) Justin (15) and Trevor (11) Jones. We have been teaching them and their mother for the past six weeks, I love them. Truly do. Within the past six months their parents went through a divorce. Their parents were married in the temple almost 20 years ago but after going through their father told their mom we are never going to church again. He obviously didn't understand the gospel and have a testimony. But Sis. Jones is the coolest. She has been going to church ever since the divorce and same with the boys. We went over Sunday for one of our last appointments and guess what we had to finish it off?? Scones! And they tasted just like yours mom! We got some good pictures of the blissful moment. It will be fun to visit the many families I get close to while I'm here. So yes! Their baptism is today, first baptism ever on a Pday!

I am so curious whats going to happen this next transfer. If I leave, which I think I will, it's going to be a little sad. We have so many people we are teaching and I just love it here. Landlords are way cool aswell. But I know that whatever happens will be for a reason. Elder Lundwall is hilarious, really a funny guy. Very sarcastic. Once again, I'm excited to introduce him to you guys. We are becoming best friends. It just keeps getting better, I've been blessed.

Well I don't have to many stories this week, or I do but they are all in my journal. This week's email is a little more general than normal but I'm sure thats fine with all of you. I would like to share a story that happened last night at our corelation meeting (High Councilmen over missionary work and all WML's of Stake) with the Prairie Stake. But I will have to save that story until I get home. I would rather not share it over the interent and it will be 10x better in person. Remind me when I get home.

We started to teach a 6'8" Jamican! Donavin, he's so cool, so spiritual. He is getting baptised November 27th and he's solid. An amazing chef, like one of the top around here in the valley. So those lessons are are always so spiritual and exciting. We have one investigator struggling, Jennafer. And another going through a really hard time in her life, Nicolle. I hope things work out for them, I pray hard for them. That lesson with John Chacon was kind of funny, really laid back (PS that wasn't Elder Lundwall, exchange with Elder Conrad). (Blake sent a jump drive home of a discussion his companion recorded with John Chacon) But John is doing OK. He knows the gospel is true and wants to act on it but things aren't working out for him right now. It's hard but we are trying to meet with him once a week, I love him though. I will get a picture and send it home for all of you.

Great week. OK Love all of you! and I must run! Actually drive now! Haha.

Elder Pizzey!

October 20, 2010

Just a reminder Blake's Pday is Wednesday now!

Hello from Utah!

Alrighty... before I even get started. I'm going to give some shout outs! Thank you Hirsche's, Beck Prince, LINDSAY, Parents, Grandpa, Austin, Heavenor's, Gibb's, Elder Gibb and a few others! Man I felt like a spoiled little ratty brat! I had like six packages. It felt good though, I felt loved. I appreciate all of them, all thoughtful. Maybe one little suggestion for Breanne. Don't right on the customs sticker that there is MONEY inside the box! Not the brightest, but what we can expect its Breanne! JUST KIDDING. OK well I love my family and friends that's a given, or else I would just right a one paragraph email like every other Elder here. When everyone is yelling at and calling me to get my butt over to the gym I keep writing. Because I love you guys, I'm going to use the full time we are given.

So yup yesterday was my birthday! Weird. It sure didn't feel like it. I was on exchange with Elder Bourleson (Zone leader) in his area on Monday and on Tuesday I was on an exchange with Elder Santiago (new missionary) in his area. I completely forgot it was my birthday yesterday until dinner really. The family asked how old I was and I thought for a minute and just answered 20 with a grin. Although my buddies in the zone, our zone leaders took me out for lunch on Monday that was cool. We are going to Draper with them today to play ball with some other Elders. I can't wait. So unreal week though. With this new Wednesday Pday thing I feel like the week is longer, not in a bad way. Just that I have 10x the amount of stories I want to share! Alot with have to wait until I'm home with the journals.

So I think the coolest thing about being a missionary, hope this doesn't sound prideful or like I'm boasting of myself. But I love when members or Bishops or Stake Presidents say, "I feel the spirit when I am with these Elders." We have had a few Bishops pull us into there office and let us know they are proud of us. They let us know that they KNOW we are being obedient. That we are working in unity. That we are out here for the right reasons and they know all these things because when we come into their home and share a scripture and leave with a prayer they feel it! People have told us there is a light around you guys! I don't think literally but I just think really? I just get so used to it I take the countless number of spiritual experiences we have for granted! I can't do that, and I don't anymore. Miracles happen everyday but we just need to recognize them! And when we recognize them we have to thank God for them. I love this service I am in!

I also love being prepared. We were sitting in one of our wards this Sunday, actually we were sitting with the Fowlks. The high councilmen who was suppose to speak didn't show up. So the Bishop got up and ask if we could stand. He said now these fine Elders, Elder Pizzey and Elder Lundwall don't know this but they are going to be our speakers this week! I was stoked. So up we went and sat there during the sacrament. Enjoyed the sacrament and finished the meeting by speaking for 10-12 minutes on whatever the spirit told me to share. Just another ward down! The best thing was we had two potential investigators at that meeting. Sometimes you get scared bringing people to church as a missionary. Just don't always know if the members will actually do their part. Be mindful of what they say or if they will shake the hand of every person they don't know. Well since we were the ones speaking we could completely tailor the lesson to THEM! And now we are teaching them, I love it. No such thing as coincidences.

I haven't even hit the things I've wanted to talk about today! Shoot! Dang! Freak! (missionary swears). Well last Friday Elder Lundwall and myself were weekly planning. We were still a little down and focusing on some of the negative things that were happening in the area. We were still doing the work but with very little faith and a poor attitude. Well at the end of that week planning session (PMG P.147) there is step 13. The last step. We made some appropriate goals and took them to heart. We snapped out of our wimpy moment and just got to work. It's hard to describe the change but there was one, a big one.

I love baptismal interviews. I interviewed a man in his 40's with cancer this past week. He doesn't have much longer to live, less than a year. Family and everything. But you could imagine how humbling that was. Baptismal interviews can be so spiritual, what a opportunity for me. I love my district. We have got some good Elders right now and they are all working hard. I don't have time to look up the scripture right now. But it's Alma talking about the joy he has of his brethren success. I feel that, I get so proud of them. It's somewhere in Alma 17 or 26.

So the exchanges this week! (sorry rushed, no time left) I loved them. To be honest I learnt more from a new missionary than my zone leaders! I am probably just to close with our zone leaders so it was more fun than intense and spiritual! Elder Santiago, he is from Taiwan Mexico and only been out a couple weeks. He has a great trainer E. Conrad (been out 1 year). Elder Santiago is the a funny little guy, I think of him as cute. He is still working on getting the English down but doing unreal. I love missionaries with no fear and will to challenge and testify to anyone! Well he's one of us, I find it's the only way to truely feel satisfied in this work. The original plan was for him to come to my area because he has only been in his for a couple weeks. But I thought it would be good for Elder Lundwall to take over our area for a couple days and I knew Elder Santiago was ready to show me how its done. So I changed it up. He was way excited. We worked so hard yesterday. Walked 11 miles, I never walk though I'm all about the bike. We had some unbelievable experiences tracting. We did it so prayerfully. No some of you are going to think this is weird but it's so REAL! First we circle the huge apartment place. Then we pray and ask for guidance, then we walk and just listen to the spirit. BAM! Change direction and we went 200 feet the opposite direction. Knocked on two doors, then we heard footsteps behind us. Turn around and open our mouth. We ran into a recent convert of one year, turns out her 14 year old brother is interested. We schedule a time. Same thing we walk and pointed to a certain group of the apartments. Lets go. We go to the second level and the third door we knock (fifth of the day) we find a family. They met with missionaries before, had some problems but now they are ready...... What! Same thing. Thank God, and continue on. We knocked some other doors we were led to and ran into a member. She had a referral for us on the other side of the building. We go check it out and no ones home. We knock a few more (2 hours in and only 25 knocks) but nothing, so we decide to head to a different ward. As we are leaving there is this lady with her little boy WAY on the other side of the parking lot. We change our direction TOGETHER (same time, no words said) and walk in a straight line towards her. Guess who it is? The referral of that member earlier and even better she is has been wanting to meet with missionaries! UNREAL. Man did we give thanks.

I'm sorry that was quite the story and hard to explain, hopefully it made sense. I loved that day though. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present. I love serving with an Elder who has the same feelings for this work as I do. Who is excited to hussel, to get outside! Sometimes I wonder why can't my companion be dragging me around! But in the pass 9 weeks I've learned something. We aren't just here to invite others to come unto Christ, we are also her to invite our companions unto Christ. We are here for each other. When we do what we should be doing any contention goes away and the relationship works out. I can trust that he will be there for me as well and he as. I love serving and I'm going to do the best I can. I'll come home a new man, not a teenager! I'm 20 now! hehe! Love you all, especially you guys. Mom and Dad that is.

Love your Elder Pizzey.

October 15, 2010 A few pics from end of September

Elder Lundwell (his current companion) 

Elder Dick (from Wetaskiwin) was previously in the this area and had taught the Fowlks.

 Nicole & Warren Fowlk's Baptism!                                               

October 13, 2010

Hello Family and Friends!

It's been way to long since we chatted! So many things have happened! Where do I start? I mean there has been like five highs and five lows since, its really a roller coaster. I got in an car accident this week! We also got a new phone! Way better than our old brick. Well before I get going let me say a couple things. Thank you to everyone who sent things for my birthday, I feel loved. I just saw alot of packages before I came over here, excited to check them out. Another thing, this email might be way short. Sorry I just don't have alot of time today. We have an intense basketball game, basically invite only. Some of the best ballers in the mission, including one guy who red shirted for BYU. There are like eight of us who seriously play. So I apologize if it's short but you guys know me every week they are crazy long.

Well on Saturday I had a baptism in my old area. He is a wonderful young man, I love him. Elder England and myself taught him since our first week in the area. We helped him work towards baptism and a week before the baptism we found out he was on probation and had six months left. He's not what your picturing in your head right now. Sweet little guy, shy and just completely humble. Twelve years old too. Well that time flew by and Saturday was the day. I got a phone call last week from him, he asked if I could baptize him. Of course I was up for it and was super excited for him. Another spiritual experience. I could go into details of the baptism but no time. When he came up out of the water we hugged each other and I have never seen such a smile on him. I remember when we first found out he couldn't get baptized it was so hard. I just kept telling myself he's ready, he's ready. Its not fair. But now looking back on it I realize it was meant to be. We continued teaching him once a week and so did Elder Ng and his new missionary Elder Ellege from Hawaii. But now he was truly prepared and was anxious to enter the waters. I love him and will keep in touch with him.

Ohh man I have to wrap this up! So many other experiences, shoot! Well we started to teach a new lady this week, Jordan Poulsen. Her maiden name is Roy, I believe. She is a single mom. Raised in Winnipeg and lived in Lethbridge for a year. She went to Fleetwood Boden Elementary in Lethbridge, you heard of it dad? Well she is in her late 20's and she had been completely prepared by the Lord. She has gone through alot in her life. I mean at a young age, like 16 years old, she was selling hard drugs. Became addicted to meth for a few years but now she is completely clean and has been for several years. She has her life together and it's amazing to think of all that she has done by herself. From the first time we met with her we challenged her to stop smoking, its been a week and a couple days since she last smoked. A couple Preisthood blessings and lots of prayer we give thanks to. I told her to flip open the Book of Mormon if she ever has a tempation. Well she did it and opened to Alma 34. DON'T procrastinate your repentence! It hit her hard and the temptation left. Well we have at three or four lessons with her and everyone is spiritual. Something I've learned is to just bare down in pure testimony, it's more powerful than trying to convert with fancy teaching skills or anything. She has a million questions and our biggest struggle is just keeping things on topic. But it's good, she has such a desire to learn. Jordan has a Catholic background and she has a great understanding of the Bible. It's amazing to see how true this Gospel is. Take all the good from other relgions and bring it to ours! Your questions will be answered.

We had a mission fireside this week, on monday morning. That was nice, gave us something to look forward to so we didn't die with a week and two days of no PDAY! haha it wasn't that bad at all. But right before this mission, President and Sister Miller served in Austrailia as a senior couple. Well they met a return missionary who served in our mission 13 years ago, he ended up helping them alot with their service over there. Ben Mitchell. Then President and Sister Miller got called to our mission and Pres. Miller called him up and flew him out here to speak to us. He is an unreal speaker and so motivating. I think alot of the Elders and Sisters left with a greater desire to be more obiedent. I liked it because he served in our areas, he knows what its like. The hours of 10-3, brutal. No one home, everyone at work. No public place to just go OYM (open your mouth). It was great, he spoke on the reality satan. How he tries to get us and its so true. I've witnessed it this week.

This past week we were real high and were just thrown real hard, real low. It sucked. I would say yesterday was one of the hardest days I've had on my mission. Mainly due to one thing but a few other contributed. I am glad today is Pday and I have alot of mail! Shauntae a girl we have been teaching since my first week in the area, she was supposed to get baptized this saturday. Long story short. It's not going to happen for six months. It's not a fun story and it's way too long so I am going to leave it out. I'm sorry. She's a foster child (18 years old) and the people who I guess are in charge of her told her she can't think of any of this for six months because it's causing her too much stress. It's so lame. She wants to be baptized. But I have to get over it and continue working, can't let it get to me. We will do everything we can of course but man, satan does anything to prevent this work.

OK I MUST GO! It's time to go play some serious ball then read the letters I got this week! I love all of you and God bless!
Elder Pizzey

October 4, 2010

Hello Family and Friends!

 

What an unreal general conference! That's really all I want to talk about today but before I do let me throw at you all the random things I would like to tell you guys. So big changes in the mission. First thing. Preparation day has been changed from Monday to WEDNESDAY. This will be the last Pday on Monday, next week it will be Wednesday. So that means a full week and half with no Pday! I know, not fair right!? It was nice to have the weekend then a big break on Monday and then district meeting on Tuesday. It doesn't matter though not a big deal and I will obey! So district meetings are still after Pday, just on Thursday morning and then Friday is the same, weekly planning from hours 10-12. The times we attend the temple have all changed as well. We are now to attend on our Pday, during the hours of our Pday. But if we want we can attend the 5:30 session but must be home at 5:30 for our studies. I think that makes more sense but definetly not as convenient, it probably should be a little sacrifice of our own time if we would like to go and this way we will have more hours for proselyting. So these are basically the big changes in the mission. There are a few other things but not too big. Interviews are only quarterly along with zone conferences, they used to be every transfer (6 weeks). I thought you would like to know, especially the Pday change.

 

So this transfer is officially done! We did pretty good for this dead old area. Not dead anymore it's on fire! We had two people baptized this transfer and as of now we have six working towards a baptismal date. This week we will start teaching at least a couple new people as well. That is if I'm in the area still! Nooooo I think I will stay but we never know, I'm always ready for whatever the Lord has in store for me. Tomorrow though "transfer call tuesday" so we will find out, I guess you will have to wait till next week. Actually next week and half... thats too bad. I would love to stay though and I am confident I will, it would be sad to leave all these people I'm getting close too.

 

We moved this week! For some reason I really liked the change, we just needed a little change. We now live with the Johnson's who live in the Park 3rd ward which is just north of our old home. We have the entire basement basically to ourselves, I love the set up. We have own room of course, bathroom, study area and lounge area. We have a TV with a DVD player so if we want at lunchtime, at night if we are done planning (home 9 - bed 10:30) or on Pdays we can watch any of our DVD's we hand out. Testaments! My illegal copy of Joseph Smith: Prophet the Restoration or PMG training DVD's I have for district meetings. Remember I told you my MTC teacher, Elder Bott, was one of the six Elders they followed with cameras for four months on his mission. Those videos finally came out and they are sweet. BUT we really don't spend that much time watching DVD's, really any extra time I try to study. We don't have a kitchen so we share with them upstairs, which is OK. Really we never use it at the same time, they both work and we eat out at members homes at night. They do have a dog though! Skye! Man he is alot of fun, I forget what kind but he isn't a little rat dog. A real sized dog that you can actually play with. He always hangs out with us downstairs, makes me miss Macy! How is she? Still alive? Here is something cool. Sis. Johnson was raised in Edmonton. Her sister still lives in Alberta, in Calgary actually. Well her sister used to babysit for Bill and Doreen Pizzey! She said at the time they only had 2 or 3 kids! Crazy isn't it! I will have to get a her maiden name for you. Enough about the move!

 

So normally you don't get to go to conference until after your first year. Well I got a call Thursday night asking if I would like to go to the Saturday morning session! I guess they had extra tickets so they randomly chose some people. HECK YES! I felt terrible for E. Lundwall though, him being out for 11 months. So I told my ZL's that and they agreed, I was about to give him my tickets and then we got another call on Friday night and asked if E. Lundwall would like to go Sunday afternoon. So everything worked out and we were all good. I saw a few people at conference. First Brother and Sister Roosendaal from my old area! That was exciting. Then I saw Elder Boyd! He was there with the Provo Mission of course. Then Pres. Miller told E. Bourlson (my ZL) and myself to go find our missionaries who got lost, so we had to leave the building. As we were rushed looking for them I ran into Brother and Sister Bennett! Mark Bennett! A strange feeling! I wished I had 10 minutes to talk but I only had a minute or two. I wanted to thank him for doing all that he's done in helping me out in my youth. Being an example. He's one of the many people who God placed in my life threw church callings to help me through some of those difficult times in high school. He and those other leaders may not even realize the impact they made on our life's. So many memories with all of them. Bro. Bennett killed it on that bike ride from Jasper to Banff. Love you guys and thank you. One day I will serve like you and prepare future missionaries as well, thanks for setting the bar.

 

I am sure glad I was able to attend the session I did, Saturday morning that is. It had to be my favorite other than the Priesthood session. Elder Uchtdorf's talk on pride just spoke to me and called me to repentance! I loved it. But the Saturday morning session was great. Elder Holland's was way different than from what he normally goes with. Usually he's so intense and bold, but this time it was very different. Maybe because he opened up the conference? But I liked it, very heart felt. Elder Uchtdorf's was great as well. It's so funny because I think of what this talk would mean to me if I was just a normal person and compare it to a missionary. It's always completely different especially his talk that morning. We can't slow down as missionaries! We don't have time to just stop and ponder. To go for a hike in the mountains or just relax! We are constantly on the go! Non stop. The time we have to think is from 10:30 till we fall asleep as we lay in our beds. Even then you can't control your thoughts, they don't slow down. You loose yourself and focus on others. But that's what I love about this work. I get to serve God by serving others. It's such a unique experience and I will never get to do it again. Only the Apostles put in as much time in to our callings as we do. I love it. Coming back to E. Utchdorf's talk on really keeping it simple, as far as the gospel goes that's all we do! We teach the basic principles of the gospel over and over and study them over and over. Which is great don't get me wrong but it's just fun to be a missionaries during conference. All the talks mean something completely different than if I was at home.

 

One year ago I attended conference with our family, the mini family that is, plus Lindsay. But I remember during the Priesthood session an experience that changed my view of God's church. We were waiting for the prophet to come into the Conference center. Everybody was talking quietly but then he walked it and it went completely silent and everybody stood. The spirit testified to me then that he truly is a prophet, God's mouth piece on the Earth today. It was the first time it hit me what it truly meant to have a prophet on the earth today! Now as I attended this past weekend I kept reflecting on that experience. I was hoping the same thing would happen again but I was getting my hopes up or expecting it to happen. But it did! The first presidency walked in together just thirty feet away from me and I've never felt the spirit so strong! It was overwhelming. I looked at Elder Dohm (friend in the mission) who was standing by my side and we both knew we were feeling the exact same thing. What a witness it was. To me, that this is God's church and that those men thirty feet in front of me are true servants of our Heavenly Father, ordained of God!

 

The reason this experience was stronger this year than last year is because I'm more receptive to the spirit. I have been able to tune my instrument by acting on the simple whispering's of the spirit I have received. We must act! And not be acted upon and Elder Bedar always says. That's what I have this week and until next time keep the faith!

 

Elder Pizzey.