November 28, 2011

November 28, 2011 – Week 1 of Transfer 16

It has come! I will be training this transfer! As you know Wednesday is the actual transfer day, so early Wednesday morning is no more stress for me! So far I have covered three corners of the mission and I will be transferred this Wednesday to the North West corner where I haven’t served. It is called the Taylorsville North Central and Taylorsville Valley Park stakes. Currently Elder Wakefield is serving in this area but he is leaving with all the missionaries he came out with on December 20^th (mid transfer) so they can make it home for school. A new missionary and I will be coming to joining Elder Wakefield this Wednesday and we will serve in a threesome until December 20^th. It will be great way for Elder Wakefield to finish. Elder Wakefield is one of my favorite missionaries out here, he always ask “Pize when are we gonna be comps?” Well now it’s happening! He was in my district when I was serving as a district leader. If you remember a picture I sent home of my district (at a restaurant) you will be able to find him in it.

Elder Speigner will be serving with Elder McKinney and they will dominate. Elder McKinney is one of the greatest and we love him. Elder Speigner and I are usually with him every preparation day he is one of our greatest friends. He has been studying the scriptures every day since he was twelve years old and he almost competes with President on knowledge in the scrips, well not really… That’s an over statement. But none the less they will lead this mission in the right direction.

We just came out of Deseret Book. I bought the book “Answers to Gospel Questions” by Joseph Fielding Smith, and stocked up on some tools for scripture studies. As far as Christmas goes I think your thoughts were bang on, I really don’t need anything but when I return home I’ll have nothing. The only thing I will need to buy before I return home is a new white shirt (a nice new clean one for the plane) because mine are pretty nasty. I would like to buy a few books from Deseret Book before I return home as well so I don’t have to buy them online and pay for shipping when I’m Canada. Tell me what you think?

Our week went really well. We started teaching four new investigators and it’s looking bright for the area this December, it should be a white Christmas! We have had some miracles recently specially while fasting. A few weeks back we fasted for a baptism because we had none scheduled that week and a brother moved from Texas who was being taught by Elders there and was baptized that week! We fasted last week because we had no one committing for our last week together and one of our investigators had a change of heart and is getting baptized tomorrow at 6pm! It is an exciting way to leave the area. Well not too much detail in this letter but enjoy the rest of your trip! Don’t get caught up in that crazy world! I got a sick feeling in the stomach when you were describing the hotel, that’s disgusting. On a different note, you know who I haven’t thought of for a long time? Macy! How is she doing? I sure miss her. Talk to you next week, I will try to send a picture of our threesome.

Love your son, Elder Pizzey.

November 21, 2011

November 21, 2011 – Week 6 of Transfer 15


Where to begin… It has been a good week, like I mentioned last week it has been full of trainings. The leadership training (happens every 2nd month) was unique and turned out well. We pulled in all the district leaders of the mission and gathered them in the cultural hall of our mission office. There in the cultural hall I held a mock district meeting for an hour and half. I focused on teaching with and power and authority expounded on how we do that! In the 11th section the Doctrine and Covenants we learn from verse 21 there are two ingredients to teach with this divine power. Those two Ingredients are the spirit and the word. The entire training was focused on the power of the WORD, or in other words the importance of using scriptures in our lessons. I used Preach My Gospel to get into the details of how we should introduce, read and apply scriptures in our lessons.

The purpose of the “mock” district meeting wasn’t for the training itself but to give them an example of an effective district meeting which included district accountability and a training saturated in Preach My Gospel. I focused on following the training model which is to explain, demonstrate, practice, evaluate and repractice. It was unique in that we have never done training like this but it was extremely effective. In front of the white board we had a few tables out and 5 chairs around those tables for the elders of my “district”. Around the three point line of the court we had the 25 other district leaders observing and taking notes. President Miller was there on the side to pause whenever he would like to either highlight something I did well or to correct! It was much fun!

The following day we had another leadership training but this time the zone leaders were included. Elder David F. Evans of the seventy (1st quorum) presided at this training. He is the executive director of the missionary department and he had his entire crew there with him. Including my all time favorite Elder Stephen B. Allen the managing director of the missionary department. The training was given from these two good brothers and it was focused on chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel. They had about 10 others from the missionary department (including people from the MTC) observing this pilot training, it was quite intense. They highlighted many areas of improvement and helped us cut some of the traditions of our fathers. President, Elder Speigner and I had a solid half hour with Elder Evans before the training in President’s office. It has been unreal working with so many General Authorities as an Assistant to President Miller. BUT It doesn’t stop there. Last night Elder M. Russel Ballard of the Twelve spoke to our South Cottonwood Stake. We were able to meet him and introduce him to a few our recent converts.

As far as our area goes we did have an extremely successful week. This coming week we will be fasting and praying for a few our investigators mainly Aaliyah, Victoria and Lumeh. Something needs to happen with them and they all have the potential to be baptized this coming weekend but it we will need the Lord’s help. Yesterday was an exceptional Sabbath Day. As always attended about four sacrament meetings but we received some money referrals. There are so many people who are not of our faith who just attend sacrament meeting weekly! It is difficult to find them, we often call them active non-members. During one of our sacrament meetings yesterday I saw a “mini Blake and Lindsay” sitting together. Long story short she was attending church with her boyfriend and after speaking to the both of them we scheduled a lesson for this coming Wednesday, should be great!

You are right, we have the American Thanksgiving holiday this week! I think we might be heading over to Bishop Ulrich’s home in my first area for dinner, I have kept in contact with him throughout my mission. Now as far as transfers goes… things are looking good and my dream of training my last two transfers is coming alive. That’s not for sure but it very well could happen. There are a few possibilities of what could happen but none of us will really know until President makes the final decision. For the past few weeks he has written me a couple letters with specific questions and what not, so who knows! The Elder who is being considered as an Assistant does have much skills when it comes to technology and neither does Elder Speigner but he has been learning what is needed. I’m excited for whatever the Lord has in store for me! I am willing to serve in any postion and in any way, whatever it is I am going to push beyond what I have pushed before! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Love Elder Pizzey!

November 14, 2011

November 14, 2011 – Week 5 of Transfer 15

You are right time is going to fast! It has been a great week in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission. As I explained last week we had Elder Stanley G. Ellis do a mission tour, so it was a week full of zone conferences. It was quite a privilege to be with a General Authority and get to know him. Each day he would interview about 3-4 people that President Miller chose during lunch and I was the first one! That was quite the experience to sit down one on one with especial witness of Christ. He asked me do you have any questions for me. Of course I do! So we had a good chat, he gave me some good advice about returning home, council about future callings and also some straight forward correction. I loved it.

Last night Rudy Flores got baptized! That was one of greatest baptisms of my mission, it was worth the wait. If you remember I found Rudy nearly six months ago tracting while on exchange and after many trials and obstacles he has made the decision to be cut the covenant with God! He will be one of the first people you meet when we come back and tour the mission.

Currently Elder Ng is serving as a zone leader over the South Jordan zone with his senior companion Elder Torres. Elder Torres is an Elder I admire and wish I could become like because he is full of love, you can feel it where ever he goes. They white-washed their area and have been struggling in their area and both admit that their faith in the area is low. Elder Speigner and I went on an exchange all day Saturday to try and help them. Elder Speigner stayed in our area for the first time and took Elder Torres with him so, that left we with my good son Elder Ng in his area. We met at the mission office and drove to his area from there, now the entire ride he was complaining about how terrible his area is. He was very negative and doubtful. So before we begun I stopped and said, “Elder Ng the mission is all in your head.” I explained what I meant by that and told him get ready to have a successful day, we are going to find! It was cold and snowing but we worked hard all day!

I wish I had time to tell you the many miracles that happened that day. Briefly I will mention a few. Within ten minutes of leaving the parked car a young man seventeen years of age answered the door and before he could even think we were in his house, next we were sitting down at his table and before he could gather himself we were on our knees praying to start our lesson. We taught a great lesson and invited him to be baptized and they are teaching him tonight. NEXT, we continued tracting and found a few potential investigators here and there. A couple hours later we were still tracting but found ourselves walking down this wide alley which leads to a small building of four apartments. As we were 100 feet away a man pulled in with his SUV, got out and began to walk towards his apartment. We yelled out, “Hello sir! We have come to talk to you!” He stopped being a little startled as we picked up our pace to meet him. Long story short he is a not a member of the church and his wife is less-active, really never was active. They just moved to Utah and have been thinking of attending church. We taught the family and scheduled a return appointment, the man and his son are now preparing for baptism. NEXT, we visited one of investigators who the past missionaries taught maybe once a month, she really hasn’t been progressing whatsoever. Elder Ng and I taught together with power that night. We were bold, yet in a loving manner, told her that her heart is hardened and this is not allowing herself to progress. We then taught her HOW to open her heart and WHY it is needed. At the end of the lesson she was motivated and committed to reading the Book of Mormon everyday and having steady lessons with the new Elders!

It was a great day with my old companion and at the end of it we both learned a lot. Elder Ng was extremely humble; I left with him four things to work on. The mission is in your mind. It is what you CHOOSE to make it. Any success I’ve had on my mission is due to the Lord, I love Him. He keeps his promises. My faith began as a little seed and as I have acted it has grown. Currently faith is a principle of action for me but I feel faith is becoming a principle of power. I have hope in Christ. Faith and hope foster charity. And except we have charity we can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God. So I better work on that charity part because it’s needed! I want to become as Elder Torres a loving giant but that is just not naturally who I am. So with the Lords help hopefully I can get there one day.
Love Elder Pizzey

November 7, 2011

November 7, 2011 - Week 4 of Transfer 15

Today is a good day! We got the November Ensign which includes all the October General Conference talks! We have a few weeks of business ahead of us so we are going to try and get some time today this PDay to let some energy out. We will be heading up Big Cottonwood Canyon to go play in the snow. We have a snowbike from our landlords we will be taking up and I plan on doing a backflip, lets hope we stay safe. Do you have snow in the homeland?

Elder Stanley G. Ellis of the Second Quorum of the Seventy will be doing a mission tour this week with our mission. A mission tour consist of basically zone conferences and leadership trainings SO this week should be quite exciting. It could damage the work in our area so President has agreed to have only one of us in attendance each day while the either works our area, that makes me happy. We are so blessed to be visited by some many general authorities in our mission. I won't even begin to talk about December and who is visiting in that month, we have promised President to seal our lips and not tell a soul. They ask him to tell no one when he finds out. I forget if I told you that last Monday Stephen B. Allen (managing director of the missionary department) spoke to our mission Halloween night. He gave us a buttered up version of Alma chapter 5, "could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been...". He basically gave us a extremely bold sermon but used many stories and analogies to get the point across. Kind of like President Monson as he speaks. Stephen B. Allen (the king of missionary work) will be returning to our mission with Elder Evans to give another leadership training which will be completely focused on working with members, I am way excited.

That is an update of the mission, also this past week we baptized 43 people which is basically our weekly average right now. In our area Gabriel was baptized this past Saturday, it has been great working with him. We were fasting and praying that we would find someone a few weeks ago and right in the middle of our fast he came out of no where. He moved from Texas and there he was taught for six months, he moved into our area and he was baptized two weeks later. We had Jeff Mantels one of our favorite investigators attend his baptism so he could get a better feel of the whole situation. Jeff loved Gabriel's baptism and the spirit touched him. I remember looking at him just after the ordinance and a tear was running down his cheek. This week we will be going downtown with Jeff, Jessica (his future wife), his Bishop and the Bishops wife for a tour at temple square. We will be focusing on the temple and the importance of families. Jeff and Jessica have been with each other for a few years now and have four of the cutest kids in world. I love their family.

This is a short update for the week because we must be going and I emailed a few other family members today as well! I love you very much and thank you for your emails. I love the mission and its coming to an end just a little to fast. I can't believe we will be talking on the phone in December!
Love Elder Pizzey