December 5, 2011

December 5, 2011 - Week 2 of Transfer 16

It has been a pleasure serving as an assistant for seven months. I love President and Sister Miller and I feel like I just left home again! It gets lonely out here! But things are great and we are about to baptize many people. I thank the Lord every night for this opportunity to train... I have never felt so motivated to work hard and be exactly obedient.

First the area. I lied last week! President Miller changed were I was going Monday night. I have been called to serve in the Draper Crescent View and Draper River View Stakes. I was sent there to whitewash the area and train a brand new missionary. Elder Mayo is my new missionary. He is from Rochester New York which is right by Palmira New York! He is 19 years old and is ready to go. We came into this area and had the baptism of the previous Elders ONLY investigator! That was nice but we were left with nothing, and the area book was junk. We have been working hard since day one and completely redid the area books. I tell you the area is prime pickins right now, I have never seen such success in a short amount of time. You can tell there has been very little trust with the previous Elders but that is quickly changing. We found four new investigators this past week and we are looking at least four new investigators this next week. A few of them have the possibility of being baptized in December but its looking like January is where the fruit of our labours will show. We have had miracles day after day this past week. We have been praying for families and we are currently working with four families and at the end of this next week it should be SEVEN families! I don't understand how the Elders were teaching ONE PERSON when we came into the area... Its confusing.

Sunday was successful. We were able to share our testimony in every single ward, afterwards the leadership is all over us asking us to do this and that. In one ward the Bishop saw us sitting with an entire less-active family (with unbaptized children) that they have never been able to get past the front door. As we knocked on that very same door she cracked it open and explained with a "closed" attitude that she wasn't interested. While she was speaking I lifted my foot and put it into the crack of the door said interrupting her, "it is cold, let us come in and talk with you" and we walked right into that house and taught a lesson. We taught a lesson with the entire family the very next day and taught the Restoration and focused on preparing to enter the temple as a family. As I mentioned above, they were at church and we sat with them. We shared our testimonies and challenged their 16 year old daughter to share with the ward what she shared with us at the lesson about her family. She walked up to the very front and bore a powerful yet simple testimony of her desire to be sealed to her parents. The Bishop was in shock! We scheduled an appointment for the parents to meet with the Bishop after church. After three hours of church the children waited outside as the parents met with the Bishop. Next we will help them fill out a tithing slip as they attend church once again. THAT'S NOT ALL. As the Bishop came to thank us for the work at the end of church we had more great news to share with him, "Bishop did you know a non-member family attend your ward today? We scheduled an appointment with them this Wednesday can you come with us" In the process of talking with everyone after sacrament meeting we found once again another family who had just moved from Taylorsville and thought they would try attending church. The Bishop loves us. He asked us to speak on the 18th of December in the middle of their Christmas ward choir presentation.

That is just ONE story! This letter is already to long but this is just a taste of the miracles we are experiencing daily. Elder Mayo is excellent and has come to the mission far more prepared than myself. He is very comfortable talking with people and likes to talk! I am focusing on helping him gain a love for the scriptures and become a Preach My Gospel missionary. He will be great. I have 11 weeks to help him become converted unto the Lord and prepare him to become a trainer if called upon. It is so hard to take everything I have learned and unfold it to him but I am learning. I love it out here. I love my past companions especially my trainer. Recently I have been so blessed to have Elder Atwood, Elder Bertolino and Elder Speigner as companions! All three have taught me so much and changed me life. With all I am giving it doesn't come close to what the Lord has given me, I am in dept unto him and will give my life in his service. I miss you and love you! Have a great week.

Love Elder Pizzey.