NOTE: 3 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
This last week was just great. The reason why I didn't write all of you on Monday, was because we had transfers this week. Our P-day was moved to Wednesday.
The most notable thing that happened this last week was our lesson that we had with one of our investigators at the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center. We invited a mostly active member, with her less active husband to go with our investigator that day. When I heard that less active member testify that these things are true, I wondered why is he less active, but whatever, we'll work on him.
We watched the movie: Joseph Smith, Prophet of The Restoration. It really touched the investigator hard as she watched how the church started, and the life of its first leader. She felt the spirit so strongly, which is essentially the whole purpose why we take investigators to the temple. We then walked around a bit and showed her several different things in the visitor center.
A long time ago (1981), when the visitor center was dedicated, President Boyd K Packer dedicated it and blessed it that it would have the same spirit as the temple. That is a special and marvelously generous blessing. Most of all, it is true. And it had a very strong effect on our investigator, and opened the door for us to discuss the reasons why she has been reluctant to be baptized. She's been experiencing great stress and hesitation in wanting to be baptized.
So, this week, I want to stress the importance of the temple. The temple is the most holy place on the earth, and it is the only place we can receive special blessings that allow us to live with Heavenly Father again. I would impress upon all those who have not yet been or cannot go due to personal issues, or just a lack of wanting to go, to reconsider and go if you can. To those of you who can't go, that should go, you will not, for one second, regret having made the decision to go.
Again to all of you, have a great week, I look forward to writing you, and hearing from you too.
Elder Sands
Monday, May 18, 2015
NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
Again, an excerpt from my letter to my mission president, but for all of you, I’ll always add in a little extra, just because we're all best buds. I also want to welcome to my weekly emails, several of my fellow sisters and brothers (and president). If you don't want to put up with my emails, just let me know and I'll start sending you two every week! Just kidding (I’m not allowed to do that anyway). I hope you all enjoy.
This last week was a good one. Our recent trip to flagstaff was very successful, even more so than our last one that we took up there. Our first Friday we went to a family called the Gibsons. They are a really good family, the father and mother are deaf with an adopted hearing daughter. The mother doesn't know sign language so it can get a little hard to communicate with her, but she is making extraordinary strides as we teach her more and more about the gospel. She is absorbing the gospel like a sponge, it's remarkable.
Later that day, we met with the ward mission leader and his wife Brother and Sister Bushman. They are both wonderful and are extremely diligent and excited about the work for the deaf.
Saturday we met with the Flagstaff Stake President and he was so supportive of many of the things we proposed to him and even offered some of his own suggestions. He with the two Prescott Stake Presidents were all so extremely positive and supportive and they have made it their immediate goal to spread the word about the deaf work to as many people in their stakes as possible. I can't wait to see what happens.
Sunday we met with the Prescott Valley Stake President and the Gibsons. We then attended church in the Dewey ward where Elder Walker and I interpreted for 2 1/2 hours each. That was...fun...and good practice.
I also was able to talk with my parents this last week because it was Mother’s Day! I hope you all enjoyed the time with your mothers/wives.
I know this church is true and that we all can return to live with God again. One of the things that's been sticking out to me lately is that our Father in Heaven loves each and every one of us. That will always be true, but it does nothing for us unless we recognize that love and except it. I know that as you do, your lives will become more whole and you will find life is much more joyful than you have previously realized possible, for you will be looking more through his eyes at everything.
Have a great week!
Elder Sands
Again, an excerpt from my letter to my mission president, but for all of you, I’ll always add in a little extra, just because we're all best buds. I also want to welcome to my weekly emails, several of my fellow sisters and brothers (and president). If you don't want to put up with my emails, just let me know and I'll start sending you two every week! Just kidding (I’m not allowed to do that anyway). I hope you all enjoy.
This last week was a good one. Our recent trip to flagstaff was very successful, even more so than our last one that we took up there. Our first Friday we went to a family called the Gibsons. They are a really good family, the father and mother are deaf with an adopted hearing daughter. The mother doesn't know sign language so it can get a little hard to communicate with her, but she is making extraordinary strides as we teach her more and more about the gospel. She is absorbing the gospel like a sponge, it's remarkable.
Later that day, we met with the ward mission leader and his wife Brother and Sister Bushman. They are both wonderful and are extremely diligent and excited about the work for the deaf.
Saturday we met with the Flagstaff Stake President and he was so supportive of many of the things we proposed to him and even offered some of his own suggestions. He with the two Prescott Stake Presidents were all so extremely positive and supportive and they have made it their immediate goal to spread the word about the deaf work to as many people in their stakes as possible. I can't wait to see what happens.
Sunday we met with the Prescott Valley Stake President and the Gibsons. We then attended church in the Dewey ward where Elder Walker and I interpreted for 2 1/2 hours each. That was...fun...and good practice.
I also was able to talk with my parents this last week because it was Mother’s Day! I hope you all enjoyed the time with your mothers/wives.
I know this church is true and that we all can return to live with God again. One of the things that's been sticking out to me lately is that our Father in Heaven loves each and every one of us. That will always be true, but it does nothing for us unless we recognize that love and except it. I know that as you do, your lives will become more whole and you will find life is much more joyful than you have previously realized possible, for you will be looking more through his eyes at everything.
Have a great week!
Elder Sands
Monday, May 4, 2015
NOTE: 2 NEW PICTURES! CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE PICTURE ALBUM.
This week we are teaching a family, and for some reason, they’re having a hard time with getting ready for baptism. They keep postponing it, they have a hard time coming to church, and it’s tough trying to get their 8-year-old to get an interview with the bishop of their ward. They’re not even certain if they want to be baptized into the deaf branch, or the hearing ward so that’s a nice hurdle we still need to jump over.
We finally got in contact with a family that has been so hard to contact. The family has pretty much become less active, and when we finally knocked on their door when they were home, they graciously let us in. The dad is the only deaf person in the family so they’ve mostly had hearing missionaries. We sat down and talked about how things are going, and the father expressed how he really isn’t converted and has doubts about the church, but his wife is as strong as a rock, she is just experiencing a large amount of stress and health problems that she’s just sick and tired of. She asked for a blessing, which Elder Burr anointed and I blessed. I think that was probably one of the best things we could have done to help the testimony of the father. In Preach my Gospel, it says that if someone is intellectually questioning what you are saying (or the gospel in general), testify, for it is hard to question something borne of pure testimony. I’ve found that to be the most helpful things out of the book so far.
I talked with my Mission President about the incoming iPads we are supposed to have. He said that the home ward of the missionary is supposed to be paying for it?!?! Did you know of this? I don't want to impose on the ward. Other people are more important.
Looking forward to Sunday and talking with you for Mother’s Day!
Elder Sands
This week we are teaching a family, and for some reason, they’re having a hard time with getting ready for baptism. They keep postponing it, they have a hard time coming to church, and it’s tough trying to get their 8-year-old to get an interview with the bishop of their ward. They’re not even certain if they want to be baptized into the deaf branch, or the hearing ward so that’s a nice hurdle we still need to jump over.
We finally got in contact with a family that has been so hard to contact. The family has pretty much become less active, and when we finally knocked on their door when they were home, they graciously let us in. The dad is the only deaf person in the family so they’ve mostly had hearing missionaries. We sat down and talked about how things are going, and the father expressed how he really isn’t converted and has doubts about the church, but his wife is as strong as a rock, she is just experiencing a large amount of stress and health problems that she’s just sick and tired of. She asked for a blessing, which Elder Burr anointed and I blessed. I think that was probably one of the best things we could have done to help the testimony of the father. In Preach my Gospel, it says that if someone is intellectually questioning what you are saying (or the gospel in general), testify, for it is hard to question something borne of pure testimony. I’ve found that to be the most helpful things out of the book so far.
I talked with my Mission President about the incoming iPads we are supposed to have. He said that the home ward of the missionary is supposed to be paying for it?!?! Did you know of this? I don't want to impose on the ward. Other people are more important.
Looking forward to Sunday and talking with you for Mother’s Day!
Elder Sands
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