GENERAL CONFERENCE IS COMING!

The above is the dream team tags in .... TAGALOG!

The church is true. The same church that Jesus Christ established has been restored and he stands at the head as the chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20). What a blessing it is to have the priesthood on the earth again and modern revelation to guide it. I love General Conference so much. 

There are like a million and one things that I would like to tell you all but I don't have time or the memory. 

The most important I guess would be the two baptisms this week. 

Severina's baptism

Severina (previously assumed to be spelled Savrina) and Andres! It was cool to be a part of both. Severina is so cool, so prepared and so spiritual. This week we taught her quite a few times. The highlight was on Friday when we went to the temple with her. It was crazy. Of course we went on the day that a Filipino woman and a RM [returned missionary] from the Philippines were getting sealed. Just as we walked around the back of the temple they came out and their family was there waiting. They were all excited and talked to Severina and bore their testimonies. It was cool that it all happened as if we had planned it. Severina cried most of the time on the temple grounds. She was feeling the Spirit very strongly and was so, so happy. She is an older woman but she had a skip in her step and a song in her heart which she shared with us. "I'm going to follow Jesus. I'm going to follow Jesus. No looking back. No looking back." It was special. We read from the scriptures there as well. Severina didn't have the best marriage relationship. Before whenever we would talk about eternal marriage she was always a little bit uncomfortable. It was clear that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with her earthly husband in the life to come. But seeing the couple after they were sealed really touched her and before her baptism on Saturday she told us that she had a dream about getting sealed to her husband in the temple and now she is set on that. It was a powerful experience. Severina is so, so sweet. We call her Lola which means grandma in Tagalog. 

Andres'baptism

Andres' baptism was cool too. 

Extra special because Elder Slik and I were the ones to find him (what now feels like) a long time ago. We were on exchanges and now we got to go to his baptism as companions. 

Andres' and Gissel at his baptism (sorry about the orientation)

It was cool too because Gissel helped to teach him and then gave a talk on the Holy Ghost which was very powerful. It was special to go back and see all the people I used to get to see on a daily basis.

Monday was pretty normal day. We taught Severina. We had a lot of appointments cancel including the Ts' which is sad because they've been cancelling a lot lately. We think we scared them, especially the dad. Well mostly the dad. He was pretty closed and I bet he didn't like that his wife and children were liking reading the Book of Mormon. We're not really sure but we know the Sister T knows the Book of Mormon is true.

Tuesday was cool because we took out a priest named Rigdon. He is so cool. The first time we wanted to take him out he was kinda skeptical but now he is like super gung-ho. He is a rugby player and is so cool, funny, and really cares about the people we see. He remembers everyone down to the people we talk to in the street. We were also on exchanges and I was with Elder Lilo (another rugby player, but he is straight outta Samoa). He is super nice. We had a good time and I really learned a lot from him. He teaches very simply and directly and is always bearing his testimony. I want to teach more like that. We taught Toni and Rigdon and EL both liked that. She is someone who you can’t not just love, simple, and humble, and pure. She just wants to be good. That is a quality of people I have really grown to respect more and more. The conscious desire to do what is best. We read the Book of Mormon with a less active family (half of which then came to church on Sunday which was cool). That evening we were going to visit a referral and we started talking to a man and he invited us to teach him a lesson right then. We did and it was awesome. He shared with us how he felt that everything we said was the truth and it brought a warm feeling to his heart. We explained that it was the Spirit he was feeling and talked to him about its importance. He really wanted to be a better father. I don't know much about fatherhood. But we just taught about Christ. It was a good day with EL but after I was happy to again be with Elder Slik. He's bomb.

Wednesday we went to the temple. It was so cool. I hadn't gone in a while and I really wanted to go back. I could just feel that I needed to go. It's hard to explain really but I could just feel that my two transfers of not going was up. I went and felt so at peace. That is even harder to explain. My mind had been muddled for a long time with a lot of things and I felt that in the temple I could just leave them all behind and I had so much clarity. I've been tired and distracted for a while now with all the new responsibilities I have but I had one of the most powerful prayers in a very long time afterwards. I know that serving in the temple brings blessings. Funny story though. I was kinda feeling sick that day. Anyone who knows me knows that I can destroy a bano. Well I so am sitting in the temple and I just know that I have to go. I look at Elder Slik and whisper, “I've gotta go,” and he chuckles and says to me, “too bad.” But then again I say, "No, I've gotta go.” His eyes bugged out. I had to get up right before the session began and run to the bathroom. It was pretty embarrassing, but other than that part, the peace was inexplicable. That night we again taught Toni about the Atonement. She definitely felt the importance of it. And little by little she is grasping the restoration of authority. She keeps saying give me a week or two more and I'll get baptized. We haven't set a specific date with her but it will be soon.

Thursday we had a really good District Meeting done by Elder Hiatt. It was about powerful and impactful first lessons that set people up for conversion. It was well planned and presented. I think it was Thursday that ES and I did “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes” too. We had a great lesson with a new investigator and our 2nd counselor in the bishopric. We just boldy explained the blessings of keeping the commandments. Not as bold as LTP [L. Tom Perry] during last conference but it was still powerful. God gives us commandments for a reason - our personal happiness. They protect and sanctify us. We see so much sadness here in Vegas that could be avoided if people just knew and followed God's counsel. But don't take my word for it. (See John 7:17)   

Friday was the temple with Severina which was so awesome. But also on Friday was Andres' baptism which was awesome too. Also we got our Tagalog tags which was like the triple crown. BUT THEN! I got to eat alligator tail. It was quite delicious. I'd definitely eat it again. 

Saturday was Severina's baptism. It was cool because Toni went to that. And while there a woman bore her testimony and then said and we are so excited for you Toni when you will be taking this important step. I was worried that she was going to get scared but she enjoyed it all. She also went to the stake dinner before the RS broadcast and then to the broadcast. She loved that too. She said it was an answer to her prayers. She said that she hadn't told her concerns to anyone but God and they were answered during the broadcast. Cool or what? That afternoon as well we taught a sweet drop lesson. The guy wasn't ready but we didn't know that till the lesson. We were very bold and he and his wife felt the Spirit but he just wasn't ready to follow. The Spirit really is the key to the work. Without it we just offend people or are ineffective. It is such a blessing to feel it prompting you to say certain things or not say what you planned on, or usually say.

Sunday was an incredible Fast and Testimony meeting in both wards. In Bonanza View almost everyone bore their testimony of missionary work. One man shared his experience of the past weekend. He got taken to jail for old traffic tickets for three days. He didn't know why God would let that happen to him but as he pondered and prayed he felt impressed to share the gospel with his other 24 "tank-mates" as he described them "gang bangers, drug dealers and drunks." He said to himself though that they wouldn't listen or accept. They were too far gone and that was why they were in prison, but then later after he got out he regretted it. He was saying that he realized that those are the same people that Jesus ministered to. He didn't judge people for their immediate circumstances but saw where they could go to. It was incredibly powerful. It really touched me. "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  I know the church is true with all my heart. Christ lives and leads his church through a living prophet who holds all the keys. The Book of Mormon is true. I finished it for the fourth time on my mission this morning. It is another testament of Jesus Christ and another witness to his reality, example and most importantly his Atonement. 

In Frenchman Hills the first person to bear testimony was a senior in high school and she said something like this, "Since I've been little I’ve heard everyone tell me that Christ loves and knows my name. But now I know. I know he lives and I know he loves me." Her spirit was so strong and we all knew that she knows. I cried a little bit, I’ll be honest. She was such a good example to her family and fellow young women and whole ward. The Atonement is real and she bore simple testimony of the reality of it and the effects of it in her life. After church we also taught another great first lesson. It was to a woman who is in a transition stage in her life. She is trying to change things in her life and what we told her hit her very deep. 

God lives. He loves us.

It was a real good week. I feel so blessed, incredible experiences, amazing companion, and the support from all of you. 

I love you all so much.

Sam

"Your Missionaries"

The Dream Team in action

This is an email we received.  "Hi. My name is Bradley Iverson.  I'm in the Frenchman Hills Ward. Your sons visit my family and me. Today, they came to challenge me to invite people to be taught the gospel. I stopped them midstream, they hadn't  yet helped me feel the Spirit. So, they sang this song. Now, I'm full and committed.  I love these two. Our son is a missionary in Saline, MI." 
Thank you Brother Iverson. 

The time sure does fly

It feels like it was yesterday that I was emailing you all, but so much has happened. It's a weird phenomenon. Time. 

So as always the week has been great. Elder Slik and I are having a blast and working hard and seeing miracles. It’s like the triforce of a good mission. 

We got to see Sister Burrup the other day which was kinda funny because Elder Slik and I were with her (what seems like) ages ago in Los Feliz. When she saw us she told us that she couldn't believe that we were companions. In the mission they hand out a leadership roster which has like all the zones and zone leaders on it and she said that when she saw us together she though the president must have gone crazy. It just confirmed for ES and me that we are like the mission joke. Everyone joked about us being companions and then it actually happened. What upppp. 

'Stewardship' is an interesting thing, as I am learning. It's been explained to me in a few ways. One is that it's my - meaning our ES and my - job to make sure each companionship is finding, teaching, and baptizing. Another is that as a leader/steward the only person that should be praying more for the zone are the mother's of each missionary. I'm not where I should be but I'm trying. Christ-like leadership leaves no room for selfishness. So I'm doing my best to kill the natural man. But as I have been in a position to influence missionaries for a while, I have noticed a trend that I really don't like. It's a phrase and an ideology that denies not only the Atonement but the fact that we are here on earth to progress. It’s the phrase "it's just what I've always done" or other similar ones like "I have just always gone with the flow" and "It's just how I was raised" and all the phrases like it. I've heard that very, very often as an excuse and I don't like it. Missionaries make mistakes. Most of the time they are smaller and often times inconsequential, but when someone says that they can’t and won’t change because they did x, y, or z thing in the past it gets on my nerves. I'm not really sure how to get my point across. Basically excuses hold us back. The whole purpose of the gospel is to say that it doesn't matter who you were, or where you came from, or what you did, you can become something better. We don't ever have to be complacent with sub-par performance. We can get better. I know you all know this but sometimes we forget and say that it's okay that we are still making the same mistake we made as children because, exactly that, we did it as a child. It's not true. We can change and overcome but it takes effort and commitment. Jesus Christ suffered through the same things that we are subject to and he overcame every temptation. He knows what it is like and he can help us find the way out. I know that we can repent and leave old habits behind. From simple bad manners to iniquity, it can all be made clean. I don't mean to preach but it is something that I feel very strongly about. We have been given agency. Neither our culture, upbringing, nor past mistakes define us. 

Prayer is so important. It is a time to align our wills with Heavenly Father's. If we are sincere and seeking, He will show us our weakness and where to start and how we can improve to better help others. I'll stop ranting, but the point of it all is that we have been sent here to put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement and making excuses doesn't help that.  Maybe it’s hard to hear that from people I love because I make a lot of excuses. I just want people to be happy.

Annyyyyway. 

What a good week!!! I wrote in my journal a little bit but it hasn't been sufficient. We are sooo busy. I love it, but I've got to figure out what I need to re-prioritize to make the time to keep my journal up to date. 

In order to refrain from just talking about how awesome my companion is for the entire letter I’ll just say it here - he's the absolute best.

MONDAY! We did our p-day stuff and before the end we worked on our white boards. We have one for each ward and then one for the zone. Kind of like President's transfer board. It’s pretty cool. It’s got everyone's face on it and then some notes of the things that we are working on with these missionaries. It's nice because then when we make phone calls and do stuff like that we can always be following up with the elders and sisters to see how they are doing with their commitments and goals and other things. After p-day we stopped by Sevrina to set up another appointment but she insisted that we come in and then she proceeded to make us a feast. She is so nice, so sweet and so loving and so sincere. She wants to do the "will of Heavenly Father." She is always talking about that. I wish I could speak Tagalog. Monday night we had a lesson with the T family. It was pretty good. They played/sang a song for us which was pretty cool. It was called ‘My God is Awesome.’ Elder Slik has a video of it which you all can see in 2 years. It was sweet. They are a really strong family. 

TUESDAY! We taught a few lessons which is always good. I was thinking about it the other day with ES. I am so blessed. I have had an incredible mission already in just the short time I've been out. I've been able to teach and learn and grow and talk with people, and make a difference. I really should never have anything to complain about. I don't understand why I'm so blessed to have so many of the awesome experiences that I'm having. I think about the stereotypical (or at least what I picture) missionary in some Scandinavian country just walking around his whole mission in the snow getting yelled at by the people and never really teaching anyone. I know it's not like that but ... I’m blessed. Elder Slik and I have been trying to talk to everyone and we are having such a good time. We send tons of Spanish referrals to the sisters and other nearby companionship's. It's interesting. Last transfer I was sending tons of English now it’s opposite. That night we took out a member and he loved it. He didn't speak Spanish but we talked to like tons of Hispanics and he'd have us translate his testimony. He got really excited being out with us. I love having experiences like that. Watching people commit to join in the work of salvation. We didn't invite him, he just felt the Spirit and knew that he could be doing more to help others. 

WEDNESDAY! We had zone conference in the Sunrise stake. It was weird to go back to the Taco Bell chapel but cool because a member from the stake remembered me and started a conversation with me. She called me her favorite missionary which just lit up my day. She's the stake Relief Society president and I had helped her with some activity. J It makes you feel good when people remember you. There are a lot of new missionaries in the mission. Tons I don’t recognize. Elder Clawson gave a great training about finding. Elder Fischer bore his last testimony which was weird. He goes home after next transfer. As usual they asked me to give a talk. It happens like every time and every time I get all scared. It’s pretty intimidating. I feel like I have gone down a lot in my public speaking skills. I don't know if I talked about the honey doctrine before, but basically Elder Slik and I and the rest of the Los Feliz gang had a long running joke about the honey and bees and we would always find weird scriptures about them to share with each other. At dinner a member preached about honey to us (talking about scriptures too) for like 20 minutes. It was cool but it made me want to laugh the whole time because it was just like what we had all done months ago. She gave us some royal jelly to eat which was weird. It’s the stuff they feed the queen bee and it was so gross. It gave me like an instant headache and made me just feel odd. That night we had an incredible lesson. Read Elder Slik's email for a more in depth account. We taught an incredible lesson about the Book of Mormon to the T family. The Spirit was there so strongly. The women of the family were feeling it but Brother T was closed off. It was sad. He just wouldn't listen to us or take anything we had to say seriously. Elder Slik is a spiritual monster. If you haven’t, go watch the clip in Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration when JS rebukes the guards. SILENCE! SILENCE YE FIENDS FROM THE INFERNAL PIT... that part. Well Elder Slik was teaching with about the same caliber of spiritual power during that lesson. It was pretty sweet. It was a pretty sacred experience. It strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon as I felt the Spirit in the room. It's true. Any sincere seeker of truth will come to know it to be true through prayer and study. If everyone would just open their heart and try to figure out if it’s the word of God or not. 

THURSDAY! I gotta pick up the pace. We had a good lesson with Toni. She is so humble and sincere. She really wants to find the church where she is supposed to be to serve God. She wants to serve God so bad. That's all she talks about. It’s awesome to teach and serve someone so committed. She asks a ton of questions. But it’s okay. I love her. She has had a lot of struggles in her life but is looking for the way to overcome them. I'm really learning from her the importance of the simple things. I think I talked about this about Martha, but when our investigators keep their commitments they progress spiritually. It sounds so simple but its powerful. When Toni reads the Book of Mormon there is a notable increase in her retention and application. I wish you all could meet Toni. She is so simple. She doesn't care about anything other than her faith and family. As long as she is good with God and her family then she is happy. I want to be more like her. At night Brother DeLeon (I ate dinner at his house a year ago.... weird) invited a bunch of nonmembers over for dinner. He invited us there as well. CLUTCH! It was really super cool. Really noncommittal and we just watched a video about Jesus - such good member missionary work. He has no fear. It was awesome.  

FRIDAY! We taught a really good lesson to a PMF. Bold. I am learning a lot from Elder Slik about the importance of being bold. Just saying things as they are and not mincing words or anything. I think sometimes I am almost apologetic in my declarations. That’s no bueno. That's not my calling. I've been good about not doing that anymore. Don’t worry I’m not being close minded or offensive or even politically incorrect. I'm just being more upfront I guess you could say. Idk. We taught Toni and she hadn't read and she was kinda stressed out and wasn’t sure if we worshiped Joseph Smith or Jesus Christ. With Sevrina we taught a bomb lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the happiness and peace it brings into our lives. That night we talked to a woman who had had two brain surgeries and it was possible that she might have a third. She broke down and told us how she didn't want to and that she would rather die. It was depressing almost. As we testified of Christ and the Atonement she felt the Spirit and her countenance really changed. She was visiting family so I hope the missionaries on the other end contact her and help her. She was really nice, but suffering. You wouldn't know by looking at her either. She was only a little older than ES and I.

SATURDAY! We taught Toni and it went well. We brought the Tobler's, who have like become the most incredible missionary family in just a few weeks, and they were awesome. Toni and Sister Tobler got along pretty well. The Tobler's are so awesome. They both are so loving and committed to serving everyone. I wanna be like Brother "T-Rex" Tobler. Sevrina made us spam mosubi. SO good. I shouldn’t like eating that kind of stuff... but I can’t help it, it's delicious. That night we had a cool street contact. Again bold. It worked well too. The thing about boldness is that the Spirit has to direct. If you want to be bold, because you think that it's warranted then you are going to offend someone or hurt their feelings. But as the Spirit guides it can open people and help them to feel the Spirit.

The Spirit is real. I know it. 

SUNDAY! Church was good. We were afraid Toni didn't like it/ was bored but she said to us "it doesn't matter if it’s boring because its where God wants me to be." Toni? She gets it. We taught some other lessons too. I love the people we are teaching so much. I’ll try to talk more about actual people next week. We are always so busy. SORRY!

I love you all so much

Sam

PS. SeVRINA IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! SHE'S GOLD!!! The v isn’t a typo.