Letter to Mom April 18, 2011

Hey Mom,

My week has been good, better than last week. It is still kinda tough, but it is still going forth in the gospel. This week our zone had a contest to see who could invite the most people to baptism. It is a cool activity, it really opened our eyes. Elder Gasser and I won the contest and we invited 7  people to baptism. We have been really lax with our door steps and what not. It was awesome to see how the  simple invitation to be baptised will open conversation and to get more people into our teaching pool. Our investigator Dawn DeBow we had to drop her, because she would not progress so we had to basically tell her until she was able to keep the commitments and her wiliness to follow the example to follow the savior. We will definitely keep in contact with her and help her when we can but until then we will really limit how much that we see her. Earlana Jones is still doing the same old. she is still struggling with the whole smoking issue, but she is doing better. She has stayed for all three hours the past 2 weeks and is getting alot of branch support. That is helping her with the whole smoking issue. She is moving out of her apartment that she is living in now. She says that moving out of that place will help her with a better life, a symbolism of getting a new life. So on April 30 we will be moving her into a house that she has rented. It should be good.

 It sounds awesome that you and dad went out to Leslie. For some reason I have been missing that place like crazy this week.  I don't know why, I think it is because of the whole beginning of the ridding season.  I was thinking that you  should make me a home made Papa tractor calender. That would be awesome.

It does not surprise that the singles branch was shut down. There was never enough attendance when I went. but I guess  I am not in a singles stake with Stephanie. So that's awesome.

I love you all very much.
Jared

Letter to Dad April 18, 2011

Hey Dad,

 This week has been a lot better I am feeling stronger by the day. I found that if you mix chocolate almond milk and coconut milk together it taste just like the candy bar Almond Joy, neat little fact.

The weather here has been cold this week, is has been raining a ton and windy and just flat out cold. It sounds alot like Idaho. On the other hand the work is still going forward. This week we invited seven people to baptism, unfortunately not all of them accepted, but the ones that did, we will definitely see them again and are going to start teaching them.  Its miraculous at what can happen when you are simply bold with people with the Gospel.  It is a sure a great blessing for those who have accepted it into their lives. Our investigator Dawn has been dropped, she will not for the life of her quit practicing her witch craft. Frankly we are done trying to help her when she is not willing to help her self. She knows that the things that we teach her are true, but she won't do the things that will help her the most. It is really frustrating, but it is for the better, she someday will humble herself and then she will be teachable. Earlana, it seems like she is just going thru the motions, it is hard to know if she has a testimony.  She is so caught up in the missionaries that it is hard to see if she wants to be baptized because she wants to or if she wants to be baptised because the missionaries want her to. She is reading sometimes, when she wants, to but hasn't done it regularly in a while. So we need to help her understand the relationship that reading and praying has to do with gaining a testimony. I hope that she is doing this for her and not for us.

 Sounds like Papa is having a blast, Cam must be really good buds with Papa to get Papa back into snowmobiling again. I didn't think that that would ever be possible. Apparently it is. I am happy that he is happy.

Dad all is going well. I love you very much.

Jared

April 11,2011

Hey Mom,

How are you doing? I am doing better, I  have been off milk and any of those by products its been better. By the way coconut is nasty horrible, but almond milk is pretty good. I do miss the whole cheese and such but it is definatly better than before. Its been a pretty good week, all has been well. It was pretty slow or something.  We only had 2 lessons this week and it has been kinda slow. But it is progressing. Earlana  is still doing great and is slowly progressing. She actually came to all three hours this week for the first time she actually loved it she. as far as Megan and Clayton. they are both on their way back to California. Clayton is leaving everything and is going to support  Megan in jail. He left Earlana his car and is a genuine awesome guy.  Dawn went back to being iffy and kinda went back to being crazy, so who knows with her she is definitely Bi-polar and is really hard to  teach.

It's good to hear that all is going well in Idaho. Tell everyone happy birthday for me. I love you all.

Elder Bair

April 3, 2011

Hey mom,

I am doing great! This week has been slow, but super effective. General Conference was AMAZING.  I have a new appreciation for it now that I understand more about the gospel. The talks were all amazing and very inspired of God. It seemed that there was a theme about families and temples and preparing to enter into the house of the Lord.  It makes me super happy that our family is sealed in the temple. Earlana was able to come to the Saturday morning session of conference, she love it. Between the sessions we were able to have a lesson with an investigator Dawn De Bow. She is the wicken. It was such a amazing lesson, the spirit was super strong. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so awesome because you can see in her eyes that she knows that it is true. We invited her to be baptism... She said NO, because she wasn't ready to accept God yet in her life. It was a good answer for us, so we can now know how to help her. After conference yesterday we had another lesson that wasn't planned. We were out, tracting and got a call from her and she wanted to talk. We were nervous, it could be bad or it could be good. As we arrived she was in tears. She was so confused with life in general and with everything. She had no one else to call so she called us. As we were talking to her and just simply telling her how much that we loved her and wanted to help her and helping her recognize and feel the love that our Father in Heaven has for her it made her heart soften a ton. We had a really spiritual discussion and told her that all the signs that she has recognized are from God and he was showing his love. At the end of the lesson we again explained that through prayer she could feel the joy and happiness that she has once felt.  She understood and was scared. Elder Gasser and I both offered prayers to help make it not so awkward for her. She accepted to prayer, she gave the most sincere and heart felt prayer that I have heard some one give. The spirit touched the Heavens and in my heart. It was the best thing that I have been able to see in my mission so far. I have a sincere desire to continue to help Dawn as much as I can she is an amazing daughter of God. She recognizes us and God as people that love her. It has been a real eye opener to see the gospel work it her life,  to help and comfort her. I know that this gospel is real and designed for anybody. Even Dawn, who didn't believe in God and practiced witch craft. I know the power in prayer and the comfort that the holy ghost can give to some one that is sincere and has real intent. I love you all and thanks for all the prayers and support.

 

 

Elder Bair