Chris’ Mission–Big Rapids with Elder Gurr

I need to start doing better with my journal writing. I have been slacking big time. My greenies name is Elder Dax Gurr. We have been together for 3 days and he is a total stud. We get along very well and will do well together. He has a very strong desire to serve well and teach the gospel. He can’t wait to teach but our appointments keep falling through. But we will get it going here. It is awesome to be training again and we are doing everything right. We get up at 5:55am, go to bed before 10:30pm, and we are working hard. We have done a lot of door knocking and walking around the past 2 days but it has been very cold and unsuccessful. But I know if we stick with it that we will be blessed. I am 100% obedient and willing to give all that is required to be a successful missionary. Today has been an awesome Sabbath. We taught seminary this morning and just talked about our missions and how awesome they are. I was hoping for the spirit to just pierce the should of those young men and it did go well. But they are pretty normal teenagers. It was cool to talk about my mission and its effect on me, before and after it started. Sacrament meeting was very good. I seem to be enjoying it even more all the time. I taught the lesson in Gospel Essentials and it went great. I prepared it well and because of that, it was an awesome lesson. I talked on the atonement and it was really beneficial for me and I hope for the others in the class. I am so grateful for the atonement and its effect on my life. I love Jesus Christ so much and appreciate his love for me. The rest of the day has been good as well. Me and Elder Gurr talked a lot about the MTC and the prophets and apostles and the spirit has been with us very strong. I also studied 3 Nephi 11-15 tonight as well as Russell M. Nelsons talk at the Parliament of World Religions. He is such a stud. He was so bold in his talk but the spirit was so strong that as I read it, I knew he is a prophet called by God. I also listened to Truman G. Madsen’s talk on Joseph Smith as a lecturer and counselor. Joseph Smith is my hero. We talked a lot tonight about having the power of the Lord to speak with us. My goal is to truly have his countenance and spirit all the time when I speak his words for him. I love this work so much. Sunday, February 27

Well, I don’t know what’s going on. I am working my butt off and things just aren’t going well at all. We got dogged again today on our appointment - we still haven’t taught anyone since the arrival of Elder Gurr. After we got home this afternoon, I was totally depressed. But we headed out to do some tracting and a lady walked by us right as we got to the sidewalk and I PC’d her and she was interested. Sweet. I guess the Lord really was just testing me because as we continued to go out, the first three people we talked to, we got PC’s out of them. They were blessings from above and just totally boosted my spirits. I was feeling so down and upset but I’m ready to go again. I know the Lord is in charge and if we keep it up, he will totally bless us. I seriously just have to thrust, but have faith in the Lord. I can’t do it without him. We are being 100% obedient and working so I don’t know why we keep getting dogged. I must just be a trial of my faith (Ether 12:6) but I will pass the test. Tuesday, March 1

Well, we are passing the test. On Wednesday, we had a sweet companion inventory where we set some good goals and talked about the work. It was really good and then we went out and did the work and totally got blessed. We went out just contacting people not he street and the first 10 people weren't interested. We weren’t having any luck and it totally sucked, but we just kept going showing the Lord we would persevere and he blessed us. We had tons of success the rest of the time walking around campus and got 12 PCs. It was totally sweet. And it felt so good. We were having the best time talking with people. And we also went out today and got 5 PCs. My fear is always hard to overcome until I just do it and open my mouth. And then as soon as I have talked to a couple people, the fear is gone. I have talked to a couple people, the fear is gone. I really do enjoy it and we meet some neat people and some interesting characters. On guy, as soon as Elder Gurr started talking, said “Get out of here, you bible thumpers. We needed to be humbled. I kind of laughed it off, but Gurr was pretty upset. He just isn't used to it yet. But some of the other people ran into were way cool. We helped one guy carry a trunk across campus and into a dorm and he PC’d us after we offered to help. It was really cool. Contacting at the college is pretty fun. On Wednesday night, we also taught Terry and Jessie Jones and the Wards and both went very well. We finally got to teach a discussion. We will challenge both of them to baptism on Saturday. They are some great people. Tomorrow is Lori Spires baptism. I am really excited and she is all ready. Thursday, March 3

Today was awesome. It was Lori Spires baptism and it went very well. I got to baptize her and confirm her and I also sang a song, so I was pretty busy. And I can’t believe I went through with it and sang a solo. I almost didn’t do it, but I’m totally glad I did. It was a good experience and I actually got a lot of compliments. And the baptism nd confirmation went awesome as well. I love using the Priesthood so much. It is such a privilege and once again, I could clearly follow the promptings of the spirit as I blessed her. What a neat experience and what an awesome day. Afterwards, Lori took us and Christine and Linda and Emily out to Casey’s restaurant. What a sweet day. Friday, March 4

Today I have been out for seventeen months and what a way to celebrate. We had our Zone Conference down in Grand Rapids and it was the best one I’ve had. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone was with us and what an amazing man. Most of the day was filled with him speaking to us and I was in awe once more of the power and spirit that he had, that all the General Authorities have. He was truly amazing and what a blessing it was to sit at his feet to receive more of the teachings of the savior from him and to feel of his spirit and to receive a blessing as a group from him. It was so neat. He taught us principles ranging from meekness to being a powerful “Challenging and Testifying Missionary”. Meekness he defines as not weak or lowly, but being “an absolute submissiveness to God”. I like that and as he talked about it, I truly desired it so much. I want to be able to say, “Not my will, but thine” each time I go through one of my own Gethsemane’s. I want to be a challenging and testifying missionary; one who has no fear because my faith is so high. And one who will boldly, with the spirit, always tell people how it is. That is a powerful missionary and I want to be that powerful. I feel like I should record all these principles in here so that I can refer back to them after. “We can be perfect in many things”. Perfect in tithing, in sacrament attendance, etc. And then we just keep adding to the list as we continue to conquer things and be perfect in them. And concerning humility, “Greatness is not in us, but through us”. Powerful. “85% of all success is due to attitude”. “Only the mediocre person is at his best.”

Elder Featherstone shard a story about how he healed a little girl and she talked about him as the “friend of the prophet”. What a beautiful thing to be called. And he shared many other stories which were awesome. He talked about David who had “a heart like unto God’s heart” who slew Goliath but later took Bathsheba and committed adultery and became a coward. I want to be a Spartan missionary - one who can work harder, sacrifice more, and serve better. And as President Kimball counseled us to “Get your lions share of baptisms”. I will do that. He also taught us that the devil can never duplicate the sweet feeling of peace. And asked that we promise this and not the “burning of the bosom”. And since the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, we must put the pressure on it because that makes the arch (the Church) stronger. Elder Featherstone also got very deep into a lot of subjects such as eternal marriage, the celestial kingdom, our divine potential, etc. At this point, my notes began to get neglected because I was so intent on his words and the spirit was so strong. He basically took us on a tour of the Salt Lake Temple on the upper floors and talked about the different rooms, their purpose, and a little of what goes on in them. Rooms where the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve meet, the last Supper room, and the Holy of Holies. It was so neat as he talked about them. I can’t wait to go to the temple again. He talked about the top General Authorities, past and present, and shared personal experiences with them. I love those men with all my heart. He also answered many of the questions that have arisen in my heart as of late. “Seek and ye shall find.” There is no way for me to capture all his words or his spirit here in my journal. But I love Elder Featherstone and I am grateful for the time we had together. He is a great man and a chosen servant of God. After he concluded, we had a brief testimony meeting and I went first. I just had to share my feelings of my love for the gospel and for missionary work. I do love it with all my hart and I feel so privileged for the opportunity I have to be a part of it. Days like today make it so worthwhile and rewarding. My greatest desire is to serve my Father well throughout my mission and throughout my life. I will endure to the end so that one day, I can be a powerful speaker and teacher of truth. Jesus Christ lives and this is his church. Amen. Monday, March 7

The past few days have been good ones. On Tuesday, we did our laundry, got our haircuts, and worked out at Knopfs. That was fun. I benched 215, which is pretty good. Then we headed over to Midland with Sister Savard and Jeni and had an awesome time over there. We got there right at the conclusion of their Zone Conference so I got to talk with all the missionaries who I’m friends with. Elder Johanson, Erik Johnsen, Jake Smith, Biehler, Georgianna, Sisters Patton and Wakefield, and my first son Elder Dickinson. It was awesome to see all of them. I had a good time talking with everyone. I could have spent hours and I almost did - but Gary and Jane Weiss were there also and they took us out to dinner. It was the best to spend time with them. I really love that family. Then we went back to the Stake Center for the fireside, and it was excellent. Elder Featherstone did such an awesome job. I really enjoyed it. And so did Lori and Christine Spires. They were both there and he made them feel really special. So that was neat. And Lori made a trip to Lansing on Wednesday to visit the LDS bookstore. She got a few books, a CTR ring, and pictures. It is so cool to see how much they are really accepting the gospel into their lives. They are great people, but Elder Gurr thinks they are both in love with me. Which is probably true. We have done quite a bit of door knocking this week, and Wednesday we also taught a new guy who we found door knocking. He was old and couldn’t hear very well but it was good practice for Elder Gurr to teach him. We taught Terry and Jessie Jones the third discussion on Wednesday night and also got started teaching the Wards the second discussion. We are going really slow to make sure they understand the atonement and what faith is and so on. They are doing very well, however, and their attitude and ability to learn improves every time. I got a tape from Mom today. It was really nice to just have her talking to me. She told me about a lot of things. Brett Barratt was just sent home early from his mission. I guess he was taking a lot of medicine and he kind of went crazy. I feel really bad for him. I can only imagine how hard it would be to not finish my mission. I guess he went home on February 14 but was in a hospital in Utah Valley for about 3 weeks before he went home. And Pat and Dale didn’t tell anyone about it. I hope he is OK and can move forward in a righteous way. Thursday, March 10

The past few days have been very good ones. We have just been doing a lot of tracking and finding to get our teaching pool moving. It has been fairly successful. I know we will see some fruits come from it. Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference and it was very good. We attended all sessions, the Priesthood Leadership session where we learned about building zion in our areas and how to accomplish that. The rest of the conference, the theme was centered on “Hold to the Rod” and we heard many good talks about it in the adult session and General Session on Sunday. All meetings were enjoyable and I found ways in which I can improve. I also got to practice being an Executive Stake Clerk in all sessions. I counted all the people for Brother Rowell. It was pretty cool. Today we spent time at the Heards for dinner and Sister Heard is not treating Lori very well. They don't get along. I hope I can always treat people as Jesus Christ would treat them without judging them. That is very hard to do , and I do have a lot of Pride to struggle against, but I can do it with the help of Jesus Christ. If I can look past my prejudices enough to see things from others point of view; then I will be a positive influence to all those I contact and I will do as He would do. I will work on it. Sunday, March 13

P-day this Monday was pretty fun. We played some good hoop - my shot is dead on - and we also went to Knopf’s and worked out. Us and Jordan had a good time. Then we had Family Home Evening at the Rowells and played Celestial Pursuit. Of course I won, I rule that game. Elder Gurr got really sick and was either in bed of on the toilet all day on Tuesday. I felt really bad for him. He is in a lot of pain, but is getting better. Wednesday was an awesome day. We had district meeting down in Grand Rapids and it was a good one. My district is pretty sweet. We got the car finally, after 3 weeks without it and cruised back home. Elder Gurr still wasn't feeling great, but we drove over to the campus and got our 5 PCs anyway. We found some really choice people in a short time. The Lord was leading us. We got 4 and then headed back to the car but it was freezing so we stepped inside the building to warm up. We had promised ourselves we wouldn’t get back in the car until we got our 5th PC. And when we walked out, there was a guy waiting for us tying his shoe. So we talked to him and he was interested, so we walked down to this house right then and taught him the first discussion. It was awesome. Then we cruised home and Brother Smith took us out and we taught Terry and Jessie Jones the rest of the 3rd discussion. And we taught the Wards a bunch of the 2nd and 3rd discussions. It went very well with them. We talked a lot about baptism and authority and they learned a lot. We had to really hit the authority and the immersion issue because they are Catholic. But after a lot of talking by me and reading a lot of scriptures with them, I feel we were able to resolve a lot of their concerns and get them closer to a baptismal commitment. They are a great family and I love them. I hope and pray that they will see the light. I think they are getting there. Wednesday, March 16

Things have been going pretty well here. We taught a new guy on Thursday. His name is Anthony and he is very interested. He is a stud. Also on Thursday, I got my teeth cleaned at the dental hygiene school. Lori Spires is in the Dental Hygiene program so I was her patient for 4 hours. It wasn’t fun but it needed to be done. Today we taught Lori and Chris part of the first new member lesson. They are doing well. We had a great dinner at a part member family tonight and I think we made a good impression on Charlie, the nonmember. Friday, March 18

The past few days have been totally awesome. Saturday and Sunday we got some good things done. For Sunday School, I prepared a lesson about “a mighty change” and how important that is as well as how to accomplish it. It went very well except Linda Heard wasn’t there and much of what I prepared was directed at her. But it was still great for Lori and Christine. They are both doing very well, they continue to progress and grow in the gospel and I am just very pleased with how much they are applying the gospel to their lives. They are awesome and I’m so glad that I was a part of their conversion. It is so rewarding to see. Sunday we also listened to a Book of Mormon fiction story about “Samuel, Moroni’s young warrior”. It was very good, but not as good as Chris Heimerdinger stories. P-day was awesome. We played basketball for like 3 hours and it was so fun. I was unconscious again playing out of my head. We kept wining in a 2 versus 3 format. No one could stop me. We also played some soccer out on the wet field. That was also a blast to get a little reacquainted with my soccer skills. Then at night we had Family Home Evening with the Rowells and had a short lesson and then played Celestial Pursuit again. The Rowells are awesome. Tuesday was a very hectic but sweet day. We didn’t have time for lunch. We were late for our dinner appointment and late getting home because we were out visiting people so much. We had a Satellite broadcast in the morning from the MTC. We heard from Joseph B. Wirthlin, James E. Faust, Richard G. Scott, M. Russell Ballard, and David B. Haight. 5 apostles. What a meeting. I was really uplifted and I learned so much. Their main focus was on the Book of Mormon. They want us to use it more effectively and more often. There is also a new media program that they are beginning that will focus on the Book of Mormon and will also let people know that we will deliver it. I think it will be very productive and it will really help us out. After the missionary broadcast, we cruised up to Eagle Village and talked about their program using Family First video. The people there are really great and we could get some good contacts from them. Then we visited the Fry’s for a time. They are doing so well. They are just eating up the gospel. He will be the next Branch President I think. Then we had dinner the Hoerters. We home taught the Stewards with Brother Hoerter. Then we taught Anthony the 3rd discussion. He is a total stud and he is learning quickly. If he wasn’t leaving for Texas next week, we would have him baptized very soon. But hopefully he will join the church down there and bring his family with him. Tuesday, March 23

Well, I’ve been having a feeling lately about transfers and the unexpected did happen. I am being transferred over to Midland. It is a total shock because I have only had one month to train Elder Gurr. But I guess they need my leadership because I will be the Zone Leader over there. So I am pretty excited about that. I am the only Zone Leader with a normal companion. It will be a real challenge, but an awesome experience. But it is hard to leave this area. I have made some very close friends in my short time here. And I really do love the people. I feel bad about only having one month to train Elder Gurr. There is so much more I need to do to teach him, but I’m sure he will do great. And I feel that the work will continue to prosper. There are a lot of good people here that need the gospel. We visited the Wards and the Jones boys tonight and they all wanted to know i I could come back to baptize them. I sure wish I could, and maybe we can work something out. That would be so neat. But as long as they get baptized, that is all I really care about. It is hard to leave all the new converts but I feel good about the strength of their testimonies. Christine gave me a couple very nice cards and a goodbye letter to that me for my role in her life. It was very touching. And Lori also wrote me a nice letter to thank me. It is these types of things that make all the hard work so worth it. To see how much the gospel influences the lives of those who accept it and apply it. I’m so grateful to be a part of that and to see its effects. I will really miss Christine and her son Dillon as well as Lori and her son Michael. But I will see them again for sure. They are such sweet people. Well, my stay in Big Rapids was short but very productive. I will always remember the good times and the great people here. And I will definitely miss it. Wednesday, March 23

Chris’ Mission–Big Rapids with Elder Maday

Well, here I am. It has been a long couple of days. I got everything all finished up as far as packing and I got on the bus at 1:50. I had to transfer buses in Grand Rapids and from there I rode with Elder Bischoff and Packer. They are both pretty cool, but they seem to be gents. Maday was here waiting for me with the Ward Mission Leader, Br. Broderick. He is a nice guy but he and his family and kind of weird. We had dinner with them and a correlation meeting. They talked forever about people that haven’t been taught for 3-4 months. I was almost laughing at some of their conversations. There hasn’t been much obedience or work going on here for a while. Elder Maday is pretty cool and seems like he wants to be obedient and work - and that is what is going to happen here. It seem like there is a lot of potential.

The apartment here was a total dump. There was crap all over - I seriously couldn’t live in it. So we have been cleaning all last night and all day today. But the effort was well worth it. We converted a garbage room into a really nice weight room with a nice weight set, bikes, our ironing board, etc. It is now our inspirational room because we basically wallpapered it with motivational posters. It looks awesome. And every other room is 100% better. Everything is spotless and organized and ready to rock. I won’t let Maday be a slob anymore. I can’t stand being unorganized. But he likes the change a lot too. Tonight we ate with Sister Savard. That is the coolest thing about this area, that Jeni and Donna live here. When Maday called about dinner she asked who the new companion was and he said it was a surprise and she said, “Its Elder Johnson”. She called Sister Weiss up in St. Ignace right away so Sister Weiss called her house when I was there tonight and we talked for a good 45 minutes. It was so awesome to hear her voice. She is the greatest. They are coming through to go to the temple and we are going to see each other for sure. I can’t wait to see all the St. Ignace people. I love them . Well, I gotta head to bed, I won’t be disobedient at all because I am here to rock this area. Friday, January 28

I think I am really going to like it here. Church today was really great. There was a missionary farewell for Mike Stewart. All of the members are really neat people and they are very interested in the missionary program. We are going to do so much good here that they will be asking us to slow down. We had a great companion planning session today and set some really good goals for the month of February. We are seriously going to rock here so hard. I am excited and so is Maday. This is the first time he has every been obedient and I am also going to work him to the ground. And the neatest thing today was that we committed Christina Spiers to baptism. She came to church and said she was ready and we set her date for February 20th. So that is really exciting. We had given her much of the baptism challenge last night but she said she wasn’t ready even though the spirit was present. And we didn’t pray because the atmosphere wasn’t right. But she had hit her head earlier and was having a lot of pain, so I gave her a blessing . I blessed her that she would heal quickly and without pain. Well, the pain went away and that was the thing that changed her mind about baptism. What a neat experience to be a part of . I am so grateful for the priesthood and that I am a worthy holder. We also invited her sister Laurie to hear the discussions. She came to church and we are teaching her the first tomorrow. Sweet! Sunday, January 30

My first P-day in Big Rapids. It was pretty cool. We spent the entire day with Jordan Rowell. He is a total stud. He took us out to Big Boy for an all you can eat breakfast. Then we did our laundry at his house while I watched my video from Liz. It is an awesome video. We also played “Life” and ate a pizza and just hung out there. We also got to play some hoops at the church. But nobody else is any good so it wasn’t much of a challenge. But still fun. Tonight we had dinner with Sister Heard, Lori and Chris, and watched Nephi and the Brass Plates. Then we taught Lori the first discussion and it went extremely well. We planned out the all 6 discussions and they will all be taught before Chris’ baptism on February 18. I am excited. Monday, January 31

Wow, it’s already February. We started it out pretty good. We went out PCing people and got one really good solid PC. But that was our only one. That is one area that I will have to really help Maday with. He didn’t talk to a single person., but he did start saying hello to people - that’s a start. We taught Marlin and Zea Fry tonight. They will be baptized on February 19 and they are beyond golden. They are the most prepared people for the gospel that I have ever met. They are so cool. It is an honor to be able to teach them and see them join the church. I am seriously so impressed by the quality of the people in this area. They will be a great addition to the branch. Tuesday, February 1

The past 24 hours have been awesome. Right as I was finishing my journal last night, the Hart and Ludington Elders showed up to stay over for Zone Conference. It was so awesome to see Elder Wright and Douglas again. They are both really good friends. And their companions, Elder Barnes and Nelson are both pretty cool also. We had an awesome time last night. They didn’t show up until 10:30 and we didn’t get to be until 1:30. But is was fun to talk and catch up. Today was Zone Conference and it was a really good one. It was weird to not be in charge and to just sit back and enjoy. It was nice. I also got to see Sullivan and Biehler, which was really awesome. And I read Misty’s letter to him which cleared up a lot of things that happened to her. She is down in Ohio and seems to still have a strong testimony and a desire to go to church. She is a neat person. I also talked with President some and with Elder Raybould a lot about my release as a Zone Leader. They were both beneficial talks. I feel much better about the whole thing. It is just nice to know where I stand with President. And President just told me the Lord wants me here - so that is good enough for me. But it is possible for me to train again soon and possibly be called as a Zone Leader again, so that is comforting. They both really built me up during Zone Conference a lot, and President told Maday that I almost went AP. So I guess I can feel better about my release and everything that has been going on. Now I am going to rock this area. Wednesday, February 2

The past few days have been very frustrating for me. Elder Maday has been sick and I’ve been rearing to get out and thrust. It’s making me really mad because he seems to be pretending most of the time. He just doesn’t seem very sick to me. Thursday we didn’t do much, but Friday I dragged him out and we got some solid PCs and taught two discussions so it turned out to be a great day. But today, he wouldn’t get out of bed and complained all day until dinner tonight. I did get a lot of scripture reading, but I didn’t like being inside most of the day. But he said he was feeling better tonight, so hopefully it is over. I finally got mail here. I got a letter from Mom and a very comforting letter from Dad about my transfer and stuff. And Liz sent me a Valentines package that is totally awesome. She is awesome, I hope things continue to improve and progress with us. Saturday February 5

16 month mark. Holy cow. I can’t believe I am 2/3 done with my mission. It has gone by so fast. And the coolest thing is that I got to spend the day with Sullivan at zone P-day so we got to celebrate together by beating up on each other at hoop. It was a sweet P-day. I am worn out and sore, but it was well worth it. We also had an awesome district meeting and watched the seminary video about Christ and his final days. It is the same one we saw at the Bourries last summer - the one which I have been searching for ever since. It is the sweetest video ever. It portrays the Garden and the Crucifixion so well and i was just overpowered with the spirit as we watched it. I love my savior so much and am so grateful for the atonement. I would be lost without it. I also got the opportunity to bear my testimony - it was a great time to be able to share my feelings of him. Tonight, we taught Lori the 3rd discussion and it went very well. She is progressing right along and looking great for baptism. We will get her projected on our next visit. I love the 3rd discussion, teaching about the priesthood and the restoration and modern day apostles. Also, Sunday was a good day. Church was great and dinner at the Thompsons was awesome. Monday, February 7

Things are going very well here. We’ve had some productive days. And the area is really picking up. We started teaching Marcus, the son of a member, who has been in some trouble. But he is a cool guy and that is going pretty well. We taught Chris Spires the 6h discussion and she is very ready for her baptism. She has a strong testimony and it’s really neat to see her progression in such a short time. We also found a new family, the Wards. They are awesome. We showed them the Family First video tonight and will be teaching them the 1st discussion next Tuesday. They are a great family and the father really wants to make some real changes. He is worried about his teenage boys. So here comes the gospel of Jesus Christ to the rescue. We also talked to Tammie Jones tonight, an inactive member who will start coming back. And we are starting to teach her two sons this Saturday so that will be really cool. I am amazed at the blessings that are jumping out at us. This area is so ripe - we should do a lot of harvesting here. Thursday, February 10

It is lunchtime now, but I just had to write in here about my studies this morning. My prayers as of late have tended to be mechanical and one-way and repetitious and this has really bothered me. So for a time now I have been planning to study about prayer and I finally did so today. I studied the scriptures some and the Bible Dictionary, but then I really went through Stephen Covey’s book about prayer. And I learned so much. I have to do better in every stage of prayer. 1. Prepare 2. Express 3. Listen 4. Commit 5. Believe 6. Do. I feel I was lacking in almost every area. I want to improve my relationship between my Heavenly Father and I know this is the basic way I will do it. I know it will help. Friday, February 11

The past 24 hours have been awesome. Last night we taught Lori the fourth discussion and projected her for baptism. It was totally awesome. Except Chris really wants a private baptism. I thought they would like to do it together. But it is awesome that Lori is getting baptized. That will be on March 4 and it is exciting. Now we have 5 projections - Sweet! And this morning we started teaching Terry and Jessie Jones, the sons of Tammie Jones. Terry is 10 and Jessie is 8. They are awesome kids and will be fun to teach. And Tammy will be coming back to church now. Things are going extremely well. I love this work. Saturday, February 12

We are in the middle of trade-offs right now. Elder Powell and Elder Hyde are here. It is really nice to be on this side of the trade-offs in my area, doing what I planned to do. They have been very productive trade-offs. I was with Elder Powell today and he’s not as bad as everybody says. He is a pretty good guy and a good missionary. We had some success today down in White Cloud. We were trying to find one referral and the street was a dirt road and hadn’t been plowed. But we drove down it plowing the snow out of the way. It was crazy. Then we couldn't go any further so we were walking through snow trying to find this house we weren’t even sure existed. But just when I was about to turn back it came into view and we had a good visit with a new family that we will start teaching. Getting home was even harder, but we got it done. Then we taught a new black family - Tony and Paula Mclellan. They are really great and have a strong faith in Christ. It went very well and they will be fun to teach. We had a great day. Tuesday, February 15

We got the Baptismal Interview done for Christine and Lori Spires today. They are both doing great. Then the biggest treat of all, Olga came down and took me out to a Chinese restaurant . She is so awesome. She drove 4 hours down and 4 hours back just to take me out to dinner. She is so selfless and I love her a lot. She is so fun to visit with. We also went to the Patten’s tonight and Marianne is still all set for her baptism this Saturday. Sweet! Wednesday, February 16

Well, what an awesome day. It was the baptism of Christine Spires and it was totally awesome. Everything just went perfectly. Elder Maday got to baptize her and it was his first time performing a baptism as well as his first baptism on his mission so it was a sweet experience for him. I got to confirm her and that was rad. I love using the priesthood. I don’t think about things to say anymore, I just let the spirit direct. I mean I had no clue what to bless her with but I went on for a long time. What a neat experience. Every time I use the priesthood, my testimony of it grows. I’m so glad I am worthy and can use it properly. But the baptism was awesome and Chris will be a strong member. Today we also talked to a new family who we will start teaching tomorrow so that will be cool. It was a great, great day. I love baptisms. After the baptism, we ate dinner at the Heards with Chris and Lori. While there we watched Labor of Love and Called to Serve. I love those movies. They strengthen my resolve to be the best missionary possible. Friday, February 18

Another great day to wrap up an incredible week. We had 3 baptisms today. Marianne Patten and Marlin and Zea Fry. It was awesome. The program went smooth and the spirit was strong. They will all be strong members, especially Marlin and Zea Fry. They are just incredible. They fit in so well and are so excited about the gospel. And the branch loves them. We got to teach the Wards today the first discussion and that went pretty well. The gospel could really help them out if they accept it and live it. We had some time between appointments today so we got a little door knocking in on a very desolate and slippery street out in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t have any PCs but it just felt good to be out working. After the baptism, we had a sweet companion inventory and got some more things discussed that will help Elder Maday and our companionship. Saturday, February 19

Wow I love it when righteous desires come to pass. We just got our transfer call and Maday is outta here. He is lucking out though. He is going to serve in Sault St. Marie - America with my first green Elder Dickinson. Dickinson is a total stud and my companions keep serving together. And the best part is that I get to train a new missionary again. I am so psyched about that. President is really pleased with the work going on here and I am getting rewarded with a new greenie. I am so excited about that, being able to train again and I am going to keep working so hard. We will be baptizing every week very soon. This is a sweet opportunity and I’m very grateful for it. Wednesday, February 23

Chris’ Mission–East Lansing with Elder Larsen

Well, my first day as a Zone Leader and we got carried away with this thrusting stuff. We were out the door at 9:30 door knocking and we didn’t get home till nearly 4:00. But it was a pretty successful time and we were even able to teach one guy a first discussion. He was sort of wicked out, but he has potential. So we had a good door knocking experience. There were two people that turned us away and then called us back. Just like the “Labor of Love” video. Awesome. We came back and had lunch and then headed out just checking people tonight. There are some good people that have great potential. I am excited about getting this area rocking. We also got tons of phone calls today. I never answered, but Larsen was on the phone constantly when we were home. We got to hear about all the problems. But I guess that’s why we are here - to deal with those. Friday, November 19

This was such an awesome day. We put on a youth mini-MTC that was so cool. It started at 8:30 in the morning and ended at 7:00 at night but the long time went very fast because it was such an enjoyable day. We began with a brief orientation and then talks by President and Sister Waite and also Bishop Devries. They all did great. Then we split up into 5 different districts and we had 5 different sets of missionaries teaching classes on door knocking, finding, the commitment pattern, teaching, and on missionary life. They all went very well. We had a fantastic lunch and more classes and then we split up into companionships with each missionary taking two different youth to go door knocking with. I took three guys with me. They were awesome guys. They weren’t scared at all and I only knocked on one door myself during the whole two hours. They were so excited and fearless and positive that it was a wonderful experience for them and me. We got a few good call backs and met one awesome guy who we are teaching the first discussion to on Tuesday. It was neat. Then we headed back, had a short dinner and then a sweet testimony meeting. The spirit was so strong as those young people got up and shared their experiences and their testimonies and their desire to serve a mission. Many of them shed tears. One young man in particular shared a beautiful testimony. He was the rebellious sort who did not want to be here or to participate. But he grudgingly came and was made to participate. But as the spirit touched him during the meeting, he got up in front of the podium, sobbing uncontrollably and promised his best friend that he would go on a mission. His friend had expressed concern and hope for him a few minutes before and it was wonderful to see the friendship and love and strength that these two shared and displayed. That one young mans testimony made it all worthwhile. It was just an incredible day and one that I never will forget. I love my mission so much and the wonderful experience it provides. It was so cool to be a leader and an example and a missionary. Those kids really looked up to us and it was a neat feeling. Missionary work is the greatest. After it was all over, we stayed for a ward “Sing Along”. It was cool - lots of good entertainment. So it was an awesome day. I also have to mention that the Bishop of my new ward, Bishop Devries, is such a stud. He is the epitome of what a bishop should be. I already love the guy and hope to get to know him well during my stay here. He is really mission minded and supportive of us. He will help us a lot, I can already tell. Saturday, November 20

Another awesome day in Lansing. We meet at the church every Sunday morning at 7:30 for PEC with the leaders of the Ward. It is a cool meeting. My respect for Bishop Devries really increased. He is always so in control and so spiritual. He cries softly with tears but still in control of the situation. It really shows his love and concern for his ward. Anyway, church was really awesome as well. During Sunday School, all of us missionaries took all the primary kids while all the members stayed in the chapel. There, the AP’s, Elder Wright and Raybould gave all of the members the Set a Date program. All of the members filled out a 3X5 card with the date that they selected so we got a big stack to deal with. It is going to be so cool, because now the members will be excited and missionary minded. As long as we follow up and keep them excited and focused, we will see much good come from it. We are going to rock this place. Being a Zone Leader is really cool, but is has its difficulties as well. We had to deal with a problem of a sister being harassed by an Elder here. There is going to have to be some action taken for sure. We are taking it to President Waite tomorrow to see what he suggests. But I saw that dealing with other people problems is one of the things I get to look forward to as a Zone Leader. Sunday, November 21

P-days here are going to be pretty sweet. Today we were out shopping and running errands by 8:00. We were all done by 9:30 which is totally cool. We went to Br. Stineback’s at 10:00 to help him move to an upstairs apartment. It was pretty fun and good to help him out. Then we headed to the church and played some awesome basketball. All the missionaries consolidate on the court at 1:00. We played 5 on 5 full court and we had some pretty good players there. Monday, November 22

This was a pretty hard day. I was pretty tired all day - it was hard to stick with it. We went door knocking for about 4 hours, checked all our call backs, and then we are at a loss on what to do. There just isn't much going on here. I really need to get this area going. I know the blessings will come as we continue to work hard and be obedient. The members are really cool and they will be getting involved also. But we need to keep on trucking so that we can receive the blessings. Tuesday, November 23

This was supposed to be a totally rocking day We had 2 good appointments set and dinner at the Olive Garden with Olga. Our solid baptism projection had to cancel and postpone for about 2 weeks. HE may be getting anti, but I sure hope not. Then we went out door knocking for a couple hours and had no success. Then we could never coordinate a time to talk to President. But we finally made it to the Olive Garden, but Olga had gone to a different one. So then we had to wait until after our appointment with Margaret Rice before going to dinner. We had an awesome dinner and a fantastic time. Olga is the greatest. I really miss her a lot and especially will when she goes to Argentina. Wednesday, November 24

Happy Turkey Day! Today was Thanksgiving but a pretty lame one. We weren’t allowed to do anything so we just lounged around for a lot of the day. But I did get some good letters written. Thursday, November 25

This was a sweet day. We went out door knocking and got a couple call backs and we checked all of our referrals for the third time this week. But is was pretty good by Stonegate standards. Then this evening we got to be ushers at the ballet “The Nutcracker”. We just took tickets for a 45 minutes and then we grabbed a seat and watched the rest of it. It was totally cool. Saturday November 27

This was a good Sabbath day. I had a good time at church. I met a lot more of the members and felt the spirit and renewed my covenants. It was cool We had an appointment with a lady today but she dogged us so we checked call backs and met with Jamie Lyon. She is a totally awesome lady. She basically asked what we believe and I took over and bore testimony and told her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and as I did, I feel the spirit so strong. It was so rad. We also explained just about every basic principle of the gospel from tithing to temple marriage to the word of wisdom. It was a sweet discussion. She isn’t ready to hear the discussions, even though we basically snuck in the first one. But she is very interested in attending church and checking it out. I feel pretty good about her. This evening was just dealt with totals and problems in the zone. Oh the joys of being a Zone Leader. i really need the Lords help here. We need to get this zone moving. Sunday, November 28

This was the sweetest P-day ever. All of my buddies were here because of Zone Leader Conference - Christofferson, Bush, Eric Johnsen, and many more. It was awesome to hang out with the guys and to play ball with them, We had tons of good players - possibly the best hoops of my mission. And I was totally ripping it up. I played really good both offensively and defensively. It was just awesome. Tonight we had dinner with the Bennetts and then we taught Margaret Rice and talked with her about her baptism. Monday, November 29

Today was Zone Leader Conference and it totally rocked. It was such an awesome meeting. All of the missionaries there are hard working studs. We all can pretty much understand the purpose of missionary work and the higher law so ZLC is just a laid back but spiritual discussion opportunity. President Waite would just start us off on topics to discuss and we would all talk out solutions. And President was constantly making jokes and cracking me up. It was totally sweet. The APs also did a good job with teaching us and talking about things. I was especially impressed by Elder Powell once again. The mission is going to miss him after this month. But ZLC was all that I expected it to be. I really felt the spirit and really got motivated and excited to do the work. I also had an interview with President Waite and that was really nice to visit with him and to get some advice from him. It was also sweet to talk with some of these other awesome missionaries to get to know them better. And Christofferson and I started planning our BYU future together. We are going to be rooming together for sure. He is such a stud and an awesome missionary. Well, it was just an excellent day all around. I need to take the things I learned and apply them and then also pass them on my my missionaries in this zone. I want to be a good leader and a good missionary so much. And I know with the Lords help, I can be both. Today was another testimony builder for me as to how divinely important this work is and how blessed I truly am to be a part of it. Tuesday, November 30

Well, the past few days have been kind of lame because we were on Zone Leader trade offs with two trunk lazy missionaries. Elder Dunlap and Elder Graybill. They both go home this month and so they just got stuck together to pass the time and rot away. But we were back in our area today and we had a sweet day. We went door knocking for 2 hours in the rain this morning but didn’t have much success. But then when we were checking call backs this afternoon, we caught Beth and Terry home and taught then the first discussion and it went very well. They both have the desire to find out if the Book of Mormon is true and they are looking for the church in which they want to raise their children. And we have just the church. It was a sweet discussion. We also picked up our Christmas tree tonight. We got a pretty good looking one. I also PCd the guy who sold us the tree. He was pretty cool and he could be a great contact. Larsen was planning on doing it but his opportunities ran out and so I had to take over. Tonight, we started talking about the General Authorities and the prophets. It strengthened my testimony once again of these grand men. I know they are prophets of God, and it is just that simple. We also talked about being honest - so honest that we have no pride, no arrogance, no worry about what others think, but only pure humility. This is the point we must reach in order to truly understand the atonement of our Savior. I want to understand it. I want to know so much that he lives and that he loves us. That is my highest goal. To have that pure knowledge for I love him and want to obey him and serve him and know him. This is his church and his work. And I love it. Saturday, December 4

This was a very sweet Sabbath day. We had Stake Correlation early this morning and that was a neat meeting to attend. In attendance was the Stake Presidency, the Stake Mission Presidency, President and Sister Waite, the APs, and me and Larsen. We reported on our zone and we were able to report some good numbers. We had 12 baptisms which they were really excited about. But that number will continue to rise to the point where this stake is going to grow so fast. I am really excited to be where I am right now. Church was great as well. Bishop Devries got up and bore the sweetest testimony. He is so excited about missionary work and what is going on with it. All three meetings were good. Then I ran our Ward Correlation meeting for Br. Stineback. Then we went to the Jordan’s home. We taught Kendra Jordan’s friend, Tazita, the first discussion. It went so well. The spirit was so strong throughout our entire discussion and she has a very pure heart and a real desire to find out if it is true. It was probably the smoothest first discussion I’ve ever taught. Because the spirit was so present. Then we ate dinner at Sister Ederer’s which was awesome.Then we prepared our trade-off agenda and our weekly newsletter which we will be sending out to our zone each week. And finally tonight was the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. President Hinckley was fantastic. The music of the Tabernacle Choir is so powerful. It was a sweet day. Sunday, December 5

This was only a partial P-day, but it turned out so great. We went to the mall today and I did some Christmas shopping and also bought myself a new suit. it was on sale for $100, regular $275 and I liked it and talked myself into it. It is sweet and it is getting altered this week so I should have it for Zone Conference on Saturday. I’m excited and I did need a new one pretty bad. Anyway, we did some things at the office and then went out teaching discussions. We read the Book of Mormon with Beth and Terry and it is going really well with them. They want to believe and they do believe and will be baptized. I have great faith in them. Then we taught Jennifer the first discussion. She is really confused and doesn’t know what she believes, but she is already starting to change slightly. And we know what the scriptures say about making a mighty change - it all starts with a simple change. Then we ran to the Bennetts and had a good dinner with their awesome family. Then we taught Margaret Rice the rest of the second discussion. What a day. Monday, December 6

This Zone Leader bit really takes a toll on my time. I haven’t even had time to think about writing in my journal this past week. So let me try and hit the highlights. On Wednesday and Thursday, we were on trade-offs with Stoker and Heiner in St. Johns. They are a couple of great missionaries. They both have a great desire to work hard and be obedient. They are both going to be great leaders in the mission. We did a lot of service with them. One member up there is re-building a house so we hung some sheetrock for him. It was pretty fun. I like to do things like that. We also did service at a welfare place. It really made me feel blessed to have been raised the way I was. I am a very lucky guy. Elder Heiner and I also taught a discussion to a members husband. He has never shown interest in the gospel but he agreed to hear the discussions. And we were able to spark an interest in him by talking about where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. The three big questions. It was a great discussion. On Friday, we had a very busy day. We had District Leader conference in the morning. That was a good meeting. We have some strong district leaders and this was good to inform them of their duties and to discuss ways to improve our zone. I conducted the meeting and played the piano and led a discussion with them about a bunch of things. It was really beneficial to us as Zone Leaders. Then we had our zone P-day. There was a bit of murmuring going on throughout the day, but I think overall, everyone had a good time and it was a good experience. I know people became better acquainted and better friends because of it. I know I had a good time. We ended up having 1/2 the gym playing basketball and the other half playing volleyball. I played some volleyball but I was attracted to the basketball too much so I finally went over and rocked the court. I played really good and humbled Elder Heiner and a couple of others pretty well again. If I keep improving, I am going to be pretty good. But anyway, the biggest problem today was dealing with Elder Walker. He is a big selfish baby and a terrible missionary with the worst attitude. Elder Larsen doesn’t do a good job getting things going using his authority so I have been having to take control more and more. And I had a lot of talks with Elder Walker today. I hope I can help him to be a good missionary. But first he must have that desire. The biggest problem was getting people to go where assigned tonight. But it went pretty good.

Alright, I’m finally to Saturday. Today was an awesome day. Our Zone Conference started at 8:00 and only lasted 4 hours but it was dang sweet. Elder Larsen conducted, and we both did a training session. I discussed being BOLD and Personal Contacting. I think we had a pretty good discussion. And my talk was on companionship Planning Sessions and love between companions and all that kind of stuff. It went really well. I was kind of nervous this morning because I had lots of good thoughts on my subject and the spirit led me on how to present it and it went extremely well. I felt good about it and I got lots of compliments as well. The Aps and President were both pleased with Zone Conference as a whole. It went well and I feel relieved that it is over. A lot of stress came this week with all the organization we have been trying to do. But now our meetings are over for this month. The Stake put on a dinner and a great program for us. It was a very enjoyable time. And after that, we taught Jennifer. She is progressing very well, which is a bit of a surprise. But her view are changing and she is already starting to love the Book of Mormon. Also tonight, we taught Margaret Rice part of the third discussion. She is getting better each time we visit her. Her retention rate is improving. Well, it was a sweet week. Very hectic, however, so I’m ready for a long winters nap. Saturday, December 11

Today was a little less hectic but still pretty busy. Welfare meeting and church were both great, and we also got to give a baptismal interview for one of the AP’s baptisms. We spent quite a bit of time with Elders Raybould and Wright today. I sang in the University Choir with them and they came with us to Sister Ederer’s dinner and to decorate the Christmas Tree. That was lot so fun as well. We did have two teaching appointments fall through today as well or else it may have been a perfect day. We also did some paperwork at the office - we were there all alone for a time. It was pretty cool to have free reign there. Sunday, December 12

This was a pretty alright week. We were on trade-offs from Tuesday morning until Friday night and I forgot my journal. So this will just be a quick review. First on Monday, we cut our P-day short and taught Jennifer Cox and Beth and Terry. It was pretty cool. We watched the Tree of Life animated video and it should help them quite a bit. Basketball was alright also but I’ve played better. Tuesday and Wednesday we were in Charlotte with Elder Utley and Izaat. Neither of them are hard workers and I just didn’t feel too motivated to go in and door knock them for 10 hours a day so it wasn’t very productive. They didn’t have a single thing planned.

On Thursday and Friday, we were in Jackson. They were much better trade-offs. We got some good things done and we had a good time. Elder Gyori and Harmon are some good missionaries. On Saturday, it felt good to be back home in our own area again. We got some good work done and some things we needed to accomplish. And tonight was the Ward Christmas party. There was good food and it was pretty fun. Monday, December 13 - Saturday December 18

The past three days have been so busy but really awesome as well. On Sunday, we were at the apartment for only 30 minutes between 7:30am and 9:30pm. It was really hectic from PEC to Church to correlation meeting to a discussion with Tazita to home teaching with Br. Stineback to the Stake Christmas Concert. The best concert I have been to in a long time. The music was really enjoyable. It was a good day. P-day went pretty well. There were too many people trying to play ball but it was still fun. We had a great evening at the Bennetts. Dinner was great and then we watched Cleon Skousen’s video on the Annunciation and Nativity. It was very informative. Tuesday we taught Jennifer the 2nd discussion and she is progressing along very well. She knows that she needs to change her life and she is going to start to make those changes. Sunday, December 19 - Tuesday, December 21

We had another great day. We taught Tazita the third discussion and she accepted everything very well. The spirit is always so strong when we teach her. That is obviously a good sign. I think she will definitely be baptized. Tonight I had the opportunity to give the Baptismal Interview to Marilyn Wilson, a lady that we gave to Elder Larson and Hunker to teach. That is always a neat opportunity to be a judge in Israel. I enjoy giving interviews. But I noticed myself being very selfish about her. Me and Larsen could have taught her but she was like 1/2 block out of our area. So we did the honest thing and gave her to the other two. It was the right thing to do and I’m glad we did because they needed a boost. Wednesday, December 22

CHRISTMAS ADAM!! I can’t believe how fast everything is coming and going. We had a sweet time today all day. We went to the Bennett’s house and they gave us free reign in their kitchen and we went crazy and baked two awesome desserts. I baked Peppermint brownies and Larsen cooked divinity. It was lots of fun and the Bennetts are just an awesome family. They are all their kids home for Christmas, except for their son on a mission . And they are all a lot of fun. We also had dinner with them and then we went caroling to our investigators. It was so fun and a really good experience for all of us as well as for those we visited. We visited Jennifer, Kari and her kids, Shawn and his family, and Jamie Lyon and her family. They were all really excited to see us. Thursday, December 23

Christmas Eve. Today we had a pretty great time. We went to the Winders and watched Aladdin which was way fun. That show is the sweetest. There was also a party at the Smith’s tonight with a bunch of people from the Ward. The Bishop’s family, the Snyders, Hills and a couple others. It was pretty fun, mostly because I took Alison, the Bishop’s 4 month old baby and held her all night. She is a very sweet baby. We had the St. John Elders stay with us tonight, Elder Stoker and Heiner. So when we got home, we bore our testimonies and then sand Silent Night and had our nightly prayer. It was a sweet spiritual experience. I have been able to ponder on the true meaning of Christmas much more this year than in years past and it is a good feeling. I do know that Jesus was born in a manger and that he lived and also died for me and all of my brothers and sisters. I love him so much for all that he has done for me. And I hope that I can serve him well through the rest of my mission and throughout my life. That is why I am here. I know he has many sweet things in store for me as I continue to conform my will to his. I am sleeping on the couch so I can stare at the Christmas lights all night and for to reminisce on the past present and future. I love Christmas so much. It is the best feeling. Friday, December 24

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I can’t believe it is over for another year. And no I can start singing, “I’ll be home for Christmas”. That is pretty cool. I did have a fun Christmas. My family called about 8:30 and we opened presents together and then just talked on the phone until 11:00. It was so great to hear them and talk with them. I love my family so much. I totally scored on the presents. This is my list. Christmas suspenders and tie, Christmas socks 2 ties, 2 socks Franklin page refill, Daniel and Nephi and Gadiantons and the Silver Sword tapes, U of U cap, Joseph the Prophet tapes, blank tapes, 2 new dress shirts, soccer T-shirt, cocky shirt, Ski Utah sweatshirt, cheese and crackers, fruit snacks (Santa), a sweet watch, a blanket, scripture stickers, Our Search For Happiness book. And from Liz I got 2 sweet Eddie Bauer shirts, a stocking full of candy, a Christmas Bear, and abs of love. She is pretty awesome. After dinner at the Greens, I called Grandma Poisons house and talked to Grandma and Grandpa Polson for a minute. They are the greatest. I love them both so much. I also got to talk for another minute to everyone in the family so that was nice.

One thing I don’t understand is my relationship with my Mom. She was asking why I spent money on Liz and wanted to know what was up with her. And I don’t know why, but I just freeze up with her whenever we try to talk about things like that. I hate so bad that I do because I want to be able to talk to her about anything. I seriously feel like I learned to be closed up with her when I was young and she would hit us. I may have never been able to get over that long ago barrier. I feel like we need to work on some of the basics in our relationship. So that is going to be one of my main goals for this next year, especially after I am home. I do love her and appreciate her concern and love for me.

About 30 minutes ago, I was feeling mad and sort of bitter about what I was just writing about. But as I was thinking about it, I was listening to one of Elder Larsens new CD’s with songs all about Joseph Smith and during one song, I looked at his picture and the spirit bore powerful witness that he is a Prophet of God. I felt it with my entire body. As this truth was confirmed to be once again, I almost started crying and then the spirit really comforted me and fulfilled that role of his. I am thankful for that feeling and his constant companionship with me and for my recognition and knowledge of what those feelings mean and where they come from. It just felt so good and replaced my bad feelings with good ones. It is another neat experience that I hope to never forget. Now I am just sitting on my bed feeling so great and so much better than a short time ago. I need to always be worthy to have the spirit with me so that I can be in tune with its comforting and prompting and testifying. Well, my second Christmas in the mission field is now over. And next year, I will be back home. This has been a very special Christmas and I hope all those following can be as spiritual as this one. I love my Savior with all my heart and know he lives. In his name I testify, Amen. Saturday, December 25

Well, Christmas is officially over until next year. We had a good day. Church was cool as usual and we had a sweet dinner with the Wahls. We had a baptism which we attended tonight. I played the piano and said the invocation. Sunday, December 26

I am dead tired. I got worn out playing hoops. I had to guard Chad Rasmussen for much of the day. He is 6’10” and used to play for Wake Forest. He really wore me down. But i did pretty well. But most of my energies were focused on defense so my shooting was off. We taught Margaret Rice the rest of the third discussion tonight. She is doing pretty well. Monday, December 27

We didn't get up and go jogging again today and I was really struggling to stay awake while I read the Book of Mormon. We shared two videos with Tazita today. We showed her the animated Joseph Smith story and The Savior in America. I think they both helped her a lot. She did have some misconceptions about the BOM and what it was. We are teaching her the 4th tomorrow. We also visited Jennifer today and read the Book of Mormon with her to keep her going on that commitment. She is doing well also. We had dinner with Bishop Devries. He is so awesome. I hope that I see him for eternity because then I will know I am in the right place. He is a great bishop. Tonight we taught Margaret Rice the 4th discussion. She is getting better and better at retaining what we teach her. She is progressing. Tuesday, December 28

This was a sweet day. We taught Tazita the fourth discussion and it went very well. She continues to progress rapidly and I think the 4th will help her a lot. She is coming to church on Sunday and that will be good as well. Today was Zone Leader Conference and it was totally sweet once again. We had Johanson, Smith, Eddington, and Stuck stay with us last night so we had a fun time last night and this morning all together. At ZLC, we talked about a lot of important things and I learned a lot. It is also the sweetest spirit there because we do have the best missionaries there and so we all bring the spirit with us and just create a definite power. As we bear our testimonies, it is powerful. I shed a few tears and it was so sweet. Some of the highlights were President and Miner wrestling, feasting - Elder Raybould, and my favorite part was once again was when we just talked about everything informally. It is way cool. And I wasn’t one of the new guys this time, so I could act like I knew what was up. Then we stayed at Presidents and he gave Larsen an interview forever and then he talked to us both for a long time. We talked about the zone and our missionaries and it was a very positive talk. I totally got pumped up for the work and for the zone. ZLC and talking to President just does that to me. I enjoy being a Zone Leader and being able to attend meetings such as this. It’s neat to be able to know I am trusted by President and by the lord to be a leader in the building up of is kingdom. I love this work and wouldn’t trade the lessons I’m learning for the world. Thursday, December 30

Happy New Year! New Years Eve and New Years Day have been pretty fun. We met a couple of investigators and gave the smoking program to Jennifer, but other than that, the weekend wasn’t too productive for missionary work. We spent time with the Pippins on both Friday night and Saturday and we even got to watch the Rose Bowl on TV. Wisconsin, led by a returned missionary QB, won the game over UCLA. It was a pretty good game. The other thing we did for much of the weekend was work on our bi-annuals. We spent a long time reviewing and reciting scriptures. I ended up getting 200 recited, so that makes me a Super Missionary. That is pretty sweet, but I should have double by the time I go home. I will be memorizing 1 scripture a day and I will be reviewing about 10 per day so that should really help me in all I do, especially as I teach the gospel. I can’t believe it is already 1994. At the beginning of this year, I didn’t think it would ever come. But it is here and I am excited to make this the best year ever. Monday, January 1

This was such a hectic day, but it was so awesome. We were up until 12:00 last night because we had to take all our totals we got until 10:30 and then add them to our month totals, type it up all nice, and get ready for Stake Correlation. Then we picked Elder Foote up at 7:00, cruised to the office to make copies of everything, and then ran to our 7:30 Stake Correlation Meeting with the Stake Presidency and the Stake Mission Presidency. We had a good meeting there. Then we ran out to Park Lake to talk to Shawn for a bit. Then we headed back to the church where we would stay until 8:00. We had Ward Correlation with all the Ward leaders at 10:30, church at 1:00, Ward Mission Correlation at 4:30, the baptism of Margaret Rice at 6:00 and a district meeting at 7:30. Then we went to the Bennetts and had some dinner with them before we headed home. Wow! What a day. The highlight was definitely Margaret’s baptism. The spirit was very strong and it was really great. Bishop Devries baptized her and I was able to confirm her and it is always a neat experience for giving the gift of the Holy Ghost. What a blessing to have the priesthood and be worthy to use it. This was a fantastic day and I am sure to have many more like them. Sunday, January 2

P-day was alright yesterday. Good basketball. We ate at the Hills and talked to Glen Hill about why he hasn't been baptized. He has been active for about 12 years but he wont join the church. It is strange. Hopefully we can get I'm to use his head a little. He also takes institute courses and even had a calling at one time. Today we had a meeting with Elder Foote about the zone. We need to get it going. We have the biggest slackers in the mission. We had Sister Chapman go with us today to see Jennifer and to see Beth and Terry Rhodes. But neither appointment was there so we didn’t get to teach anyone with her. Tonight we ate at the Bennetts again. They are an awesome family. Tuesday, January 4

This was a pretty sweet day. We taught Tazita and showed her the movie, “Mountain of the Lord”. It went pretty well. We have to get her committed and hopefully get her family involved as well. The rest of the day we checked referrals and did Zone Leader paperwork and checked on all our call backs. Wednesday, January 5

We were on trade-offs today with North Lansing Elders Marshall and Larson. They are both pretty good missionaries. I worked with Elder Marshall and we had a very productive day. We did some paperwork this morning and then checked tons of referrals and taught a new member lesson and had a lot of fun in the new fallen snow. We woke up today to about 4 inches of powder and it kept snowing pretty heavy all day. It was totally sweet. We were sliding all over both on foot and in the car. Tonight we went out in our gents and did some hooky-bobbing and crazy driving. It was such a blast. Thursday, January 6

Today is my 15 month mark. I can’t believe how fast the time goes We were still in North Lansing today but not too much happened. I passed Elder Larson off and did bi-annuals with hi. Late this afternoon, we went and Larsen did a baptismal interview for a guy. It was at the Living Center, so I talked to the Jenks and we scored a dinner from them. Tonight I listened to a tape on Joseph Smith. I have been thinking about him and all he did and the Lord keeps sending me strong confirmations on him and the work he performed. I know that he was a prophet of God. Friday, January 7

It was the coldest day today. With wind chill, it was less than 10 degrees below zero. The wind jus cut right through us. We were out checking call backs and stuff and it was freezing even just walking from the car to the door was too cold. We also took down the Christmas tree today. Tonight I gave the baptismal interview or Shannon Hendsley. She was taught in Jackson and it was a pretty good experience to interview her. She was really quiet at first but I got her to open up some. I enjoy giving baptismal interviews because it is always a spiritual experience and I get to share my testimony. Shannon said yes however to the four questions, and so I called up President Waite and took her over to get interviewed by him. Then we just hung out and talked with President and Sister Waite for a long time. They are such great people and it is always enjoyable talking to them. Saturday, January 8

Lets see, what has been going on the past few days. Sunday was a very good day. We attended 2 baptisms that evening. The spirit is always strong at baptism services. P-day was pretty cool. My shot was deadly but we had to leave at 3:00 for an appointment so I only got to play for 90 minutes. Tuesday and Wednesday we were on trade-offs with Chamberlain and Hawes in Grand Ledge. They are both good missionaries with a strong desire to work, and we had really good trade-offs with them. We totally went through trials of our faith with both of them. Me and Chamberlain were together on Tuesday and were just dropping people left and right. But our last appointment of the night was with a totally awesome family. And with Hawes, we were getting persecuted but we stuck with it and in the last 30 minutes of our 3.5 hours of door knocking, we finally got 2 Personal Contacts. So I learned that we need to be sure and stick with it, show the Lord we won’t give up, and then he will bless us. I know this is true. Wednesday, January 12

Last night we had a really good District Leader Conference. Our District Leaders are all strong. We have Elder Chamberlain, Stoker, Larson, and Dupont. We discussed tons of really good things and it was a very beneficial meeting for us as Zone Leaders. I think it will help the District Leaders in their duties as well. Thursday, January 13

Today was Zone Conference. I was conducting and it turned out to be a very good meeting. We took care of all the business in the morning so that wasn’t the best part of the day, but after lunch, we got into some good discussions about PCs and scripture study and some other good things. While discussing PCs, I committed everyone to get 5 PCs every day and we also got on our knees to commit to our Heavenly Father. It was pretty cool. Overall, Zone Conference was pretty spiritual and uplifting. In groups, I was in charge of talks so I went around and heard some good talks from the missionaries. After Zone Conference, we stuck around while President gave interviews and I played the piano and big group of us sang songs. It was lots of fun and we all had a good time and became more unified. It was a fantastic day. Friday, January 14

Today was a great day. This weekend, the weather was the coldest I have ever been in. It barely got to 1 degree either day. And with wind chill, it was down about 25-30 degrees below zero. It was freezing and we were not out in the weather except for church and meetings and when we absolutely had to be. So I got some good studying done her in the apartment. Last night, I couldn’t sleep until about 2:00 and finally a sincere prayer helped me to feel better and to sleep well. Then in PEC this morning, Bishop Devries shared a scripture 2 Nephi 26:11 which says that the spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And he basically shared that we must continually repent and keep our spirits clean so that we can be led by the spirit. It was exactly what I had been praying about last night and the counsel was greatly appreciated by me. Bishop Devries is a great man and I always learn a lot from him. Then I prepared myself for the great opportunity of partaking the sacrament. I love partaking the sacrament each week. Then tonight, President Robison in a general priesthood meeting talked about being one in heart with the Lord and he gave some excellent counsel as well. I love hearing the words of inspired servants of God like Stake President Robison and Bishop Devries. Me and Larsen also had a very interesting discussion tonight about preparing for the second coming and things that will be happening. There are bad things coming upon this nation and the world and the only constant will be the church and staying close to the guiding principles of the gospel by listening to the prophets and staying in tune with the spirit of the Lord. Doing these things will ensure my safety and my happiness. I’m grateful for the security that it gives me to know what I can and must do. As I do these things I will be led with y family to dwell with God in Celestial Glory. Sunday, January 16

This was an alright P-day. We got all our preparation stuff done this morning, then we went to our Isaiah class that President Andrews is teaching at the institute building. That is going to be a sweet class. I hope to learn a lot because it is dang interesting and I have very little knowledge in that area. Basketball was pretty good today, I had a really fun time there and I played good ball. We ate at the Bennetts again tonight. We always have a good time there. Monday, January 17

The past few days have been good ones. On Tuesday, we had to get our LOF at Montgomery Ward and they took 2 hours and wasted some of our day. We had dinner with Bishop Devries family tonight. They are such a neat family. He really knows how to raise a family. They also had a neat missionary experience a couple days before when they talked to a guy about the Book of Mormon and they included him in their family prayer and talked to him a lot while he was waiting for a ride. They are just a neat family. Wednesday and today, we were on trade-offs with East Jackson. We had some productive days. Me and Dupont even projected a lady for their area. Vance and Dupont are a couple of good missionaries. They are a bit goofy, especially Vance, but they are working hard and seeing lots of success. Elder Gyori and Lee hit a deer a few weeks ago and got some meat off of it so we had some venison tonight. Thursday, January 20

I wish I could make more time to write in my journal, but its been really hard lately. But anyway, the past few days have been awesome. On Friday and Saturday, we had the best proselyting days. I finally kind of took over and decided what we should do and then took Larsen out and did it. Larsen just isn't the leadership type of guy. So I’m most going to do it now because our totals have sucked lately and my conscience doesn't like that. But Friday, we got some good things done. We checked all our people and got some appointments set up for this week. Then Saturday, I was just excited to go out and work hard and get excited to go out and work hard and get our 5 PCs. I had a hard time getting to sleep Friday night because I was so excited. So on Saturday, we went out and got 5 PCs in a matter of hours while door knocking. Then we walked out on the ice and contacts some ice fisherman. That was a perfect PC situation because we were able to just talk with them for a while and build a relationship of trust, and they they were asking questions us about the church. One guy was even going to try to come to church on Sunday, but he didn’t make it. Saturday, we also met with an old PC, Ramon Pena from the Christmas tree lot, and we showed him Our Heavenly Fathers Plan and he is very interested. So it was a fantastic day. Saturday January 22

Sunday was awesome as well. We had breakfast with the Green family - that was good. Church was sweet and then tonight we had a First Presidency broadcast entitles Behold your Little Ones. It was a very powerful message and it taught me a lot about how I want to raise my children. The spirit was very strong there. I also had a long talk with President Waite today which was very beneficial. Something is going to happen with transfers but I’m not sure what. We had a zone P-day today and we went to Washington Park and went ice skating. It was tons of fun. Elder Gyori was a good skater, but other than him, I was probably the best. We had a blast playing tag and goofing around. I think everyone enjoyed it. Tonight, we ate at the Bennetts of course. I had a good time there and we got into some good conversations. They are neat people to be with. Monday January 24

This was an awesome day, we taught Ramona Pena the first discussion and the spirit was so strong. It was incredible. After we discussed what the spirit was and told him to look for it. Every once in a while, he would say, “I’m feeling it” with a big grin. It was really neat. We basically projected him - asked him to be baptized, and he said yes. He is awesome - I’m so glad I opened my mouth and Pc’d him back at the Christmas Tree lot. It sure paid off. He will be baptized. Today we also changed the thermostat in the car. It was pretty easy and it only took us two tries to get it right. Tuesday, January 25

Transfer calls. We got a call today and Larsen is getting moved just like I though and like President told me. But the lame news is that I’m going also. Yep - I’m getting transferred. Our area here is getting whitewashed and I’m mad about it. This is so lame. President is changing to only 1 Zone Leader in each zone, but it should be me. A few weeks ago on P-day, we were playing half court basketball so others could play Volleyball. Walker and the other basketball Elders were asking me constantly to kick the volleyball players off the court so we could play full court basketball. I finally talked to the volleyball players and asked nicely, and we started to try and compromise, but I was stubborn and the Larsen and Larson combo were being jerks, and we made a bit of a scene. It wasn't pretty but we did compromise and then I went over to the side mad at them. I realized I shouldn’t have asked them to leave as the spirit left me. My conscience was immediately eating away at me and I sincerely felt bad. By the time they played their last game, I felt so bad that I didn’t care about playing basketball and couldn’t get into it. I was all ready to apologize and then I had an interview with President Waite. We had a good talk but I didn’t feel very good. He told me his plans, that Larsen was getting transferred and that I would be the only Zone Leader. On the way home, I apologized to Larsen - it was hard to do but necessary. And after some more struggling in prayer, I started feeling better and putting it behind me. Well, the APs made the scene over volleyball a big issue with President and that hurt my reputation. President brought it up with me at church and we discussed it for a while. That really made me feel better. I was taking full responsibility and accepting it in full humility because I really did feel bad about it. But President seemed kind of cold toward me. I don’t know, but I got a real feeling that the incident destroyed his image of me. Also, Larsen must have been saying something bad about me behind my back because President already had the idea that all I cared about was basketball. I tried to only say good things about Larsen to President even though this has been my hardest companionship by far. But I don’t want to be the type of guy who cuts people down behind their back. But now I wish I would have been straight up with President because Larsen cut me down while I tried to build him up. Now I feel bitter. I am especially mad because it got me transferred and made me look bad. It is making me feel rebellious but I really want to apply what I have learned from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and be proactive about all of this rather than reactive. I need to keep a good attitude and not harden my heart or else my mission wont be what I want it to be. I don’t know what President has in mind for me anymore. But I just want to thrust my butt off. My new companion, Elder Maday, is going to hate me because we are going to work so hard. Except I am going to build a good relationship with him so that we love each other and work hard and have the spirit with us. I don’t know if this is a bad attitude or not, but I want to prove President wrong and show him I am his best missionary. This is my desire, I hope it is a righteous one. Because I can’t do it without the Lords help. I need him to be successful. So I am going to have a good attitude and work my hardest and give my all to the service of the Lord. As I do this, the spirit will be with me, I will see success, and I will feel good about myself and this work. Wednesday, January 26