11-18-13

Family,

 

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, it's a little late. I was so swamped with transfers and other stuff last week that I totally forgot that I didn't tell you that. Hopefully you can continue to get better and overcome your doubts and fears that you will not be able to serve a full-time mission. Satan is very very smart (duh, you know that). I just want to let you know something that I was thinking about yesterday. All the missionaries at our member dinner last night shared their favorite scripture. I shared the one on my plaque (Alma 43:19-20). After sharing, I was pondering about how righteous and firm men like captain Moroni was and Nephi, and Alma (younger and Elder), and Helaman, and Mahonri Moriancumr (the brother of Jared), and so many other scriptural powerhouses. As I pondered over them and their works, I felt like I wanted to be like them. I want to be so righteous that I will be able to have pillars of fire encircle me (see the story of Nephi and Lehi in the book of Helaman). I know that I will falter and sin often because of the natural man that is in me. But just the thought that someday I will be among such men in the afterlife boggles my mind. The Lord wants us all to strive to be like them. So I will be praying for you this week to be able to be like them and therefore more like the Savior.

 

This week was a little stressful for me. Monday was a "meh" P-Day and Tuesday was a super slow day because I was just focusing on transfers the next day (probably shouldn't have been that way). I also said bye to those investigators who refused baptism. Oh, Dad, you were wondering what I did to help them progress further, I was just there to be their friend. They really enjoy us coming over and just talking to them. So we shared a brief message and just chatted most of the time. 

Wednesday was a big big day. I hadn't finished packing by the time transfers came around. So we went to the 13th street building with a couple other Elders and I left my stuff there, intending on coming back later to get it. I wouldn't've been able to fit it all anyways because just this one Elder's stuff took up the whole car. We went to the transfer station and I met my new companion, Elder Clay. As I said before, he is from Syracuse, Utah and is 21 years old. Just like Elder Andrus, he was inactive for the longest time until God smacked him into shape (according to his words) and told him to serve a mission. What a motivational story he provided. He likes to talk...a lot. But I'm totally fine with that. That makes him who he is. At the transfer station, we expected to get a car to go out there but upon asking the mission vehicle coordinator about it, we weren't assigned one to use. I was baffled because we need a way to get to church and other meetings. It was actually up to President Bell's and the AP's discretion about who needs a car this transfer. I was about to give up when one of the Pratt seniors came in and said we can't function without a car. I agreed and persuaded President Bell to give us one of the reserves. He agreed that we needed one out there, I didn't force him to give us one. So we installed a bike rack, drove to our old apartment, picked up my stuff, and we headed out to Kingman. We also stopped in Goddard to get some groceries. Our apartment is nice and requires that we walk through the bathroom to get to the bedroom. 

The town so far is not that receptive to us. But we are still working hard and putting our shoulder to the wheel. You're going to be proud of me, Mom, we are needing to have to cook our food out here most nights. I actually made pancakes with the microwave on Friday. That's how great my skills are. Thursday and Friday we walked all over tarnation trying to find this one particular address. We still haven't found it. The Auburn Hills sisters gave us a sheet with some names on it so we've been trying to visit those. We have very few members here in Kingman and we're working with those that live here. 

The Pratt branch officially changed yesterday and Kingman is now a part of the Pratt branch. I tell you, that is a super small building. You should look it up or something because it doesn't even look like a church. It's really, really small. On Saturday, we went and saw one of the members that we found here. He wanted us to teach his brother in-law. So we taught him standing up outside for like 15 minutes. My companion invited him to baptism and he said yes! So miracles are abounding here in Kingman already! He didn't come to church yesterday, though. So we're going to have to work on that. 

Later on Saturday is when I met some of the members of the Pratt branch presidency. They took us to Wichita for leadership meetings so that I could attend My baptism as well. It was great to be able to feel the spirit of her testimony as she got down into that water and was baptized by someone holding that proper authority. She is now clean. She has the gift of the Holy Ghost. She then had us all over for some treats afterwards. After, we went home. 

The Pratt branch has huge boundaries that extend to Medicine Lodge and other cities like Greensburg. We're mainly in Kingman but the Pratt sisters let us proselyte in their area as needed. So we now have 6 missionaries serving in the branch. It's now us, the Pratt sisters, and the Pratt senior couple. Elder Greenlaw is the branch mission leader and we're working hard to bring people into the gospel. There's actually one person who is excommunicated that is being re-baptized this coming weekend. She hasn't been a member for a very long time. The branch itself is super excited that they're getting elders again and we can see lots of enthusiasm beginning to blossom for missionary work here in the branch. We passed the sacrament yesterday. I love being of service to the branch and hope that we can bring many people to the gospel even in that tiny little building.

 

Okay let me answer some questions now. And ask them too. How is Jeremy doing with all the storms and stuff in the Philippines? I hope he's okay. I heard that not one missionary has died there. So that's a miracle in and of itself. Dad, yes the members are giving us referrals. One at a time. There's an average sacrament attendance of about 50 A week here (maybe less). Serving in Wellington, we've had days less than that. But there's more that attend there than in Pratt. There lots of inactives here that the senior couple and some others are trying to work with. We'll be working with those mainly in Kingman itself. I would say that yes, I left Wichita better than I found it. But I should've left it even better. 

Oh, every day in Kingman around noon, they test the tornado alarms. I just heard it, so that's why I had to say it.  I loved the pictures you sent to me. Sounds like Cody had a great B-Day! Oh, and would it be okay if you gave me the Chen's address? I would like to write to them and invite them to come back to church. If not, that's okay. I think it might be better if it would be a personal visit. But whatever you think. Well, I need to go. I wish I could write more. I really can't think of what to say. My struggles this week were really just teaching by the spirit. I need to do a lot better. I think I focus a little too much in lessons or something distracts me. 

You all have a great week and let me know if you have any questions about anything. I'm sure I forgot to ask you something. Could you send me some simple recipes and cheap too that I could use? I can't live on microwaved pancakes, haha! I know you just sent me some, but I need to be reminded a little and can't remember what you suggested in what e-mail last time. But I love you all so much and hope you have a good week this week. Love,

 

Elder Sutherland