James letter 12-4-12

Well we sure did hit the ground running this week. Lots of things were able to happen, and we had a very successful week.

Monday started us off on a good note. We were able to have dinner with the Raleigh Hills bishop, and to meet with a part member family in the branch named Jeff and Sarah. Sarah is the member. We were able to talk with him about prayer. He related to us an experience that he had where he had lost something, and searched everywhere for it with no success, and then he prayed. After he prayed he was able to find it it the first place he looked. We were able to show him that by that experience that he knows prayer is real, and that it works. This was a big step for him.

Tuesday we had our first district meeting. We talked about the importance of sacrament meeting. Elder Rowley said it well. "If someone made you a Thanksgiving feast would you deny it? No. You would partake gladly. Heavenly Father prepares a spiritual Thanksgiving feast every Sunday at Church. By not going to Church you are rejecting his personally made spiritual feast." That night we were able to have dinner with another member of the bishopric and we talked with them about changes of heart that led us to where were are today, and how, through the Spirit change is possible for everyone. I shared with them my personal conversion story, and bore my testimony that God is real, and He loves us. Later that night we were able to meet with a less active member, we also discussed prayer with him. We read through Enos 1. He "knows" all of the answers, but they haven't gotten into his heart. We were also met with the managers of our apartment complex, who are also members. They urged us to clean our apartment. It was pretty bad when I got here, but it looks much better now. We spent our Pday this week cleaning.

Wednesday we spent the morning tracting. We were able to get into someones home, and to share with them a little about the Book of MOrmon, and the restoration. We left him with a pamphlet, and we have his phone number, and are going to give him a call this week. That evening we met with an investigator in RH named Ted. We taught him aboout the Plan of Salvation. He liked it a lot. He was able to make it to church on Sunday, and he enjoyed that as well. After our lesson with Ted we met with another less active member named Clancy. He knows he needs to come back, but he is struggling to overcome his now habits. We were able to teach him what we had learned from a talk by Neal A Maxwell. The talk was entitled Lessons from Laman and Lemuel. It talked about how the problem with them was that they didn't understand the dealing of the Lord. We talked about the importance of reading, studying the scriptures to help us understand.

Thursday we had a lesson with a interesting man named Stephen. He is a classic Oregon hippie. He doesn't like the government, authority, or violence. It was hard to teach him about the priesthood, because of that. The lesson went ok, but it could have gone better. He called us later that week, and told us he was going to be busy, and we didn't need to stop by anymore. That night we met with a recent convert/part member family. We are teaching the husband now, and hoping to unite that family in the Gospel. We went over the Gospel of JEsus Christ, and the member we had with us in the lesson extended a soft baptismal commitment, which was accepted. From what I've heard he has come a long way, and I hope that we will be able to help him through the rest of the way.

Friday we spent most of the way in downtown. WE didn't have the car this week, so we biked. It was beautiful weather all day. We were able to teach a lesson on the street to a woman named mary. She was very nice, and we are going to try and set up an appoinment this week to meet with her. We were also able to meet with two less active members from the branch. The first member is planning to invite two of her friends to meet with us. It is neat to see her doing missionary work. For the second lesson we were able to have a recent convert join us as an active member. HE was baptized a month ago, and I was amazed at his understanding. He has already read the Book of Mormon, and is to section 60 in D&C. He remembers what he has read and learned, and is able to explain them simply.  He recieved the aaronic priesthood on Sunday. That night we met with brother Keine, our WML.

Saturday was an interesting day. We startted the day with service with the ward. We were helping to remove leaves from some of the older sisters in the ward. There were a lot of people that came. I was amazed at the amount of people the came. After that we had a lesson with a less active family, we taught them the Gospel, and were able to help them see how different pieces of it have helped them in their lives. We also took a part member family to the visitors center. THe nonmember has a baptismal date for January 12, and he was very excited about it. He and his wife both lived the visitors center, and the sisters did a great job of showing him the importance of baptism, and the temple.  That evening things got a little interesting. We were going out making some visits, and we took a turn down a dead end. Elder Lott stopped to put on his gloves, and I rode down to the end and turned around. He turned as well and we left. I rode down to the next street,and then realized that he was not behind me. I imediatly stopped, and waited. He didn't come. I was worried that something had happened to him, but I didn't want to leave in case he had just rode past, and was coming back. I decided that since he had the phone, I would use someone elses, and call him. I was outside of the Safeway in our area for about 30 minutes trying to get someone to let me use their phone. Finally someone did. After I found out where he was, and told him I would meet him there I thanked the man. I told him to have a good Christmas, and he didn't think he would because he was broke. I told him things would work out for him, and I knew they would because he had helped me, and I had full confidence that God would now help him. He told me he needed a job, and I told him about the employment center. As I left he told me that he would call. He did on Sunday and we set up an appointment for Monday afternoon. We met with him then, and he had gotten a job. He knew that it was because he talked to me. We taught him about our church, and invited him to attend sacrament on sunday. He told us that he would call again. It turns our that the reason we got separated in the first place was as I turned right Elder Lott saw another biker going the opposite direction, and he thought is was me. He was surprised at how fast I got over there, and he hurried to catch up with me. He was surprised also when he was having a hard time keeping up, and the biker wasn't looking back. He stopped and eventually called the district leader, the zone leaders, the assistants, and then you. No one answered of course. He finally decided to go home, and stay with members in the complex, and that was were he was when I got back with him. It was an interesting way to find someone to teach, and I hope it never happens again.

Sunday was great. I enjoyed my time in the nenw wards. The members are very friendly, and welcoming. Ted, and David came to church in RH, as well as Jocylyn in the branch.

I am finding that this is going to be a tough companionship, not because we don't get along, because we get along great, but because he is so fresh out, and sometimes it seems like he doesn't know anything. Its hard to teach someone how to be a missionary, especially when you aren't entirely sure "how" you do it. I know what I do, but teaching that to someone else is difficult. I am looking forward to this as a growing experience.

Love

Edler Schultz