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7/03/17
Hello everyone!!
I hope everyone's week went well last week! Elder Brown and I had probably one of the craziest, coolest weeks of my whole mission thus far.
The biggest news is that we said goodbye to President and Sister Mendenhall on Tuesday and hello to President and Sister Savage on Thursday. It was kind of sad, but we actually got to meet the new President and his wife on Friday and hear from them for a little bit. They are both super awesome and ready to do some serious business. I was a little intimidated with President Savage at first, but he is super nice and very friendly, and ready to do some good teaching. The new president has even made a new change to the mission! There are now two "Sister AP's" to help the Sister's in their work. It is interesting! We will see how it plays out, but it should be good. Anyway, I like them already! I am super excited moving forward for them.
We had an awesome "finding" week. We found and contacted 14 people who accepted return appointments, and became new investigators. That is the most I have ever found in my whole mission!! We just walked around and it felt like Heavenly Father was plopping people in front of us for us to talk to and to teach. It was super cool.
One of them that we found even came to church!! His name is Keene Meeker, a really cool guy who is about 25. We found him as we were doing some street contacting. He was carrying some wood to his garage in his complex and we offered to help him. He was a bit quiet at first, but then opened up to us and we talked for a good while. He has had kind of a tough life, and is really just looking for something to help him out, like a good community of people or a good organization to participate in. We found him on Saturday night, and he came to church the very next day and stayed for all three hours. He loved it!! He told us that that morning he was about to text us and tell us he wasn't going to come (he had some nerves about coming), but decided to come anyway. He told us he was happy that he came and we are seeing him again this week! It was awesome!!
The other really cool guy we are teaching is Marcus, who I think I talked a bit about last week. Marcus is super solid! He came to institute with us on Thursday and then to church on Sunday! He said he really liked both, and loved how happy and cheerful everybody was even though it was just church. He and Keene, our newer investigator, even connected a bit at church, and fellow shipped with each other (it was so cool!!!). Elder Brown and I substituted for the gospel principles teacher, who was out of town, so we decided to teach the Plan of Salvation, which was we tailored to both Marcus and Keene in the class. They both got to hear that lesson without having to set an appointment to teach it!!
I can't talk about everyone else that we found, but I'll talk about two more cool experiences. The first happened Friday night when we were walking around a complex talking with people. We saw this big group of Millennials hanging out on this porch. We were a bit apprehensive to approach that big of a group, but we pushed ourselves to talk to them. One of the guys had lots of questions for us, and it felt a bit like he was antagonistic at first, but then we realized that he was just sincerely curious. We ended up having an hour conversation about everything he asked about. At the end, all of them said they enjoyed the conversation and four of them actually accepted some pamphlets and said we could come back and continue to talk. It was super cool!
The other cool experience happened last night. We were out contacting and started a conversation with this guy named Charlie. He was on his third floor balcony and we were on the ground level, so we were basically shouting to each other. We asked about his life and background and drew a story out of him about how he almost died and felt like he had been miraculously saved and started to believe in Christ. After talking loudly at each other for a while, he invited us up to his porch. I shared with him the story of Alma the Younger's experience with the Angel and how he felt miraculously saved and relieved from everything he did wrong. Charlie really liked that and accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon to read and a return appointment for us to come back. We said a prayer with him and were about to leave (it had been a pretty normal contact) but then he hugged us both out of nowhere, expressing a lot of gratitude for us talking to him and coming back next week. We were both a little surprised. But it shows how much the message of the gospel can touch people and we never know. It was pretty awesome!
Anyway, it was an awesome week! Lots of miracles, a new Mission President, and a good week coming up. Things are really moving along and we can feel the Spirit constantly.
I love you all! Thanks for the support!
Elder Bird
6/26/17
Hello everyone!
I hope everyone's week has gone well so far! Elder Brown (my new comp) and I had a fantastic week down here in Parker, CO!
We had a pretty good Monday, Elder Mork and I! We learned what was going on for transfers and I started to get prepped to leave. I packed and then we got a few sports in before having a bomb lesson with Adam that night. We got him to commit to fast and pray about the Book of Mormon for the next day, my last day. We set up a time when would see him again Tuesday night.
Tuesday was a busy day. In the morning, we dropped off the missionaries who were done with their missions and leaving Colorado at the mission home and the mission office. After dropping everyone off, we got to be in a trio with Elder MacPherson for the day!! We met up with the Gabaldon family and did some service with them and then we had a lesson and I said my good-byes to them. Afterwards, we tracted for a bit (it was cool to be tracting in a trio again!). We had dinner that night at an investigators house and then basically spent the night saying goodbye to everyone I had taught, including Adam, Bryan, Mason, and the Thompson family. It was a good way to end my stay in Arvada.
Wednesday was transfers! We got up bright and early and headed over to the building. Once there, I hopped on the van with all my stuff, said bye to everyone, and we headed out. It was a good drive down to Parker, and once there I met my new companion, Elder Brown. Elder Brown is an awesome elder that came out one transfer after I did. That day, we went home and I unpacked while Elder Brown decided what we'd do that day. We decided to work in Lone Tree, which is outside the mission, but in our ward! We actually had some good success, and found some cool people. It was a good first day.
Thursday was a pretty fun day. In the morning and early afternoon we went to our district meetings and had training. After that was all finished, we had an awesome lesson with Meaghan and Katie in Lone Tree, people we had met the day before. They were really comforted by the first lesson and were super open to talking again! It was super cool! Then that night, we worked up in the Parker stake. We just walked around this huge apartment complex and talked with people who were walking around. We met a woman named Morgan who was pretty interested in talking, and had just gone through a break up and felt that we were an answer to her prayer. It was super cool!
Friday, in the morning, we planned for the week ahead, and I got to know more about what is going on down here in Parker. Then I started to organize and tidy things up a bit in our room. We live with Sister Simmons, who is like our Grandma! That day, we worked a bit in Lone Tree and then in Castle Rock, a cool little town outside the mission in our ward. We found some really nice people to talk to and can pass on to the missionaries down here.
Saturday was another pretty full day of meetings in the morning and then finding and talking with people in the afternoon and evening. Good stuff, and met some super cool people.
Sunday we went to church at 10am for meetings, and didn't leave until 4:45pm! (The life of a missionary.) I got to meet a ton of people though, which was pretty cool. I even know a guy in the ward who was in the BYU marching band with me two years ago. That was pretty crazy! After church, we made a quick dinner and hurried off to a lesson we had at 6pm, with a guy we had met on Wednesday named Marcus. Marcus was pretty solid, and enjoyed the lesson about the Restoration. We even felt confident enough to ask him to be baptized and set a baptismal date for the end of July! It was super sweet and a good way to end out Sunday night.
So far, things are going super well here in Parker. Things are beautiful and there are tons of young people [YSA] to talk to between the towns of Parker, Lone Tree, and Castle Rock. Elder Brown and I are already off to a great start, and things are good.
I hope things back home are well! I love you all so much and am so grateful for everyone back home as I serve over here.
Elder Bird
Me saying bye to Adam, Bryan, Mason, and the Gabaldon Family
Elder Brown and I with Sister Simmons, the awesome member we live with.
6/19/17
Hey everyone!
I hope everyone's week has been great!! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Transfers are here and I just learned that I am headed down to Parker, CO in the Parker South zone!
I will be serving as a zone leader down there in the Crowfoot YSA [young single adults] ward with Elder Brown as my new companion. I am super excited, but a bit sad to be saying goodbye to Arvada and the people I have taught here. And sad to leave Elder Mork! We have become such good friends and it is going to be super sad to leave each other! Elder Mork will be training a newer missionary how to be a zone leader up here in Arvada. So next time you hear from me, I will be clear down in Parker (south east of Denver!).
As for the week, it was a pretty good one! We had lots of stuff going on, and I think Saturday was the busiest day I have ever had on my mission! I will try to give some highlights.
On Monday we had zone P-day!! We all hiked Table Top mountain, which is one of the only places you can hike in our mission. It as sweet! There were some awesome views and even a cool waterfall! It was a good way to spend the last P-day together with the Arvada zone.
On Wednesday, Elder Mork and I went on exchanges with the APs [assistants to the President]! It was pretty fun to be with such experienced Elders. I went with Elder Wood and had an awesome day of missionary work. It was kind of interesting because some boundary changes have happened in the Westminster stake where the assistants work, and so part of my first ward, the Westminster ward, is now in the assistants area. It is way crazy because we did a lot of work together on Wednesday right near the apartments that I used to live at!
On Thursday, we started with a lesson with Michael Gabaldon, setting a baptismal date with him for the end of July and getting him super set to be baptized! It was awesome! Then we drove over to the Mission Office for Elder Mork to have his final interview with President Mendenhall, before President Savage comes in. Then that night, we had an awesome lesson with Bryan Coffing. He is so set! We talked about tithing, the ten commandments, and obeying the law in our last commandments lesson. He agrees with everything and is even willing to try out tithing after he is baptized. There are like zero problems and he just has to get his wife and kids into it a little bit. Luckily something cool happened at the end of the week to really help with that!
On Friday, we had a busy day getting a lot of planning, service, and administrative work done. That night, Bryan took us out to Texas Roadhouse! It was super cool to just enjoy a meal with him and to sit as friends together. He was so funny, making us buy really expensive things on the menu and worrying if we had had enough to eat. He is so awesome, and we talked a lot about having his family come to church soon over dinner. After dinner, we went and saw Adam for a little bit. Adam was a bit frustrating, because he knows how good the church is, but he is not putting any effort into reading in the Book of Mormon. So we read a bit with him and then set a return appointment for the next night.
Saturday was a jam packed day! We had something set for literally every single hour of the day, including a quick lesson at 9pm, before heading home at 9:30pm. A few of the appointments fell through, but we had a pretty busy day running between all of the appointments. We taught the Gabaldon family, had an awesome lesson with a brand new investigator named Julie (who had done some awesome research and was super interested!), taught Adam again and got him committed to fast and pray about the Book of Mormon this Tuesday, and then ended by teaching a former investigator that we used to teach here and got him committed to come to church the next day! It was just an awesome day!
Sunday morning started out with a lesson at 8am with someone we had met on the way to Adam's the day previous. His name was Matt Lawson, a young guy in his 30's, who has researched a ton of different religions, but hasn't picked one yet. We taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel and he loved it! He agrees with just about everything, and is pretty excited to read through the Book of Mormon and to come check out the church! It was a good way to start the day! Then, we went to church. We pulled up 15 minutes early, at the exact same time as Bryan Coffing and his whole family! They had all come, on Father's Day!! It was so awesome! Bryan's wife Mia told us that when she had asked Bryan what he wanted for Father's Day, he had said that he wanted everyone go to church! So they came! When we walked into the chapel with them, we saw our former investigator that we talked to last night, talking to a member. We were so happy! It was an awesome Sacrament meeting and an awesome service. After the meetings ended, we had pie to celebrate the dad's for Father's Day. It was so awesome and such a good way to end the week and my time here in Arvada!
Anyway, some things are changing and it will be a bit sad to leave, but I am so grateful to be a part of it and to be serving the Lord and anyone I meet, no matter where. I hope things are well back home. I love you all!!
Elder Bird
Table Top!!!!
6/12/17
Hi!! I hope everyone back home is doing super well!!
I had an awesome week this week! Lots of fun stuff happening here, including a mission-wide convert fireside that we were all able to go to. It was super cool to be able to see a bunch of people all at once again, and even have Nancy, one of my investigators from Cherry Creek, come and see it!
On Wednesday night, we were able to see Adam for a little bit. We didn't have too much time with him because of another appointment and some stuff that made us start a little later. We did read 3 Nephi 11 with him and heard his thoughts. He said he really liked what he read and doesn't disagree with anything. we talked to him a lot about coming out to different things in the church, like activities or programs he could get involved in. He just needs a place to go with good people! We tried to get him to come to church again this week, but he was flying to Seattle to marry one of his good friends. Anyway, after seeing Adam that night, we went and saw Lisa and her kids. We had a pretty good time trying our hardest to teach them! Lisa has some non-conventional religious beliefs, but also believes a lot of what we have to say. So I felt bad for the kids and all the confusion the two different viewpoints were creating! Anyway, we got through a bit more of the Plan of Salvation and will hopefully finish next week!
On Thursday night, we had our weekly lesson with Bryan. Bryan is so awesome! He is finished with 4th Nephi now and is probably going to finish the Book of Mormon pretty soon. We talked a bit more about some of the commandments in preparation for baptism, which still doesn't have a time frame because of the strain it would put on his family. But we had a good discussion on the Sabbath and scriptures and prayer. At the end, Bryan even invited us to have a lesson next week and also dinner the day after on Friday of next week! I was super excited because that will probably be my last week here in Arvada! I am super excited for him moving forward, as always.
The mission wide convert fireside was Friday night! President and Sister Mendenhall was a good way to get the mission all together before they had to leave. It is also a good way to help recent converts feel a bit more like there are people out there that are like them. We were asked to invite converts of three years or less, and anyone we are currently teaching or have recently taught. So I got permission from President to give Jackie and Jordan Smith from Piney Creek a call, and also Nancy Flemming, from Cherry Creek, a call. It was so crazy to hear them both again! Nancy told me that she would come, and she did! Elder Olson and I got to see her and sit with her during the fireside and catch up a little bit. It was a super awesome meeting. At the end, when the missionaries were all leaving, we took a picture of the whole mission. Then we sang an impromptu "Called to Serve" for President and Sister Mendenhall. It was a pretty special way to end the night.
So that was pretty much our week! Lots of fun stuff happening here, and I am loving life!!
I hope things back home are well! I love all of you so much!
Elder Bird
The "dream team" back together (Elder LaPerle & Elder Brammer)
Me with Nancy!
Arvada Zone
6/05/17
Hey everyone!
I hope everyone's week has been splendid so far! It is hard to believe that it is already June....I feel like it was just February. Elder Mork and I had an awesome week this week, and we are super excited for this upcoming week!
Lots of exciting things happened this week! The first of which was on an exchange day this last Wednesday! I was with Elder Haws, who is serving in the Arvada 3rd ward. We worked in my ward and had tons of fun! The biggest thing that happened was a lesson with Lisa Marie and her two daughters, Faith and Hope, (good names, right?). The family were all outside enjoying the summer night when we walked up and started talking to them for a bit. We asked if we could teach the girls about God's plan. We started to draw out the Plan of Salvation for them, and they had lots of good questions! We got to the end of Adam and Eve, and then had to go. But we will finish the cliffhanger next week!
We had another great lesson with Bryan on Thursday. Bryan is still going through the Pearl of great Price and had some questions for us. It was good stuff! We brought out a member that was really good at helping us answer his questions. Afterwards, we talked about the temple and about what we do there. We had mentioned it a few times, so he had said he was appreciative of the context. The lesson went great! Bryan is a super stud and has a strong testimony already. He is basically not being baptized yet because it would put a strain on his family. He even asked us in the lesson that "If I just outlive all of my family members by a year, then I can get them all sealed to me afterwards?" It was so funny! We are pushing hard to get his wife and kids to church sometime soon. He is so awesome!
On Friday, we had a Missionary Leadership Counsel for the month of June. It was President and Sister Mendenhall's last one, and they were a bit sad. It was a good meeting and we were given much counseling. The Mendnehall's were totally crying afterwards. It was sad!
We had a good lesson on Saturday with a girl named Zoey. We have been teaching Zoey for a while, but it has been hard to get through to her a lot of the time. She's just turning 14 and was baptized two years ago. Her dad passed away 6 months ago in an accident, so it's been tough to reach her. We went over and had lunch with her, then had to run to an appointment, and then came back after. The second time, she opened up and told us that she really did want to start coming back to church and explained how it was hard for her. So we sat down and made a goal with her to get to the temple to do baptisms by the end of December. We made some plans with her on when she was going to come to church and how often and things she would have to do to achieve that goal. It was a really good thing!
Sunday was a big day for us! Adam, a guy we teach, had committed to do a church swap with us! So we woke up and went over to his complex so he could give us a ride to the church he has been going to, called Red Rocks Church (a huge church in Denver that thousands of people go to). We went and had a good time with him! Adam doesn't really care too much for the "worship" part of the service, which is the Christian Rock music they play. So we were there for the sermon, which was really really good. After the sermon, we left and Adam got a little more dressed up to come to our service, which was testimony meeting. So we showed up there with Adam. He really liked the sacrament, and then some really good testimonies were given. Adam asked us if he could go up and share some thoughts, and we told him he absolutely could. So he got up and shared a really good testimony just explaining his situation and how we and the gospel has helped so far. It was so awesome!! After he got up, Elder Mork and I both shared our testimonies and sat down. The woman sitting in front of us, who is a convert herself, talked with him a bit during the meeting and they really connected! So she went up and shared her testimony, and then a 9 year old girl (part of the Gabaldon family) got up and shared a little testimony of her own. So we had 2 non-members share their testimony!! It was so awesome! Everyone in the ward was pretty surprised after the meeting and were winking at us after...it was cool! It was a really good way to end the week!
Anyway, exciting things are happening here! I am super excited to see what people will do this next week! Thank you so much for all of the love and support so far! I love you all!
Elder Bird
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