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8/24/2020
Big Howdy!! Had a good week.
Tuesday 8/18/20
-Zone Conference!! It's always nice to be able to do things in person and see the other missionaries. The Stake President gave us a little talk on including members in our missionary work and building trust with them. Then our Zone Leaders lead us in a training, teaching us how to help investigators recognize the Spirit when we teach. It was a really productive and helpful training!
Thursday 8/20/20
-We had 6 lessons planned for today, but only two actually happened. We had one with AnnaBelle and two people from her family that she brought with her, and one with Roy and the Tanners, our ward mission leader and his wife. It was almost only one, but Brother Tanner is very persistent and was able to help Roy meet with us. Both of the lessons were awesome!!
Friday 8/21/20
-Today we started to get this really bad haze from the smoke and ash coming from all the fires up in northern Colorado. We could barely see the mountains from our area (only about a 30 minute drive). We have been working really hard these past few days and have been missing our outside time, so we took a couple of our free hours and hiked up a trail to the summit of Mount Cutler. When we got to the top we could see a slight orange haze from the other side of Pike's Peak. We learned later that another fire actually started up on Pike's Peak, so that's a bit scary. Doubtful that it will get all the way down the mountain and into town, but still very sad to think about the mountains being on fire.
Saturday 8/22/20
-The Stake I'm serving in right now has a weird rule (not a common thing) where Sister missionaries can't be alone in the church building without a priesthood holder outside watching guard, even if the building is completely locked. And the Sisters in Cimarron Hills have been feeling not so safe in their current apartment, so they have been spending a lot of time at the church building while the housing coordinator gets them a new apartment. So we have been at the church a lot this week, guarding the building, and we just do our missionary work in our car.
Monday 8/24/20
-Today we got haircuts, prepared for our week, and then filmed a video for our zone's Facebook page. That's kind of the big focus right now, is making videos and regularly posting on our page to help us in our efforts to find more people to teach.
Hope you all have a great week!
-Elder Bird
Two Videos we made:
How do you obey the Lord?
How do you Hear Him with so many distractions around you?
8/17/2020
Hey everybody!
I can't even begin to describe the gratitude I have felt for my Heavenly Father because of all the miracles that I have seen this week. One of the people we're teaching, AnnaBelle, had her baptism on Saturday and this whole past week has been crazy for us, getting her as ready and prepared as possible, for that essential ordinance. In the end, everything worked out so smoothly and she was able to be baptized on Saturday evening and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the following Sunday.
Monday 8/10/20
-We went bowling today for p-day with the other missionaries in our district. It was a lot of fun!
-In the evening, we had a super long, super good lesson with AnnaBelle and Sister Bascom who has been so awesome, and has been like a second mother figure for her. They both said they had time and were ready to finish off the last of the missionary lessons. So we finished teaching her everything that was left to teach and went through the baptismal interview questions with her, so that she would be ready for her interview.
-We brought a Baptism and Confirmation Record form that needed to be filled out before AnnaBelle was baptized, usually signed by the parents if under the age of 18. We had a bit of a hiccup with who was supposed to sign it though, because she is in the foster care system. We called our Zone Leaders, then the APs, and then our Mission President and literally no one knows who is supposed to sign that consent portion. President Eccles suggested we start with AnnaBelle's case worker and then her attorney to figure that out. He said he would do some research also and would get back to us.
Tuesday 8/11/20
-We got in touch with AnnaBelle's attorney this morning, and he told us that her biological mom actually still holds legal guardianship for religious freedom consent stuff. So that is good because AnnaBelle goes to see her mom occasionally and is actually seeing her a couple times this week. When President Eccles gets back to us with the "all-clear" for her biological mom to sign, we'll be able to meet up with them and get her signature.
Wednesday 8/12/20
-The next thing to do for AnnaBelle is to have a baptismal interview. This is done so that someone besides the missionaries doing the teaching, makes sure that the person who wants to be baptized understands what they are doing and the commitment that they are making. Usually the DL (district leader) does the baptismal interview, but if the DL is in the companionship with the baptismal candidate, it would usually go to the ZLs (zone leaders). Since Elder Miller is the DL, and the ZLs are unable to do it, President Eccles is going to be the one to do the interview with her. But, we are having a bit of trouble getting a hold of him because this entire week is packed with zone conferences and interviews with all the missionaries. Since he's so busy, we're gonna just have to wait for his response.
Thursday 8/13/20
-We did a lot of service today. We went over to Tony's house to pick some more weeds with him, and we ended up teaching him about the Restoration in his garage. He didn't seem too interested in us doing service, but I guess just misses talking with the missionaries in the area, so that's good. Next time we'll have to get him to come to the church building because that's the only place that we are actually cleared to do in person lessons right now. We think he's feeling the difference of the Spirit while we're there versus when he's on his own.
-We did some more service for Sister Mendenhall and while picking weeds, we finally got a call back from President Eccles. He gave us the go-ahead to get AnnaBelle's mom's signature and told us he was available for an interview only on Saturday morning. So, we'll have to do the baptism in the evening, which AnnaBelle said worked perfect for her, so everything is starting to fall into place.
Friday 8/14/20
-Today we met with AnnaBelle and her biological mom, and were able to get her signature on the Baptism and Confirmation Record form!! Now we just have the baptismal interview left to do and we'll be all set!
-Later we drove all the way down to Fountain to do some service for a lady that Elder Miller found on Facebook. We met the Elders from that area there too and we had good bonding time while picking weeds.
Saturday 8/15/20
-AnnaBelle's interview with President was this morning, and it went super well!! Which means that everything is all set for her baptism at 5pm!
-Sister Harrison handled the whole program, which was so nice for us because normally the missionaries have to do that. She found ward members who gave the talks and did the music. We headed over to the church early to fill up the baptismal font and to set up chairs. Elder Bryant (my last companion & trainer) and his companion showed up unexpectedly, which was so awesome to see him again. We got some great pictures with AnnaBelle and then we had some great speakers on the program. I was so honored to be the one to perform the actual ordinance and baptize AnnaBelle!! The Spirit so strong! It was an amazing day!
Sunday 8/16/20
-AnnaBelle's confirmation was done during sacrament meeting today by Elder Miller, and he gave her a wonderful blessing with it as well. So now AnnaBelle is officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and she is so happy to have finally become a member, she's been waiting a long time.
It's amazing to witness and be a part of someone's conversion process, and it has strengthened my own testimony so much. AnnaBelle is a huge inspiration to me and I'm so grateful to have had the privilege of teaching her and being there for her through her trials and through this bit of her journey.
Love you guys, have a super week!!!
-Elder Bird
Pictures:
-P-day bowling with the district
-The Sister missionaries dropped off some celebration cookies for us!!
-Elder Bryant and me with AnnaBelle
-My current companions and me with AnnaBelle
8/10/2020
Howdy all you people!
Wednesday 8/5/20
-The Mission President told us all that we needed to get out of our apartments more, so we decided to play soccer and other sports at Palmer Park near our apartment. After our service at Care and Share, we went over to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a nice soccer ball and a frisbee to keep ourselves active.
-We made a ton of phone calls to people in our area trying to set up lessons, for this week, with not too much luck. We got two responses from members in our ward for lessons later in the week.
-We moved our district game nights to Wednesdays because that seemed to work better for everyone. Tonight we met over at Paler Park and played a game called Signs until it got dark, it was super fun!
Thursday 8/6/20
-This morning we dropped off two copies of the Book of Mormon to a young couple in our area who we found on Facebook! They were extremely appreciative and they really want to learn more. We are going to set up a lesson with them sometime when they're not working, which might be kind of hard because they have some tough hours, but it's gonna be awesome!
-We did some yard work for a guy we called about a week ago named Tony. He is a guy who used to meet regularly with the missionaries in our area and was missing their chats. So while we worked, we talked about his past and a little about what he and the previous missionaries talked about. We got some awesome weeding in as well, so let's goooo.
-Later in the day, we took our dinner over to the Garden of the Gods because we wanted to show it to Elder Whitesell. Then we got out and hiked around one of the cooler areas there.
Friday 8/7/20
-Our District council this morning was great as always! Gotta love basic in person human interaction.
-In our efforts to find people I started up a Facebook group for the community in my area. It's centered around Jesus Christ and finding those who are willing to learn more about Him, and uplift and inspire others. Elder Miller, Elder Whitesell, and I went up to the top of Palmer Park to record a video for it, and I think we did a pretty good job!
Saturday 8/8/20
-We had a really good lesson with Roy today. He told us he stopped drinking coffee for good now!!! We are super stoked for him. We are talking to him about what his next steps will be for baptism because he is focusing on that goal now, which is super awesome!! So he's a lot closer to being baptized than we originally thought -- miracle!
Sunday 8/9/20
-Before church today, AnnaBelle had her interview with Bishop Cox and apparently it went super well. We're still shooting for her baptismal date which is this Saturday!!! Another miracle! All she has left to do to be fully ready is finish the last missionary lesson and have her baptismal interview with our zone leaders, then she'll be prepared for the 15th!!! Very awesome!
We saw a lot of miracles this week, so I just want to invite you guys to look for God's hand in your life. How has he helped you get through those tough times?
Love yall, have a great week!!
-Elder Bird
-Our video for our Rustic Hills Christian Community group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cayden.miller.986/videos/1205897386428912/
-The district after game night!
-Pulled pork sandwiches at Garden of the Gods
-Companionship pic from one of the rock formations at Garden of the Gods
8/3/2020
Monday 7/27/20
-While we were having dinner, DJ (who is AnnaBelle's previous foster father) called us and explained to us why he doesn't think AnnaBelle is ready for baptism. We had a really hard (and a bit heated) conversation with him, over the phone, that went on for almost an hour. But by the end of it we both apologized and kind of came to an understanding of each other. After that conversation I realized that this is where missionary work, especially the work that I am doing, suddenly became real to me. I knelt down and said the longest prayer I think I have ever said before and instantly felt a wave of comfort and relief flow over me. This was definitely the most difficult night I've had on the mission so far, and I know I'll have more like it, but I also know that I am not alone.
Tuesday 7/28/20
-TRANSFER DAY!!!!!!
-In the morning, Elder Miller and I went to a meeting for all the people who will be training a new missionary this next transfer. [A transfer is a period of 3 or 6 weeks.] Then during lunch, we socialized a bit (at proper distances) and met our new companions! Elder Whitesell is our new greenie!! [A "greenie" is a brand new missionary] He is understandably a bit shy right now, but we've assured him he will have the time of his life - haha! He is from South Carolina and just came from his at-home MTC experience, which is what new missionaries have to do now that the Missionary Training Center is closed due to Coronavirus.
-Later that day, we had three lessons back to back with non-members, which was the perfect introduction for Elder Whitesell into the mission field!
Wednesday 7/29/20
-Today we taught Elder Whitesell what to say during a typical phone call contact. We practiced by contacting a TON of members to try and set up some lessons and were able to schedule three lessons for the week.
Thursday 7/30/20
-Today we had a lesson over the phone with a member who had a way of dominating the conversation. We tried butting in a couple times, but it became exhausting after a while, so we kinda just sat there and listened to him preach for like an hour. Not very fun for us when that happens, but unfortunately it happens quite a bit.
-Elder Miller and I had our first weekly planning session with Elder Whitesell. This is the meeting we have once a week where we discuss who we are currently teaching, how we can better meet their needs, and how we can reach out and teach others.
Friday 7/31/20
-Today was our District Council Meeting, whoop whoop!! It's super awesome to be able to meet with the other missionaries in our district and talk about how we can help each other and find out what they are doing. Right now each "companionship" has three people! Trios! We are all training someone new.
-We had a very good lesson with Sister Christian where we made some awesome connections and shared some great insights.
Saturday 8/1/20
-August is here!! I can't believe it - so soon as well. July just flew by. Crazy!
-For our 'outside time' we drove over to the mountains and went for a nice scenic drive on a cool mountain pass. At one point we stopped to get out of our car and take a picture, and some people in another car driving past us were laughing with their phone camera pointed at us, so that was pretty funny, pretty classic.
Sunday 8/2/20
-Two of the people we're teaching, who have baptismal dates scheduled, came to our gospel principles class tonight, so that was awesome! We talked about the principle of missionary work in the Church and why it's important.
Monday 8/3/20
-Today we got a lot of stuff done for Elder Whitesell, so that's been taking up the majority of our day today.
-For our zone FHE, [Family Home Evening] we tried to play a missionary version of Mafia over zoom. That was very interesting and we are still working out the kinks - haha.
Hope everyone has a great week!
-Elder Bird
Pictures:
-Full district after district council meeting
-The Rustic Hills bois (Elder Whitesell is the one on the right)
-Mountain pass we drove
-We had 7 pizzas this week because that's a lot of members' first meal idea for the missionaries haha.
7/27/2020
Howdy all!
Monday 7/20/20
-Last Monday we went on a hike to the Garden of the Gods with our district! We went on a hike and got to see some cool rock formations and take some good pictures! After picking up dinner from a member of the Church, we got some ice cream to finish off our Pday.
Tuesday 7/21/20
-Elder Miller and I started a new tradition of driving over to Palmer Park every morning and doing a lesson or two in our Ed App (which is like a training app for missionaries to know how to find and teach using technology and social media). It's been going really great so far, and we're starting to get into this new habit!
-We had a really good lesson with Earl today. He had kind of lost sight of his goal to be baptized, so we had a really good discussion about the next steps he needs to take in his progression and then we recommitted him to be baptized in September!
Wednesday 7/22/20
-I got an email from the MTC saying that people who are in temporary assignments are welcome to schedule times to meet with one of the instructors there to get some extra help in practicing their original mission language. I had my first virtual meeting tonight where we talked about my language study plan, and what things I might be able to be doing better to keep learning and progressing in my Portuguese.
Thursday 7/23/20
-In the morning we did two service projects for some members. For the first one, we cleaned out a garage so they could have people install a new garage door, and then we put all the stuff back inside. The other one we raked up some pine needles in a backyard and then did some weeding for a sister in the ward. Afterwards she insisted on buying lunch for us and it was so good!
Friday 7/24/20
-The city is doing some work on one of the main roads we drive on and some gravel/slur kicked up into one of our rotors. It was making a really horrendous grinding sound, so we tried to go to a car wash to power wash it out of there, but that didn't work. So we called our vehicle coordinator at the mission office, and he said just take it to Pep Boys and put it on the Church's tab with them. We did that, and it actually went really quick. We were only there for about half an hour and the guy we were working with said he wasn't going to charge us anything! That was cool.
Saturday 7/25/20
-We had another really good lesson with Earl today where we answered some questions he had about Adam and Eve and the Plan of Salvation. After the lesson, Elder Miller told me my teaching skills are improving a lot! That was awesome to hear from him.
-In the late afternoon we did our "outside time" with our district playing spikeball at a park. While we were playing, a kid came up and asked if he could play with us, so we let him join. It was really fun!
-In the car ride home from the park, we got a call from President Eccles. If someone is getting a leadership position or something for transfers, the mission president usually calls them one on one, but he said to put it on speakerphone, then he asked us both if we would be willing to train another missionary! We said yes of course!! At first we thought one of us might be leaving the area, but then we realized we were probably going to be in a trio, with both of us training a new missionary. It turns out we were right. The APs sent out the transfer sheet a little while later and we found out we were indeed both staying here and becoming a trio! So it looks like I will be training right out of my own training haha! That will be super exciting!!
Elder Miller and I are super excited to find out who will be our new greenie! Transfers are always super interesting times!
Love you all, have a great week!!
-Elder Bird
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