Well I guess missionaries do have a bad week every now and then.....AND they occasionally get sick too. It's nice to see that they bounce right back.
Hi Mom!
So, this week was a little bit of a drag. I was a little sick and we were having a hard time finding people to teach. And it was FREEZING for a few days. Lows of 10-12 degrees but it's a different type of cold. It's a moist cold and the wind will just about kill you. I would say it felt like it was about -5 at times. But I'm feeling better now and it's warming up and it's a new week. So we've got something more to look forward to.
I know you're curious to hear about Westernia... She did not get baptized :( But it's okay because she wasn't necessarily prepared. We had a lesson where we really broke things down and got to know how she feels. She knows all she needs to know but one of the qualifications for baptism is, "Has my investigator had spiritual experiences with the Book of Mormon, at church, prayer, etc.?" and I'm not sure she has. She hasn't had that "conversion" that we often speak of. There was a feeling that she might be rushed into it and so we called it off. But I am thinking it won't be long before she will be baptized. Oh and we found out during the week that we wouldn't even be able to have a baptism in East Orange because our font is broken AGAIN for like the third time since I've been here. We have another investigator who is even more prepared than Westernia is, and her name is Amanda. She has a date for the 17th of February, and I don't see anything that could hold her back. I hope it stays that way. She is going around telling people in the branch when she's going to be baptized. She is looking forward to it! So that's good.
Well it sounds like you need to walk to school because sooner or later you're going to get in an accident! They do pretty well here to keep ice off the road. They have a huge crew of salt trucks that go around all day and spray salt everywhere. The roads are basically white because there is so much salt; it's kinda weird looking.
Here we go:
1. I got the letter and I think I also got the yellow mailer envelope (did it have all the letters from you, Colby and Rorie in it?). Haven't gotten a notice for a box yet.
2. The Main Sequence and the album was something with a hand grenade on it. ONE THING: See if you can find out if Walls of Jericho is a band that has an album (hymns or appropriate music of course) you can buy/download. We have a cd with a sweet song that I have heard is by a band called Walls of Jericho. The song is Ye Elders of Israel.
3. You could send some cheap clippers and a set of guards. You could send your old ones too. Cause I don't want to worry if I lose them, and usually clippers work fine even if they are only like $5. My hair looks fine! It's under a beanie most of the day long anyway ;)
4. Of course I see Larry! We had an awesome lesson about the Word of Wisdom where he gave me his can of tobacco and I threw it way far over the fence. We also gave him a blessing and he found a job the next day at ShopRite. Considering he's homeless, that was pretty amazing. So now all he needs to find is a cheap apartment! Living expenses are high over here, and it's not even nice. A 1 bedroom garbage attic apartment in Newark is like 800/month! Crazy stuff. Larry also goes to another ward now that is closer to him, in a town called Maplewood. That ward is way better for him too because it is a wealthier area and the support system is much larger. I hope that will help him, because he needs it.
Haha Max! Georgia! Stateside Georgia I assume, but what part? We met a CRAZY lady from Macon the other day. We often meet people that even the gospel couldn't help. Hopefully they'll receive the message in the Spirit World. Tell them both congratulations for me.
I read most of the letters I got! I plan on writing back to a few of them today. I'm glad Grandma Sharon appreciated my letter to her... it wasn't much! It was the least I could do in return for her letters to me. The letters from Bro Burr and Bro Rasband and Bro Hunter and others were absolutely incredible. They were all extremely heartfelt and I nearly teared up when I read them!]
About thursday... yeah we were cold! It doesn't matter what you wear if you don't wear a windbreaker. I forgot to wear the one I brought and it was bitter! The cold goes right to the bone, too. It's weird stuff. But we survived just fine. We would just find an apartment building and sit in the lobby trying to make phone calls while we warmed up between appointments. Note: you don't need to send me any more clothes cause I have what I need. Not a lot of snow, it's usually too cold to snow. Technically, it's not 0 degrees here, but it feels that cold, or colder with the windchill and humidity.
Sounds like you'll beat me at the Book of Mormon challenge. I'm in 2 Nephi! Haha. Two questions: Could you find Meg Boshard's MTC address for me? I wanted to congratulate her before she leaves the MTC and I can't write her anymore. Also, I wanted to know if you saved the photos from the last memory card I sent home. Somehow they got deleted off of my card, so I no longer have the photos from during the hurricane and some other funny stuff. Not that it really matters for me now, but I wanted to make sure you got them before they were gone. Next time I send home a memory card, I'll send you the empty 8gb and you can put the photo and video back on it for me cause I do like to look at them on occasion. Just to be clear, it is the memory card with the light photos and the photos of the cars. Not the other one.
Ok I have to go now. I love you all and keep up the good work! The Church is true!
Love,
Tab
Thank you Dad!
Amazing letter with great advice that I will be sure to remember throughout the coming year. I usually don't make resolutions, so maybe I should start now and make a resolution to make resolutions.
Sounds like things are going well for you. We had interviews with our mission president last week and I always learn a lot from him. We talked a lot about conversion, which is something I am experiencing every day on the mission. One thing I think that I do well is Resolution 3, finding happiness regardless of circumstances. It helps that I am still a very young missionary and I don't really know what it's like to experience bad days. This last week was one of the worst I have had thus far - don't feel bad for me! - but it ended well. I didn't let it get to me. I'm back to the grind this week and I am determined to work harder! That usually solves most problems.
Well I still need to write Mom so I'll end here. Thank you again for your support!
Love,
Tab
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
MLK done messed up my Monday!
I was all excited earlier thinking that tomorrow is Monday and out of the blue I realized "It's Martin Luther King Day!" That means libraries are closed, so no email. Not good! He went and messed up my day. Don't get me wrong - i'm a fan of MLK and all but not when he keeps me from my Monday emails. : ( I will get over it. Well, thank goodness for Tuesday....i got my letter!
Hi Mom and Family,
That was a big letter! Haha don't apologize for writing a big letter! It's a good thing. It just means I can be lazy and write less for you guys ;).
I don't know if Dad will remember this but there was this really funny [insurance company] commercial that he always thought was funny and it was a short clip of a cowboy/rancher man in a court room and all he said was, "but I digress." So, I digress.
This month has been pretty busy. I've never seen such motivation and hard work from our mission and especially our zone. Zone 4 is going crazy and we have amazing leaders who are helping us do what we're doing. We were the only zone in the entire mission to have every companionship teach over 20 lessons this last week! I'm grateful to be a part of the mission at this time, and like that sister you met had said, it is a huge turn around from what this mission used to be. President Barr (last president) was exactly what this mission needed and President Jeppson is the best mission president in the world. And now we are preparing for this mission to receive nearly 100 new missionaries. The excitement and energy that is building is incredible and I hope that it continues to grow!
As a companionship, Elder Thompson and I are still getting along near perfectly. He's a great example to me. We are still preparing Westernia for baptism on the 27th and I do hope that she makes it. We had a lesson with her about how a prayer of faith can bring about miracles. The reason we had that lesson is because her grandma (legal guardian) was strongly opposed to Westernia being taught by missionaries. Up until last week, she hadn't said anything about it because any time she mentioned the Church or missionaries her grandma would get angry. She even had to hide her Book of Mormon. However, after that lesson we committed her to pray that God would open her grandma's heart so that she would allow Westernia to be baptized. She did, and told us that she explained the situation to her mother and father in order to help them convince her grandmother. In our last visit with Westernia, she told us that after all was said and done, her grandma agreed to sign her baptismal record. In my eyes that was almost unbelievable! It was great news. She is prepared for this Sunday, and I hope all works out that she can be baptized on that day.
I'm sure that Reese's farewell and that of the other missionaries was awesome. I miss him. I so wish that I could have been there. We actually had a talk given by our amazing branch president on Sunday that was all about the pioneers of this Church and the sacrifices they made. He related their experience to that of the members of the East Orange branch. The message of his talk was something along the lines of that quote on sacrifice that you put in there from Reese. He also said that we must not be afraid to stand alone. It reminded me of a story I read that President Monson shared a while ago in his General Conference address, "Dare to Stand Alone". He said,
"I believe my first experience in having the courage of my convictions took place when I served in the United States Navy near the end of World War II.
What I took from that is that it always takes great courage and faith to make sacrifices. I have several experiences where I learned, in an easier way, that standing alone for what I believe in is always worth it.
One question, who is that sister you met? If she just got home six months ago, I might know her name, and it's always cool to tell others who would know her. That's really awesome that you got to meet her and hear from her.
Alright I have to go now. I'm so glad to hear that Rorie is loving skiing! I can picture it in my head now. I don't know if you hear much from them, but how are my other friends doing like Coleman and Ben and Landon? I hope they are doing well. I got a great letter from Coleman. Make sure you tell everyone hello for me. Tell Reese to go DO WORK!
I love you!
Tab
Hi Dad!
Thank you for sharing that with me. I had actually given some thought to that a couple of days ago. I contemplated how I can't be lazy and I have to watch my thoughts because I can't hide from God. It gave me motivation to think that I have friends and family in Heaven who are doing all they can to help me do my best. I cannot let them down! So I have been working on that.
I was a little sick this week but stuck to going out every day. It paid off when we had four investigators at church and several less active families that we had been working with. Now we just have to keep on them! Thanks for your support.
Love,
Tab
Hi Mom and Family,
That was a big letter! Haha don't apologize for writing a big letter! It's a good thing. It just means I can be lazy and write less for you guys ;).
I don't know if Dad will remember this but there was this really funny [insurance company] commercial that he always thought was funny and it was a short clip of a cowboy/rancher man in a court room and all he said was, "but I digress." So, I digress.
This month has been pretty busy. I've never seen such motivation and hard work from our mission and especially our zone. Zone 4 is going crazy and we have amazing leaders who are helping us do what we're doing. We were the only zone in the entire mission to have every companionship teach over 20 lessons this last week! I'm grateful to be a part of the mission at this time, and like that sister you met had said, it is a huge turn around from what this mission used to be. President Barr (last president) was exactly what this mission needed and President Jeppson is the best mission president in the world. And now we are preparing for this mission to receive nearly 100 new missionaries. The excitement and energy that is building is incredible and I hope that it continues to grow!
As a companionship, Elder Thompson and I are still getting along near perfectly. He's a great example to me. We are still preparing Westernia for baptism on the 27th and I do hope that she makes it. We had a lesson with her about how a prayer of faith can bring about miracles. The reason we had that lesson is because her grandma (legal guardian) was strongly opposed to Westernia being taught by missionaries. Up until last week, she hadn't said anything about it because any time she mentioned the Church or missionaries her grandma would get angry. She even had to hide her Book of Mormon. However, after that lesson we committed her to pray that God would open her grandma's heart so that she would allow Westernia to be baptized. She did, and told us that she explained the situation to her mother and father in order to help them convince her grandmother. In our last visit with Westernia, she told us that after all was said and done, her grandma agreed to sign her baptismal record. In my eyes that was almost unbelievable! It was great news. She is prepared for this Sunday, and I hope all works out that she can be baptized on that day.
I'm sure that Reese's farewell and that of the other missionaries was awesome. I miss him. I so wish that I could have been there. We actually had a talk given by our amazing branch president on Sunday that was all about the pioneers of this Church and the sacrifices they made. He related their experience to that of the members of the East Orange branch. The message of his talk was something along the lines of that quote on sacrifice that you put in there from Reese. He also said that we must not be afraid to stand alone. It reminded me of a story I read that President Monson shared a while ago in his General Conference address, "Dare to Stand Alone". He said,
"I believe my first experience in having the courage of my convictions took place when I served in the United States Navy near the end of World War II.
Navy boot camp was not an easy experience for me, nor for anyone who endured it. For the first three weeks I was convinced my life was in jeopardy. The navy wasn’t trying to train me; it was trying to kill me.
I shall ever remember when Sunday rolled around after the first week. We received welcome news from the chief petty officer. Standing at attention on the drill ground in a brisk California breeze, we heard his command: “Today everybody goes to church—everybody, that is, except for me. I am going to relax!” Then he shouted, “All of you Catholics, you meet in Camp Decatur—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!” A rather sizeable contingent moved out. Then he barked out his next command: “Those of you who are Jewish, you meet in Camp Henry—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!” A somewhat smaller contingent marched out. Then he said, “The rest of you Protestants, you meet in the theaters at Camp Farragut—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!”
Instantly there flashed through my mind the thought, “Monson, you are not a Catholic; you are not a Jew; you are not a Protestant. You are a Mormon, so you just stand here!” I can assure you that I felt completely alone. Courageous and determined, yes—but alone.
And then I heard the sweetest words I ever heard that chief petty officer utter. He looked in my direction and asked, “And just what do you guys call yourselves?” Until that very moment I had not realized that anyone was standing beside me or behind me on the drill ground. Almost in unison, each of us replied, “Mormons!” It is difficult to describe the joy that filled my heart as I turned around and saw a handful of other sailors.
The chief petty officer scratched his head in an expression of puzzlement but finally said, “Well, you guys go find somewhere to meet. And don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!”
As we marched away, I thought of the words of a rhyme I had learned in Primary years before:
Dare to be a Mormon;
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose firm;
Dare to make it known.
Although the experience turned out differently from what I had expected, I had been willing to stand alone, had such been necessary.
Since that day, there have been times when there was no one standing behind me and so I did stand alone. How grateful I am that I made the decision long ago to remain strong and true, always prepared and ready to defend my religion, should the need arise."
One question, who is that sister you met? If she just got home six months ago, I might know her name, and it's always cool to tell others who would know her. That's really awesome that you got to meet her and hear from her.
Alright I have to go now. I'm so glad to hear that Rorie is loving skiing! I can picture it in my head now. I don't know if you hear much from them, but how are my other friends doing like Coleman and Ben and Landon? I hope they are doing well. I got a great letter from Coleman. Make sure you tell everyone hello for me. Tell Reese to go DO WORK!
I love you!
Tab
p.s. I outdid you in letter length I think. Ah! It is 18 degrees here, but it feels like it's about 0. I think the humidity has a little role in that.
Tim's letter to Tab
Hi Tab.I hope that your investigators continue to make progress and that you are finding new people to teach. I know how difficult both of those things can be. Faith, preparation, and hard work are the key — you cannot let the difficulty or the long odds discourage you. Be relentless and dedicated to the work.Here's a quote for you:“God loves us. He's watching us, he wants us to succeed, and we'll know someday that he has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfareof each of us. If we only knew it, there are heavenly hosts pulling for us -- friends in heaven that we can't remember now, who yearn for our victory.”-Ezra Taft Benson(BYU Devotional, December 10, 1947)Heavenly hosts are anxious for your success and welfare and for the eternal welfare of those you teach.Tab, I encourage you to devote every ounce of effort, every thought, and every minute to furthering the work of the Lord. Be fully devoted and consecrated to the work. You will be blessed as you do so. You have a great mission president. Follow his counsel.We are grateful for you and love you!Dad
Hi Dad!
Thank you for sharing that with me. I had actually given some thought to that a couple of days ago. I contemplated how I can't be lazy and I have to watch my thoughts because I can't hide from God. It gave me motivation to think that I have friends and family in Heaven who are doing all they can to help me do my best. I cannot let them down! So I have been working on that.
I was a little sick this week but stuck to going out every day. It paid off when we had four investigators at church and several less active families that we had been working with. Now we just have to keep on them! Thanks for your support.
Love,
Tab
Monday, January 14, 2013
Another great week!
Hi Mom!
This week was great. I wrote to dad a little bit about our investigator Westernia who is planning to be baptized this month. She's awesome. We had a consistent week, meaning that we taught about 3 lessons per day as well as an hour of contacting and finding. That was about how it was every day. But it was a good week! We exceeded many of the goals we had set.
This week we didn't have any investigators at church :( and only a few less actives came but our branch is awesome. I get frustrated some mornings because we'll only have 30 or 40 members show up but by the time sacrament rolls around we have about 100. We fill our meeting hall, so that's a good sign. I don't know what we can do other than encourage our members to show up on time and help them understand that all three hours of church are important! We could do better at that.
I'm glad to hear Elder Thompson likes me! I like him a lot and while he is quiet around others, he and I talk a lot. He's pretty funny and odd in a good way! But I like that. There are some things I miss about Elder Estipona of course and I won't compare because I've been blessed with two really good companions. Elder Thompson is young like I am and so we have a lot of expectations of how this transfer is going to go. He is a hard worker and a good studier. I can learn a lot from him.
I finished the Book of Mormon last week ;) You can still do it though! I'll encourage you. In fact, I challenge you to finish it before I read it again. I know that sounds like I am not confident in you but I am going to try and finish it in a month. You can do it! Once you pass 3 Nephi it's a charm.
I hit my four month mark - wow! That was actually quite fast. I told dad that the days are slow but then before I know it a week or a month has gone by. I still haven't talked in sacrament yet - knock on wood - but to be honest I actually would like to. There are a lot of things I would want to talk about and challenge our branch to improve on. Occasionally we teach a valiant sunday school class but that's really easy.
So to answer your questions:
1. Yes I did get your recipe notebook! Thank you for that; I needed some recipes.
2. Haven't gotten back to Panera Bread yet.. We will soon though.
3. I haven't gone anywhere to get my hair cut yet because we had clippers in the apartment but now I might have to go to a barber because the last elders took the clippers with them.
4. No longer on foot except for car fast days and walking between nearby appointments. It hasn't snowed in a while and actually it's been quite warm lately. I'm wearing a short sleeved shirt today. Of course we stay warm!
I'm sorry I haven't been taking a lot of pictures! I always forget to take my camera around but Elder Thompson and I both agreed we would take them in the car so they're always nearby. I have one question: did you wipe my memory card? I just want to make sure because it no longer has photos on it. (It's the last memory card I sent home) Either way, no problem because I'm sure you saved them on the computer at home and I haven't taken any on it since I got it back. More pictures soon. Alright I have to go! Sorry I can't say more.
Tell everyone I say hi back! I love you all, of course, and I hope you're doing well.
Love,
Tab
Hi Dad!
I have to be quick but I'm glad I got to read your letter. I always enjoy them!
We did work hard to help contribute to our zone goals! We slacked in our finding but we were able to visit 10 less active members this week, and by doing so, update our area books and what not. It was nice to get things organized so we can focus our efforts and work efficiently.
We only have one investigator who is truly ready to be baptized, and her name is Westernia. We have several investigators with baptismal dates but they are not going to make them. I am hoping that Westernia will. She is 14 years old and we have to teach her in the hallway of her building because her Grandma doesn't like us. Her Grandma has custody of her because both of her parents are heavily addicted to drugs. Westernia has had a tough growing-up. But she is really nice and willing to keep commitments. I don't know if I shared this already, but we first contacted her and gave her a restoration pamphlet. Upon our next visit, she had read the whole thing and answered the questions that are in the back. Nobody does that! We were really happy to see that and it gave me an idea that she would progress quickly. We've been teaching her for about a month now and her baptismal date is on the 27th. We pray that she'll say that she is ready by then. We had a great lesson with her last night about prayer and committed her to pray about her baptismal date. We'll follow up soon and let you know how that goes.
So obviously we'll be making an effort to find new investigators who are more prepared. We have found a few but they are hard to meet with more than once a week. That is always tough for us, but we do what we can.
I love you and hope that you're doing well! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Love,
Tab
Tim's quote to Tab for the week:
This week was great. I wrote to dad a little bit about our investigator Westernia who is planning to be baptized this month. She's awesome. We had a consistent week, meaning that we taught about 3 lessons per day as well as an hour of contacting and finding. That was about how it was every day. But it was a good week! We exceeded many of the goals we had set.
This week we didn't have any investigators at church :( and only a few less actives came but our branch is awesome. I get frustrated some mornings because we'll only have 30 or 40 members show up but by the time sacrament rolls around we have about 100. We fill our meeting hall, so that's a good sign. I don't know what we can do other than encourage our members to show up on time and help them understand that all three hours of church are important! We could do better at that.
I'm glad to hear Elder Thompson likes me! I like him a lot and while he is quiet around others, he and I talk a lot. He's pretty funny and odd in a good way! But I like that. There are some things I miss about Elder Estipona of course and I won't compare because I've been blessed with two really good companions. Elder Thompson is young like I am and so we have a lot of expectations of how this transfer is going to go. He is a hard worker and a good studier. I can learn a lot from him.
I finished the Book of Mormon last week ;) You can still do it though! I'll encourage you. In fact, I challenge you to finish it before I read it again. I know that sounds like I am not confident in you but I am going to try and finish it in a month. You can do it! Once you pass 3 Nephi it's a charm.
I hit my four month mark - wow! That was actually quite fast. I told dad that the days are slow but then before I know it a week or a month has gone by. I still haven't talked in sacrament yet - knock on wood - but to be honest I actually would like to. There are a lot of things I would want to talk about and challenge our branch to improve on. Occasionally we teach a valiant sunday school class but that's really easy.
So to answer your questions:
1. Yes I did get your recipe notebook! Thank you for that; I needed some recipes.
2. Haven't gotten back to Panera Bread yet.. We will soon though.
3. I haven't gone anywhere to get my hair cut yet because we had clippers in the apartment but now I might have to go to a barber because the last elders took the clippers with them.
4. No longer on foot except for car fast days and walking between nearby appointments. It hasn't snowed in a while and actually it's been quite warm lately. I'm wearing a short sleeved shirt today. Of course we stay warm!
I'm sorry I haven't been taking a lot of pictures! I always forget to take my camera around but Elder Thompson and I both agreed we would take them in the car so they're always nearby. I have one question: did you wipe my memory card? I just want to make sure because it no longer has photos on it. (It's the last memory card I sent home) Either way, no problem because I'm sure you saved them on the computer at home and I haven't taken any on it since I got it back. More pictures soon. Alright I have to go! Sorry I can't say more.
Tell everyone I say hi back! I love you all, of course, and I hope you're doing well.
Love,
Tab
Hi Dad!
I have to be quick but I'm glad I got to read your letter. I always enjoy them!
We did work hard to help contribute to our zone goals! We slacked in our finding but we were able to visit 10 less active members this week, and by doing so, update our area books and what not. It was nice to get things organized so we can focus our efforts and work efficiently.
We only have one investigator who is truly ready to be baptized, and her name is Westernia. We have several investigators with baptismal dates but they are not going to make them. I am hoping that Westernia will. She is 14 years old and we have to teach her in the hallway of her building because her Grandma doesn't like us. Her Grandma has custody of her because both of her parents are heavily addicted to drugs. Westernia has had a tough growing-up. But she is really nice and willing to keep commitments. I don't know if I shared this already, but we first contacted her and gave her a restoration pamphlet. Upon our next visit, she had read the whole thing and answered the questions that are in the back. Nobody does that! We were really happy to see that and it gave me an idea that she would progress quickly. We've been teaching her for about a month now and her baptismal date is on the 27th. We pray that she'll say that she is ready by then. We had a great lesson with her last night about prayer and committed her to pray about her baptismal date. We'll follow up soon and let you know how that goes.
So obviously we'll be making an effort to find new investigators who are more prepared. We have found a few but they are hard to meet with more than once a week. That is always tough for us, but we do what we can.
I love you and hope that you're doing well! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Love,
Tab
Tim's quote to Tab for the week:
My quote for you for this week is from Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!"
I hope that you will seek to fully submit your will to the Lord, that your will might be swallowed up in his will.
As you align your will with the Lord's will and exercise faith in him, you can be assured that you will be able to accomplish all that he wants you to do:
"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." (Moroni 7:33)
Monday, January 7, 2013
I lost Elder Estipona.......
Elder Mclain lost his companion.....but he is not discouraged! He got a new companion, is regrouping, and determined to use the change to his advantage. I LOVE his attitude!
So!
This is a story I shared with President Jeppson and it took too long for me to write it so I'll share it with you:
This week went by way too quick. I lost Elder Estipona :( I loved him. I got a new companion who I love, Elder Thompson, and we have a lot in common and we get along well. We had medium success in our teaching this week. Many of our appointments fell through and our finding of potentials didn't yield many new investigators. However, one of my strengths is that I do not get discouraged easily. Probably because I have a new missionary's state of mind - everything is possible! I hope I never lose that attitude. We continued to work and by the end of the week we had seen many less-actives and former investigators that I had never met before. Many of them just needed a little push to help them get back on the straight and narrow. So that was good. However, Saturday night and Sunday morning were really tough for me. All those people that had promised to come to church weren't answering the phone. We probably made 50 phone calls. I wanted to give up! About an hour before church started I called an inactive member (Kameron) we had been seeing and he said he was awake and ready for us to pick him up. I was so happy. We got there and he would no longer answer the phone or the door. I was going through a roller-coaster of happy, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-feeling and disappointment. I called several times and we waited for almost 10 minutes before I decided I needed to say a prayer. Just a quick one, nothing special. I asked God to PLEASE help us find some one to take to church. Even just this one. I told Elder Christiansen I would make one last phone call and if he didn't answer, we would go back to church. And wouldn't you know it, Kameron answered! He had just woken up so we had to wait a little while, but he came. I am so thankful Heavenly Father made that happen. That was an answer to my prayers.
So, after a discouraging weekend my Spirit was lifted. It turned a rough week into a great week. I was reminded of the scripture, in D&C 18, that if we bring save one soul to Christ, how great will be our joy. Well my joy was great!
One other thing that was good too is that having a new companion allows me to start implementing new tactics, so to speak, that worked in their last companionship. So we've been doing lots of new stuff and it's actually been working well. Elder Thompson is an organized person, even more than I am. We've been going through our less active list and sorting them into groups that will allow us to quickly find backups in the area if our backup appointments fail. Being organized saves us a lot of time. So I enjoyed our first week. Elder Thompson is really quiet around others but when he gets going he is a great teacher. He's opened up to me and he's a funny storyteller so I have enjoyed his companionship. I think it will be a super transfer.
Alright I am out of time (sorry!) but as you all know I love you! Thanks for writing me every week! I wish I had more time to write back more often. Oh and thanks for the most recent package with the recipe and framed photo! It was great. Almost done with the Book of Mormon!
Love,
Elder McLain
He sent a second email that was mostly to answer questions I asked him but I will share it too......
So I'll answer these really quick:
1. Yes (I got the family picture) and no it was not broken.
2. Yes! I got Grandma Sharon's card and that was really nice of her! Tell her I love her.
3. Yes!!! I got Aunt Dottie's too.
4. Elder Estipona got transferred to a place called North Branch. I still talk to him like every day because he's awesome.
5. I don't need really anything. I had a small pan that I used in college - that would be good - and then a knife sharpener. We have a nice knife set but they're all dull. Just one measuring cup that has marks for like 1 cup, 2 cups, 2.5 cups. You have a metal one I liked to use - something like that.
6. Yes, we stay plenty warm in our apartment. I don't even need that comforter! Yet
7. The other new roommate's name is Elder Mark Guymon from Huntington Utah and he's so hilarious. He is A LOT like me. He's a little funnier though. He plays golf!
Haha! Gotcha
Man you made me cry with that story! You better tell Rorie I love her lots and I'm proud of her. She's my motivation!
Almost done with the BofM - I just hit 4 Nephi.
Your fasting worked! We had a good week. Thank you!!
Love,
Tab
*The story Tab is talking about is one I shared with him from Christmas Sunday. It made Christmas extra special for me....
So!
This is a story I shared with President Jeppson and it took too long for me to write it so I'll share it with you:
This week went by way too quick. I lost Elder Estipona :( I loved him. I got a new companion who I love, Elder Thompson, and we have a lot in common and we get along well. We had medium success in our teaching this week. Many of our appointments fell through and our finding of potentials didn't yield many new investigators. However, one of my strengths is that I do not get discouraged easily. Probably because I have a new missionary's state of mind - everything is possible! I hope I never lose that attitude. We continued to work and by the end of the week we had seen many less-actives and former investigators that I had never met before. Many of them just needed a little push to help them get back on the straight and narrow. So that was good. However, Saturday night and Sunday morning were really tough for me. All those people that had promised to come to church weren't answering the phone. We probably made 50 phone calls. I wanted to give up! About an hour before church started I called an inactive member (Kameron) we had been seeing and he said he was awake and ready for us to pick him up. I was so happy. We got there and he would no longer answer the phone or the door. I was going through a roller-coaster of happy, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-feeling and disappointment. I called several times and we waited for almost 10 minutes before I decided I needed to say a prayer. Just a quick one, nothing special. I asked God to PLEASE help us find some one to take to church. Even just this one. I told Elder Christiansen I would make one last phone call and if he didn't answer, we would go back to church. And wouldn't you know it, Kameron answered! He had just woken up so we had to wait a little while, but he came. I am so thankful Heavenly Father made that happen. That was an answer to my prayers.
So, after a discouraging weekend my Spirit was lifted. It turned a rough week into a great week. I was reminded of the scripture, in D&C 18, that if we bring save one soul to Christ, how great will be our joy. Well my joy was great!
One other thing that was good too is that having a new companion allows me to start implementing new tactics, so to speak, that worked in their last companionship. So we've been doing lots of new stuff and it's actually been working well. Elder Thompson is an organized person, even more than I am. We've been going through our less active list and sorting them into groups that will allow us to quickly find backups in the area if our backup appointments fail. Being organized saves us a lot of time. So I enjoyed our first week. Elder Thompson is really quiet around others but when he gets going he is a great teacher. He's opened up to me and he's a funny storyteller so I have enjoyed his companionship. I think it will be a super transfer.
Alright I am out of time (sorry!) but as you all know I love you! Thanks for writing me every week! I wish I had more time to write back more often. Oh and thanks for the most recent package with the recipe and framed photo! It was great. Almost done with the Book of Mormon!
Love,
Elder McLain
He sent a second email that was mostly to answer questions I asked him but I will share it too......
So I'll answer these really quick:
1. Yes (I got the family picture) and no it was not broken.
2. Yes! I got Grandma Sharon's card and that was really nice of her! Tell her I love her.
3. Yes!!! I got Aunt Dottie's too.
4. Elder Estipona got transferred to a place called North Branch. I still talk to him like every day because he's awesome.
5. I don't need really anything. I had a small pan that I used in college - that would be good - and then a knife sharpener. We have a nice knife set but they're all dull. Just one measuring cup that has marks for like 1 cup, 2 cups, 2.5 cups. You have a metal one I liked to use - something like that.
6. Yes, we stay plenty warm in our apartment. I don't even need that comforter! Yet
7. The other new roommate's name is Elder Mark Guymon from Huntington Utah and he's so hilarious. He is A LOT like me. He's a little funnier though. He plays golf!
Haha! Gotcha
Man you made me cry with that story! You better tell Rorie I love her lots and I'm proud of her. She's my motivation!
Almost done with the BofM - I just hit 4 Nephi.
Your fasting worked! We had a good week. Thank you!!
Love,
Tab
*The story Tab is talking about is one I shared with him from Christmas Sunday. It made Christmas extra special for me....
Oh, one last thing. I wanted to tell you a something Rorie did on Christmas Sunday at church. Her primary class was doing a reading of the nativity story from the scriptures and Sister Madsen invited the parents to come in to watch. At the end of the story she invited all the kids to take turns telling a favorite tradition their family did or bear their testimony. All of the kids shared a tradition but Rorie bore her testimony. She said she was thankful for the Savior and his birth and then said how thankful she was to have a brother serving a mission and teaching about the Savior and how much she loved and missed him, then covered her eyes with her hands and cried. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. It was a very tender moment. So your example means a lot! Thank you for being the best big brother and setting such a wonderful example for them to see. I love you for that!
Friday, January 4, 2013
FRIDAY EMAILS FROM MY BOY!
I love Friday emails from Tab! We were lucky enough to get one today....both Tim and I. As much as I loved mine, I think Tim will have to frame his. It was definitely a keeper! That kid keeps raising the bar and I couldn't be happier.
I usually post only Tab's letters but on occasion I read correspondence between the two of them (Tim and Tab) and love the message so much that I want to share it. This is one of those occasions.
I love it! Thank you
I usually post only Tab's letters but on occasion I read correspondence between the two of them (Tim and Tab) and love the message so much that I want to share it. This is one of those occasions.
Tab,
It was sure great to talk with you on Christmas day. It sounds like you are doing great — I'm not surprised! I am happy to know that you are working hard and having good experiences. I'm also happy to know that you are handling the ups and downs of missionary work with a calm certitude about the truthfulness of the work you are engaged in. I am proud of you and grateful to have you serving.
It is difficult to comprehend the full impact of your work as a missionary. This is one reason that you must be fully engaged and devoted — you never know how your words and actions will impact the lives of others, whether members, converts, or acquaintances. Even for those who accept the gospel and are baptized it is really impossible to measure the impact of your efforts on their lives and the lives of their posterity, and all of the people they will influence through the eternities.
In August of 1982, I taught and baptized a family – Ulisses Pereira Filho and his wife Maria Olivia Ferreira Pereira. They had two children at the time, Leonardo and Fabiana, both younger than eight years old. It was clear they were a special family — they accepted every challenge and kept every commitment. They were not particularly well to do — they lived in government housing — although he had a good job in the city working for a bank. I have tried to stay in touch with them over the years. I last had contact with them when I went with your mom to Porto Alegre in December of 2000.
I have been trying to get in touch with them since last May without much success. Shortly before Christmas, I got the idea that I should try to find them on Facebook. Facebook is becoming popular in Brazil and I thought I might be able to possibly find one of their children. It didn't take too long for me to find Ulisses — he's been on Facebook for about six months. I was looking through his children's pages and I found a picture of Ulisses and Maria with Elder Uchtdorf — I thought that was pretty neat, but I wanted to figure out why they were together. I resorted to a Google search and came across this from lds.org website:
Ulisses P. and Maria F. Pereira Filho Manaus Brazil Temple
Ulisses Pereira Filho, 67, Glória Ward, Porto Alegre Brazil Stake, called as president of the new Manaus Brazil Temple. President Pereira's wife, Maria Olivia Ferreira Pereira, will serve as temple matron. He serves as a counselor in the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple presidency. He has served as a stake president, stake president's counselor, high councilor and bishop. A retired banker, he was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to Ulisses and Maria Alzira Correa Pereira. Sister Pereira serves as an assistant to the matron of the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple. She previously served as stake and ward Relief Society president, stake and ward Primary president and ward Young Women counselor. She was born in São Luiz Gonzaga, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to Álvaro Ferreira Madruga and Florisbela Fagundes Ferreira.
So, you never know what will happen as a result of your efforts. I am grateful to have been worthy and prepared to deliver the message of the gospel to them. Of course, they were converted by the Spirit that they felt as they exercised faith and lived the truths of the gospel. I certainly could not have anticipated the tremendous good that these people were going to do as a result of their joining the Church. I hope and pray that you will have the opportunity to teach people that are ready to receive and live the message that you have to share.
I love you! Have a great week!
Dad
Hey Dad,
I just got to read your letter after a long wait. I glanced at it on Monday but ran out of time. I was highly anticipating what it had to say, and of course I wasn't let down! That is an amazing story, especially because it is from someone I am directly related to. It seems that only stories like that are had by apostles and prophets! But like you said, "It is difficult to comprehend the full impact of your work as a missionary." I bet many missionaries have had, to them at least, plain and common mission experiences that ended up having a deep impact on those they met. And they may never even know the effect they had on those people. You never would have known that Ulisses Pereira became a temple president until you came across him on facebook! That is an awesome experience for you and for him. I'm glad you shared that with me.
I hope that perhaps I can be able to do that for someone else. You're a great example of a dedicated and hard working missionary that I want to follow. I hope you know that I admire you and am extremely grateful to have you as my dad. I love you very much!
Have an awesome New Year and keep sending me cool stories and quotes! I appreciate them.
Love,
Tab
I just got to read your letter after a long wait. I glanced at it on Monday but ran out of time. I was highly anticipating what it had to say, and of course I wasn't let down! That is an amazing story, especially because it is from someone I am directly related to. It seems that only stories like that are had by apostles and prophets! But like you said, "It is difficult to comprehend the full impact of your work as a missionary." I bet many missionaries have had, to them at least, plain and common mission experiences that ended up having a deep impact on those they met. And they may never even know the effect they had on those people. You never would have known that Ulisses Pereira became a temple president until you came across him on facebook! That is an awesome experience for you and for him. I'm glad you shared that with me.
I hope that perhaps I can be able to do that for someone else. You're a great example of a dedicated and hard working missionary that I want to follow. I hope you know that I admire you and am extremely grateful to have you as my dad. I love you very much!
Have an awesome New Year and keep sending me cool stories and quotes! I appreciate them.
Love,
Tab
“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”― Gordon B. HinckleyMissions can be like this too! Remember to thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve.Dad
I love it! Thank you
Tab
Hi Mom!
Just really quickly I wanted to ask you a few things and then catch up from the new transfer.
Next, if you can find it, recipes for:
Ensaymada (it's gonna be a filipino recipe most likely) which is like a roll with cheese and sugar and other stuff in it. Really yum. We have the Jersey City sisters buy them for us because there is no filipino bakery in East Orange or Newark, and they are amazing.
Sour Cream Waffles recipe and then if you can find a good one, vanilla bean syrup.
And then like I asked last week the Singapore Shish Kebob recipe. You can just email the recipes and I'll write them down or mail them. Whatever works for you.
Last is if you could send me a .38mm Pilot G2 pen. It doesn't need to be a new one, it could even be out of ink. I just want the tip of it so I can reuse it. I figured out a way to turn any size pen into a .38 just using the tip so. I believe I have one in my room in my jar of old pens. It's out of ink, but remember .38mm Pilot G2! Thanks!
I wanted to thank you for sending that huge box of letters. I still haven't read all of them but I looked through and glanced at a few and saw who sent them. I read some from Brother and Sister Rasband, Brother Hunter, Brother Burr, and Brother Crowther. They were absolutely amazing - I was really touched to read what they had to say. That was by far the best gift you sent to me! The chocolates were nice but the letters made my Christmas day. Oh the Hot Chocolate mix is super good too.
I didn't finish the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, for a few reasons, but I am really close. I am in the later chapters in 3rd Nephi, so I only have about 50 pages left before I am all the way through the book. Hopefully I'll finish by the end of this week. It's awesome. I love the Book of Mormon!
Last week we had a baptism in our branch that was really awesome. It was for a man named Frank, who was an investigator that was taught by the other elders. He had been coming to church every week for almost 3 months, but he just needed extra time to get baptized. He was extremely well prepared to be baptized because he had been taught for so long. He already has a strong testimony. The baptism was great because we all made extra preparations to make it special for him. And we had a long, but spiritual testimony meeting afterward. It got a little roudy because of the way these people "feel the Spirit" and celebrate it, but I loved it. AMEN!! HALLELUJAH!!
Oh one other funny thing is in Elizabeth, an area near ours, there is a street called Praise The Lord Plz. Good stuff. And there's a chapel converted into a Subway right by it. I already told you that, but still I find it funny.
Last thing: I got a new companion, and Dad is going to be really happy when he finds out who it is. His name is Elder Cache Thompson! He was in Dad's BYU ward from last year. So when I mentioned that I lived in Heritage he told me that he knew Brother McLain and I told him that is my Dad. He has been to our house before, actually. So we had a little bit in common. He's rather quiet, but I think he's really smart and he studies hard. He seems like he would have been a good student in college. I think we'll get along really well too because he has a good sense of humor.
Alright I think that's it for now so I'll close up shop. Thanks again for all the stuff you sent for Christmas! You guys are the best and I love each one of you. I'll be writing home soon. Take care!
Love, Tab
Just really quickly I wanted to ask you a few things and then catch up from the new transfer.
Next, if you can find it, recipes for:
Ensaymada (it's gonna be a filipino recipe most likely) which is like a roll with cheese and sugar and other stuff in it. Really yum. We have the Jersey City sisters buy them for us because there is no filipino bakery in East Orange or Newark, and they are amazing.
Sour Cream Waffles recipe and then if you can find a good one, vanilla bean syrup.
And then like I asked last week the Singapore Shish Kebob recipe. You can just email the recipes and I'll write them down or mail them. Whatever works for you.
Last is if you could send me a .38mm Pilot G2 pen. It doesn't need to be a new one, it could even be out of ink. I just want the tip of it so I can reuse it. I figured out a way to turn any size pen into a .38 just using the tip so. I believe I have one in my room in my jar of old pens. It's out of ink, but remember .38mm Pilot G2! Thanks!
I wanted to thank you for sending that huge box of letters. I still haven't read all of them but I looked through and glanced at a few and saw who sent them. I read some from Brother and Sister Rasband, Brother Hunter, Brother Burr, and Brother Crowther. They were absolutely amazing - I was really touched to read what they had to say. That was by far the best gift you sent to me! The chocolates were nice but the letters made my Christmas day. Oh the Hot Chocolate mix is super good too.
I didn't finish the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, for a few reasons, but I am really close. I am in the later chapters in 3rd Nephi, so I only have about 50 pages left before I am all the way through the book. Hopefully I'll finish by the end of this week. It's awesome. I love the Book of Mormon!
Last week we had a baptism in our branch that was really awesome. It was for a man named Frank, who was an investigator that was taught by the other elders. He had been coming to church every week for almost 3 months, but he just needed extra time to get baptized. He was extremely well prepared to be baptized because he had been taught for so long. He already has a strong testimony. The baptism was great because we all made extra preparations to make it special for him. And we had a long, but spiritual testimony meeting afterward. It got a little roudy because of the way these people "feel the Spirit" and celebrate it, but I loved it. AMEN!! HALLELUJAH!!
Oh one other funny thing is in Elizabeth, an area near ours, there is a street called Praise The Lord Plz. Good stuff. And there's a chapel converted into a Subway right by it. I already told you that, but still I find it funny.
Last thing: I got a new companion, and Dad is going to be really happy when he finds out who it is. His name is Elder Cache Thompson! He was in Dad's BYU ward from last year. So when I mentioned that I lived in Heritage he told me that he knew Brother McLain and I told him that is my Dad. He has been to our house before, actually. So we had a little bit in common. He's rather quiet, but I think he's really smart and he studies hard. He seems like he would have been a good student in college. I think we'll get along really well too because he has a good sense of humor.
Alright I think that's it for now so I'll close up shop. Thanks again for all the stuff you sent for Christmas! You guys are the best and I love each one of you. I'll be writing home soon. Take care!
Love, Tab
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Christmas in Jersey
This is Tab's zone having a Christmas moment at the mission home. There's something about him turning away from the camera....hmmm. His companion, Elder Estipona is at bottom right.
Happy New Yeeeaah.....New Joysee style!
The new year will bring a new companion (his second) and roommate for Tab. Elder Estipona will be transferred and Elder Pruitt will be going home. I know this will be sad for Tab because he and Elder Estipona got along so well together. However, change is good and he is looking forward to it. Bring on the New Year!
Hi Mom!
I only have 20 minutes so I'll have to be quick.
To answer your questions:
1. We did a gift exchange on Christmas with our zone. I got one of the sister missionaries so I bought her a huge batman shirt. We had a good time. So everyone got gifts and shared and what not.
2. Yes! We have been playing nerf HORSE every single day after planning. It's a hit. Serious. It's probably the most prized gift in the whole apartment! Thank you Colby.
3. Yes, I can get to Trader Joe's after the transfer is over.
4. Yes he is the better of the two that were available. I don't remember his name though (this is in reply to me asking Tab if he liked his American Heritage teacher at BYU)
5. Today I will write Grandma Sharon. We've been really busy and I have meant to, but haven't had the time to. Tell her hello for me.
I write Clark all the time. He sent me a sad letter the other day letting me know that one of our good friends had died in an accident last week. His name is Josh Nelson and he was Clark's roommate at BYU. We all hung out a few times in the summer and I got to know him quite well. He was one of the funnier kids in our ward. I believe he had a mission call already and it was sad to hear that news but Clark took it really well.
I will be getting a new companion and roommate on Thursday. Elder Estipona is leaving. I'll tell him you said good luck! I already know who our roommate is and he's really cool so that's good. Hopefully my new companion and I get along as well and I did with Elder Estipona.
Man I'm glad Reese got a sweatshirt. I hope he likes it and wears it alot. I know Clark does! haha. I haven't heard from Reese in a while so tell him to write me back!
Yes we attend the same branch as the other elders in our apartment so we were also at the baptism. It was really awesome for everyone. The church here is quite different and I love it. It's hard for me to explain but if you could imagine a bunch of converts who grew up singing and praising all the time, now turned LDS, it would make sense to you. I have to hold from laughing sometimes.
Christmas sounded good for you all. I'm really happy to hear that dad has picked up skiing again! He needs that break from work and I'm glad he's enjoying it. I'm sure you are too. You'll have to send me a small copy of our family photos! I want to see them. Or upload them in an email.
Last thing I wanted to ask really quickly:
Can you send me a recipe for Singapore Shishkabobs?
There were a few other things but I forgot so I'll ask next week.
I love you all and I pray for you each day! You're the best.
Love,
Tab
Hi Mom!
I only have 20 minutes so I'll have to be quick.
To answer your questions:
1. We did a gift exchange on Christmas with our zone. I got one of the sister missionaries so I bought her a huge batman shirt. We had a good time. So everyone got gifts and shared and what not.
2. Yes! We have been playing nerf HORSE every single day after planning. It's a hit. Serious. It's probably the most prized gift in the whole apartment! Thank you Colby.
3. Yes, I can get to Trader Joe's after the transfer is over.
4. Yes he is the better of the two that were available. I don't remember his name though (this is in reply to me asking Tab if he liked his American Heritage teacher at BYU)
5. Today I will write Grandma Sharon. We've been really busy and I have meant to, but haven't had the time to. Tell her hello for me.
I write Clark all the time. He sent me a sad letter the other day letting me know that one of our good friends had died in an accident last week. His name is Josh Nelson and he was Clark's roommate at BYU. We all hung out a few times in the summer and I got to know him quite well. He was one of the funnier kids in our ward. I believe he had a mission call already and it was sad to hear that news but Clark took it really well.
I will be getting a new companion and roommate on Thursday. Elder Estipona is leaving. I'll tell him you said good luck! I already know who our roommate is and he's really cool so that's good. Hopefully my new companion and I get along as well and I did with Elder Estipona.
Man I'm glad Reese got a sweatshirt. I hope he likes it and wears it alot. I know Clark does! haha. I haven't heard from Reese in a while so tell him to write me back!
Yes we attend the same branch as the other elders in our apartment so we were also at the baptism. It was really awesome for everyone. The church here is quite different and I love it. It's hard for me to explain but if you could imagine a bunch of converts who grew up singing and praising all the time, now turned LDS, it would make sense to you. I have to hold from laughing sometimes.
Christmas sounded good for you all. I'm really happy to hear that dad has picked up skiing again! He needs that break from work and I'm glad he's enjoying it. I'm sure you are too. You'll have to send me a small copy of our family photos! I want to see them. Or upload them in an email.
Last thing I wanted to ask really quickly:
Can you send me a recipe for Singapore Shishkabobs?
There were a few other things but I forgot so I'll ask next week.
I love you all and I pray for you each day! You're the best.
Love,
Tab
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