Dear family and everyone else,
Hey everyone, give a shout out for for my younger sister! She's turning 18 tomorrow and graduating this week with 2 cords! You had a birthday shout hooray. We want to sing to you today. One year older, and wiser too, happy birthday, to you!!! Also, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE! It's the great week of celebrations. Let the summer begin, pop that pop-corn, dip in the pool, turn on the T.V. Because it's cool, and just "Lazy your days."-Enya.
As for me and the Modesto Mission, "We serve the Lord." First note of the week, last night, we were sitting in our apartment waiting for the Memorial Day celebrations to begin at the park, and we watched the fire works go off. It was a good 15-20 minutes of spectacular fun. I took some pictures of them too.
On Tuesday, we had a short lesson with the Tagal's and brought Brother Cortez with us since he was former Catholic, so we started with that fellowship we have been meaning to start with. We also talked to sister Munoz on Wednesday night. She's doing okay after having some kind of surgery for her stomach. She might have shrunk it to get healthy again. I don't know. Her husband is a non-member. Nice guy. He's very supportive for his wife in her church. He agreed to continue reading the Book of Mormon with us whenever he's not busy in the evenings, so we will be texting him daily to see if we can go over. He already reads some of it with his wife. He doesn't ask questions, because she can't answer them all and she can go off subject very fast.
On Thursday, we went to the Darby's with Brother Nate who lives in our complex. We didn't realize that the name he said was the same Darby's we went by just recently. We talked about Family Home Evening. They brought up the concern that they try to do it diligently weekly, but as they progress through it, the little girl that they have gets bored, which then distracts the kids and then the whole family, so the family agreed to have us over the next few Monday nights to get things through. They seem to behave more when they have guests/us over, so this might just work. We are working with the wife and son in getting them to warm up and someday be baptized and be completed as a family.
Friday through Saturday, we had an exchange with the Zone Leaders, since our district leaders are distracted by their trunkiness. I led out the area with Elder Grover. (The shortest elder in the mission, but ripped.) We found 2 new investigators. One was Gene Tuaky. He wanted the missionary pamphlets and the 13 Articles of Faith. He wanted to know the difference between different religions, so he agreed to hear us again. He was a former investigator that I picked out to go see. The other was a girl named Angie. She, also investigated about 5 months ago in December but fell off the radar. She was having a yard sale along with her neighbor, so we kept it brief by showing her the Easter Video. She liked it, and she said to come back another day.
Lastly, I gave a talk at church yesterday. Just out of the blue, Brother Bair, one of the bishop's councilors, asked me to give a talk on "Why I chose to go on a Mission." Everyone loved it so much. Here is a copy for you all to read. That's about it this week. Enjoy the talk and have a great week. By the way, this is my first talk for me to ever give on my mission. I was super excited. I whipped this out in just one hour. I felt very accomplished.
Sincerely,
Elder White.
P.S. Marcia Baker made it to President Palmer's weekly letter to the mission. It takes something to get onto President's letter. I was pretty impressed how it all went down.
Hey everyone, give a shout out for for my younger sister! She's turning 18 tomorrow and graduating this week with 2 cords! You had a birthday shout hooray. We want to sing to you today. One year older, and wiser too, happy birthday, to you!!! Also, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE! It's the great week of celebrations. Let the summer begin, pop that pop-corn, dip in the pool, turn on the T.V. Because it's cool, and just "Lazy your days."-Enya.
As for me and the Modesto Mission, "We serve the Lord." First note of the week, last night, we were sitting in our apartment waiting for the Memorial Day celebrations to begin at the park, and we watched the fire works go off. It was a good 15-20 minutes of spectacular fun. I took some pictures of them too.
On Tuesday, we had a short lesson with the Tagal's and brought Brother Cortez with us since he was former Catholic, so we started with that fellowship we have been meaning to start with. We also talked to sister Munoz on Wednesday night. She's doing okay after having some kind of surgery for her stomach. She might have shrunk it to get healthy again. I don't know. Her husband is a non-member. Nice guy. He's very supportive for his wife in her church. He agreed to continue reading the Book of Mormon with us whenever he's not busy in the evenings, so we will be texting him daily to see if we can go over. He already reads some of it with his wife. He doesn't ask questions, because she can't answer them all and she can go off subject very fast.
On Thursday, we went to the Darby's with Brother Nate who lives in our complex. We didn't realize that the name he said was the same Darby's we went by just recently. We talked about Family Home Evening. They brought up the concern that they try to do it diligently weekly, but as they progress through it, the little girl that they have gets bored, which then distracts the kids and then the whole family, so the family agreed to have us over the next few Monday nights to get things through. They seem to behave more when they have guests/us over, so this might just work. We are working with the wife and son in getting them to warm up and someday be baptized and be completed as a family.
Friday through Saturday, we had an exchange with the Zone Leaders, since our district leaders are distracted by their trunkiness. I led out the area with Elder Grover. (The shortest elder in the mission, but ripped.) We found 2 new investigators. One was Gene Tuaky. He wanted the missionary pamphlets and the 13 Articles of Faith. He wanted to know the difference between different religions, so he agreed to hear us again. He was a former investigator that I picked out to go see. The other was a girl named Angie. She, also investigated about 5 months ago in December but fell off the radar. She was having a yard sale along with her neighbor, so we kept it brief by showing her the Easter Video. She liked it, and she said to come back another day.
Lastly, I gave a talk at church yesterday. Just out of the blue, Brother Bair, one of the bishop's councilors, asked me to give a talk on "Why I chose to go on a Mission." Everyone loved it so much. Here is a copy for you all to read. That's about it this week. Enjoy the talk and have a great week. By the way, this is my first talk for me to ever give on my mission. I was super excited. I whipped this out in just one hour. I felt very accomplished.
Sincerely,
Elder White.
P.S. Marcia Baker made it to President Palmer's weekly letter to the mission. It takes something to get onto President's letter. I was pretty impressed how it all went down.
Why I chose to serve a mission
In the original Spider Man movie, Peter Parker, in a dream, talks to his deceased Uncle Ben in his car. His Uncle says: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Peter then responses, “What am I supposed to do?”
Peter, the man to be, who had great wisdom, even questioned himself on his purpose. This one point, that one choice of what Peter had to make would change his life forever! He defended New York City.
When I remember this movie scene, it makes me remember what it was like for me to grow up in the church and grow in desire to serve a mission for the Lord as his representative.
In Alma 32:27, it reads, “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”
I have exercised faith in Jesus Christ to come out on a mission. The book of Proverbs also says to, “Trust in the lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” I trust the lord knows what he is doing by allowing the weak and the simple to proclaim truth. I trust that he can teach me many things through the Holy Ghost. I wanted to better learn how to better use him in my life.
I also wanted to understand what Paul, the Apostle, and what Moroni said about the Christlike attribute of charity.
They said it was the pure love of Christ. What that meant back then, I do not know. The example that my grandma on my mom's side showed, I could only see the free stuff she gave us and wealth. I learned out here that it was more than that. She loved us as if we were her own beloved children. She saw our full potential. Though she did spoil us like what a true granny does, she loved us with a perfect heart.
I bear witness in the power of mother's. Though the tears fall, though they see fighting amongst siblings, even pain from mortal wounds, they still cared. How much more does our Heavenly Father love us that he sent his only begotten son, even Jesus Christ to perform the atonement for us all?
I speak as if my own mother was here. Thank you for loving me enough, to send me here.
Continuing on what I mentioned first about great power, I also speak and bear testimony on the authority of the restored priesthood. Priesthood authority calls for certain requirements if the holder is to have and use it. Jesus taught in Luke 24 and 3 Nephi, “And that repentance and remission should be preached in his name among all nations...ye are witnesses of these things.”
This verse comes to show that missionary work is expected by Jesus Christ, and ultimately his father, if we as a family of God want to all live with him again.
I pray that all people may come and see, what the restored gospel of repentance really brings and that all people may feel Father's boundless love. The greatest Joy I feel out here in the California Modesto Mission, is when someone commits to follow Jesus Christ, take his name upon them, be baptized to seal the deal, and endure to the end. I thank you all for the privilege in allowing me to serve in the North-land Ward.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
In the original Spider Man movie, Peter Parker, in a dream, talks to his deceased Uncle Ben in his car. His Uncle says: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Peter then responses, “What am I supposed to do?”
Peter, the man to be, who had great wisdom, even questioned himself on his purpose. This one point, that one choice of what Peter had to make would change his life forever! He defended New York City.
When I remember this movie scene, it makes me remember what it was like for me to grow up in the church and grow in desire to serve a mission for the Lord as his representative.
In Alma 32:27, it reads, “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”
I have exercised faith in Jesus Christ to come out on a mission. The book of Proverbs also says to, “Trust in the lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” I trust the lord knows what he is doing by allowing the weak and the simple to proclaim truth. I trust that he can teach me many things through the Holy Ghost. I wanted to better learn how to better use him in my life.
I also wanted to understand what Paul, the Apostle, and what Moroni said about the Christlike attribute of charity.
They said it was the pure love of Christ. What that meant back then, I do not know. The example that my grandma on my mom's side showed, I could only see the free stuff she gave us and wealth. I learned out here that it was more than that. She loved us as if we were her own beloved children. She saw our full potential. Though she did spoil us like what a true granny does, she loved us with a perfect heart.
I bear witness in the power of mother's. Though the tears fall, though they see fighting amongst siblings, even pain from mortal wounds, they still cared. How much more does our Heavenly Father love us that he sent his only begotten son, even Jesus Christ to perform the atonement for us all?
I speak as if my own mother was here. Thank you for loving me enough, to send me here.
Continuing on what I mentioned first about great power, I also speak and bear testimony on the authority of the restored priesthood. Priesthood authority calls for certain requirements if the holder is to have and use it. Jesus taught in Luke 24 and 3 Nephi, “And that repentance and remission should be preached in his name among all nations...ye are witnesses of these things.”
This verse comes to show that missionary work is expected by Jesus Christ, and ultimately his father, if we as a family of God want to all live with him again.
I pray that all people may come and see, what the restored gospel of repentance really brings and that all people may feel Father's boundless love. The greatest Joy I feel out here in the California Modesto Mission, is when someone commits to follow Jesus Christ, take his name upon them, be baptized to seal the deal, and endure to the end. I thank you all for the privilege in allowing me to serve in the North-land Ward.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Grover and Tyler on an exchange