Week 23: The Village is awesome!

The Village is so awesome! The area is a lot different than Moore and I am actually thankful for that. I am in the heart of Oklahoma City some days and it is the most fun things. There are neighborhoods that have homes built in the 1930s and 1940s and a lot of them have been restored and redone and they look so awesome! My days of watching HGTV have helped me notice some things around the area. 

Soccer on P-day

We have a lot of investigators and there are so many people who are down to talk. We had some interesting experiences this week. There is an investigator named Trudi and we have tried to get ahold of her every day this week and last week. We were in the middle of our companionship study and we get a text from a member of the ward telling us that Trudi is ringing the Salvation Army bell at Walmart. Right when we saw that we both hopped in the car and drove up there as fast as we could and saw her! Turns out her phone was broken and she is now living in Chickasha with her son. We finally got a hold of her and she is doing way good. 

So we met with another guy named Todd Walker this week and he has been investigating the church for about 18 years now off and on and this past week we actually tried to set a baptism date and he was so close to doing it but had one little hang up and then backed out but he has been coming to the ward every week for all those years. He has been helping the older single sisters with service and comes to all the ward activities. He is seriously a member without being baptized. He is so close. He is the nicest guy ever too. 

Todd Walker with Elder McMinn

The coolest thing that we did this week was that we set up a free hot chocolate stand at the Walmart and handed out hot chocolate and Mormon.org pass along cards. We were out there for maybe 3 hours and we handed out hot chocolate non-stop! We had to run into Walmart 2 times just to buy more cups. There was a lady who worked for the local news station and she took a picture of us and a picture of her and posted it on twitter and it made it up on Mormon.org so that is so awesome!! This week has been stellar!

It is starting to feel just like normal life when I wake up in the mornings too so it doesn't bother me anymore. I honestly love it now. I was super hesitant about the whole missionary life but now it just keeps getting better.

Elders Christmas Card

Christmas time is so awesome. There is a lot less commercialism that we see and there is a lot less that we have to deal with when we are cut off from the world. I like it a lot. This Christmas is going to be very different but a really good day. I read Jesus the Christ chapters 7 and 8 and those have some of the greatest things that I have ever read on the birth of the Savior. 

As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not just for one fleeting day each year but as a companion always.

Thomas S. Monson

Elder McMinn

Week 22: Welcome to The Village

Elder McMinn has a new address:

1301 W. Hefner Rd. Apt # 3502
Oklahoma City, OK 73114

This week was transfer week. I had to say goodbye to a lot of the people in Moore those last few days but the Village is way cool. The top of my area is in Edmund and the bottom is in South OKC. You get a little bit of everything. Edmund is the richest and the South is not. We have an area called Nichols Hills and that area has some of the largest homes that I have ever seen. There are so many more people here outside for us to talk to then there were in Moore. 

Joe 

JT

My new companion is way cool too. His name is Elder Wright and he is from Nephi Utah. We have both been on our missions the exact same time so that is fun to be both learning the new things. I have a feeling this transfer is going to be awesome so I am way excited! I am really excited to be in the Village. It is way cool and I like it here so far. There is a lot of investigators but also a lot of people that we can just talk to outside because there are more people outside here than there was in Moore and I love that. I saw Elder Riley at transfers the other day so that was way cool. I am pumped for my new area because the people here are so cool. My new zone leader, Elder Berrett, was actually the first missionary that I spent the night with when I got here in OKC. 

The Village apartment

Elder McMinn and Elder Wright New Companions (both in the back)

He who gives money gives much. He who gives time gives more but he who gives of himself gives all.

- President Thomas S. Monson

 Have a good week.

Elder McMinn

Week 21: Last Week in Moore

Oh, you know...just out here chasing storms in Oklahoma!

My week has been a good one. It almost just felt like we were going through the routine but it was still a good week. We have been looking for part member families and have had good success with being invited in and teaching them. 

We were able to set a baptism date for Joe Ferrera. December 16th. Sadly I am getting transferred out before then. He has been looking into the church for 6 months now. I am super excited for him. I never thought that I would love and care for someone who was a total drug addict but when you look at them for what truly matters it doesn't matter what they did before only who they have the potential to become with the help of our loving Heavenly Father.

I am going to the Village. I have no clue where that is but it should be good I hope. I really didn't want to leave but thats how it goes. JT Alvarado and I both were almost in tears when I went and saw him last night. He is the recent convert that I myself baptized back in September.

The Alvardos with Elder McMinn

Today for P-day we are going to see the Native American man who helped us finish the flutes last time and the other elders in the area are going to make some before they leave. Should be good to see all the other missionaries before we all leave.

I have loved Moore so much and the people here are seriously the greatest people ever. I am going to miss it. 

Love,
Elder McMinn

Heavenly Father loves all His children. No matter where they are on or off the path. He wants them back home.

- Linda K. Burton

Week 20: Happy Thanksgiving

It was a really good Thanksgiving out here! We started the week off with our P-day activity. We made Indian flutes with a Native American man. It was so much fun!

Making a Native American flute

The next few days we have been working with part member families and trying to see if the spouse or family is interested in taking the discussions. It has actually been really successful. We picked up two new investigators from it. One of the investigators is the boyfriend of my first baptism here on the mission. His name is Kaleb. It was so much fun teaching him because his answer to almost everything was, "Wow, this all makes so much sense." It is so awesome! The next one is named Jayme and she is the fiance of a recent convert who is looking to have Jesus Christ in their relationship and he said that there is no other church that he will attend because he has been involved with the spirit too strong and he WILL NOT go anywhere else. Go Clifton!!

Thanksgiving with Elder Munns

Our Thanksgiving was super awesome! We started the day off with having pancakes at a members house and then going to play some football with the ward. It is was cool because there is a member here who grew up in Pocatello so it is way fun to talk to him. At noon we went to the Drury's home to help them cook Thanksgiving dinner. This family feeds us every Thursday and they pride themselves on their cooking so the food was incredible even though I helped make some of it.

Dinner with the Drury family

The work out here is awesome and plus the weather is so nice! It is actually 70 degrees outside right now so I still get to wear short sleeves most of the time!

One of our investigator's name is Rady. She is from Bolivia and she has been coming to church and taking missionary lessons for the past year and a half! The only thing holding her back is her husband who is Lutheran. She is the sweetest lady ever. We also have been doing work with two part member families. We picked up 2 more investigators from them. Jasmine, my first baptism of my mission has now introduced her boyfriend to the church and we taught the first lesson to him and he loved it. The common answer for him was, "This just makes sense to me." You can't imagine how pumped I was for that! We have been working with a guy named Joe and he loves the church and he wants to become a member so bad but he is getting held up by drugs. I never thought that I would care about someone so much who was hooked on drugs. The amount of love that I actually have in me surprised me. It is so awesome. I love it out here in Oklahoma.

The only thing that I can think of for a Christmas present is a guitar. I really don't know why but I have been wanting to learn how to play one really really bad. I was thinking maybe I should just wait until after the mission too. There really isn't anything that I need out here. I have been taken care of pretty well. (It is amazing to me to see the change in our missionary in just 4 short months!)

 Elder McMinn

Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love.

-President Thomas S. Monson

Week 19: More People in Moore

This week has been a pretty good week. We did A LOT of finding during the week and now have 7 potential investigators we are meeting this week and 2 part member families that want us to come back after the holidays are over. 

This week is bike week so we were not able to use the car at all. So every day we had no option but to bike and I loved it! It feels so much better to be biking an finding that to be in a car driving to areas. My companion doesn't agree sadly but I am pretty sure he is going to have to hop on my bandwagon of the bikes haha. Our area now is really organized and we have split areas up into small 2x3 mile areas so it is a lot easier to work in one area and we also have all the names of active members, part members, and less actives divided up into those small areas as well so we are working a lot smarter than harder now. Moore really is a blessed area with a lot of people and it seems like the weeks that we struggle finding people are when I am focused on myself and not on finding because there really is a lot of people here.

This week on Thanksgiving we have another all day P-day but on this one I can't email. The ward is having a turkey bowl at 8:00am at one of the high school stadiums (which looks and feels as big as a college stadium). We then are going to see part member families and less active members to deliver cookies and thank you cards. Its been a great week and is going to be another great week.

Elder McMinn

I apologize for no pictures, I totally forgot.

Week 18: Times are slow

It has been a pretty good week. We have been trying to do a lot of finding but not very many people are interested at all but that is how it work. We have been trying to work a lot with less active members and that has been pretty good. We have had a little success with them recognizing why the church is so important and we are helping them bring back the memories and thoughts of the truth that is here! It is tough sometimes but it is worth it all in the end. Today for P day we are going to see an investigator who is Native American and he is teaching us how to make Indian flutes and then helping us find our spirit animals! Have a great week. I apologize for lack of pictures but someone stole the SD card for my camera. 

Have a great week.

Elder McMinn

Week 17: Elder McMinn's Birthday

 Happy Birthday Elder McMinn

JT and his wife made a cake to celebrate!

This week has been really good. I have come home exhausted every day and I like it that way. We are slowly figuring things out as a companionship but it's going to take time.

My comp and I are organizing our new area. We have been doing a lot of finding as well. We actually found a super solid guy named Marcos. We found him while he was playing on the putting green in Dick's Sporting Goods Store. There has been a lot of walking and knocking and not much finding that way. 

We have been working a lot with less active members. We have had a lot of success with that which means we need to balance it out with more finding. 

Our P days have been so awesome! Last P day we went to a church building, had a nerf gun war for 3 hours, ate Chinese food, and did finger painting! This week a member took us out mountain biking to Lake Thunderbird! We put in about 20 miles. It was such beautiful riding with the fall colors and a thick layer of fog over the lake. That is why I am emailing so late, because we barely just got back! Such a great week. Oklahoma is so beautiful. 

Thunderbird Lake

Love, Elder McMinn

Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can imagine.

- Elder Henry B. Eyring

We become what we want to be become by consistently being what we want to become each day.

-Richard G. Scott

Week 16: Happy Halloween

Transfers

This week has been an interesting one. We went and saw all of our recent converts and said goodbye to them since Elder Bowman is leaving. In the process we found a recent convert's boyfriend who is interested in the church. So with transfers this week I am staying in my original area and Elder Munns is coming here. The first night we were together we ran into a less active who hasn't been to church in 2 years and was baptized 4 years ago. He wants to come back to church but didn't feel ready. We told him no matter what he is ready and he will be accepted. At the end of the conversation he told us about how his fiance and him want to find a common church and the only church that he will attend is the church he was baptized into, which is our church, so he wants his fiance to take the lessons from us! The next few days were regular missionary days with walking and knocking. We actually found another less active who has not been to church in 4 years and now wants to come back. She has the strongest testimony and loves the church she just needed some motivation to come back! Bringing a less active member back is almost as exciting as a baptism!

This week we had district council and while I was out walking and talking on Wednesday we tracted into a man who was growing ghost peppers and tons of other really hot peppers. He gave me a ghost pepper and a whole Winco bag filled with peppers. I took them back to District council on Thursday and one of the Elders ate the ghost pepper. It was one of the funniest things! You could tell Elder Hales was in pain but it was still really funny. In all it was a great week.

Today is an all day p day and we are coming together as districts and having a Nerf gun war!! I am going to get pictures from that. It is going to be really fun. After the Nerf war, we are going to have a movie night and we are watching the movie The Best Two Years. 

My new companion is Elder Munns. We were in the MTC together. I am the senior companion since I am staying in my area. It is really tough to take over an area when you are only 2 transfers out and barely have an idea about what you are doing but work is actually still getting done so that is good! I don't know what i am doing half the time but "faith it until you make it" right? I have been trying to go by the Spirit as much as I can but man that is tough.

Love,

Elder McMinn

"The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself! You have been reserved and preserved for this time and place... The lord needs you to change the world. As you accept and follow His will for you, you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible!"

- Russell M. Nelson

Week 15: Staying in Moore!

Mountain Biking on P-day

My week has been really stellar!! It started of with the mountain biking with Tim who is in my ward and used to race mountain bikes. I loved it! So I got transfer doctrine this morning on the trail and I found out that I am staying in Moore!!!! My companion is going to be an elder who was in my MTC district.

Kyle is loving the trails.

On Tuesday we had Greenie Graduation. That is where we role play the first three lessons we teach and then combine the word of wisdom, law of chastity, and polygamy(which is talked about more than I thought would be). 

We have had a lot of opportunities to go finding and it has been a lot of fun because you run into some of the coolest people around and everyone is down to talk but it is hard to get people interested because they already have their faith. The rest of the week we have been just running around trying to keep our heads straight. Friday we had one of the most incredible lessons we have ever taught with our investigator named Rady. We taught her about the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost that you receive after you are baptized and that is something that she really desires in her life but her husband keeps holding her back and doesn't want her to join. I am trying to work with him because he loves fishing so I am trying to get a member to come fishing on a Monday hopefully to get a friend in the church. 

We had a little tornado scare on Saturday. So all we have to listen to is a little weather radio that is in our bedroom and we happen to be home at that time and our alarm goes off.... Turns out there was a tornado warning right in our area. Not 30 seconds later we get a text from our ward mission leader saying, "I'm coming to get you." Turns out there was a potential for a tornado to less than a mile from where we live. By the time we got to our ward mission leaders home, the tornado swell moved direction away from us. That was a super fun experience!! It has been such a great week. 

Elder McMinn

Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out.

- President Gordon B. Hinckley

Week 14: Temple Days

This week has been such a great week. We were able to go to the temple two times. The first one was just for us because we had our interviews with president there on Monday. Then we did a session. The second time we went with a recent convert who has not been to the temple yet so we went and took her to do baptisms. It was awesome to see the happiness that she had after being in the temple and then we talked about how happy the people in the spirit world must be now that some of their work has been completed. 

Oklahoma City Temple closed on Saturday for  a year and half so Kyle was lucky enough to go twice last week.

We went to breakfast with a non-member whose son is a member. Jim took us to breakfast at a hole in the wall restaurant that was next to a private airfield. You could see all the private jets lined up by our table. 

Breakfast with Jim.

It was a busy week and we did a lot of walking and knocking again but this time we found a new investigator. She is the girlfriend of a less active member who has come back to church recently. It all started with us inviting him to come play basketball with us on Saturday morning. The miracles of church ball!

It is getting soooooo cold here! It got down into the mid 50s when I woke up... hahaha

Love,

Elder McMinn

Mountain Biking on P-day

(I am sure that Kyle is in heaven!)

"Every time you turn your hearts to God in humble prayer, on your knees, at home, in church, in private places, you experience His light. Every time you see His word and will in the scriptures, in the Book of Mormon, in everything the Lord has given us, the light grows in brightness. Every time you notice someone in need and sacrifice your own comfort to reach out in love, the light expands and swells. Every time you reject temptation and choose purity, every time you seek or extend forgiveness, every time you courageously testify of truth--through deed and through words--the light chases away darkness and attracts others who are also seeking light and truth." - President Dieter Uchtdorf

Week 13: Elder Bednar came to visit!

OK! This week has been so incredible! We had a special visitor and it was Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the 12!! He gave a 3 hour devotional to us that was so stellar!!! I had never experienced anything like that before! He had so many good things to say and I was moved so much by the Spirit. There are so many things that I would like to work on this week but it is going to take time to get it all done.

Oklahoma City Mission with Elder Bednar

This week we had 2 flash flood warnings. One was a little rain storm but the second, we got 4 inches of rain in 2 hours! We got soaked and it was super fun because we were out knocking doors. We thought about going back to the apartment but we ended up just staying out for another hour just knocking because we were already soaked and it made it a lot more fun! 

Just a little down pour!!

We aren't teaching very many people but the ones we are teaching are doing really well and it is so fun to talk to them and help them recognize the light that they can have in their lives. This week we had one of our recent converts come to a lesson with us and JT pretty much taught the whole restoration lesson on his own while he bore testimony through out the whole lesson. He is extremely solid and loves the church so much. We are working with a less active Misty and she has a dog that is a malamute and that dog is giant!!! I love it so much. The dogs name is Pebbles too, it doesn't match but it is the best dog who almost knocked me on my back when it jumped on me. 

I have noticed that I have been looking at the concerns of other people more this week than I have been looking at myself. So I ended up getting hit by a car yesterday and it was actually kind of funny because I wasn't hit hard at all but I got thrown a little bit. My first question I asked her was if she was alright and if the car was fine!!!! hahahahaha. No damage to me at all, it was a tender mercy that I was protected like I was. I tried
teaching her a lesson but she was in tears so it wasn't going well so I got her name and phone number. Good times. I hit a good milestone yesterday today. Hahaha

Elder McMinn

"Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things."

-John C. Pingree

Week 12: General Conference

This week has been a lot of finding as well. A lot of walking and knocking again but our work this week has paid off because we now have 2 investigators from tracting. A miracle that I have seen is the heart of one of the mom's of our recent convert Jasmine has been softened so much that she wants to learn more and she says she wants to join our church!! How great is that? Before Jasmine was baptized she was opposed to joining but once she saw the incredible change that her daughter has had it made her want to know more! 

Fiesta Time!

General Conference was incredible! Every question that I had coming into it was answered when I left. I have never paid as close of attention to conference as I did this time. I had 18 pages of notes that I took now I need to condense them down to maybe like 8 to 10 hahaha. It makes me wish that I had paid more attention to it in the past because it is so beneficial! One thing that I learned that opened my eyes about it was, "The Lord feels General Conference to be so important that we pass on the ordinance of the sacrament for a week!" I never thought of that but it really shows how crucial it is. Elder Anderson's talk at the end had the most powerful spirit that I had felt and I was totally locked in, especially when he quoted Elder Hales. My eyes welled up with tears. I love it! I also had to keep the tradition alive with going to get sushi after priesthood conference so I am good!!!

Keeping the sushi tradition alive!

The weather out here is so comfortable. It is around 70 and 80 most days! I found out my shoes are completely waterproof. Not in the way that I wanted to but it works. We were out  biking and were a lot of miles from our home and a flash flood happened. It was so high I loved riding in it haha. It is so great here!

Haircut!

I did end up getting a haircut! it is shorter than I have ever had it and at first I was regretting the decision but now it is slowly growing on me.

  

Elder McMinn

When we choose to have faith, we are prepared to stand in the presence of God. After the Savior's crucifixion, he appeared only to those who had been faithful in the testimony of Him while they lived in mortality, those who rejected the testimonies of the prophets could not behold the Savior's presence nor look upon His face. Our faith prepares us to be in the presence of God."

 - Robert D. Hales

Week 11: Have I Done Any Good?

 Knocking the streets of Moore

This week has been an interesting change. Not much to report on either. We have been doing a lot of door knocking and have not had the largest amount of success. My companion and I  just need to keep walking and knocking and we will eventually be able to find someone that is ready. 

Brother Elliott

A miracle I saw this week was, my companion and I were on our way to the car to drive to district council when someone came up to us and asked for a priesthood blessing. We did not know that he was a less active member until we came to church this Sunday and we say him there. It was great to see the blessing really helped turn things around and he now wants to keep coming back. 

Have a great week. 

Still out working with a sprained ankle too! hahaha

Elder McMinn

Note from Mom: So a cute couple from Shelley, Idaho who both served in the Oklahoma City Mission a few years ago recently made a trip back. They both served in Moore so that is where they wanted to visit. They ran into Kyle and his companion and even got to go on splits with him. They stopped by the house on Sunday because Kyle had sent gifts back for us. Yes, I cried knowing that they had just seen my missionary the day before but it was so good to see them and hear that he is doing well. They told us that we should be super proud of him because he is an incredible missionary. I haven't got to talk to him for 3 months but knowing that they had just seen him made me feel a little better. Thanks to the Parks for serving in Oklahoma and being great examples to our missionary. Kyle said that they were some of the best people that he has ever met!

Elder McMinn and Bowman

You may sometimes be tempted to say, "Will my influence make any difference? I am just one. Will my service affect the work that dramatically?" I testify to you that it will. You will never be able to measure your influence for good. 

-President Thomas S. Monson

Week 10: Missionary work is not easy!

This week has been a completely new change from the last transfer because of the major boundaries change that my ward had. I now don't do anything on the south side of OKC. I cover all of Moore. We had 12 investigators and less actives we were working with and then with the boundary change we have 1. These next few weeks are going to be filled with A LOT of door knocking and so many different finding activities. One thing that I learned this week is that this is not going to be easy. I knew that but I heard a quote that said "Why would this be easy for us if it was not easy for Him." by President Henry B. Eyring. Every time something gets hard and I feel I can't handle it I think of that quote and know that I can give more and work even harder. I love it out here as a missionary!

Top Golf - Longest Drive

Last week on P-Day we went to Top Golf. I'm not sure if you have heard of it but it is the coolest driving range that I have ever been to. I lost in the points category but I destroyed all the other elders in the longest drive contest and they were using drivers and I used a 5 iron. We have some of the funnest P-Day activities. This week we were going to go to the Oklahoma State Fair but it started raining so hard so sadly we are going to have to pass on that this time!

So one of our recent converts had his birthday last week on the 14th and I decided to buy him a present. His name is JT. Some of the things that he loves the most are riding motorcycles like big Harley's and then he also loves taco truck tacos. One of his favorite things to do when he rides his motorcycle is to wear the dorkiest cat shirts he can find. I hit up Walmart and found the best one I could find! This week has been so good!  I am excited for this next week!

Love,
Elder McMinn

 "If you feel a little overwhelmed, take that as a good sign. It indicates that you can sense the magnitude of the trust God has placed in you. It means that you have some small understanding of what the priesthood really is." 

- President Henry B. Eyring

Week 9: More time in Moore

If you forgot the wine...go home! (I don't think that he will be staying long!)

This week was another great week! We worked with so many great people on the south side Oklahoma City. That area includes some of the roughest parts in all of OKC so it is kind of fun to go out there and meet with a bunch of people that are super rough but when you talk to them about their love for Jesus Christ their whole personality changes to a loving and caring one. It really is great to be able to see the love in everyone out here.

So since my companion and I did such great work on the south side, the stake decided to shake up the boundaries. I now work only in Moore. No more humble south side folks but I am absolutely sure that I will be able to find people who are just as loving and have just as strong of faith as those that I previously taught.

This week I was able to have another baptism and this time, instead of being the one who did the confirmation I was the one who did the baptizing! That is the first time that I have ever done that so it was both a first for our recent convert and for me!

JT's Baptism Day

This week is going to be another change in adventures but it is definitely going to be a fun one. This week was transfer week and I found out that both my companion and I are staying in the Moore Ward! We are now going to have to work a lot on reorganization and making it efficient to work the area but it is all big farm land and homes with lots of land. I love it out here in Moore and I am so glad that I am staying!

The football out here is incredible! The whole town turns into a ghost town during football games because no one wants to miss the game at all! I want to find some place that I can buy a University of Oklahoma tie because then I can get people on my good side faster. The people are still just as incredible as ever and the members are so great!

University of Oklahoma

Love, 

Elder McMinn

The most effective missionaries always act out of love.

- Dallin H. Oaks