Week 76: Merry Christmas!

We celebrate at Christmas -- not only that Christ was born but that He lived.

-Craig Christensen

Zone Conference

Lawton Teepee

Merry Christmas!

Best Christmas Present! We loved our Skype with Elder McMinn!

He looks and sounds so good! He loves Lawton and the people take great care of him there. We love Oklahoma!

 Christmas Eve Fun - this family spoiled the missionaries. They had a great time eating, visiting, opening gifts, and playing games.

 

 Thanks for taking care of our missionaries!

Merry Christmas!

Elder McMinn

Week 75: I Made it to Texas!

This was a really fun week. We went out to Norman for a multi-zone all day P-day. We went HayDay and bowled for a long time. We went interviews in Norman the next day and had interviews. Interviews are always a lot of fun. I love to talk to the mission president. This week we had transfer calls. Elder Hymer and I are staying in Lawton and Elder Turner is going home. 

We had a lot of work done in the Lawton 1st ward. It was really fun to see all that is happening in both wards. We are now only taking over Lawton 2nd ward which is going to be nice only working with one ward. It should be fun. We have a few people that are interested like Douglas, Johnathan, and the Schroeder family. It is looking good out here. I love it.

Elder McMinn

“When you do your part, the Lord adds power to your efforts.”

-Henry B. Eyring

“We cannot control all that happens to us, but we have absolute control over how we react to the changes in our lives.”

-W. Christoffer Waddell

Week 74: Snow Day

"Heavenly Father knows all about you, your strengths and your weaknesses. He knows you perfectly who you are but... He also knows who you can become and with that knowledge, he has placed you here, now -- at the exact place and time in which you can do the most good with the talents and gifts that He has given you."

-Elder Craig C. Christensen

This week we were juggling the two wards and it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of lessons and one that actually set a baptism date for January 12. Her name is Bianca. She is a drill sergeant in the army. That threw me off because before we met her I had the stereotype of a drill sergeant running through my head and so I was mentally preparing myself. We walked in and she is the nicest lady that you will ever meet. She and her cousin are shooting for a baptism date that day. We go on to Fort Sill and teach them at their home there. It is cool to be on base and teach there. 

Friday we had a snow day. It only came down an inch but there was freezing rain right after it too so the roads were terrible and everything was slippery. It felt like the town shut down with an inch of snow. It was coming down for a total of 10 hours straight... I kept track.

We visited a few other investigators and they were awesome. It was a good week for the people that we were seeing. 

I didn't take very many pictures this week so there is a few random and a sneak peak at what is going to be on our Christmas card this year....

"In happy moments, praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, trust God. In every moment, thank God."

This week I was reading the stories of Ammon and his brothers. One of the best verses that came up was the one talking about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis and how they would not fight against their brethren. The Lamanites that slayed them had their hearts softened after that slayed 1,005 of them. Then the number converted after that time was greater than the number slain. It showed that our example of living the gospel can be one of the greatest tools of conversion. Also, those who became converted never fell away. Obviously, that is what everyone is striving for but now that is one of my major goals. It goes along really well with what you were talking earlier about turning my will over to God. 

"God gives us difficulties to bring out the best in us."

-Marvin J. Ashton

Elder McMinn

Week 73: Trio Missionaries

This was a really good week. We had an opportunity to teach quite a few lessons and had a few return appointments too. The people that we are focusing on are Douglas, Julius Lee, Joseph and Sarah, James and Tiffany. We are currently working both the Lawton first and second wards with one of the Elders that was in that area. We have almost the whole town to cover which is pretty fun actually. We had a few really good lessons in their ward as well and some fun referrals.

We are now in a trio until Elder Turner goes home in two weeks. It is fun being in a trio but the dynamic is really interesting as well because going to a door with 3 is kind of intimidating in my opinion. The lessons we have been teaching are going really well. We have been teaching A LOT. We have 3 lessons just tomorrow so I am pumped about that. It is cool to have so many lessons scheduled.

It was a cool week. We had a tornado watch in our area but I have not heard of anything that was even close to us. It was interesting because before dinner the sky was so green and it looked so funny but was really cool. After dinner, it was just a crazy cool lightning storm. We went and saw a really cool part member family after that too. 

Elder McMinn

"You are not alone on this journey. Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, He hears you."

-Elder Uchtdorf