Week 57: Clinton to Cushing

I am getting transferred to Cushing, OK. I have been there before on exchanges actually and I am so pumped to go there! It is going to be really fun! My new companions name is Elder Tirrell.

This week was really good. We got 4 new investigators. Their names are Bobby, Anne, Jason, and Sabrina. Two of them are recovering from substance abuse and the others are the parents. They are so awesome and sincere! We shared the restoration with them and it was like nothing else was possible at distracting them. It was really fun because they were so involved.

We had one of the recent converts that hadn't been at church in 6 weeks show up this week! It was Milton! It was so great!

This week we had our ward party too. It was a back to school bash where we had slip n slide kickball, corn hole (which is one of my hidden skills now), and a giant bounce house! After a few hours of the party, a flash flood came in and hit hard. We all ran under canopies and also inside the church. The wind picked up and started to blow away the bounce house so 7 of us made a mad dash towards it a tried to stop it before it hit the cars in the parking lot or blew away. It was so funny.

My favorite part of being a missionary is being able to see the change in people once they have accepted the gospel and are now working towards changing their lives. My advice is don't be worried that you don't know enough to be a missionary because no matter what you do and what you study you will never know all that will fully prepare you to do missionary work. It is a skill that is acquired through immersion in the work. My favorite scripture right now I am not sure because I really like the whole Book of Mormon. I am on my fourth time through it on my mission. I will have to get back to you on that one!

Loving Oklahoma!

 

Elder McMinn

“Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life.” 

3 Nephi 5:13

Week 56: Mondays in Weatherford

So on Mondays out here in Weatherford, we go over to a members house who we play board games with his kids and then have dinner over there. After we left their house we drove past a home here who had a Toyota Supra and a Nissan GT-R in the driveway so we went and knocked on his door. He was really cool but not too interested in hearing our message.

Tuesday we went to the city for interviews with our mission president. We focused a lot on the training of teaching to the needs of people and not making sure that we go through the lessons with them.

We spent the rest of the week going and visiting the people that we have been working with the past few weeks. Nothing too far that has been crazy but we have had some really good lessons. We were having a really good lesson with Mindy this week and we were halfway through the plan of salvation lesson and it was probably one of the best ones I have been in. Her husband calls from prison in the middle of the lesson and she has to leave to go see him asap. She was able to make it to church on Sunday and we are going over tomorrow to see her as well!

I actually kinda miss mowing lawns because it is really easy work and it is fun and relaxing. We had a service project for members of our ward who have both been really sick and we mowed their lawn for them and did a bunch of other yard work and it was fun. 

My week was good. We are still teaching all of the same people that we were before. We actually had something cool happen. We went to knock on the door of a referral from a member in our ward but it turns out that we had the absolutely wrong address. It all worked out though because the person that lives there is actually a member who hasn't come to church in a long time and wasn't on our records. After we left from visiting his place we saw these kids outside playing basketball so we went and played ball with them. Turns out that 2 of the kids that we were playing ball with were actually former investigators. Sadly, Spanish formers but President Mansell said that he is going to do something about the Spanish work in our area.

It's been another good week.
Elder McMinn

Week 55: Bike Week in the Country

Bike week out here is different. Since there is such a massive area that we cover, we throw the bikes on the back of the car and then go to the small towns and bike from there! I learned this past Sunday that our area is 8400 sq miles and that we are the 4th largest ward in North America!

This week we had quite a few lessons. We had one at a park with a recent convert and then played basketball with the kid. His little brother came up to us and told us that he wants to get baptized as well. The mom said that he just needs to take the lessons and then he can if he still wants to! The little kid's name is Isaiah! We are teaching about 5 people. Mindy and Memphis, Isaiah Dustman, Juan Galendo, and Sherrie. They are all progressing so it is fun to visit with them. 

I gave a talk this past Sunday on the scripture in Galatians 5:25. I talked primarily on the living in the spirit portion of the scripture! It went really well and was a lot of fun to give!

It's been a good week.

Elder McMinn

"If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart, so it has been with the best people who have ever lived."

- Jeffrey R Holland

Week 54: Still in Clinton

This was kind of a normal week. We have been working a lot with the less active members and the recent converts to bring them back into activity and to help them recognize the blessings that they are missing out on. 

We went to go see a former investigator who was referred to us last year by her mom who was baptized then. We went to go see her and found out that her mom passed away in February. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and share a tiny bit about the plan of happiness with her. We set up a new appointment with her this Friday. 

We had Ward Conference this week so we had all of the stake members come and speak. It was really cool because there is a large Spanish population that attends the ward. It was great to have them participate in the lesson with us and have a translator speak. It was incredible to feel the spirit of the Spanish members even though I had no clue what they were saying at all!

“If we look at ourselves through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as we truly are and who we can become.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

This week is bike week. I am either going to burn up or melt. Maybe both.

Elder McMinn

“When the focus of our lives in on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening — or not happening — in our lives.”

Russell M. Nelson

Week 53: 1 Year in Oklahoma

This has been the fastest, hardest, most fun year of my life! I love what I am doing so much and it has changed me into the person that I am really meant to become! There are more skills that I have learned in the past year then I did in my 4 years of high school. 

This week we started off our P day with going to OKC and playing pool for a couple hours at a place called Slick Willies. It was really funny! We spent the night in OKC because on Tuesday we had a missionary leadership council that we were going to. 

Wednesday went up to Elk City and had a baptismal interview with Brooke who was baptized this past Saturday. While one Zone Leader and Elder Wildman went to the interview the other Zone Leader and I went to try to find other people in Elk City. We found one good potential that had actually just gotten off the phone with sister missionaries that are from the referral center. Thursday we had our District Council and I hit 1 year on that day so we had cake and the sisters in my district made me an awesome sign. Saturday we had the baptism and it was really awesome. There were so many members that attended that hadn't been to church in a long time. We actually got a potential investigator out of the baptism so this week we are going to stop by and see when we can start teaching.

It has been a great week.

Elder McMinn

“It’s hard to grow your faith inside of your comfort zone!”

“God is preparing people to receive your testimony of restored faith. He requires your faith then your action to share fearlessly what has become so precious to you and those you love.” 

- Henry B. Eyring

Week 52: Clinton Oklahoma

Elder McMinn has moved:

Elder McMinn

1609 EZ GO St. Apt. 2

Weatherford, OK 73096

We have been slammed with lessons lately so we haven't been doing any finding at all because we don't have time. I seem to be taking the lead in the lessons and directing the conversation so that has helped me from going from finding mode in Guthrie to teaching mode here. I really enjoy it more but it doesn't seem as exciting.

The area really covers all of western Oklahoma and it is really a massive area. I am in the car so much which is not fun but it is really good because we have a lot of people that we are going to teach so it is a fun change. There are a ton of small towns out here.

Yesterday we were doing daily planning after church and we got a text from an investigator telling us that if she doesn't get the lawn mowed by this evening that her landlord is going to charge her $50 so we decided to grab a member and take a lawn mower out and mow her lawn for her. The member we took was a convert and he ended up teaching her the plan of salvation while we were taking care of the lawn and when we came back he was finishing it up and she was all over that!

The new area is so crazy. It is very very rural and it is so spread out that it is really hard to ride bikes around so we are in the car most of the day when we are traveling around. Our teaching pool went from 1 solid to 12 solid people and one already has a baptism date and one all we have to do is figure out a date with him. The work is good.

Irene 

Irene's family

Elder McMinn

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

Richard G. Scott

Week 51: I am moving...

 

This week was so much fun. I got my transfer information last night and I am getting moved to Clinton Oklahoma and my new companion's name is Elder Wildman.

This past week was really fun. We spent most of the days in Guthrie again but it was good. We have found a few new potential investigators and they sound really sincere so that makes me happy.

This last Monday was an all-day P day and we spent it at Mitch Park. We played a lot of games and I spent a lot of time on a slackline trying to figure it out. I got it down for the most part. We ended up having a Mexican restaurant come and cater our dinner. The food was awesome. Then we had a devotional that was a lot of fun too.

We had a lesson with Irene and it went really well. Her husband said he would support her when she wants to get baptized but he himself is hesitant to meet with us. She is really excited to be baptized and has a great testimony. The only hold up is that she wants the whole family to come and join the church with her. It will happen. I am excited for her!

On Saturday we went to an eagle project and I had the job to paint the roof. It was actually kinda fun.

It was another great week and I am excited for the changes that are ahead of us this week.

Elder McMinn

You can change. You can be a little better. You can stand a little taller. You can love a little deeper. You can pick a different path. You can walk a different walk. You can find forgiveness. And joy. You can become your best you because He gave His life, you can change yours.