Week 99: No email just a few pictures

I think that he spent most of his time talking on the phone today because we didn't get a group email. He is doing great and there is a lot of work happening in Shawnee right now but he is also getting excited to come home in a few weeks too. I can't believe we made it!! We sure love him!

God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams just as he always has but he can't if you don't pray and he can't if you don't dream, in short, he can't if you don't believe.

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Rely on the Lord, for only he can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, and what's broken into something beautiful.

-Zandra Vranes

Week 98: Lots of Potential

We had such a fun week. We were stuck in Shawnee Monday for a big tornado warning so that was fun. We had a really cool experience when we gave the survey to a couple. One of them was a state representative and they are both super nice! We set a great return appointment with them. We had quite a few good lessons this week and we found 9 potentials and had return appointments for all of them! It was a great week. 

Elder McMinn

 "Joy has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives."

-Russell M. Nelson

Week 97: President Eyring Visits Oklahoma

Monday we had a Tri-zone all day p day! We went up to Edmond and spent most of the day at Mitch Park with a large group of missionaries playing games like basketball and capture flag. That evening we went to a church building in downtown OKC and had past for dinner. Then we had a testimony meeting and played zone family feud. This was not one of the most exciting activities I had been a part of but I think I had the most fun at this one because of the group of missionaries that were there and the awesome friends I have made out here. 

Tuesday we were trying potentials for the majority of the day with little luck. It was about 5 in the evening at the point where we had a break in visits and we had the thought to go tracting in a neighborhood that we had seen the Saturday before. We had picked a street to start knocking and went after it. The first house we knocked at the man told us he would like to help us out and visit with us but he was really busy so we moved on to the next one.

Wednesday we drove up and spent the night in Stillwater so that we could participate in volunteering at the Special Olympics. On the drive up there we were taking a highway that took us through the country roads of Oklahoma. I found one little beauty of this state that isn't seen usually back home. There were fireflies flickering on both sides of us. I spent about 20 minutes in silence just staring out the window watching the flickering and admiring it. 

President Eyring came to Oklahoma to rededicate the Oklahoma City Temple. We had a really cool opportunity to shake hands with him! During the temple dedication, he came over to us and visited with the missionaries in our mission. He spoke to us! It was one of the coolest experiences! 

Elder McMinn

"It is in the temple that we remember who we really are and see with clarity who we really can become."

-Jean A. Stevens

Week 96: Staying busy but getting close

This week on Tuesday we had a Catholic monk give us a tour of the monastery again since Elder Spillman had not seen it. We had a really good discussion with him about the Book of Mormon afterward too. 

Wednesday was our zone conference and it was President and Sister Mansell's last one so they went all out and gave us so much information to look at and a lot of really cool information which was fun to learn. It went from about 9 AM to about 7 PM. I never thought that I would be able to sit and listen to gospel information for that long and not get tired of it. 

Thursday was really cool. When I was in Moore I had the opportunity to meet a guy named JT and his whole family. They are some of my favorite people. They moved into an area that was close to where we were on exchanges in Edmond I was able to go visit them! It was the coolest thing. I love the Alvarado family. Friday and Saturday were back to all the daily things that missionaries do. It was cool to be able to have a lot of lessons still happen even with such little time that we had in our own area.

Elder McMinn

"Ask the missionaries, they can help you!"

President Russell M. Nelson

Week 95: Temple Service

This was another good week. Tuesday was a day that was filled with a lot of trying new people to see how interested they may be. We found this new girl named Gabby. Missionaries have stopped by her in the past. They even gave her a book of Mormon but we were unaware of that. She seemed super interested in what we had to say. Then we stopped by to see her next-door neighbor, Jacory. We tried the survey with him and he let us right in and he accepted a book of Mormon and told us that he will read it by the time we come to see him next.

Wednesday we had the opportunity to go to the temple and help and participate in the keen house activities. This time, we did the parking duties. It was the most fun job I could do there. They allowed us the chance to go through the Temple tour and see the changes. It was beautiful.

We had a fun activity this week. On Saturday we participated in an event called Sound the Alarm. It is an event where we install fire alarms into homes who do not have them and teach a little short thing about fire safety. It was a lot of fun and we were well received. 

Elder McMinn

Week 94: There is a New Guy in Town

This was a really fun week. We had a few lessons this week but a lot of contact with people that we had not been able to get in contact with before. I think it is the power of being with someone who is right out and has no bias on anything and he is enjoying his time here. I am really enjoying him being here. I really scored with the missionary that we are training. His name is Elder Spillman and he is from Kaysville, UT. 

We had 4 people at sacrament meeting this week and 3 of them are really close to baptism which is awesome. It was Riley and Tanner Belanger, Megan, and Athea. They are all unbaptized children and we may have found another one last night named Olivia. She is awesome. She is 9 and has such an awesome personality. 

We had a lesson with a guy named Joe and Elder Spillman took the lead on the lesson already. He bore powerful testimony and kept the lesson in line and spiritual. Joe is searching for truth and he wants to search without including faith in the equation. He thinks it is an easy answer that is not exclusive. 

We have a lot of lessons coming up this week so I am excited to explain those later.

Elder McMinn

"My dear brethren, you were chosen by our Father to come to earth at this crucial time because of your premortal valor. You are among the finest, most valiant men who have ever come to the earth."

-President Russell M. Nelson

Week 93: Training in Shawnee

This past Monday we went to the OBU campus and did a little bit of rock climbing with one of the students who go there. He is a member of the church and is on the football team and he is willing to hook us up with whatever we need and is helping us turn OBU into BYU-O! That night we had a really good impromptu lesson with Jon Herrera and his family! They aren't good at giving us time on when we need to be at their place so we just drop in and teach a lesson then. They have had a lot of death in the family so we went straight to the plan of salvation for them. They loved it. The daughter in law even jumped in asking questions so that is a potential new investigator.

On Wednesday we helped one of our investigators, who is in a wheelchair, clean up his garden so that way he can plant vegetables. It was so much fun honestly. He has really softened up to us and has been listening to a lot more. He does not keep large commitments well but the small stuff he is willing to follow and commit to so we are working on getting him big steps now.

Friday we found a really cool guy. We had been tracting for 2 hours and found no one but at the last house, we found Joe. He has an agnostic belief but has a lot of questions. He is not convinced by faith at all and wants all logic so we were trying to help him know that logic can only get him so far and faith has to play a part in it all too. I am excited to show him more. We taught him a good chunk of the restoration too! 

We got transfer updates for my last transfer. Elder Capron and I are staying but... We are trio training. This is going to be so fun!

Elder McMinn

"We are on His errand. Let us learn from Him. Let us follow in His footsteps. Let us live by His precepts." 

-Thomas S. Monson