Before we can begin with August, we have to take a brief trip back to July. (I forgot that I had some pictures in text messages that I forgot to download). At the beginning of July we had family photos taken. One of Nathan's sisters is a very talented photographer, and since they had come down for the wedding, we all gathered at a park and did the family photos. Obviously we were missing Jimmy, but I found a picture of him on my phone.
Okay, now we can continue with August...
Bat saga update
 |
| Once again, the clean up people said they had it all cleaned up, but yet the house still stank. I had noticed that there was about a two inch gap between the brick exterior of the house and the framing, and it went down to the foundation, so I bought one of those snake cameras that can attach to your phone so I could see what was down there. I found piles and piles of bat poop. We called the clean up people back out and they vacuumed all of the poop up, sprayed their cleaners and Kilz paint and then they sealed it up with foam. Yet the smell did not go away. They set up these fancy fans with fancy filters and ran them for several weeks, it did nothing to get rid of the smell. |
 |
| I also noticed that on the side of the fireplace, there was this little gap, and beyond that gap, I could see piles of bat poop. Again we called the clean up people to come out. Their solution was to just brick it up and seal it off. That didn't work. |
 |
| They had to come back and tear out all of the brick and foam sealing they had put in, and that is when they found the nightmare. They found 6 dead bat bodies and 40 POUNDS of bat poop. The clean up guy said that his van smelled like poop for several days. |
 |
| This is the other gap on the other side of the fireplace. The clean up guy said he thoroughly checked it out and couldn't find any bat poop. I believe there was more bat poop in there somewhere, but it would have meant tearing down the brick wall to get to it. The reason why I think that there is another source behind there is because that is over where the first bat body was found, and if there was a bat found over there, there is probably poop over there somewhere too. Plus they never took down the wood paneling in that alcove to see the damage that was behind it. I am 100% positive that until they investigate that, they will never be able to get rid of the smell, but what do I know, right. By the way, it took them the entire month of July to figure all this out and get it taken care of. |
Meow-meow got the rest of his braces on.
Jaina got her tonsils removed. The poor thing. It wasn't a very fun surgery or recovery. Let me tell you though, it was very weird for me to be the one waiting in the waiting room instead of the one having the surgery.
I bought a shirt, but didn't like the color but Eilee said she wanted it, however, Jacen got his hands on it first so he could be goofy.
The wonderful people in Las Vegas did an EXCELLENT job of taking care of my boy while he was there. One of the members threw him a birthday party and sent me the pictures.
And football season officially kicked off...
 |
| We played against Portland St. and beat them 69-0. It was a really FUN game!! I LOVE a good shut-out!! |
Well here's an update on those we are teaching
Miguel - Miguel is extremely Elect. He studies the book of Mormon so we'll. He takes notes that look like the original transcript of the Book of Mormon. He also made it to church. On a bike. It was super funny. We pulled up to bike with him to church since he has no car, and we see some people walking down the street while knocking doors. They were dressed like us, but they were old. There were like 5 sets of them, and they were all pared up in man and woman companionships. Kind of like senior missionaries. J Dubs. So we pull up to Miguel's house and there's two of them at his door. They were there for like 20 minutes. We were about to go confront them and have a Mexican Stand off, but the left. So we walked up and knocked on Miguel's door. He answered and said hey what's up. We Asked him if he talked to the J W's, he said he did. He also said "it was interesting." We then hopped on our Bikes and biked to church in 110° degree heat. He is Him. He is on Baptismal Date for September 6th. pray that he makes his baptismal date.
Fonzi - Fonzi is such a beast. He has come to church 2 times now. He loves meeting with us. He was on date for aug 30th but we are reevaluating with him. He has a few struggles but he is willing to over come them. We love Fonzi!
DeAndre - DeAndre is so funny. He's a media referral. He came to church last week. We actually walked with him. We then bought him some clothing for church aswell. He's so funny and has been reading the Book of Mormon. He's on date for baptism on sep 13. Pray that he makes that date.
Mina - Mina is so sweet. She said she was baptized when she was younger, but we haven't been able to find her records. She really wants to come back go church but work gets in the way. Pray that she won't get called in to work so she can come to church. She is on date for sep 13 if we can't find her records before then.
Daniel and Juliana - they are a little strange but they are so funny. Juliana is a member and she knows the gospel very well. Daniel is super nice and is reading the book of Mormon to learn more. The minor problem is, it's very hard to teach both of them at the same time. Juliana is very talkative, same with Daniel but not as much. And they both talk about just some interesting things. This last Wednesday we talked about a giant 5 mile long object in space that moves and changes speed. They said it was either Jesus or aliens. First time I heard of it, but cool. They need to come to church. Pray that Daniel may get work off for church.
Also pray for the Scott family, that they may over come their sickness.
There are a lot of other people that we have met that are super cool, but these are some of the most progressing. This work is fantastic. It truly is. We see so many miracles and tender mercies from the lord. Here are a few
Missionary Miracle Moment: a couple emails back I talked about this lady named Jessi that we ran into who said she would love to come to church. We'll she moved to San Diego for about a month and a half. She went to church a few times down there, but now she moved back to Las Vegas. she's now our neighbor. It's awesome. She is currently meeting with the missionaries that cover our complex.
Tender mercy: during our last preparation day activity we were playing a game like chair soccer. As we were playing I got pushed into the foldable wall that separates the gym from the chapel. My should slipped into the Crack of the wall but my head slammed into the edge. It hurt and it got a little too heated. Unfortunately I had a headache the rest of the day and the next day I was cooked. So the nurse told me to relax and have some rest. So I did. Later we find out that there was this massive crash off of a very busy cross road. It caused a car to roll over onto the side walk and there was water every where. The cross roads where it happened were the cross roads we use the most on our Bikes. So we could have been affect by the crash but thankfully I was dealing with my head injury.
It's been such a blast of a transfer. It's been fun training. Even though it felt like a month ago I was in training. It's crazy how time Flys. I got a little something called "my plan" it's a curse that forces missionaries to think about home, let's just say I'm down to double digits. It's getting real. The summer is coming to a close, so that's nice. It will probably cool down my last transfer but at least it won't be extremely hot. This past month we had zone conference and we had an all Elders meeting where we talked about how to be a better Elder. My district is awesome. We had a 4 day exchange with some elders, it was really fun. Got some friends to a baptism they loved it. Went to the temple for a new missionary temple Trip. The members in this ward are some of my favorite. Like the members everywhere else. We came up with a game called nasty monkey. It's still in the refining process, it's kind of a mixture of teamed chair soccer and dodge ball. It's just been a chill transfer. A member showed us his cool costume, and let us take pictures. We did this service for this member. It kind of sucked. It was from 12:00 - 4:30pm, which is the hottest part of the day. Our task was to moved two really old heavy rusty cars out of a yard with like 15 old junk yard cars in it. We had no shade and we were told it should only take about an hour so we didnt bring much water. We get there and theres a limo in the way, an old little box car, a bmw, an old corvette, an old el Camino with a clutch that locked up halfway through the service, that were also in the way. And a jaguar that made it a tight squeeze. We started by moving all the cars in the way. We had to deadlift a car and move it over aswell which sucked. Plus it was really hot so the metal on the car hurt to even look at, let alone touch. Anyways we played Tetris, with all these cars in the heat with little water and only 4 of us plus this middle aged member. None of the cars worked so we had to push them by hand. It took us 3 days to finally get everything done. Afterward we all had nasty sun burns, but it was fun. I also had a birth day. I guess in 20 now. Something new I suppose. So Yeah, it's been just a good couple of weeks not going to lie. Hope you all have been well and I hope you all enjoy the start of the school year. Stay happy. And don't be a nasty monkey. Luv ya bye!
Here are some funny quotes:
"Who ever thought sin city would be come sacred city"
- President McFarland
Me: "I see the TV on"
Elder Purser: "what are they watching"
"probably coco melon"
"no that looks like mickey mouse club house"
"Oh yeah"
"Yeah no that mickey mouse club house, you thought it was cocomelon?"
"I have a tendency to hate homeless people"
- Elder Smith
"Im not a soy boy"
- Bro Mallory
"I got cornered by the missionaries, one was a skinny white boy, one was like a mini pit bull"
- DeAndre Loper speaking about elder Packard and Elder Lee
"Did you get to see how much stocks the church had in fizer in 2019" Brother cox to president wells
"No im not interested"
President Wells to brother cox
"Get ready for next time, we are going over the word of wisdom and the Apocrypha." - sunday school teacher right after a deep doctrine lesson when we have 2 friends there for the first time.
Google Photos link, wellllll. About that. Google Photos got banded in this mission. Same with Facebook messager sooo. No link. But I'll attach Photos to this email.
So we had to write talks for zone conference. So here's my talk:
How do I increase my faith in Jesus Christ? It's a good question. Well how does one actually increase their faith?
Well first lets understand the why. What is Faith in Jesus Christ? There are a lot of resources on this subject. I mean a lot. Faith is one of the most talked about subjects in the gospel. It is the first step in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In virtually all churches faith is talked about and partially used. I say partially because faith can easily be mistaken. What I have seen is a lot of churches talk about faith as a belief, which it is, but they disregard the fact that faith is putting more in than just belief. We can believe in a lot of things, like Santa Clause. But faith is more. Faith is action. Faith is a Choice. Faith without works is dead. What much does a dead faith give. The very fact that you got out of bed and gave thanks unto the Lord is faith. The fact you all choose to exit a door and to even try to open your mouth to others for the sake of God is faith. Every simple action that you do is by faith. Think how much amplified that becomes as you get comfortable with praying, with leaving your apartment, with talking to others. It soon becomes joyful and easy, but by then you see another mountain to climb. There will always be place for our faith to grow. By that, Faith is Growth, exponentially. However the only way that faith can be growth exponentially is if it is in Jesus Christ. Faith is a principle of action and power. As we put for righteous works, it is faith, and as we do that we recieve power in our lives. We are able to shape and over come the world. Look at Nephi in 1 Nephi 3-4, Nephi and his Brothers are commanded to go get the brass plates. Some are willing, while others are not. But ultimately they all go. The first couple atempts result in failure. Nephi then decide to go a third time. I love Verse 6:
6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.
Talk about faith. The rest of the story tells of Nephi's success. So why is it that Nephi succeeded while his brothers did not? I mean they all acted, right? They did as they were commanded. Why didnt they get success their first time. They are a few factors to this that I love. First of all, Laman and Lemuel, murmured. Lets be honest murmuring murders, it kiled laman and lemuels desire and commitment to fulfill their purpose, even though a prohpet of God sent them. Sounds familiar, like being a missionary. Murmuring murders, it eventually led laman and Lemuel to want to kill Nephi. Now thats crazy. How do they get their that quick? It simply because murmuring, murders. It murders Faith. Another factor in Nephis Faith was consistent. The word diligence means a consistent, earnest effort. Nephi was diligent unto Faith because he didn't murmur. He acted with Joy. He was consistent. He trusted in the lord. He had faith. But Laman and Lemuel acted 2 time, thats faith isnt it? Why did they not recieve the plates. Laman and Lemuel lacked the belief part of faith. Laman and Lemuel saw an angel. In the short run it stopped them for beating their brothers. In the long run it didn't do much for them, Nephi need to keep reminding them of their experience. How can you put such a thick fog over your mind as to seeing an angel and completely disregarding that experience. That shows their lack of faith. They didn't want to do it. They didnt want to figure out why they had to do it. The didnt want to change. You can't have repentance without faith, and I would also say you can have faith if you know that you need to change but you won't let it happen. They didnt want to turn their will into Gods will. That is another part of faith. Theres a lot more I can go into on Faith. But ultimately faith is something you all have to find for yourselves. So why dont you find it? Please I testify that it will open your mind to the mysteries of God which will help you overcome the world.
Now Why should we have faith?
Take ephesians 6:16
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Faith is a shield. I love how it says quench. It does stop the firey darts from coming but it does quench them.
We need faith in our lives to protect us. In these days we need faith in Jesus Christ in our lives to survive. Faith is more needed now than any other time and your faith needs more growth in your life right now than it ever needed before. We need it because we are striving for eternal life in the kingdom of God with eternal progression and eternal purpose, while there is an enemy striving to make a throne out of us for us to suffer. The main difference that makes that is what we put of faith in, and if we even have faith in it.
Earlier i shared that faith brings miracles. Life is difficult and we can't survive with out the blessings from God. We wouldn't even be here without the blessings of God. Now part of faith is aligning our will with Gods will. Why do we want to do that
Preach my Gospel, Page: 125
Faith is a principle of power. As you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, you will be blessed with His power suited to your circumstance. You will be able to experience miracles according to the Lord’s will
That last line I feel has a few different meanings. When I first read it I understood it as the lord will show miracles according to His will, which is true. But then I also realized that the Lords will is sometimes very different from our will. And we know that as we do as God Commands, D&C 82:10
10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise
The Lord is Bound.
As I thought this I realized that God will show unto us Miracles according to His will. So if we align our will with His will. We will see miracles. When we align our sight with Gods sight through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We see with new eyes and with a bright retrospect on everything. We recognize His Holy hand. We see the blessing of His Love, and so much more.
There are miracles all around us, we just have to have the faith to see them. Faith does not follow after the miracle in most cases. But it is by our faith that allows us to see the miracle. Like in Alma's experience. He saw an angel, and some would argue that the angel led to Alma's faith, and thar the miracle came first them the faith. But when I put myself in Alma's shoes. Yes the angel was a huge miracle if my eyes are opened but I'm sure that when alma was struck dumb and put in the gall of bitterness, he was not thinking "what a miracle am I experiencing right now." No he Doesn’t say that but instead he describes it as a gall of bitterness and endless wo, and how he had the pains of a damed soul. What a stark contrast from a huge miracle. But in this process Alma grew his faith by calling upon Jesus Christ. In this moment he gained consciousness and rejoiced in his experience. The miracle was technically always there, but Alma didn't experience the miracle until after he grew his faith. If we want to experience Miracles we need to have faith. The only way our faith grows is if we are humble and if we turn to Jesus Christ. Like in this verse:
D&C 131:7-8
7 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; 8 We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.
Faith is aligning our sight to Gods sight. And then we will live after the manner of happiness 2 Nephi 5:27
27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.
Take the end of Alma 32
Alma 32:41-41
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. 42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
If we let the word sink deep onto our hearts BY Faith, it will lead to the fruit of the Tree of life. And we know because of 1 Nephi 11, the fruit of the tree of life is Jesus Christ.
Now How have I increased my faith in Jesus Christ?
Bouncing off of Alma 32, Alma Compares the word of God to a seed. He explains that faith is planting that seed in the ground, and continuing to water that seed and nourish it until we see the fruit of it.
Something I have talked about before is if we have dry ground we are prideful. The seed will not grow if we have dry Ground(Alma 32:39) so we need to humble our prideful ground. We need to rip into it with our plows, we need to flood it with water and fertilizer. We need to make it good soil, and then will our faith allow the word of God to Grow.
How do we humble ourselves? We all know Ether 12:27(if we humble ourselves before God, he makes weak things become strong unto us)
How does one be Humble. Humility is very hard to achieve. And as soon as you say you are humble to no longer are. But this is how I have been able to Grow my faith.
One of the most humbling things is prayer. When you cry unto the lord you are humbling your emotions. When you kneel down you humble yourself physically. And when you do it with real intent, it means you are willing to humbly do Gods will. Real intention in prayer is very hard to describe. The best way I can put it is like you were asleep and you wake up and open your eyes and ears, like the people in 3 Nephi 11. You finally look up to Christ and you no longer lay asleep spiritually. One thing the lord invites us to do through His prohpet Moroni is to gain a witness by the Holy Ghost, through Pray that the book of Mormom is true. Going back to preach my Gospel page 125 it says:
Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge. Rather, it is an assurance from the Spirit of things you do not see but that are true.
Faith is gaining a spiritual witness that God exists. The best way I have done that is by reading His words. And doing as Alma says, and then humbling myself before the Lord as Moroni invites. Gaining a witness for yourself will be the one of the Greatest amounts of Faith in your life.
I testify of that to you. I have read and I have prayed, and the Lord God has answered my prayers. And because He has answered my prayers, my faith has exceeded that of what it used to be. My faith has become my shield. My faith has become my Friend. And the only way that it has become those things is because it is in Jesus Christ my redeemer. He is my shield, he is my friend. That is how I increase my faith in Him.
Please. If you don't have a witness from the Holy Spirit, get one. Its not that hard. It's so simple that it just gets over looked. Read the Book of Mormon, and pray to know if it is true. And if it feels like it didnt work. Do it again. And again. You will see that your life will change. It took me 8 month of reading every day and an entire day dedicated to reading the book of Mormon and praying every hour to gain a witness from the Spirit. And it has taken me 12 more months to get to the faith I'm at right now. And as I look I still have a long way to go. But if you compared my faith from day one to now. I would say it is a witness as big as enos' experience was. So go gain that faith in Jesus Christ for yourself. And when you final do gain it. Do it again. For your faith is not perfect and it won't be for a while. So keep growing it!!
I love this gospel, I love faith, and I love my Jesus, Who hath been my everything. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
And that is all I have for August.
