Season 10: North Tapps. Episode 2: Good Christmas Week

 This is Starting from the left Elder Kelley, Elder Graham (my trainer), me, and Elder Chance. We are singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" tomorrow at our Christmas activities as half of a mission. We are super excited because we love to testify of Christ through song! I love singing together in a quartet! I miss doing that more often!

                         

Howdy!

Even though Christmas happened and most people are on a holiday break, Elder Nelson and I certainly weren't taking a break. We have been working hard to find more and more people to accept the restored gospel and things are happening!

We were able to have that lesson with Martha and Aida on Christmas day in the Puyallup Discovery Center (this is the website for it and the pictures on the website are of the actual room! Those arent just some random photos, those are the actual room in the church building where we had the lesson on those couches.  http://www.puyallupfamilyhistorycenter.org/discovery-room.html ).

Martha and Aida have such a funny dynamic. Martha the 8 year old is so converted and wants to be baptized. When we invited them to be baptized Aida said she wouldn't because she doesn't know it is true yet, but Martha said "I will!" Another example is we invited Aida to say the closing prayer, but she declined. Then Martha (the 9 year old :D) said she would help her mom and so AIda said the prayer with Martha whispering it into her ear. Its so great that she helps out so much and she also said an amazing prayer!

They were set for coming to church and basically to come by themselves, but we got a text about 20 minutes before saying Martha was sick so they wouldn't be able to come. Elder Nelson and I were disappointed (not discouraged. Its okay to be disappointed. Discouragement is what is the bad thing) about that, but we are so excited to teach her this coming week! Its so hard when things that you have no control over happen like that. I have that tendency to be to hard on myself and it took me a moment to slow down and think that there realistically wasn't anything more I could have done to help them stay. So my simple invitation is when things in your life happen that you cant really control, don't beat yourself up about it! Choose to be happy and focus on the good.

I love this. How can we be ungrateful when we remember all of the bounteous blessings that God has given us! If we remember what He does for us every day, we wont have to be sad or discouraged because we will naturally be happy about what we have been given. 

2015 is at its 11th hour. I can say serving a mission here in Washington has been the best year of my life so far. I know that it certainly hasn't been the easiest, but I can catalog 2015 as the year in my life where I was a full-time missionary for every last bit of it. I have grown and changed a lot and I am still not done. I still have the rest of my mission and my life to continue to become more like Our Savior. I plan on making goals to become more like Christ and progress for this next year. My simple message about goals that you make is that you need to own, care about, and remember your goals that you set. If you don't honestly care about the goals or if you don't remember them, or if you don't make a plan to achieve them these resolutions wont likely be resolved at the end of the next year. Did Astronauts ever get to the moon without first designing the vehicle that will take them there? They couldn't just wake up one morning and wing it to the moon. Make a plan of how you are going to achieve your goal and then stick to it!

I love this gospel. As I study the doctrine everyday, my testimony is renewed and strengthened. One of the most important goals that I invite you to make for this year is to firmly resolve that you will read The Book of Mormon everyday, say multiple prayers throughout the day, and attend church every Sunday possible. These 3 things make or break our testimony. I invite you to become more firm in the Faith this year and in every year continually. So if you are not, start. I promise you will be able to tell a difference. Ask yourself "Will you I do these things?" These are some of the smallest things you can do that will make the biggest differences in your life. By small and simple thing are great things come to pass!

Stay Celestial!

Elder Sumsion

Season 10: North Tapps. Episode 1:The Time for Christ.

Howdy Howdy! It is an amazing time of the year for remembering Christ because more people start to do it than normal. One of the tracting approaches our President said we could try out is just inviting people to come to church because the Sunday before Christmas is usually when people who usually don't go come. We invited a lot of people to come and we had 3 less actives come to church which was super duper happy! All it took was an invitation to come, remembering to follow up, and actually doing it. Really that is the key to missionary work. Invite people to do things and follow up.

We haven't been able to make contact with Martha and Aida for a while, but yesterday we were able to talk to Aida at her door. We decided to go tract out her whole neighborhood to find her so we just "happen" to run into her. It worked. Preach My Gospel says "There are many honorable ways to find people to teach." :D She said she is going to come to church this Sunday and also that she has just been super duper busy with work. She was open to scheduling something, so we set up an appointment on Christmas to teach her which is going to be great!

Last night we were tracting in this huge neighborhood that is huge, but very hard to find without a map. We knocked around in a cul-de-sac and ran into a less active man. He said we could come back later and was very friendly. His records aren't even in the ward, so it was great that we ran into him. Its really insightful to see how we are used as missionaries to bring back those who have gotten astray back into the fold. 

You meet a lot of interesting people while tracting around here in Washington... I remember my seminary teacher Brother Jepsen who lived here in Washington as an apartment manager telling us stories about one crazy man who talked a lot about aliens and them coming to get him. I thought "sure you see and hear of people like that in the movies, but there aren't really people like that." There certainly are people like that I can tell you! 

In the end, this week has been pretty slow, but things are going to be picking up. Elder Nelson and I are going to be following up a lot more with potential investigators we find and that will certainly yield fruit. We are most certainly going to have baptisms in the coming months as we invite more and more people!

Happy Christmas y'all! Don't forget to invite one of your friends specifically on social media or in person to look at christmas.mormon.org. Invite someone to watch it and follow up later to see how they liked it. Be sure to just try it!

Elder Sumsion

Season 9: North Tapps. Episode 5:

 Two trees that fell over in the storm that totaled 2 cars and damaged 3 others. Elders in our Zone had permission to help out with this to help clean up. It was some good work!

In order starting from the left, Elders Kelley, Dalley, Perkins, Sumsion, R. Nelson, Z. Nelson, Kidwell, and Cabrera

The roots for one of the tree's that fell over.

Elder Nelson and I did it! Bacon Pancakes!!!!

This is a picture from exchanges with the Assistants. This was my first apartment
and it still is super duper small compared to the other places I have served in.
That is Elder Berkheimer on the ground.

​Howdy! I figure instead of telling to every time how little amount of time I have to type these emails, I am will instead spend that time typing it because that lack of time happens pretty consistently.

I have a lot of pictures to send so this email is pretty long because "A picture is worth a thousand words." Its tough because I can only send 2 at a time, so sorry about the barrage of emails. There was a pretty bad windstorm on Wednesday morning and as a result President Eaton gave permission for missionaries to go around and look for service opportunities and have other missionaries come and help. That happened in our Zone where two trees fell over and did some huge damage to 2 cars totaling them and damaging 3 others. Missionaries in our Zone helped out and the following emails are pictures.

This week we were able to go on exchanges with the Assistants. They Assistant area is Clark Lake where I started my mission or my first area! This week also celebrated the 1 year of being in the mission field. And guess what? I went back to Clark Lake on an exchange into my area 1 year exactly from when I got there! It was so great! I enjoyed it so much and learning from Elder Berkheimers great example.

A family we taught last week dropped us, but we did find a great former last night who seems really promising. We are going to be having our next lesson in the Puyallup Family Discovery Center next week. Its going great!

Love you all! Things are wonderful here in Washington! Share the video! I havent forgotten of what I have invited you to do, just try it out!

Sincerely,

Elder Sumsion

Season 9: North Tapps. Episode 4:#ASaviorIsBorn

A selfie with President Eaton and Elder Nelson while at our apartment.

Elder Nelson and I at Mission Leadership Council at the Mission Home.

Hello Friends and Family!

This week Elder Nelson and I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with President Eaton! It was only for 4 hours, but each of those hours were fantastic. He ate dinner with us at our apartment and then we went out finding. One of the things that I really looked forward to was seeing President Eaton tract and learn from his example. Towards the end of the evening as I was reflecting on what I learned I recognized that I was being way to hard on myself about how I did in tracting. When someone would say no it didn't seem to phase him at all. I am sure he still has things he wants to fix and do better, but he doesn't spend to much time on how it went. As I focus more on pleasing God more than myself in the way I tract and not myself, that is where I will find true success and more fruit. I am working on being less hard on myself when things go poorly and I am glad to learn from Presidents example.

I am out of time again and I would love to share more with you and I got to go. I am doing well and striving to be a progressing missionary. Love you all! Share the gospel with someone this week! It is literally the best gift you can give this Christmas season. Just try it this way!

Go to your Facebook friend list and pray about who you can specifically share christmas.mormon.org with and the video on it "A Savior is Born." Then send them a message with the link letting them know why you like it!

Its super simple and I challenge you to do it.

Love,

Elder Sumsion

Season 9:North Tapps. Episode 3: Gratefulness.

This was at the Thanksgiving activities. On the left side to the right we have me, Elder Raps (who is currently serving in Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness), Elder Moon, Elder Patchet, Elder Ryan Nelson, and Elder Nelson my companion. We were at one point playing a card game called "Exploding Kittens."

I had an adventure this week and I made steak. It was a exciting experience! I had never really done something like it, just mainly watched my mom do it. They turned out pretty great. 

This is Lake Tapps on thanksgiving morning while we were driving to the activities.

Sorry I don't have tons of time again for this email. This week we found 2 new investigators and got them committed to baptism on December 26th. We aren't sure of their commitment thought because one of them, Wyatt, said he would come to a baptismal service and to church, but didn't make it to either. They are both YSA age so eventually we will transfer them to those Elders (which is my trainer and my missionary brother :)).

We are still trying to have another lesson with Martha and Aida and are working with them. She gets pretty busy so its tough to schedule things.

On Thanksgiving we were able to gather as a half of a mission and play some games. There was Basketball, Volleyball, board games, and a couple of other things going on. It was for 3 hours and its the only time in the year where we get to do something like that. It was really fun to play board games! I really do love to play them and to be with other people.

My simple invitation to you is to not only express your thanks to other people on Thanksgiving, but to do it every day of the year! Most importantly express your thanks to God. Just as Elder Bednar invites us have prayers with Heavenly Father where we thank Him, I invite you to do the same. Have a prayer and only express gratitude to Him, and then afterwards record what you are thankful for and His tender mercies in your journal! It will help you be happier and more grateful for what you have

Love,

Elder Sumsion

Season 9: North Tapps. Episode 2:Being Busy.

The Lake behind me is part of Lake Tapps and in the background is Mount Rainier. Pictures dont really give you the full depth of field for it. This is probably the best one I got of it so far though. This picture was taken in North Lake Tapps park.

This is Elder Nelson! We went on exchanges! He is from Canada and lives about 3 hours from the mission. He is a great missionary and we sung a lot on exchanges.

As a missionary your free time is already pretty limited, but it gets even more limited when you are serving in leadership. Now leadership isn't something that rises you above others, it simply gives you more opportunities to serve and sacrifice. That requires time, but you are blessed for the sacrifice.

I don't have much time today. Sorry about that! 

We went on what we call a "blits" this week with the Elders in Clarks Creek Ward. We spent about 2 hours and 30 minutes with them. I went with Elder Meyer while Elder Nelson went with Elder Chance and we both worked in their area/ward. This was Elder Meyer's second week of being in the mission and it was great to learn from him. He is great at being very personable and "real" with everyone that he talked to. At the very beginning of it we couldn't find the house we were looking for, so we walked around for a little bit longer and an amazing experience happened! 

While we were getting into the car a Hispanic man pulled up next to us in a car and asked "Are you the missionaries?" We responded affirmative and he pulled over, then we started talking. His name was Oscar and he said that he got baptized 6 years ago and hasn't gone to church for a little while, but that he wants to come back to church and for his daughter to get baptized! It was so cool to have something like that happen where we could be in the right place at the right time! Heavenly Father will certainly direct your paths if you are trying to do what He asks!

That"s all I have time for.

Have a great week!

Elder Sumsion

Season 9: North Tapps. Episode 1: Starting Up

This is Elder Nelson and I at transfers (with Elder Odell sneaking behind :D)

It was raining all day on Saturday and then it was snowing pretty hard on Sunday morning! This is the first time that I have been with snow since I left Utah last November. It was all melted probably by 1, but it was really cool to see! This view is just right outside our apartment.

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a very nice one! I have enjoyed it and I am glad to be with Elder Nelson! I am in the North Tapps ward which is basically around the the city of Sumner, Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps, and a little bit of Auburn. The ward is basically all trees and scattered houses in-between. We have a car which has been really helpful! I am grateful to be in one especially since winter is in the midst of things and it rains more and more. Elder Nelson and I were especially feeling for all the missionaries on bike on Saturday because it was raining literally the whole day! And it wasnt a light rain, it was pouring at some points.

This ward is actually brand new! Its about 3 months old and there wasnt a lot of work done in the ward beforehand, so Elder Nelson and I are basically building up the ward and the work here. We have some great starts though! Martha is 8 years old and we have had a couple of lessons with her. She came to a 8 year olds baptism and it has been in the works of teaching her and her mom. We are just starting to teach her which is great. We are going to start teaching her mom to tomorrow! They both came to church on Sunday for all 3 hours and it seems she really likes it! We are so grateful to have the opportunity to teach them!

I am all out of time for today, but I am doing very well and I am happy! The work is good and I am growing (which means I am out of my comfort zone)!

Love you all!

Elder Sumsion

Season 8: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 6: The Glacier Wilderness Finale

This was just before Tatiana's and Andrei's baptism! Andrei is the one in the front, then Tatiana, then Brother and Sister Gustin behind them.

This is the District that I was over this transfer. Starting from the left is Elder Lowry and Elder Drake (Lake Lucerne Ward), Elder Sumsion and Elder Jackson, Sister Orr, Sister Loeak, Sister Stewart, and Sister Davis. (Sister Orr and Stewart are over the Rock Creek and Green Valley YSA Wards. Sister Davis and Loeak are over the Cedar River Ward.)

Every week for the time that I have been here, we have gone and played basketball together most mornings. Starting on left by heads, Elder Lowry, Elder Green, Elder Drake, Elder Sumsion, Elder Jackson, and then Elder Moon. (You cant get that thumb down, eh?)

Howdy!  There is a lot of news/changes going on! I will do my best to update you.

Andrei's and Tatiana's baptism and confirmation happened on Sunday! It was so wonderful. I am so grateful for that opportunity to help facilitate the spirit in helping with their conversion to the gospel. She is definitely set for going to the temple in a year. I am so excited to see their progress. Also we found out that her husband is actually a less-active member so in a year they could all be sealed together as well which would be so amazing and the best! Families being sealed together forever for time and all eternity is an essential step for them receiving a fullness of eternal life. We are getting her connected up with family history and she should be going to the temple soon to do baptisms.

I found out that I am being transferred today. I am going to be leaving Maple Valley after about 7 months of being here. It has been a wonderful growth opportunity for me and I have grown so much as I have been here with my different companions. Elder Jackson is staying here and his new companion will be Elder Davis. They are going to be doing great things and baptizing!

I am going to be transferred to Puyallup (pronounced pew-all-up) into the North Tapps ward. My companion is going to be Elder Nelson! He was my companion in the MTC! We are going to be Zone Leaders together just like in the MTC! I am very excited for the opportunity to serve with him again and as well to serve as a Zone Leader. Because of that my limited amount of free time has been minimized even more so that is going to be good to learn how to cope with. I am super excited for this transfer, it is going to be so fantastic! A lot of interesting things will be happening, and after I leave this next area I will be able to say "I did the Puyallup!"

As for other updates in such, Derek did not come to church. We had an appointment on Tuesday, but he was sick so rescheduled. He was asleep for our rescheduled appointment, so we dropped by on Saturday and we were able to talk to him. We invited him to come to the baptism and to come to church, but he chooses not to. He is such an interesting person! He knows that reading the scriptures, coming to church, giving up alcohol, and other stuff will benefit him greatly, but he chooses not to do it. Its almost like you are riding a donkey and instead of taking the bullet train that takes you straight to where you want to go very fast, he chooses to continue riding it through the dark forest maze where he could potentially get lost and die.

I look at that and the answer to all of his problems seem so easy and obvious, but it may not be to him. Perhaps he is scared of something else that we don't know about. We will do our best to help him progress to follow Christ!

I got to go, but I love you so much!

 

Elder Sumsion

 

Season 3: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 5: Episode Happinesss

Since I do name my emails like a TV show, I really could introduce some classy elements in my emails...

On the last episode of Elder Sumsion's Mission:

Elder Jackson and Elder Sumsion have been teaching Tatiana and Andrei, her son, for a little while now and they were progressing towards baptism on November 7th well. Tune in today to find out the exciting details and changes of whats to come!

Nah,. I wont subject you to that ;D

What has happened this past week? Tatiana and Andrei are going to be baptized a little bit later than we planned... meaning, right now due to Veterans dinner and scheduling conflicts we are going to be having their baptism on Sunday the 8th! Thats coming up quickly 6 days from now! Elder Jackson and I are so excited for it! Not because we want a "figurative gold star" on our records for having a baptism, but because two people are choosing to follow Jesus Christ and to change their lives! At the beginning of Preach My Gospel it says "More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among [Heavenly Father's] Children" (Preach My Gospel First Presidency message). On my mission, I will be sure to tell you that I am happy! Especially when people exercise faith in Christ, repent, are baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost!

Tonight is their baptismal interview, so once we receive that "go" from the Zone Leaders it should be happening. We have been having a good amount of lessons with them and its been such a wonderful opportunity to teach them. I am so grateful that I am blessed to be apart of guiding these two wonderful souls to the tree of life (1 Nephi 8:10-12).

We had a good lesson with someone we have been teaching for a couple weeks. It was such a interesting lesson. We have never had a lesson with the sober version of Derrek, so we hoped that having the lesson at the church would be enough reason to have any alcohol in him. Well, he walked over drinking a beer, so that didnt work out. It was a very interesting lesson/church tour we had with him. Brother Jensen, our Glacier Park Ward Mission Leader, was there with us. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation, but Derrek has a knack to go on tangents occasionally and this last tangent had consumed a lot of the time which we were planning on spending talking about the rest of the Plan of Salvation and baptism. 

Elder Jackson, being the spiritual stallion he is, stopped him and said "I have a question that may seem a little out of place, but I want you to consider it and to pay attention to how you feel." He then invited him to be baptized and after about 20 seconds he said yes!

He committed to prepare for December 12th. He understood that part of him being baptized would need to involve him giving up those things like alcohol and smoking. He agreed with us to helping him take slow steps. We encouraged him to continue reading the scriptures, praying, and as well to come to church. 

We challenged him specifically to come to church and showed him the bench we would be sitting at (it was near the front and the Sacrament table. Investigators have a better experience sitting up closer to the front and them seeing the sacrament and what is going on is a really important step for their conversion). We invited him pretty directly, but he didnt solidly commit and he didnt come to church. We will be talking to him about it this week even more. We also told him before we left to try being sober for our next lesson :D

Things are happening in these wards and I am so grateful to be apart of it.

Love you all so much! I am so happy to hear already about the amazing early Christmas presents that my family and friends are giving me by inviting people to meet with the missionaries! Try it out if you have not. Will you honor your baptismal covenants to share the Gospel?

Love,

Elder Sumsion

Next time on Elder Sumsion's Mission:

Will Elder Sumsion be transferred or will he stay in Maple Valley for a little bit longer? Will Derrek attend church? Find out all these things and more next time on Elder Sumsion's Mission!

Happy Halloween!!

Season 8: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 4:What I Desire Most For Christmas...

It hasn't been to long since I last sent this email it feels like. This week has been going pretty fast and it keeps on getting faster.

 

Tatiana and Andrei and doing great! They are still progressing to baptism on the 7th of November. Elder Jackson and I are just so astounded at how prepared they are to accept the gospel. One of the things you should do as a missionary is make faithful plans for your investigators or others. This process involves asking questions like "What is the next saving ordinance they need? How can we help them get there?" or something like "What is going to prevent them or stop them from being baptized? What is a possible obstacle they will need to overcome?"

 

As we thought about them, we thought that Tithing would possibly be one thing that would stop them or they would have questions about. We taught that to them yesterday at their member friends home and they accepted it! They really seemed to accept with no problem at all. I am amazed every time at their faith and determination. We also went to a baptism with them down in Enumclaw on Saturday and they enjoyed it. During the lesson Andrei was saying "I want to be baptized right now!" :D

 

One thing we really want to help them understand now are the rest of the commandments (like the 10 commandments) and to receive a witness that Thomas S. Monson is The Lords Prophet! Though the most important thing we want to establish is conversion for them and that will only come as they put forth effort on their part (which they are doing). The conversion is really what will bless them because we cant receive our full Celestial Glory if we do not Endure to the End.

 

Just a simple update for you today, but I did have a challenge for you. This challenge starts from one given by an Apostle and Prophet of God! There is one thing I remember first when we are asked to do something by an Apostle/Prophet is that it comes from God (Amos 3:7). And if we remember as well from the example of Nephi, when God asks us to something He will always provide a way for us to do it(1 Nephi 3:7). Remember as you read this challenge from Elder Ballard.

 

"In the spirit of Peter’s example, may I suggest that we can all be more consistently involved in missionary work by replacing our fear with real faith, inviting someone at least once a quarter—or four times every year—to be taught by the full-time missionaries. They are prepared to teach by the Spirit, with sincere and heartfelt inspiration from the Lord. Together we can follow up on our invitations, take others by the hand, lift them up, and walk with them on their spiritual journey." (Emphasis Added, "Follow Up.")

 

I know that if you exercise your faith in inviting people you will be successful, because a successful missionary is one who tries! When you prayerfully identify someone and set it as a goal, I know you will be able to accomplish it. There are prepared people in this world. Prepared people who are looking for the gospel. Sometimes they don't know it though as President Kimball has said.

 

“Now is the moment in the timetable of the Lord to carry the gospel farther than it has ever been carried before. … Many a person in this world is crying, knowingly and unknowingly, ‘Come over … and help us.’ He might be your neighbor. She might be your friend. He might be a relative. She might be someone you met only yesterday. But we have what they need. Let us take new courage from our studies and pray, as did Peter, ‘And now, Lord, … grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word’ (Acts 4:29)” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [1982], 546).

 

Invite people to meet with the missionaries and you will see that there are prepared people who will accept. These young women are examples of those who were prepared. Watch these two videos and think about them being prepared.

 

http://seminary.lds.org/videos/invite-a-friend-to-seminary?lang=eng

 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-12-07-because-i-have-been-given-much?lang=eng

 

When you ask in prayer, the spirit can bring someone to your mind of who you can invite. Invite that person and remember not to judge this person. We will only know by inviting as this article from Randall L. Ridd tells.

 

 https://www.lds.org/new-era/2015/03/be-a-missionary-now/dont-judge-who-is-ready?lang=eng

 

If there was anything I wanted for Christmas is for you to experience the joy that comes from doing missionary work! I promise that if you set it as a sincere goal, you will be able to accomplish it! Try it out. Try to invite someone. Let me know of your experience. I would love to hear how it is going. And if you have any question at all of what to do, please email me and ask, cameron.sumsion@myldsmail.net :D

 

I love you all and I challenge you to do it.

Sincerely,

Elder Sumsion

 

Elder Ballard's Talk

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/following-up?lang=eng

Season 8: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 3: An Inspired Cat

I took this one just 30 seconds ago. We are doing our computer stuffs in the Maple Valley Library. (Those orbs behind us look like cool UFO/ghost things)

Elder Wagstaff is now one of my Zone Leaders and we got to go on exchanges last Tuesday after District Meeting. We had a good time proselyting together again and reminiscing about old times :D We also ate some great left overs from some members. That Mint Oreo Ice-cream cake was something divine :D

Elder Green and I with the ties that we traded each other :D

Happy days! There has been many many things which have occurred since I last communicated with y'all (AKA you all). I will include as much as I can and try to provide at least some substance.

 

First off I do have a request/ favor to ask for. I am looking for a talk called "Believing Blood" by Bruce R. McConkie. For those of you who can, would you do a Google search or something of the sort and try to find it for me?

 

We have 2 people committed to baptism! It is Tatiana and her 9 year old son Andrei! On Tuesday while I was on exchanges with Elder Wagstaff we were able to teach both of them and they accepted to prepare for November 7th. Its coming up and it is so wonderful and happy! They are really on track and very committed. While we were planning for them in Weekly Planning and filling out a baptismal calendar, we realized they would need to be living the Word of Wisdom starting on Saturday the 17th. So we were able to go on the 16th, we talked about it, we invited and they accepted. She really loves the gospel and said "If that's what it takes, I'll do it." Their commitment is so amazing. On Sunday when we had a lesson with them at the Relief Society Presidents home when we were talking about some of the preparation for baptism she and Andrei were willing to do things to meet that goal of the 7th. Everything is wonderful for those two and the ward is doing an amazing job at being their friends.

 

One day we were biking around and their was a street I had never been down in my 6 months here, so we went down it. As we were biking around it, we thought to tract this one house. In reflection there wasn't any like huge spiritual prompting or manifestation to tract it, but just a good thought. We did it. We talked at the door for a little bit about her Halloween decorations and then her cat ran out the door and she went to retrieve it. We talked more and after she got it back inside, she actually sat down and we were able to teach her the Restoration right there on her front porch!

She was very receptive and involved in the lesson and we are going back this Friday. One of the coolest things that she told us was that the 7th Day Adventists (another church) were there just an hour earlier, but she didn't talk to them much. She listened to us and we were talking for under an hour! She is a single mother and her name is Janet and she said if she knew that this church was Gods church, she would join it. Now we will help her find her answer because it is His church! As long as she puts forth effort and sincerity it isn't a matter of if she finds out, its a matter of when she finds out.

 

Another person we found from a tract was Derrick. He let us in and at the end of the lesson he said a kneeling down prayer with us for the first time in a while. We had another lesson with him yesterday and he said the same thing Janet did. So if he puts for that effort it will be a matter of when he founds out!

 

Yesterday we got to hear from Elder Lawrence of the 70 and his wife. It was amazing! I really loved when Sister Lawrence talked to us. She told us about a lot of deep doctrine that I could not possibly explain over email. Suffice it to say, it was amazing and I loved learning it. One of the main focus' was on helping our mission baptize more. So on Monday the Mission Leadership Council set a specific goal that we would help a certain amount of people be baptized in November. Not because we want to boast or get a higher number, but because the more we baptize the more people who are saved! If you haven't done an in depth study on the Doctrine of Christ, I have quite a bit of scripture references for you. Let me know if you would like that study.

 

The week was wonderful. A lot of fruitful things occurred. My specific invitation for you this week is that if you have not asked those difficult questions is to do that! Then for those of you who have done that and received an answer of something to change, make a plan to change! "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." So create a game plan of how you are going to accomplish that. No football team will ever win consistently if they don't go into the game with a plan. Our ultimate goal is to become like Jesus. So more than trying to be like him for a day, consistently become more like Him every day of your life. You wont regret it.

 

Sincerely and with love,

Elder Sumsion

Season 8: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 2: Ask Yourself Difficult Questions!

Time sure is moving on. Its strange to think that by the end of this transfer I will have spent 6 months in this area! That is a long while. And if I stay here for another transfer then I will have spent double the amount of time I spent in the Clark Lake ward in Kent (p.s. I still miss and love you Kent!).

Also we have a general authority visiting our mission next week! Elder Lawrence of the 70 will be coming. As a result our next P-day will be Wednesday the 21st (so that is when my next email time will be). In preparation for this visit one of the things (we have been asked to do quite a bit of things in preparation) is to read/watch the talk he gave in General Conference, "What Lack I Yet?" and apply what he invites us all to do. This is his invitation,

 

"However, we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like “What do I need to change?” “How can I improve?” “What weakness needs strengthening?”

 

Usually it seems that missionaries have things they wish they would have done more of (or less of) at the end of their mission. They will say something like "I wish that I would have helped my investigators to read The Book of Mormon more" or "I should have done a lot better job at talking to everyone. I would have baptized more people that way." As I thought about those things the question came to me, "What would I regret/wish I would have done if I was finished with my mission next month?"

As I ask questions like that, good questions that dig deep, and reflect on them it will help me be a better missionary. That way as I recognize what I can do better now, I will better be able to fulfill my purpose now! Of course I wont be perfect and there will always be something I could have done better, but this way of trying to become better I will be able to finish my mission confident that what I did pleased The Lord (because that is what truly matters).

 

My invitation for ALL OF YOU is to ask yourself deep questions in prayer and ponder them. Ask yourself just as Elder Lawrence directed, "What do I need to change [to become more like Christ?" Ponder these things and see that ye do them! Elder Lawrence closed his talk with this

 

"The Spirit can show us our weaknesses, but He is also able to show us our strengths. Sometimes we need to ask what we are doing right so that the Lord can lift and encourage us. When we read our patriarchal blessings, weare reminded that our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward. To Him, our direction is ever more important than our speed.

Be persistent, brothers and sisters, but never be discouraged. We will have to go beyond the grave before we actually reach perfection, but here in mortality we can lay the foundation. “It is our duty to be better today thanwe were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today."

If spiritual growth is not a priority in our lives, if we are not on a course of steady improvement, we will miss out on the important experiences that God wants to give us."
You choose who you would like to become, but remember this is the commandment. "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect‍ even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48). "For behold, this life‍ isthe time for men to prepare‍ to meet God; yea, behold the day of this‍ life is the day for men to perform their labors [and to obey His commandments]. (Alma 34:32)" You wont instantly be perfected or it wont become easier to get more Christ-like in the next life. The time to start is now (D&C 130:18-19 and Alma 41:10-13)! I promise you wont regret it and you will look back with gladness that you chose to become more like Christ.

Love you all! Here is a link to Elder Lawrence's talk.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng