Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 9:#Miracles

Elder Wagstaff and I on Sunday wearing our sweet awesome ties! One of the coolest parts about them is that we made them :D

Howdy!

Super so many great awesome good fantastic awesome wonderful blessings of fantastic-ness!

 

Before all that,

some members showed us this awesome family search website thing called relativefinder.org.

It is super duper cool! You can see your relationship with various famous peoples or others (depending on how filled out your family history is)! You can also see your relationships with friends if you are in the same group with each other.

For example Elder Wagstaff and I are 7th cousins! You should all check it out. I checked with my mission president so it as at least approved in the Washington Federal Way mission.

The website is called again

 

relativefinder.org

 

If you want to join a group I created so we can see what relationship we are and with others who join it,

1)go and log into the website (just with your family search or member login0

2)click on groups on the top and choose join

3)search Group 47

4)the password is 123456

5)click on the option that will no be on the left and there you are!

 

Super cool! Back to our Sponsor.

 

 So many miracles in finding people to teach this week!

Our mission president had us a reevaluate some goals we set at the beginning of the year of how much of certain things we wanted to do. As I revised my goals I thought that I would lower them because I am serving in an area that isn't as busy as Clark Lake was, but as I did that I saw and recognized that I could do it so I actually made my goals a little bit bigger.

The best way to find new investigators is when members find them for us. At least in our mission the averages show that 1 out of every 16 people we contact in the street or tract into or etc. get baptized. But for members that refer us someone to teach, we find that 1 out of every 2 of them get baptized! That is a very big difference, so the best way to find those who are going to make covenants and endure to the end is through the members. That's only one reason why members are supposed to find people, and missionaries are primarily supposed to teach.

One of my new goals is to receive a member referral and to teach them every week! That way more and more people who will actually progress are found. This week I met that goal. On Monday Elder Wagstaff and I were blessed to meet with members who invited many people to meet with the missionaries! We left that members house with two different appointments to teach to different peoples :D

This week in total we were blessed to find 2 new investigators! One of them was a member referral, Em, and the other is a potential who called us back, Alex.

Here is a little bit about both of them.

Em: We went by on Tuesday and taught Em, not a lesson (this means instead of teaching like "missionary robots," we focused what we talked about to her needs and her personal understanding). Em is about 20 years old and is friends with the members son is currently serving a mission. She was raised Atheist, but recently become Christian 2 years ago. She still hasn't gotten baptized, which we invited her to do and she didn't accept which is totally alright. She is very intelligent and expressed some sincere honest concerns such as she didn't know that we had the priesthood authority from God, but she still is wanting to learn. Those concerns are good to have because it shows she actually is thinking about and learning from what the spirit is teaching her. We are going back tomorrow.

Alex: He called us back after two weeks of when we first met him and asked us to come back by, which we did on Saturday. He just graduated from High School last Thursday (just so you know, here in Washington this week on the 17th is the last day of school.). He is so intelligent and very analytical. Maybe one of the most analytical I have met and talked with. We shared the restoration, but before we could even begin he gave pretty much a 1 minute summary of everything we were going to talk about (because he did some research before we came). It was amazing how clearly he understood and understand things. He is just very very intelligent. We invited him to be baptized as well and its something he is considering, but wont commit to a date because he doesn't know everything that it implies which is understandable. We are going back tomorrow as well to share The Book of Mormon with him. Just another note and miracle about Alex is that he is in the Glacier Park ward. Elder Wagstaff and I are pretty sure he is the first new investigator in that ward in 6 months.

 

 

I am so excited for this week! Its going to be fantastic! We have so many things set up! Like our planners are full until Friday which is a first in this area!

Love you all so much!

Thanks for the prayers!

Elder Sumsion

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 8: Family History Is Amazing!

This week we had a great half-mission training on Family History. It is so amazing and great! I learned so much at how to use family history.

Something simple of how it applies to missionary work is a way to connect and develop a relationship with someone.

So kind of how service opens the doors for people learning about the gospel or accepting missionary lessons and them being taught, it does that same thing.

Its also a really easy thing to talk to random people about.
"Hey How is it going?"

"Do you perchance know, with the 4th of July coming up, when your ancestors came to America and why they did? "

"Would you like to find out?"

 

Just some basic examples for you.

 

This is the talk our Mission President had us read before we attended.

 

Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/10/missionary-family-history-and-temple-work?lang=eng

 

I know family history can make a big difference in your life. You should try it out. If you don't know where to begin, talk to the family history specialist in your ward.

 

Now this next video is long, but I know it is a great example of what family history can do in helping you and your family. The Spirit of Elijah is SOO strong and does so much under the hood that we don't even understand. Try it out. I know that if can help your family even if your home is more Christlike or less Christlike than this families.

 

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-history/to-turn-our-hearts?lang=eng

 

(to watch the full video, the link to download it is underneath the video)

 

Love you all so much!

Elder Sumsion

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 7: Remembering What God Had Done

I have been working on this email for a while where I have been restarting and rethinking what I will do lots and lots of times, so now I am just going to go for it and leave what I type out.

 

Its easy to get discourages and downtrodden if all you have is a momentary perspective. When you have an eternal perspective and remember what things have happened in the past and look foreword to what comes in the future things get a lot easier and you make a lot more right choices.

Specifically for me, right now contacting and talking to people is getting tough because we are facing rejection and no acceptance of our invitation to learn more about the restored gospel. That is the problem or scenario that is happening now. We are trying to find people to teach and to further the progress in our wards, especially Glacier Park. That is what we are currently faced with.

Now it would be really easy for me and Elder Wagstaff to give up and quit saying "it is a hard thing that has been asked of us." But as Elder Wagstaff and I keep more of an eternal perspective and remember what great things we have been blessed with in the past, we can show our faith and continue pressing foreword.

There is a great video on this of keeping a good perspective. Elder Holland shares the main experience. It is called "Good things to come." I would encourage you to watch it.

 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-05-12-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

 

I know that there has been great blessings and things in the past that we have received. We know that there will be more of that in the future, and during this dry time now we can only continue forward with faith.

I am out of time. Sorry I wasn't able to share a lot. Have a great week. Toll next time!

Love,

Elder Sumsion

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 6: Enduring to the End Part 3‏

Something isn't right with this photo...The Steering wheel bolt is loose and there is a less active in the ward who loves to help us, so we will be going by this week.

Elder Lee-Wen is an office Elder and they live just across the street from us, so last week we made him a "Birthday King" crown and gave it to him. Its was great :D He is awesome.

So I finally had some legit seafood! Two days ago we went to a members house and had an "amuse bouche" of a variety of fish stuffs. I had lobster, crab, giant shrimp, muscles and a couple of other things for the first time!

Transfers are today! Elder Wagstaff and I are both staying in Maple Valley! Elder Wagstaff has had a new companion every transfer (7 companions, and this is his 8th) of his mission until now! He also hasn't stayed in an area for 3 transfers, so he is breaking a whole bunch of records this transfer.

This week I had some more great experiences that I really wanted to share that go along with enduring to the end.

We hadn't had any good contact with the new investigator we found, so we stopped by to drop off some Tupperware she gave us with cookies and had a good conversation there. She was really super kind and very friendly, but essentially she dropped us. She said she wouldn't convert and that she didn't really need our help with service anymore. We testified of the restoration and of the Book of Mormon. We left the conversation with us still being able to come by and teach her the lessons and understanding a whole lot more of her situation. So for now we wont be able to go by for the next couple of weeks because her work is super busy, but afterwards we will be able to come by and share the rest of what we know. We pray that when we do, the spirit will touch her heart even more and she will come to know that the things that we teach are true through the same way we have.

Our areas are still progressing and will continue. We are so excited for the miracles we see. We already have a potential family we are going to teach this weekend and some more potentials.

My last thoughts on enduring to the end and applying it is that even though disappointments happen in missionary work, school, life, work, etc. it does not mean that you are destined for failure. Disappointments are inevitable, it is only bad if you get discouraged by it. Don't be discouraged in what happens, because of Jesus Christ and what He did for us there are always good things to come in the future. I am so excited to see what comes in the next 6 weeks. I know that as we faithfully continue onward this coming transfer, things will work out. I leave with you a challenge to endure to the end. Elder Pearson of the Seventy gave an amazing talk last conference about enduring to the end. Any one of us (meaning me, you, your parents, President Monson, or anybody else) is not immune to satans buffets. We have to stay strong and vigilant in holding onto the iron rod. If we hold fast, we will all make it to the glorious tree of life and partake of the fruit of Eternal life. The decisions you make today, determine your destiny in the future (see Thomas S. Monson "Decisions Determine Destiny" BYU Speech). I give my heed and challenge for you to hold on to the Iron rod which is the Word of God. The Book of Mormon is His word and you should read it daily. I challenge you if you are not currently to read it every single day. Elder Pearson in his talk put it this way, "Search the Book of Mormon and the words of the living prophets every day, every day, every day!" I add my witness that if you do that, you will be able to stand strong against the fiery darts of the adversary that so often are thrown at you and me. Set a time for it, and do it. Make reading the scriptures a priority in your life. It can be done and accomplished no matter how busy you are (see 1 Nephi 3:7). I love you all and I know that this gospel is the best thing for everyone. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Sumsion

Additional Study:

Nephi and his brothers going back to get the plates

Why did Nephi sacrifice so much to get the scriptures?

How can you sacrifice like Nephi did to more value your scriptures?

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 5: Enduring to the End Part 2‏

Yes. Sometimes I forget to name my episodes.... or do I give you the opportunity to name them?

 

Something that I came up with recently that I love is

 

"When you change your perspective, your perspective changes you."

 

There is that thought.

 

I hope you did try those questions and evaluate yourself. Its definitely important. From President Uchtdorf talk "Of things that Matter Most" he talks about how it is important to spend time getting to know yourself and who you are. So I would encourage you to do it, because an Prophet, Seer, and Revelator suggests you to do it. And also Elder Sumsion, a representative of Jesus Christ.

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng

 

You know how I told you about our progression of our area? How it was moving slowly but surely?

Well something amazing happened and it continued to progress and miracles happened!!!

 

Yesterday we committed Shela to baptism on June 20th! We found Shela about a week ago contacting on the trail next to Lake Wilderness. We asked her if we could do any service for her and she accepted. We went by with Elder Cook and Elder Gonzalez on Friday and did that service and it went well. She was very friendly and accepted our invitation for us to teach her. We went by on Saturday and taught her the restoration. She accepted the invitation and we are preparing for that. She seems very prepared and ready to receive the gospel. She had one concern about being baptized before, so we re-explained the priesthood authority and bore testimony and it was resolved. We are so excited and happy that we were blessed with someone who was prepared to receive the gospel. Now of course this is the beginning stages, but it is so hopeful for us and so great to see progression!

 

Now here is my progressing thought from last time about enduring to the end. Think about what Elder Wagstaff and I were doing for the past 4 weeks? We had been faithfully contacting and talking to everyone. When we had encountered that resistance and discouragement during that first week and if we had just given up on contacting saying "this stuff is way to hard! Lets just go sleep." What we found 4 weeks later would have not happened. I believe that it was because Elder Wagstaff and I (and other reasons including prayers from those of you at home) had been faithfully enduring our contacting experience. We were blessed because we stayed faithful and didn't give up. If we continue faithfully trying to find, then we will find.

If you continue to faithfully live the gospel, you will be ready for those hard experiences that come. You will also be ready for those blessings that will come. So don't give up on reading your scriptures or going to church. If you do, you may miss what will come 4 weeks later. Continue holding fast. I promise you that if you faithfully continue on and living the gospel, you will be prepared for any storm or fiery dart that may come your way.

 

Here are some references for additional study.

 

-"The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Primary Hymn

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/the-wise-man-and-the-foolish-man?lang=eng

-Helaman 5:12

-1 Nephi 15:24 (as well as the vision of the tree of life)

 

 

Love you all! That talk from President Uchtdorf was really great and I would recommend you read it.

Elder Sumsion

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 4:‏

Elder Graham and I at choir practice today :D I am wearing his posterity tie and
 he is wearing the tie I gifted him.

I like to call this outfit "Elder Sunshine."

Hey do you want to hear some great news, as far as missionary work progress in our area?

Last Monday, the 4th, a good thing happened. Elder Wagstaff and I have been praying for opportunities to find and teach a new investigator. We have been talking to almost everyone and do our best to testify of the truths of the restoration and invite them to learn more. As we were leaving a lesson and walking home at about 8:45pm there was a man who pulled up in his truck with a table and chairs. We offered to help him take them in but he told us he had his son coming to help him. So we got talking to him and asked him again in a different way if we could help him ("Hey would could save you a couple trips") and he accepted. So we skillfully carried the table in (without puncturing or scraping the walls if you were wondering or curious) and set it in and helped them with it. We then started talking with his wife as well and bore testimony and invited and they said YES! We are going back tonight and I pray that they are prepared to receive the gospel. Its a family which is awesome. I am grateful that we have this opportunity. Even if they end up not investigating or listening to us that will be okay, because them accepting shows us that the area is progressing.

When I first got here people wouldn't listen to us.

The next week people were talking to us.

The week after we were almost getting potentials (potential potential investigators :D haha).

This last week there are people accepting our invitations to meet with them and we are getting potentials.

Its not like we are getting tons and tons of potential investigators or people accepting our invitations, but we are getting more than when I got here. That is progress and that is what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are pleased with. Like in the parable of the talents, some are given 10, others 5, and we were given 1. Starting with 1 and turning it to 2 is a pretty big thing and that's what Elder Wagstaff and I are trying to do. It probably wont be a 10 when we leave, but it will be progressing to that point :D

Missionary work and being on a mission is so amazing! I love it! It is LITERALLY the best thing I have done in my life. Better than video games or Disneyland. I definitely know that this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true church. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer even thought I have never met Him personally. I have felt His influence in my life and I know that you can feel it to. No matter who you are, where your from, or what you have done. That's a fact. And I bear that testimony of Him, an authorized representative of Him, in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Lastly, here are some thoughts I had to write about, but I wasn't sure how to insert them in. So here they are plugged in at the end.

A question I often ask my self is "What is the thing to most likely cause me to go less active after my mission?" I am definitely not invincible and satan has already plotted what he will do to get me to let go of the Iron Rod. It is my job to hold onto the iron rod once I grab on and to press foreword until I reach the tree that has the fruit that is most desirable above all other fruit. (1 Nephi 8 and 11).

 

I leave you with these questions to think about and answer.

 

Why is Enduring to the End a part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End)?

 

 

Why do you need to keep the covenants you make for the rest of your life instead of just a couple of days/weeks/years after you make them?

 

 

What is one thing that could cause you to not endure to the end?

 

 

What are two things you can do today and will continue doing to best prevent that from causing you to not endure to the end?

 

 

 Love Y'all much!

Elder Sumsion

Mothers Day