Week 24: "Twas the Week Before Christmas

Hello!!

So much happened this week!!

First off, we are teaching at a steady pace!! That means that our teaching pool is gaining some depth, and I am so happy for that!  It is so wonderful to help people come unto Christ, especially around this time of year!!

There's a lady in our area who is getting baptized on Dec. 30th, what a great way to both end and start the year!!

It's a great way to end the year because, as we know, baptism washes away all of the mistakes, hurt, and pain that we have accumulated.  It's also a good way to start the year, because the Gift of the Holy Ghost comforts, warns, testifies, and leads us to do good.  I know that as we walk the straight and narrow path through life, we can all have divine help from our Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost.

In other news, we are now on bikes half of the time!!

This is good because we can talk to everyone we see, and they can't avoid us!!  Also, we get seen by the community ;)

I have found that missionaries thrive on awkward.  I get excited when we are knocking on a door and someone comes up to that door, because they can't get past us without listening to us!! haha

Well, I hope y'all have a great Christmas, remember why it's a holiday!!!

Love,

Elder Eliason!

Tag Photo

#lighttheworld 12.12.2017

Week 23: Life of Christ Exhibit

This month we are having a Life of Christ Art Exhibit in the ABM, a peaceful place with art separated into 6 stages of the Savior's life.  We serve there in shifts, it's truly an inspired place.  It's a very good opportunity to ponder on the life of our Savior.  The spirit is really strong there!!

We had a parade here in Centerton, and our ward put a float in, based on the "Light the World" initiative.  My companions and I held the banner in front of the float, which read "Jesus Christ is the Light of the World", and on the float members of the ward were acting out service activities, such as making a dinner for someone or moving a box for someone.  We passed out about 800 Light the World calendars, and it was so much fun!

We are gaining lots of momentum in our area, Sunday we had a day full of appointments!!

It's an amazing experience being on a mission, and I love it so much!

One cool scripture I've found is Romans 10:17, y'all should read it!

I hope you all have a great rest of your week, and remember to be the Light of the World!!!

Love, 

Elder Eliason

Life of Christ Exhibit Arkansas Bentonville Mission

Haircuts!

Week 22: Zone Conference

This week was good!  We had a zone conference, which was amazing!!  The main focus was on "mission culture", representing the Savior, and Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.  One thing that they touched on is language, and two words in specific: "cool" and "awesome".  That erased about 70% of my vocabulary.. :)

We helped some members build a pig shelter out of trampoline pipe, tin, and 2x4s.  It actually looks pretty good!!  That is what I expected to do all the time on my mission!!  

We did lots of tracting, and found lots of people who are open to hearing a message about Christ!!  We found a phrase this week to use that I can't wait to say to people around Easter!! It's "Since Christ is living, what message does he have for you today?"  I look forward to using that!!

I have been studying in Acts, using Jesus the Christ to more thoroughly explain some things in it, and it has been a great experience to see the doctrines found in the Book of Mormon in the Bible, and it's a very strong witness of how the Book of Mormon fills in the "plain and precious truths" that have been lost from the Bible, in such an easily understood way!!

I testify that Jesus is the Christ, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that His word is being established all over the world in the mouth of two (or in my case three) witnesses, and that we can all pray to know if it truly is His word.  All we must do is ask Him to confirm the truth that we read in its pages, and He has promised that we shall receive!  How great a promise!!

I hope all of you have a wonderful week, and remember to Light the World this week!!

Love, 

Elder Eliason

My buddies at Zone Conference, Elder Call and Elder Barber!!!

Week 21: Elder Rosier

This week has been super awesome!!

Elder Rosier arrived Tuesday morning, and he placed a Book of Mormon his first door!! That part he takes after the other side of the family (Elder Dike) haha!  We had tons of "Finger of the Lord" experiences, and hopefully he can learn something from me ;)

Thanksgiving was cool!  We volunteered at the Methodist church near us, to help provide Thanksgiving dinners to members of the community.  A member of our ward said she saw a picture of us serving there, it was really cool to see that the work we are doing is being noticed.  We got invited to about a million dinners, and it was an awesome day.  I didn't even get as stuffed as usual :)

Our stake is doing this thing called "Nativity and Noel", it's like a nativity show, where people set up nativities and there's a nativity viewing with prelude music from a string quartet.  After the nativities have been viewed, there's a concert of local choirs.  There's a Mormon Ozark Choir, some local High School choirs, and even a Seventh Day Adventist choir!  It's been going on for 10+ years, and so I'm excited to see what it's like!!

We are having lots of success finding people to teach, it only took 6 weeks but we are finally building momentum!!  It's weird teaching in a trio, but it's a wonderful opportunity for both of us trainers to cover each other when teaching Elder Rosier, so that we don't forget to teach anything!!

Well, I hope y'all have a great start to December this week, and remember to kick off the "Light the World" program.  I'll be doing it right along with you!!

Love,

Elder Eliason!!

From left to right, Elder Dike, Elder Rosier, Elder Eliason

Week 21: Kansas City Temple Trip

This week was so cool!!

We visited the Kansas City Temple, and it was such a good experience!!

We participated in all of the ordinances in the temple, it was so spiritual!

I also found out that Elder Dike and I are training a new missionary, Elder Rosier!  It's going to be an interesting situation training in a trio, but we'll make it work ;)

I guess the mission is just really full right now, which is good!

In our mission we have these things called cottage meetings, where a member of the ward will open their home on a Saturday night with food and games, so that we can invite anyone we meet throughout the week to come to a relaxed, fun party, and it's sort of like fellowshipper speed dating!! Also, the people at the party can invite the people we meet to come to church the following morning, so it works out very well!!

This week my testimony of the Savior and His love has grown so much, as well as the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  I have found that when I share my testimony, it grows immensely, so I am very blessed to be a missionary, where my job is to testify!!

Well, y'all have a happy Thanksgiving, and remember to think of activities to participate in for the Light the World Challenge!! https://www.mormon.org/bc/content/assets/pdf/christmas-2017/christmas-leadership-calendar.pdf

Elder Eliason

In front of the Kansas City Temple

Elder Dike and Me

Liberty Jail

A cool art exhibit in Bentonville, called Crystal Bridges 

Cool colors in the fall!

Week 20: Blessings

Good times are to be had in Centerton!!  

This week we were able to find lots of new people to teach, which is good because we weren't able to teach a lot of lessons.  

One person is named Jurika.  She's so awesome!!  We met her on thursday, had a lesson on friday, and she went to church on sunday!!  It was such a blessing to meet her, and teaching people is such a blessing as well!!

Throughout the week we have had experiences that have strengthened my faith, not big lightning bolts, but small and simple things (Alma 37:6).  

I challenge all of you to Light the World this Christmas season, and with such there are some scriptures that fit really well with the initiative!! The first one is 3 Nephi 11:10-11, where Jesus Christ first comes to the Americas and establishes that He is the light of the world.  Then, in 3 Nephi 12:14-16 Jesus Christ is giving a sermon comparable to the Sermon on the Mount, and He says that WE can be the light of the world!! I think it is so cool that we can share the same light that Jesus Christ has, and I believe it is through loving, and serving, and forgiving like He does.  The Light the World campaign is really special this year.  Our stake president here promised us, in the Bentonville stake, that we can see miracles in our lives, that our love for the Savior will grow, we will see peace in our homes and joy in our lives, and, greatest of all, our lives will be changed.  It is going to be a great holiday season, as we all look unto Christ in every thought!!

https://www.mormon.org/download (the leadership calendar is really good, it has examples of things to do for every day!)

What a wonderful time to be alive, even though there is great tragedy all around us, there is the foundation of Christ that we can all have!!  I love serving God's children, and I hope all of you will serve alongside me!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

Week 19: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like

Hello all!!

Greetings from Centerton!

We are building momentum in this area, it was hard to start grooving with things when we were new, but now we are setting lots of return appointments with new investigators and working really well with the Ward Mission Leader to pair our investigators up with what seems to be an infinite number of really young, strong couples who work for Walmart!!

It's awesome to see how the Lord works miracles in His vineyard!!!!

One example is the following:
We were planning in the morning one day to figure out what we needed to do with a 3 hour block of time that was open (which is why we need to build momentum!), and we decided that we needed to go tracting for the first half of the time, and then visit members from the directory that we did not know, which is a good way to meet less-actives and part member families. We went to dinner at a member's house far away from where we wanted to go tract, but we felt like we needed to stay there for a little bit before going tracting. We had great success with that, meeting a really solid investigator who we hadn't been in contact with since we arrived in Centerton!! We also found a man named Terry who is very interested in our message! After that, we felt it was time to go tracting. We went to an entire apartment building, about 16 doors, and only one person came to the door, and wasn't really interested. We were wondering why we were prompted to go to that complex, and as we walked to another building to start knocking again, we crossed paths with a man named Johan, who we started talking to. It turns out that he went to a different ward last week, with one of his friends, and he's super interested in learning more!! There are so many experiences like that that I have seen in the missionary work here that can only be explained as tender mercies of the Lord :)

I hope y'all have a great week this next week, and I hope you will recognize the tender mercies that we all receive each day!!

What is a Tender Mercy? 👇
“The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ” (“The Tender Mercies of the Lord,” New Era,Feb. 2012, 2).

Love,
Elder Eliason

Sorry for so few pictures, I have not been very good at taking pictures hehe. 

 Featherston Rd! A super cool member family in my last area was the Featherston's, so shout-out to them!!

 Taking notes!

Service For Sister Larson 10.31.2017

Two hours worth of weeding, weed wacking and pruning. Well done, Elders!

Week 18: Centerton 2nd Ward

This week has been so good!!

It's been fairly cold, so shout out to my mother for sending my coat!!

We have been very busy sometimes, and sometimes we are very open.  It's interesting to see the differences in culture here, and to learn more about them!

This week we were teaching a guy from South Africa, and at the end of the lesson he prayed in Afrikaans!!  He's a very interesting man!

We also are teaching a man who is Muslim.  He told us that our bodies are Islam and then prayed in Arabic.  He'll change - eventually! ;)

We went to a car show this week, it was a great place to contact people and share a message, because you have tons of people who are just standing there waiting for people to talk to, and you also have something to start the conversation with - cars!!

Something that Jeffrey R. Holland promised in his 2001 talk "Witnesses unto Me" is "I promise you that something in what they say will always highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more."

We used that a bunch in the car show and had so much fun looking at cars with people and talking about Jesus Christ!!  I strongly suggest using this as a contacting method in the future, it's a lot more enjoyable than tracting!!

Love, 

Elder Eliason

 My favorite car EVER, the Nissan GT-R R32

A baby hedgehog at a members house

Week 17: Centerton 2nd Ward

This week was very good!!

Elder Dike and I tracted a LOT, and we got 6 new investigators this week!!
We are putting all of the potential investigators and former investigators that look promising into the GPS, so that we can visit them if we are in the area.  We are calling them on the way to appointments so that we can set up more appointments!!

We are working hard, and praying harder!!  We have found the most success when we pray for guidance, then plan where to go, or who to see, or where to tract, and then pray to know if it's right, just like in Doctrine and Covenants 9.

Whitewashing an area with a companion who has been out as long as you (3 months) is a very interesting situation, but I love it!  We are having so many great experiences that build on my testimony and strengthen my conviction!!

I love you all!

Elder Eliason

New activity: Stud or Dud moments.  I will occasionally put out a "Stud or Dud moment" section where I tell moments that I think were studs or duds!!  (Idea stolen from my trainer)

Stud: I bought a ukulele
Dud: I have very little money because of said ukulele
Stud: We left the apartment fairly clean for the sisters
Dud: I left a bunch of stuff at that apartment
Stud: We went through old records and found 2 people to teach
Dud: We get bashed more here for "quitting" polygamy than for "starting" it!
Stud: We have tons of activities planned for P-days
Dud: We forget about all of them
Stud: I have y'all in my weekly letter loop ;)

Week 16: Centerton 2nd Ward

This week was transfer week!!  I rode the transfer loop to Centerton, AR, where I met Elder Dike!! He's from Mesa, AZ!  We're in an area that was previously in possession of sisters, so the apartment is intact, the fridge didn't have moldy food in it, and it doesn't smell like gunpowder or superglue!

My life is good ;)

It's interesting whitewashing an area, or as they call it down here "shotgunning".  You use the area book a lot more, you use the ward mission leader more, and you tract more (in our case).  We have been tracting a lot, and the population is not what you would expect for Arkansas!! Most of the actual houses are very nice two level brick buildings, owned by affluent businessmen who work for walmart, and there are HUGE apartment complexes everywhere, and they have a great mix of Indian and American culture.  I suspect there are lots of people from India because they work at the call center for walmart.  They're all Hindu, and it's been interesting trying to increase their faith in Christ when they believe in Vishnu and other gods!!  

Our congregation is very large, with two quorums of elders, and it's like a mini Utah!!  It's a very family-friendly town, and most people are nice and talkitive!!

We have one ward mission leader, two assistant ward mission leaders, and approx. 10-12 active ward missionaries!! Most of the people here are young couples from BYU who graduated within the last 10 years, so they all have a missionary mindset and all are eager to help us!!

We live next to some missionaries who work at the mission office here in Bentonville, and they are the best!! They bring us fruit and always check in on us!! 

It's been a challenge to find people to teach, but if we knock enough doors, and have enough faith, if it's the Lord's time then we will find those who are prepared to hear the message we have to share!!

I love all of you, thanks for all of your support for me!!

Elder Eliason

PS Sorry about the huge e-mail this week, it's just so exciting here!!

Me and my new best bud!!

Me and my old best bud and Geoff Kerr, the most awesome honorable mention WML!!

Week 15: The Times They Are A Changin'

I'm getting transferred :) :(

I'm going to Centerton 2nd, right near Bentonville, AR

Elder Morris is going to Webb City, MO, near Joplin!

I'm super excited to go to "the city", but I'm also super sad to leave Camdenton, which is a great ward and area....I love the lake!

Since we are both leaving, we are preparing the Area Book and stuff like that, because Camdenton is getting SISTERS!!!

One of the Sister Training Leaders is going to be training a new sister in Camdenton, which is going to be awesome!!!

We're super excited to continue our missions, but it's sad to leave!!

Catch ya next week!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

 Transfer Day: Elder Eliason and Elder Dike

Elder Eliason and Elder Dike

Week 14: Camdenton, MO

 Hello!!

To start off, General Conference was AMAZING!!

We had two baptisms this week, an older couple :)

They have gone through many trials and once they committed, they were rock solid!!  

It was easy to see that they took pride in their word, and they wanted to know enough.  I was reminded of this principle this conference, when Elder Neil L. Anderson said "You don't have to know everything, you just have to know enough".  

Another cool experience is we got a media referral for a guy about 40 miles away from us. We decided to visit some less actives in the area while we dropped off a Book of Mormon and a Bible.  It seems like the Lord knew who we needed to see.  I knew the names of people I wanted to see, but as we were driving my thoughts subtly drifted away from the people we had designed to see.  Even though we had a plan, we visited a different family, a father, who hasn't been to church since he was 15. His daughter wants to learn more, and we want to teach them and bring them back!!!!

The good message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will benefit everyone who seeks!!

Elder Eliason

Photo from Brother and Sister Connell 09.26.2017

Week 13: Camdenton, MO Good Week

This week has been great!! 

Too much to say in one e-mail, but it was DRAINING!!

So, what I would like to focus on this week is the Sacrament.  In 3 Nephi 18, it talks about Christ giving the Sacrament to the disciples and then to the multitude.  It talks about how it filled them, and I know that when we partake of the sacrament, our spirits, minds, and bodies can be filled :)

Love from Missouri,

Elder Eliason​​

Week 12: Camdenton, MO

This week was amazing!! 

We had two baptisms, a 9 year old and a 33 year old.  It's been crazy to see their progression, even in the short time that I've been here!!  Elder Morris and I are having such a great time, we love the people here, and the member missionary work is going wonderfully!! I know that the Lord has a unique and special plan for each and every one of His children.  We had 6 baptisms scheduled for last Saturday, but due some illnesses, that didn't happen. I was praying for them to get better by the 16th, but I know that even if I don't know the plan, our Heavenly Father does, and He will direct His children in His work.  I love the work!!!  

Another experience we had is we have visited a less-active member who lives WAY out of town.  We visited him about 1.5 months ago, and he seemed very cordial and nice.  However, he texted us about 2 weeks later, and said that he was "happily inactive".  We let it go, we can't force anyone to do anything, but we were bummed out about it.  We got a call this week from him, and he said he needed a priesthood blessing.  We met him at the church, since his house is way far away, and he explained to us how he has been really sick for 12 days, has gone to several doctors who haven't found anything wrong with him, but he knows he is sick.  He was fumbling around in his house the night previous to when he called us, and he tripped.  He landed on his hands and knees, and said to himself "well I guess this is one way to get me to pray!"  We gave him a blessing of healing, and afterward he was emotional, and said "when does church start on Sunday?"

Even if it wasn't the plan we thought our Heavenly Father would have in store for him, it was the plan that He had for this man.  That experience showed me that all I can do is invite, and invite, and invite, and the spirit will work on people, and they have the final decision whether or not to accept.  I love you all!!!

Elder Eliason

Bobert

Bass Pro Shops Headquarters

Gators in MO

 Krispy Kreme 

 Revolutionary War to Present day

Week 11: Camdenton, MO

 Elder Eliason and Elder Morris

This week has been amazing!! Elder Morris and I have been scheduling baptismal interviews for 6 of God's children, and they have caused me to look back on the progress that they have all been making since I got to Camdenton 8 weeks ago.  I love this work!! In a zone conference this week, we listened to Sister Loveland (MP's wife) talk about how we can feel joy more on our missions than any time in our lives, because we do not have the cognitive dissonance caused by not living in harmony with God's commandments.  I testify that this is true, even if it feels like a mission isn't very fun sometimes!!  I feel like joy also comes from helping our Heavenly Father achieve His work and His glory.  How great is our call!!

So, Scripture of the Week is Moses 1:39 :)

Zone Conference

 Zone Conference

Zone Conference

Lake of the Ozarks

Video of Lake of the Ozarks

The firetruck is hoisting an American flag for 9/11. I love it out here!

​

Week 10: Camdenton, MO

This week has been very good!

It was my first week with Elder Morris, and we are learning lots about each other and new things about the area.  We are having lots of good experiences.  We had a very good testimony meeting this week, it was all centered on missionary experiences, and this ward is so good on doing missionary work!!  I'm so happy to be on a mission, it's a great experience, and I am loving being able to devote all of my time to serving others!!  We do a lot of service here, it's helping me to become in shape again, a donut shop right across the street doesn't help!!  I IMPLORE all of you to try disc golf!! It is great exercise, it helps to relieve stress and to create an environment where you can talk casually with the person you are playing with.  I have found great success talking things out with my companions while playing sports or exercising, it really works!!  I would encourage all of you to read the scriptures regularly, just as President Monson said in General Conference, with the 4 blessings that we can receive by reading the Book of Mormon.  I am so blessed to be out here, I hope everyone will do missionary work in whatever circumstances we are!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

Week 9: Camdenton, MO Second Transfer

This week was interesting!

Elder Brown left a week early, so the Bishop's son, Josh Skelton, graciously agreed to accompany for 7 days until I get my next companion(who is Elder Morris, my District Leader in the MTC).  This transfer is going to be interesting, since it will be the second transfer for both Elder Morris and myself, and so we will train each other!  Leading the area for a week was definitely a learning experience, it was tough but I grew a lot in my leadership and being comfortable with taking the initiative in lessons as well as in planning.  We have 5 baptismal dates for Sept. 16th, so we're very excited for that!!  We are praying for new investigators, we have been very lacking in gaining new investigators but at the same time we have been blessed with progressing investigators!  

Scripture of the week: Alma 32, 3 Nephi 12, 28

Reasoning: We are blessed for obeying commandments, but we are MORE blessed for not being compelled to obey.  In Alma 32, the people are MORE blessed for choosing to be humble, but they are still blessed for being humble.  In 3 Nephi 12, the people are MORE blessed for being baptized because of the testimony of the 12 apostles, but they are still blessed for being baptized because they saw Jesus Christ.  In 3 Nephi 28, the 3 apostles are MORE blessed because they desire to stay on the earth and do missionary work, but the 9 other apostles are still blessed for their desire to live a life and then die.  Moral of the stories?  If we want to receive more blessings, we need to think in a good>better>best mindset, and obey because of our faith, not because of the trials we face or the hardships God allows us to endure.

I love you guys so much!!

Elder Eliason

Week 8: Camdenton, MO

Received this as a text message this morning (8.24.2017). This would have been after the letter below was sent. 

Hello! This week has been so amazing!!

We went tracting for 1.5 hours, and we had great success! We found a member, C____, who didn't even know there was a church here! He moved here from California, and he's great! In that same complex, we found a great guy, J____, who is totally prepared for the Book of Mormon!! He is amazing!  

08.21.2017

We went to St. Clair, MO for the eclipse Wednesday, hence the late e-mail.  Instead of just watching it, we set up two booths, one in Sullivan, and one in St. Clair(about 30 miles from each other). We printed out all of the pages of the Book of Mormon, and asked people to highlight a page with all of the references to Christ, to show that the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ.  I was sitting on a bench across from the booth, reading from the BOM with Pres. Loveland, my Mission President, when a 26ish year old guy came up to us, sat down, and asked me the question "What's the difference between the Book of Mormon and the Bible?"  Pres. Loveland and I taught him for approximately an hour and a half, ranging from the Restoration, to the Book of Mormon, and even to deep doctrine on the three kingdoms, and how we achieve what we deserve (see D&C 88:22).  His name is C____, and when we testified of the power of Moroni 10:3-5, he said "let's just pray right now", and so we just prayed right there, people swarming around us, and it was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced!! The spirit was so strong, and I know that he felt it too.  He took us to meet his family, and they're the sweetest people ever.  The eclipse was pretty cool, too.  

Last Sunday, the M____ family came to church.  Elder Brown and I made contact with them for the first time on transfer day, the third lesson I ever had.  There is a 32 year old mother, who along with a 14 year old daughter are baptized.  There is a 47 year old father figure, and the mother has two sons, 12 and 10. The children have been coming to church for the past couple of weeks, the father figure was in the process of converting to Catholicism, and the mother worked 8-16 hour shifts 6  days a week at a nursing home as a nurse.  Elder Brown's last Sunday was this Sunday, and the bishopric capitalized on it by having him talk in sacrament meeting, playing the organ, and we taught Gospel Principles AND Relief Society haha.  WE capitalized on this by inviting EVERYONE to hear him speak, and the Lord had many tender mercies to give the M____ family and others to get to church on Sunday.  The mother had a 16 day streak of working planned, because they were short on staff, and her boss told her to take Sunday off, to recuperate.  We didn't know, but the whole M____ family showed up to church, along with many others!!  We had a total of 16 investigators and 9 LA at church, and that isn't even the crazy part!!  The father figure, R____, paid attention in sacrament meeting, and when it was over made a beeline for the stake president and bishop.  He said "I want to be baptized.  Today".  He still has some things overcome, but he is making lots of progress, and we can tell he is in it for the long haul!  

On Tuesday, yesterday, my companion and I spent 3 hours learning how to install laminate, and then Elder Brown had to go to a different area to interview an investigator for baptism, so I was on an exchange.  We decided to visit a referral from that area, and so we did that.  That whole day I had been praying for a new investigator, and I had faith that it would happen.  We got to the house, and the referral wasn't there, but his family was, so we gave them a card with our phone number on it for the man, J____, to contact us.  We left the house, and felt prompted to go tracting.  We went to only one house, but we talked to a man about the Book of Mormon, gave him a copy, and got his contact information.  The first and last house we tracted that day!  We then went to walmart to get some food, because we didn't have time to yesterday with all of the running around we had to do(we woke up at 4:30 am and didn't get back to the apartment until about 9:45 pm) and so we stopped by on our way home.  I had noticed a construction logo on the back of a mustang in the driveway of the referral's house, and in the cashier's line, we saw a man with a bright orange shirt with the same logo on the back.  I asked him if he knew J____, and he said that he was J____!!!  We talked a while with him, and he explained to us how his old church didn't support him at all when he was having a tough time in his life, and his wife is currently looking for a church.  I am so excited to teach them!!  This week has helped me solidify and build my faith in so many areas, and I'm so grateful to be on a mission!!  

Scripture of the week: Enos!

I love y'all!

Week 7: Camdenton, MO

All Along the Watchtower, Princes (of God) Kept the View

This week has been great!!

We had interviews with the MP in St. Roberts, about an hour away, we rode with guy who was German until he moved to America in 1955 at the age of 18. He is the funniest guy you'll ever meet, and he has some awesome stories from his past. Elder Brown and I have been crazy busy the last couple of weeks, tons of splits with ward members and we are doing lots of work with both investigators and less-actives. We have a huge area, and some of our investigators live WAY out in the boonies. Some of the areas that we tract are sketchy, and the people in them are different than what I expected, but as I look at them with a Christlike love, my fears and doubts are overcome. Tracting has been so hard for me, since I am not one to start conversations, but as I have tried to tract and do all in my power to become an effective missionary, I have been strengthened through Christ and we have had some very good successes with tracting. It is very nice here in central Missouri, overcast most days, and in the 70's.  My companion took me to a watchtower last night, and and we set some goals up there, as we were the highest point attainable in the county.  It reminded me of the old testament prophets, when they went up to the highest point to talk with God. We had a very strengthening experience up there, and the Spirit guided our goals.  We set one goal, then prayed about it, and then we both felt that we needed to raise it. As we trust in the Lord, and study things out in our mind, if we pray with a sincere heart, with real intent, and having faith in Christ, we can receive answers to our questions, whether they be spiritual or not.  I have a testimony of that, and every day as my companion and I pray to know if our plans are acceptable to Him, that testimony grows.  It is an exciting time to be a missionary, and I am loving it with all of my heart!! If I can help you in any way, let me know! I love y'all!

Elder Eliason