Week 35: Cavanal

Heyyy!! 

This week was crazy fun!! Lots of miracles and lots of appointments. We are preparing lots of part member families for baptism. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and true happiness can come from sharing it!! 

One video that our mission is really taking advantage of is https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-01-150-working-with-members-retention-and-activation?lang=eng

It has really helped me gain a vision of another way to be an effective missionary!! 

I hope y'all have a great week, and look out for those rogue snapping turtles! 

Love, 

Elder Eliason

 ABM ftw!

Not only is Poteau above the ordinary, it's in preference to the ordinary!

Week 34: Water

This week was really fun!

We had lots of success and really got some work done. It was super, super rainy this weekend, and most of the rivers in the area flooded over. They went over some of the bridges, as you can see by some of the pictures that I will include. We are approaching spring weather and it's super nice!! 

We are having lots of success helping others to come into Christ. I am trying to be closer to Christ myself. 

One of my favorite parables is when Christ comes out to his apostles, walking on the water. Peter beckons to have Christ invite him out onto the water.  Peter begins to walk on the water and starts moving towards Christ. However, as soon as the winds pick up he becomes afraid and begins to doubt. He immediately starts to sink and it seems as if he is going to drown. However, Christ reaches out and pulls him up and the first thing he says is, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" This is very dear to me because I often think we're given situations where we might not know how to do something, or we might not know how to fix a problem, but Christ does! As we look to Christ in every thought we do not need to fear, and we do not need to doubt. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

Pictures!!

One of the many rivers that burst ​

 Cows in the pasture

Week 33: Transfers!

This is my 7th week in Poteau, and it's going great!! 

I got a new companion, Elder Swanson, who has been out for 9 months.  He's stoked to be in a branch! He was in his last area for 6 months, that seems so weird to me, as I've only had 3 months in each area.  I bet it's bittersweet, but I'm glad he's here!

We had a wonderful week, we were able to contact a lot of people who we have had trouble with in the past, and we're ready to dig in and get to work.

One of the many great things that happened this week - Elder Hurst and I tracted into a man near a less-active's house, and he said we could come back on thursday, which is transfer day.  We barely made it in time, and when we knocked on the door, a lady answered and said that they were busy making dinner.  We talked with her for a little bit, then she let us in for "a minute".  After talking for "a minute" we asked if we could sit down and have a short discussion.  20 minutes later, we committed them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, and set up a return appointment.  The Lord really does open the hearts of men (and the doors of men!) as we work diligently and obediently!!

I hope y'all have a week as warm as Poteau's week is going to be! ;)

Love,

Elder Eliason

Week 32: Cavanal Hill

Well, transfer calls are in: Elder Hurst is going to kansas and is being replaced by Elder Swanson.  I don't know him yet but I will soon!!

One wonderful experience:

We didn't have a lot of time to tract this week (tracting is my favorite hobby😞 ) but we found a lot of prepared people!!  We have been trying by former investigators and media referrals from times past, and at every person we have tried by, we have been able to find someone to teach, whether the person we are trying to find, or someone in an adjacent house that we knocked on.  

I have an ever-growing testimony that the Lord sends prepared people to His prepared servants!!

I hope you all have a great time this week!

I am including a talk that I find really spiritual!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

Pictures: We went to Mount Cavanal, the "Highest Hill in the World" the day after it iced over.  I believe it's one of the highest points in Oklahoma!

Week 31: One Faith

This week has been pretty crazy!

The main point of interest this week is our Mission President has made known a challenge that isn't from him, but from the Lord.  The goal is for every area in our mission to have a baptism in February.  

We thought it was going to be easy, as we have some progressing investigators and one lady with a baptismal goal of Feb. 24th.  However, this week her husband made her stop meeting with us, and with her went the "easy finish" of this goal.  However, as we studied in Doctrine and Covenants 29:6 we learned: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive."

We decided to put this to the test, and unite our branch in prayer for this goal.  We started looking hard for part-member families to work with, and working harder.  At first our efforts seemed to be in vain, but by the end of this week we have been blessed with two baptismal dates for Feb. 25th.  They came from a source we did not even notice - but the Lord provides, and I know that He works in mysterious ways.  Through faith, being united in prayer, we can achieve anything that our Heavenly Father wants for us.  One part of the Bible Dictionary that I love is the last little bit on prayer.  "We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us (John 15:7). We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart."  So, if we want our prayers to be answered, we need to find what Christ wishes us to pray for.

I know that when we align our will with Christ's, we can be blessed beyond measure!  

I hope you all have a great week, and can gain something from reading my e-mail each week :)

Love,

Elder Eliason

A great view, probably the highest you'll see on my mission - apart from Cavanal, which will hopefully be in an upcoming e-mail ;)

Week 30: Keep On Keeping On

This week was a bit rough, we tracted a lot but not a lot of people were open.  

We are getting smartphones soon, so we are preparing for that.

We set a baptismal date with one of our investigators, our teaching pool is quite small but there truly are people in the Poteau area that have been prepared by the Lord.

Even though people don't always listen, it is always a delight to be in the service of others.  We are trying to focus on answering questions of the soul on the doorstep that lead to the message of the restoration, such as:

Where can I turn for peace?

How can I help my family become closer?

How can I become happy?

Why does God allow us to struggle?

As we try to answer these questions, we have the answers that can bless their lives!!

I know that sometimes we will go through rough times, and sometimes we will have a period of peace, but as we look unto Christ in every thought, we know the destination that we have as a goal, and we have the perfect Plan of Happiness to achieve that goal of knowing our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (John 17:3)!

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and hope you all will find the truth of it as well!

Love,

Elder Eliason

A cool truck in Clarksville, AR

The Bonnie and Clyde gang's last stop was here in Poteau!! (Photos below)

Week 29: Poteau

Hi!

This week was really fun!

We had lots of tracting time, but also lots of teaching time.  

There was a guy who just showed up at church last Sunday, who has been looking for a church that matches the doctrine of the Bible, and he has been looking for 2.5 years.  It has been wonderful to show him the Restored Church of Jesus Christ, and to introduce him to more of the word of God, being the Book of Mormon.  

We had a tornado warning yesterday, and we were walking to a house and saw some mist coming very close to us.  We continued walking, and on the street in front of us we saw a WALL OF RAIN coming at about 15 mph straight towards us!! We had to run to the house, and we barely didn't make it, and got a little wet before we got inside.  The weather here is about as crazy as Montana's!

Love,

Elder Eliason

 Messing around at a dam while waiting to start an exchange

Disc Golf!! My favorite sport on the mission :)