Week 44: Baby, we're headed to Kansas!

First off, I would like to express my thanks to the best momma ever!! She truly magnifies motherhood, and I love her so much!!! 

We got transfer calls this week! I requested in a letter to my mission president to go to Kansas and to serve with a particular Elder, and I'm going! This will be the fourth state that I have served in, so that's pretty cool. My companion will be Elder Franks, I served near him in Arkansas. The area that I am headed to is Parsons, KS. It's another branch, so I am looking forward to really getting to know the members there. It's been a really cool opportunity to get to know the members really well here in Poteau. As it's going to be very nice out, I really want to try riding bikes and walking to places within biking/walking range.

One of the members here is a convert of under 6 months, and he is now the branch mission leader, and he's doing a very good job. We have been finding some people to teach, and the Elders here are really going to focus on fellowship those people.

One of my least favorite part of being a missionary is packing up all of my stuff. It always seems that I can never get all of it packed, and I always find random things 5 seconds before we need to go to the transfer point! This transfer, however, is different. I thought I would work smarter and keep it simple, by having some vacuum bags and working a little bit every day. To any missionary out there I would really recommend that approach!

This is our last transfer with our mission president, President Loveland. It's been a good experience getting to know him, and I know that he has been foreordained to be the mission president in this specific mission at this specific time. I am also looking forward to working with President Strong, who will come in next transfer.

I hope that y'all have a marvelous week! Happy Mothers day!!!!!🌹💐🎉

Love,

Elder Eliason

 My favorite thing OF ALL TIME: Giving blood 🅾

Getting detained by a dep'ty sheriff of LeFlore County, OK

Week 43: The Weekly

This week was not my favorite. 

My companion was sick from the start of the week, and midway through the week I caught what he had, and this whole week we have been in bed trying to get better so we can go visit people again.  Lots of studying!! I've found I really like the book of Hebrews!!! Sorry for a super boring weekly :'(

I hope y'all have a wonderful week 😊🌈

 Photo bomb at Zone Conference 4.24.2018

 Before I got sick :)

 

With a recent convert at a Young Men's bonfire!

Week 42: Come, Ye Children of the Lord

This week was really good! We are working hard and we are seeing the Lord's hand in our area. I think it's interesting to see the different ways that the Lord opens the hearts of men to allow our message to take hold in their lives. One investigator family we tracted into about 3 months ago. They said that they were interested, but we were not able to get ahold of them for about 2 weeks, and so we put them on the back burner and eventually forgot about them. About a week ago the traveling teachers from the mission came, and we had a prompting to go and see them. We introduced ourselves, and they explained to us that over the course of the last three months their situation had drastically changed. They had both lost their jobs, and so now they are home all the time and they are really open to our message. God really does provide a way for His message to "sound in every ear."
I know that the tender mercies of the Lord are truly upon all of His children, and as we look for them and thank Him for them, we can receive more, according to our obedience.

Love, 

Elder Eliason

Leafy  Tree

 Mural

 Webber Falls Lock & Dam 

Week 41: Finding

The work in Poteau is going well! We are having lots of success finding people to teach, and I truly do love helping people grow closer to Christ. The message that I share has strengthened me so much as I have pushed the limits on my comfort and my teaching skills.

We are working closely with our Branch Mission leader to close the gap between members and missionaries, and a weekly missionary correlation meeting has helped us keep accountable to the branch as well as the Lord.  We are coming up with lots of ideas as a branch mission to implement, and we are hoping to get lots of investigators to an 8 year old baptism this weekend.

It was super rainy here this week!! There was a tornado warning, no tornados near us but some across the Oklahoma-Arkansas border.  

We did some service out at a member's farm, he had us put up some gates, and it was so satisfying!! We almost messed it up a couple of times, but it still works and looks good :)

One good talk that I would like to share is Elder Bednar's general conference address in April 2016, Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins. It talks about the Sacrament, and how it cleanses us.  It's really good!

I love y'all!!

Elder Eliason

 charcoal mask

 A coyote among a herd of cows

The district

 gospel cereal

   #highpriestsquad (for the end of suitcoat season, of course!!)

 A juniper bush in spring 🌳

 cool sunset

 riding in a tractor bucket

 a TASTE of the faith of the South :)

This is in the spillway for Wister Lake, a huge lake in our area.  The spillway is all shale, so it's torn out in places, and it looks really cool!

Week 40: The weekly📸📬

This week was wonderful! We had lots of rain, and it was gloomy for part of the week but now really sunny and warm and nice and green (and did I mention sunny?!)   outside. 

We have been trying to do a lot of service with our members, and share a message about creating a gospel sharing home. When we lead by example, others will follow. Even a simple picture of Christ or serving in the community will help others to know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ.

One cool spiritual thought I had for this week is this:

In a talk on Joseph Smith, Truman G Madsen intrigued me by saying that the answer to Joseph Smith's prayer is an answer to millions of prayers throughout the centuries. I have pondered on that, and I believe that it is true. We are told that sometimes the answers to our questions may not come in the time frame we expect, or in the way we are expecting. I have a firm conviction in my heart and in my mind that Joseph Smith is a prophet. We can all find greater peace, love, and direction in our lives as we look to the modern prophets for guidance and counsel. They really can be the answer to our questions, too!

I love y'all!

Keep lookin' good ;)

- Elder Eliason 

P.S. Pictures won't load so I will send them next week if they still won't load later today :'(

Week 39: 🎶Sweet Home Oklahoma🎶

Hey y'all!

This week was pretty short, as our last preparation day was on Wednesday. The biggest highlight was General Conference, which was great!

We are setting some more baptismal goals with people, so that people really know our purpose in being here on missions and coming to their homes. When people know our purpose, I feel like they are more likely to keep commitment and to progress in the gospel.

 

Addresses are so hard out here!! It is so annoying to try and find a house number on a street where there's hardly any mailboxes! We spent about 2 hours trying to find an address, in an old part of a small town. The street was sparse and did not have that many houses, but we started knocking on doors and we found that most of the people there are family. But none of them knew the house nor the person we were looking for! We didn't find the house, but we had some great experiences sharing our message and our testimony about the restoration and inviting people to come closer to Christ.  One thing that I've learned recently is that even if you don't end up doing what you set out to do, if you are listening to the Holy Spirit the Lord will guide you to where he needs you to be and where you can do what he wants you to do. 

What was your favorite talk from conference? Mine was Elder Bednar's on meekness, but they were all amazing! A scripture to go along with meekness is, Alma 13:27-28.

It's rainy here, hopefully it's nice where you are! Have a great week!

Love, 

Elder Eliason

I found the BEST rocking chair(and matching footstool😉)  to watch conference in :) 

Elder Swanson masterfully positions the ball into a very sticky spot

I thought my family would appreciate this sign, as it's coming into "that season" yet again! 

Week 38: 3rd transfer in Poteau!! 👌

Y'all!

Poteau didn't do so hot with this transfer call, they got stuck with BOTH Elder Swanson and I for another 6 weeks!! We are both excited to stay, I was expecting to leave, but what a sweet surprise!

The work is good here, the branch is growing, and it's spring! I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm living the dream!

I am SO excited for general conference this weekend, I used to be able to sleep through whole sessions with no problem, but now they captivate me! This one is going to be extra-special, because it's the first time that we will be able to sustain the new prophet, Russell M Nelson.

I invite all y'all to watch general conference with a purpose. Maybe that purpose is to see if the fruits of the prophet are good. Maybe it is to receive an answer to a question or a prayer. Whatever it is, coming with a purpose will make it so much greater of an experience :)

We also played a bit of a prank on our district, writing "just married <3" on the back of their cars!! They had fun trying to wash it off :)

Elder Eliason

There's not much more to add, but I will hunt for some things to add this week! I promise I'm not boring in person :)

Love, 

Elder Eliason 

 Our District - only one person is leaving this transfer!

A youth who was baptized this week!!

Washin' a dog!

Prankin'