Week 47: This is America

Happy Memorial Day!!! 

This week was super fun!

Some of the highlights are as follows:

-We were in this town called Dennis Kansas, it literally has 3 streets and a post office smaller than our apartment. We were knocking on a trailer when we heard a BOOM super close. We heard 2 or 3 more, and when we left we saw, through the trees, a group of people shooting a rifle in the trees haha! (in the opposite direction mom) 

-Katy Days! The town of Parsons was started as a railroad town built around a train station, called Katy Station. It burned down a while back, but to commemorate the roots of the town they have a celebration on Memorial weekend. It was cool to walk around and see a group of people bigger than 5 at a park that we could talk to :) 

-We have this super funny investigator from Guatemala, he is in the army and makes pistol holsters, and he shares the gospel at work! It reminded me of this quote from Howard W. Hunter, "What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others. … A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others.” 

I have definitely seen my desire to share the message of the Restoration increase as I have gone through my mission. I think a reason for that is the gospel light in my life has grown as a result of deepened daily prayer and scripture study, recognizing the Lord's hand in my life, testifying of the truth, and opening my mouth. 

I have a firm conviction of the reality of the Restoration. Greater happiness, peace and light have been noticed in my life as a result of the simple question Joseph Smith posed back in 1820. I would like to encourage all of you to increase the gospel light in your lives by adhering to President Nelson's talk on revelation.

Have a great week! Stay cool 

Elder Eliason 

Pictures!

1-4. Landscapes and stuff

5. Public land hunting! (walk in only!) 

6. We are going to tour a masonic lodge one of these days️

Week 46: "my life in 4 paragraphs" episode ? of 104

This week was purty good.

I got food poisoning!!☠️☠️ At a zone conference (missionary meeting with about 30-40 missionaries) we had lunch, and I guess something was really bad in something I ate. That was Wednesday at around noon, and about 24 hours later I started feeling really sick. This is where one of the most obvious miracles I've ever seen comes in!! I knew that we had lots going on that day, and I knew that I couldn't function in lessons feeling the way I did, so as I was laying on the floor trying to get comfortable, I said a little prayer promising that I would give 100% if the Lord would ease the pain. He eased it, and I gave it. I had one of the most spiritual, productive evenings of my mission!!! We committed a lady to baptism that I didn't have that much faith in, we were able to set up a return appointment with a lady who has been extremely prepared for the Plan of Salvation, and we were able to feel an increase of the Spirit wherever we went. Not even 3 minutes after our last appointment of the night, I was driving us home when I felt suuuuuper sick to my stomach. My companion thought I was just trying to fake it, but I pulled over and exited the vehicle while making much haste, and was able to get to the grass on the side of the road before I let loose the contents of my stomach. We made it home safely, but that was definitely not the last time I vomited that night. To be honest, it was probably the most painful sickness I've ever had.

0/10 I would not recommend.

There are a lot of people progressing towards baptism here, it's super cool to see the commitment that these people have! It is always such a good feeling to be a missionary! There are so many different ways to do missionary work, and you're always helping someone new with their individual concerns and challenges, so it's never boring.

I bought a little study journal for when I have questions or spiritual impressions. It's been awesome to see how if I remember the question I asked 5 minutes ago, I get answers!! But seriously, I would encourage all of you to get a study journal. It has helped me deepen my spiritual learning, and I have definitely received more revelation because of it.
Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of your receiving further light” (“Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 86)

Sorry if I droned on, only the true homeboys look at more than the pictures tho️

I hope y'all have a good one!
From Kansas w/ love,
Elder Eliason 

Kansas Sunset 

Early Fighter Jet

WWI Memorial in Parsons Square

The mountains here in Kansas are so rugged. I love it!      

Catholic Church

Trying to Eat Healthy

Life Goals

Pittsburgh Mascot (the gorilla)

Flat Kansas

Week 45: Parsons: Week 1 of ??? 🤔

This week was so so good!

Some of the highlights are as follows:

1. I was able to video chat with my family! I love them all so much!! It was the best. It was so good to hear from them, and see how they are doing. It's also comforting to know that not a lot has changed 😂

2. I was transferred to Parsons, Kansas. It is a small branch but we have high hopes and good faith that this transfer will be the best one yet! We are really going to focus on part-member and less active families, and getting referrals from them.

3. My new companion, Elder Franks, is such a stud! We go running every morning, and it helps me to have a refreshed mind and an invigorated body. He has been out for as long as I have, and we know some of the same people, and so we always have many laughs at the end of the night! He's a great companion. 

4. We have a small but solid group of people to teach, it has been a great experience to come here and to get right into teaching them. One of my favorite parts of being on a mission is teaching people and feeling the Spirit while doing so. It builds my testimony to see the Spirit work in my life and in the lives of those I teach. We are also always looking for people to teach, so if you know anyone in south-eastern Kansas let me know ;)

Have a blessed week!! 

Love, 

Elder Eliason

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!