Week 86: Blessings on Blessings

Hey!
This week has been pretty cool!

We were doing some service on an old back road one day. While we were driving home, I had a thought to say hi to some members back a ways from where we were. I turned around and we headed back 200 yards. Not too big of a drive. We knocked on the door, and one of the youth opened the door. He said "great! You must've got my text message!" We said "uh, no?" He said "oh. Well my friend wanted to meet you guys today and so I texted to see if you had any time today and now you're here!!" 

We taught his friend and it was a great experience!! It's cool to see the little miracles and the big ones in the Lord's work. We can be led and guided always.

This week has been hard, but it has been good. The hardships and struggles in our lives make our hearts more tender.

We finally had church this week!! It is such a blessing to draw close to Christ. We can learn so much from those around us and their experiences.

Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Eliason

Week 85: Commandments

This morning in my studies I found something really cool!!! I was reading in Ether 8:16

It says " And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms."

I pondered on how when we follow Satan we are in darkness and our agency is taken away from us. I made took the ten commandments, then put them in a T chart on one side.

I then went commandment by commandment, and wrote down how keeping that commandment can promote, encourage, or foster free agency in our lives. It was a wonderful exercise!! One thing I learned from Elder Williams this week is that if you don't study something you enjoy, it will not have as much meaning to you. I have found that to be true!! I have read this chapter multiple times, and one thing that sticks out to me every time I read it is verse 7. It says "And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world." 

I drew a little heart and a castle, and the words "Heavenly Father." I drew an arrow to the kingdom and listed what is drawing my heart away from my Heavenly Father. One man in Stockton asked about what the first thing you think about in the morning is. What you think about when you have five minutes just to think. He said that in a way that's your God. Your idol. 

                 Scripture Study                                                            Lunch with the crew

Week 84: Super Cold!

It's been a fantastic week!! 

It was super super cold, school was cancelled one day this week and church was cancelled. 

On the Ranch, we talked to a member and they gave us the name of a lady to go visit. We stopped by this week and asked if we could share a message about Christ with her. She let us in and we got to know her and taught a short lesson about overcoming fear, doubt, and confusion with faith, hope, and charity. The lesson lasted for 5 minutes, but we were there for about 30 minutes. She has recently gone through lots of changes in her life and she said that we talked about exactly what she needed. I felt the Spirit very strong at that moment. 

I haven't had an experience like that for a while, but I know that they can happen as we exercise faith. 

We went to a methodist church this week! Our church cancelled because it was icy out, so we called an investigator that we know goes to the methodist church in town. She jumped on that opportunity! Haha

We went to a Sunday school, choir practice, and the Sunday service. We even sat on the stand and sang in the methodist choir!! It was so much fun hahaha. And now she's more open to coming to our church. 

It's been a fantastic week!! 

Love y'all

Elder Eliason 

Beautiful Icy Morning

 Back in Arkansas

 Back in Centerton

 Custom Bug 

 Cold Lane and Bare Trees

Week 83: Lots of Great Moments

Sorry about a short email, picking up a new companion today :'(

We had lots of great moments this week!

There is a lady who came to church for the first time this week, she came with her two little girls. It was so awesome to see the ward warmly welcome them!! It was so great. Fast and Testimony meeting was wonderful. We were able to talk to lots of people this week.

We knocked on a door and a man shouted from across the street for us to get off the property. We looked at him and he was leaning on his truck, with his coat behind his hand, his hand on his hip, revealing a pistol. He was not very nice :)

We are really really excited about the people we are teaching!! It is a blessing to be in Stockton.

I am getting a new companion today, his name is Elder Williams. He's a super cool guy!! I am looking forward to serving with him, but I'm not looking forward to leaving Elder Coleman. He's a great missionary and I have learned so much from him! He is absolutely fantastic.

God knows us individually!! Satan doesn't want us to know that, or anything else about our divine roots. As we read the scriptures, we find ourselves. As we follow Christ, we find ourselves. As we lose ourselves in the service of God, we find ourselves. When we find ourselves, and our true identity as Sons and Daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, we are able to accomplish so much!!

I love each one of you!

Elder Eliason

 Getting the lighting right

 Elders Eliason and Coleman with members

New companion, Elder Williams. Photo from November.

Week 82: Weekly Report

This week was awesome! 

We had our zone conference in Joplin, we got to do lots of service, and we had some people come to church for the first time. It's always awesome to have people come to the Restored Church. 

One thing that I've come to know is that even if you don't have parents or children, you still have family. Because of Christ, all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are adopted into Christ's family, and they become His. This truth is very dear to me, especially being on a mission and being away from my physical family. We are all family. 

Christ is real!! We are on this earth for a purpose. Our families are forever when sealed in the temple. 

Love,

Elder Eliason

 Elder Coleman with his split pants

 Iced over lake

Stockton Water Tower

Week 81: Hello From Missouri

Hi!!
This week has been awesome!!

Lots of service, some teaching, some finding, always fun!!

One unique idea we had this week was to print out fliers and put them in gas stations in our area, offering free service to the community. Hopefully we can help out those in need!!

I was reading this week in Mormon, and one thing that stood out to me is in chapter 9, where Moroni says "O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day."

I know that we all have the chance to become perfected in and through Christ. It's always going to be a battle, but it's the honorable fight. We can all do it. 

Thanks for all that you have done and continue to do for me!!

Love ya!

Elder Eliason

Name Tag in the Snow ;)

 Sweet flag on the side of a barn

Week 80: Weekly Number?

This week has been awesome!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

Probably the best thing that has happened this week isn't a lesson, but service. There's an older couple in our ward, the wife is a member and the husband is not. They raise game chickens, a breed that has, in days past, been used in cock fighting. We have been doing service here and there for them the last couple of transfers, but this week we felt prompted to go over on thursday and offer some service again. When we got there the wife was very happy to see us, the husband had been very sick and had not been able to take the chickens out of their nightly resting boxes into wire enclosures for the day. We have been taking the chickens out and putting them back every day since then, feeding and watering them. It's been great to see the blessings of service in our lives. When we serve others, we serve God. Some of the greatest service that we can do for others is sharing the Restored Gospel and the associated blessings, and I believe that the husband that we have been serving is one step closer to receiving those blessings willingly. It's great to be a missionary!! 

Love,

Elder Eliason

 From left to right, Elder Coleman, Elder Beck, and Elder Wilde.

 Adopt-a-Highway

 Country Roads

Elder Plummer