Derrick's Weekly Letter 8.25.14

Dang! I am sad that I could not write Happy Birthday to Jared and HJ this week! In the short letter I only said to send everything to the mission office and I would really, really like some more ties. The tie is literally the only thing that you can change everyday. So that would be nice. Haha! You can’t have too many ties. So, if at all possible, please send me a tie every chance you get. I want all my stuff sent to the mission office because we are going to move soon, so I don't want it to just get lost. The zone leader go to Tempe a lot and they just give me the mail when they pick it up.

    

I love it out here and Elder Rook is the best!! We get a long really well and we work hard everyday. Our teaching pool is ............................ Yeah, everyone here is very well off and are pretty set in their ways. We are just on “finding mode” right now… just trying to get some more investigators. (Mom, tell Jared and HJ to write me, I have so much advise for them).

Tracking is obsolete, and street contacting is pretty scarce here. It is so hot that no one is ever outside. But yesterday, we had a rare opportunity. We were headed out to the church building and there was a guy out walking. I was able to strike up a conversation and lead into God and all that. He was not interested at all, but that is a big step for me to be able to just walk up and talk to somebody.

I can’t believe that I have almost been out a month! The MTC seems like a blur!!!!! But we are going to stop by a less-active and part-member family tonight. Members in our ward have been working with them and now they say they are ready to take the discussions. We also, on my first week stopped and talked to a guy, that on my own, I would not have just walked up and talked to . He said that he had grown up in Blanding and had his mission call, but then stuff happened in his ward and he decided not to go. We talked to him for a few minutes, and we asked if we could end with a prayer. He said, “Yes, but first let me go grab my daughter. She has gone to your church and she says that she wants to be Mormon.” So we turned around and left....jk hahahaha. We were like, “OK. We would love to help you out with that!” Haha. So we set up an appointment and he was not home when we stopped by again. She lives with her mom most of the time and we just happed to run into her the 2 or 3 days she is with her dad every few weeks.

We are teaching a Lady named Mary, but she has been meeting with missionaries for 2 years, and she won’t really make any steps to progress. So, the next lesson we teach her is going to be an ultimatum lesson. 

Then there is Sister Freily. She was raised LDS, and her parents work at the San Diego Temple. She went less active for a few years and now we are teaching her and she really want to go to the temple. Her husband works 10 weeks out-- and 2 weeks home in the New Caledonia building-- a power plant. He is not a fan of the church. 

This week we were able read a little bit about Elder Bednar’s talk “Flooding the World” with social media and the internet. We can, and we are doing all we can to get all of our members on and use it. The Church grows so rapidly. Here, wards are normally split every 3 years. They just split 1 week before I got here, and so everything is pretty new. We have an awesome ward mission leader and assistants!!!! We have had meetings about how to flood our area with the gospel, and we are on our way to do so.

I have learned so much everyday here!!!! It is crazy to see how much the Lord can help me in my life every day if I just pray. Prayer will change the night to day. I have learned so much about Commandments. I have just been able to have my eyes opened and realize the commandments are the way to be happy. God want us to have joy! So he helps us know exactly how to do that. You are always serving either God or Satan, and that the gospel blesses families! I never really understood that till I got out here and saw the world for real.

I know that all I am called to do is to teach people to be happy. It is sad when people are willing to settle for so much less than they can have, and that they just don't want to follow Christ. I know that the gospel will help lift and help anyone on earth no matter what they have done. The gospel is for everyone!! I know that is true, and I love being able to teach what little people I can about it!

P.S. I walked out side last night and it felt super good!!! Got inside and I looked at the thermometer and it read 99 degrees. Yeah, the Lord has blessed me....or the heat has just burned my nerves!! Either way, I love being a missionary!

Picture: I was on the phone and he randomly took a photo… What a silly! Ha! He is a stud pants!!