Weekly Post - 1/31/2011

Ok, so I just had a weird experience. Some guy walked up to me and said he was the next president of the united states and a mormon. Then he started to sing the Beatles and yelled at 2 ladies on his phone... it was really weird. I 'm not sure what to say about it- HI BRADSHAW FAMILY!


So this last week was interesting; we spent the first 3 days of the week moving from one apartment to another, because our former neighbors were retarded and liked to complain alot that we "walk to loud". We lived above them, so that's why- but we honestly didn't do anything wrong! We just walk! I'm sorry I have to walk to my bed or to the toilet people! I guys gotta go when a guys gotta go! But now we're on a ground floor, and we have people who live above us, and honestly- the insulation is super thin, so you can hear them really well, but it's not like we're gonna complain about it! It's not that big of a deal! Holy crap, man...

Anyways, after we moved we got to visit with an investigator named Chris- he's asian. We are helping him to quit smoking and it's going super well! He says that he doesn't really crave the cigarettes anymore and that when he smokes he just feels dumb, so he's good. But he's still following the steps to this awesome stop smoking workshop the church has.

I met a guy with breast cancer the other day... it was weird. But whatever.

We've started to track down some former investigators who were really solid, and then dropped out of nowhere, so we're going to find them and dunk them! :) BY THE WAY! Jesse Cottrill, one of my investigators from West Des Moines was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints this last Saturday and Sunday! So that means I now have 1 baptism for my mission now! :D I'MSOFREAKINGHAPPYRIGHTNOW!!! President and Sister Jergenson attended the service and said it went great!

So we visited some our neighbors who we are very good friends with on saturday- they are Jehovah's Witnesses. I've come to find that JW's are really cool people, and very genuine, and not really made to be what people say; lots of the time. But they gave me a ton of their pamphlets, one of their bibles, a hymn book, and a ton of copies of the Watchtower and Awake... oh the Watchtower and Awake are like their Ensign and New Era and Friend- only not as awesome. But we went to church with them on Sunday and that was an interesting meeting. I didn't feel the spirit at all. In other words nothing testified to me of truth, therefore they're wrong. It was funny. They're hymns are weird too.

But what surprised me is that they're service is done really similarly to ours! Like they had speakers and stuff, just no sacrament [they believe only certain people can take the sacrament.] what caught me off guard was when the speakers were done talking they clapped- so it wasn't as reverent... But an very uplifting experience that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ!

Last night was an interesting night for me...  so we went to dinner at the stake presidents home and I've come to realize how much power there is from teaching by the spirit. Elder Unsicker and I both have interesting pasts where we fell away from the church for the time- I know that's hard for people to believe about me but it is true, and I hid it really well. So we've been going around and for our dinner thoughts we've been sharing our conversion stories. Last night was my turn to share my story, and as I told the story I felt very strongly to look the teenagers in the room in the eye and testify to them of the importance of choosing good friends. So I did, I don't think I've ever witnessed such full spirit on my mission ever. It was powerful, and as I continued to tell my story, and bear witness of the truth of this gospel- the spirit testified of truth. I stated to them- "I love this Gospel so much, don't ever stray from it." I testify to everyone who reads this post to be cautious. You may have a solid testimony of the truth, but it can be shaken, mine was- and I know with every bit of my soul that this is true. There is no way that it isn't, and anyone who says otherwise is just plain wrong.

Last night, I also had the opportunity to go on splits with a brother in the Bloomington Ward. He turned to me when we sat down and said "I've hooked you up with a lesson for my atheist father-in-law, I thought this'd be good practice for a 4 month old." I think I threw up my guts from being so freaking nervous at that point.  We got there and we began with a prayer- we mentioned something about the restoration and he wanted to know about that- but I totally blew over his question [I know I'm stupid] and began to teach the first lesson [the restoration] and he wanted to know again. I realized I wasn't really teaching to his needs, and I needed to follow the spirit and work in a different way. I started to ask questions to him, and everytime we got an answer doors opened up. Brother and Sister Ames learned new things about him they didn't even know! He wasn't Atheist, he was Agnostic- and that was a shocker. I wasn't there to help him learn about our church, I was there to help him find our Heavenly Father! SHOOT! [I just realized that] But as I continued to teach him and follow the spirit, I learned that all I was doing from following the spirit was testify to him of this Gospel, and that God lives, and His Son is our Redeemer- and he can know it! And I can help him know it! And I know he can, and he will. The spirit was full in that room last night- the more I think on last night the more I feel like I did a poor job teaching him, but then again, the more I feel comforted, that I did what was right. I hope that man felt the spirit last night, [I should have pointed it out to him...] I felt it, very strongly.

Everyone out there, this church is true. I can't be more firm in that statement. I've spent alot of time lately reading the Ensign conference edition from May 2009 [I think] and I know we have Prophets and Apostles on this earth today! They guide us and direct us away from the wrongs of the world! We must head their words! Conference is soon! :D

Jesus lives! He loves us, God lives and He loves us!

I love you all

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 1/24/2011

Man, oh man!

 

I really need to start remembering things! I swear I have like memory loss issues, because I can't really remember that much. Either that or time just passes so fast I don't really get the opportunity to remember what happened?

 

So I'm still trying to get to know Bloomington- I hate midwestern roads. Period. They zig and zag, and then it's one way, and then it's not and then there's a four way stop with and island? What the heck?! Not it's not a round about; it's a freaking island! You know because it has a sign that says "YES YOU CAN TURN LEFT" just not like that! Illinois what is your deal! And the Bears lost to the Packers! HA! That was not a good night to tract on; our message brings blessings of comfort?

 

We keep getting dropped, so there's not really much we have going on :/ It's kinda lame, but we keep tracting, and looking. The work wouldn't be so hard for missionaries if members would stop being in their bubble and just refer their freaking friends! I don't get how people can assume that if they share the Gospel with their friends then their friendship will fall apart- I know that if we all share our testimonies with our friends, and we invite them to learn about the Gospel, then we can become closer friends, and lives can be blessed. Man up people!

 

We did a totally spontaneous exchange the other day- it was random but good. There was a door Elder Pratt and I knocked on and the guy game out and yelled at us. He said he hated having "snot nosed teenage brats" come knocking on his door and trying to sell their religion. That really made me mad so I stayed quite, and we asked if he was religious and he said he was Unitarian- I asked him if he could explain to me what a Unitarian believes [even though I already knew, I've met several Unitarians] and he said no! He said that he believes if you're looking to learn about a religion go to its church- the guy obviously doesn't understand what Christ meant when he said "Go forth and Preach My Gospel." anyways it was just a funny experience- people can be so funny.

 

Then we went to visit a Recent Convert and he found some anti on the internet and it made him question his testimony of Joseph Smith [I hate anti so much!]

 

He basically had a few questions:

 

1. Why didn't Joseph Smith tell Emma about polygamy? [and he did, who ever thought he didn't?]

2. How could a prophet steal other mens wives? [he didn't, polygamy was a call where men had to be interviewed and found worthy to do so, and then they were assigned a wife, who at that time lacked a husband due to persecution. Marriage is the key to the highest degree of Celestial Glory people!]

3. Did Joseph Smith have a gun in Carthage Jail? [yes, he did]

4. Did he shoot 3 and kill 3 men? [That's one I don't know.]

5. How could a man called of God carry a gun to protect himself and kill 3 men? Doesn't that display lack of faith in the Lord? [That's a dumb question, because even if you do have faith in the Lord, you can't always sit and expect Him to deliver you out of every situation. Joseph Smith talked about how he knew the Lord would preserve him until his time was up, however he could not just stand by and let all the persecution come. Faith without works is dead people! And when we exercise works we demontrate that faith that we do have in the Lord. Now that's not to say you can't have that kind of faith in the Lord that he'll protect you- look at Samuel the Lamanite! He had several people shooting arrows at him, and he stood and continued to prophecy! But the Lord says in the scriptures to protect your family and friends and that's what Joseph Smith was trying to do. Besides those facts, no matter what you may look at to try to disprove Joseph Smith, he's still a prophet- God called him, and God's not going to let His prophets lead His church astray. If Joseph Smith went against the Lords will, then the Lord would remove him; simple as that.

6. Was Joseph Smith a Free Mason? [Yes, Joseph Smith was a Free Mason, and so was Brigham Young, John Taylor, Willford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow- and they're still prophets.

 

Anyways, that's my insight- I might sound dumb, but it's all good. I probably explained #5 bad, so if I offend you I'm sorry. I know that regardless of what people might say about Brother Joseph to make him look bad, he's still a prophet, and he made the right decisions.

 

We went on splits and taught a first lesson to some guy with a smoker voice. He was drunk. But he wants us to come back, so we're going to go back and teach him the first lesson again! Maybe he'll be sober this time?

 

Anyways I gotta get off now.

 

Write me y'all!

 

Love ya!

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 1/18/2011

So it was a holiday yesterday and the libraries were closed to I get to email today.

I have been transferred now to Bloomington, Illinois with Elder Chad Unsicker. I don't have a picture. Sorry.

It's been kind of crazy adjusting to Illinois, and I'm not really sure yet if I like Illinois. The roads are messed up.

I got a call from Elder Sonderegger last night with an update on how the investigators are doing, and he wanted to know something else too, but I won't say what.

Jesse came to church again, and loved it, and is keeping commitments, so we're certain he's getting baptized. The Rosencrans they're meeting with and it's going well, that's all he said. And Miranda is not going good, she's starting to make excuses on making commitments, and meeting with us. She says her family is persecuting her and stuff, which could be true, but she's been known to do this, so it's annoying. So we're worried about her. But hey, Jesse is going through, and that's amazing.

I've discovered I'm not a morning person.

So the other day I had a really cool experience testimony builder thing, whatever you want to call it. I've been asking this question for a long time, because one of my friends who had a friend murdered asked me "If there is a God then why does He allow people to be murdered?", I've asked that question alot, and I've never been able to find an answer. The other day I was wondering it again and I prayed about it, and turned to the Book of Mormon for my personal study. The first chapter I read was Alma 60. Verse 13 in particular was what stood out to me; saying-

"For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgement may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God."

- Alma 60:13

This has been an amazing strength to my testimony to not only does God answer our prayers, but the Book of Mormon really does answer the questions of the soul. I have been boggled as I have read the Book of Mormon again at the immense and diverse answeres it has to the many questions I have to ask. I have had several questions that I've wondered on my mission that have been answered as I've turned to the Book of Mormon- this book is true. Surely a 20 year old man, with 3rd grade level education could not have written a book so immense. The Book of Mormon answers lifes greatest questions, and testifies of truth- it truely is put together by the hands of prophets, and translated by the power of God. There is no way it could have been simply written; and if it were, then Joseph Smith had a heck of an imagination.

Prows Out.

Weekly Post - 1/12/2011

Soooooooo-

I am being transferred. I have no idea where to, and who I'll be with. But I find out tomorrow morning- I am super bummed, because of Miranda- but also I didn't mention this, but Elder Sonderegger and I have 4 investigators with dates! Haha, I was going to just pop up the pictures with you, but I'm getting transferred so might as well just let you all know; the life of a missionary, such sweetness.

So, I will tell you all about my investigators who will be baptized this year:

NUMBER 1!

Miranda Nuttall; March 12

Miranda has been explained, if you want to know about her read previous blogs.

NUMBER 2!

Jesse Cottrill; January 29 [BARELY GOING TO MISS IT :( ]

Jesse is the son of a less-active who investigated like 3 years ago. He's 27, and really receptive to us. He wasn't really sure before if he was actually interested in the church, but when Elder Sonderegger and I came to teach him, he started to see the change in his life and actually the lesson where we showed up to commit him to baptism, he told us he was thinking that baptism is something he wants. He's been to church with us once, and is commited to live the word of wisdom and repent of his sins. He's way excited, as are we- I'm mega bummed I'm going to miss his baptism, but I go to a place that needs me more that the Des Moines 2nd Ward does.

NUMBER 3&4!

Stephanie and Gabrielle Rosencrans; February 12

Stephanie is the mother of Gabrielle who is 11. She is currently living with her ex-husband/boyfriend [it's confusing I know] and she has been investigating for quite some time now- however, when Elder Sonderegger and I came in and started meeting with her more frequently and pointing out the spirit she had lots of questions and got really excited. And it just so happens in our first lesson with her Gabrielle sat in, and he felt the spirit and got really excited and he commited to baptism as well- we're super excited about them, and can't wait to see them go through... well Elder Sonderegger will!

Anyways, that's the 4 baptisms we have lined up- sorry if you're mad I hid them, I just thought it'd be funny to pop them up on you; and I did. Pray for them though!

Anyways, this last week was full of walking and me being senior companion for the week. I guess President Jergensen has plans for me? I haven't been called in a leadership position which is reasonable, but I've been acting Senior Companion for the week, and it's a tough job- but I've gotten the hang of it. Elder Sonderegger and I were kind of freaking out all week about transfers because we both wanted to stay in Des Moines, but one of us had to leave. He's done training me.

Thursday was transfer predictions, and it was funny to see where every one said they thought others were going. And almost everyone guessed me being T'd, which they were right...

Saturday was AWFUL! The day of Transfer calls... the morning is when they do leadership calls and we didn't get one, so we were even more agonized not knowing what was going to happen! And nobody was getting leadership calls! We found out later though that Elder Connell who was a visa waiter had recieved his visa and will be leaving tomorrow to go to Brazil! We're all sad about it, because he's awesome and we love him, but hey, he gets to go be called a greenie again! BAH HA! Elder Ball is staying in the 3rd Ward as the DL still, and later we found out that Elder Loveland and Tenney were both staying in Waukee... so we were the last ones to get our call. We were doing follow-ups for a while and then I just knew, it hit me- I'm being transferred. Later that night at our dinner appointment we got the call from one of the assistants... I politely asked if I could take the call and walked to the bathroom and talked to Elder Whiting- he asked me what I thought would happen, and what I wanted to happen. I told him I'm not sure what'll happen, and that I want to stay. He then said "Well Elder Prows.................... [very long pause]................ you are being transferred....." I then could breathe again- I held my breathe while he was pausing, it was that intense! American Idol never got that intense; freaking Ryan Seacrest and his poorly timed announcements...

But yeah just know everyone I do not have a clue where I'm going to be sleeping tomorrow! So you can go ahead and sleep in comfort tonight! As for me, I'm gonna be freaking out!

And so these past 3 days have been filled with me saying goodbyes to the Ward and teaching lessons. I didn't have any idea that the people in this ward loved me this much, especially the kids. I swear I have never been mauled by so many children before- but it's so crazy saying goodbyes and sharing my final thoughts with these people! who knows though, maybe I'll come back and see them for leadership meetings? But for now I say goodbye.

I hate missionary approved music by the way- it sucks. If there is anything that I am super trunky for it's music; all I get to listen to besides the choir cd my parents sent is crappy stuff recorded by missionaries who are super Trunky [homesick- caring a trunk full of stuff they want from home inside of them] and they whine and whine and whine! And what's worse is they can't sing at all, and they think they're so awesome! And EVERY MISSIONARY HAS THEM!!! AAAAHHH!!!!

That was random and spontaneous I know, but I had to get it out.

Anyways, this blog post is now boring me.

write me, and wish me luck where ever I go.

Pray for the IDMM to get 500 this year!

Hi Bradshaw family in Kaysville, Utah!

Love,

Elder Christopher Prows

P.S.  Here are some pictures:

My District Left to Right:

Elder Connell, Elder Sonderegger, Elder Ball, Elder Prows, Elder Tenney, Elder Loveland
Yes I am aware of how dumb the four awesome elders on the left look.

We got about a foot of snow this last week, it's been crazy- it was snowing so heavily that the plows couldn't keep up with all the areas so they had so just stop and focus on the main roads and not neighborhoods.

Weekly Post - 1/3/2011

SO! This is a SHOUT OUT TO THE BRADSHAW FAMILY IN KAYSVILLE, UTAH!

 

This week was pretty cool- temperature-wise. By the way the disadvantage about being a missionary is you can be such an idiot! So wednesday and thursday were stupid, it was 50-60 degrees outside, that's like summer weather, so on Friday morning Elder Sonderegger and I were like oh we only need to wear our thermals and suit coats- we walked two miles away from our apartment in 50 degree weather, then we gave some guy who was walking to his work at Little Caesars a Book of Mormon, and then turned around to walk home for lunch. But as soon as we turn around the weather drops from like 50 degrees to something like 15 degrees- it sucked big time!

 

I'm trying to read my planner right now so I can remember what I did, and there's a note that looks like it says Spicy... OH! Study! I gotcha, I wrote too fassst.

 

This last week was interviews, and it was awesome- I love my Mission President by the way. He's coolest guy I've ever met. The day after that was District Meeting, and it was good. I don't really remember much about what happened this week other than that- so I guess this post will be very boring?

 

Oh, Miranda is doing well, she has not come to church yet, but she's been reading the Book of Mormon which is good! But we're working hard with her to get her to come to church, we also need to set up another appointment.

 

Apparently I'm getting taller.

 

By the way! Laundromats are very expensive- don't ever go to a laundromat unless you are seriously desperate! Elder Sonderegger and I did our laundry at one today cause- well it's a long story, so shut up.

 

We got a referral the other day for a guy named Dong Sheng Yu... I'm so excited to meet this guy!

 

New Years Eve was cool, we spent part of it eating dinner at a members place watching 'Minute to Win It' and staring at a turtle [don't ask]. Then we went to the Mission home and hung out for a bit- this little kid kept following me around, it was weird. Kids love missionaries, which is weird cause I'm terrible with kids. So having a 4 years old follow me around is a little weird, but whatever, I'll deal with it.

After the Mission Home we went home and I went to bed at 10:30 even though we were allowed to be up until midnight cause I was tired, and cold. By the way there's a girl in our Ward named Alice Cooper- I got so excited when I saw that name, I knew it was a girl, and not the real singer- this lady is from Africa. But she's pretty cool, really quiet.

 

Elder Sonderegger and I are making a tape recording to this thing the AP's and President Jergensen want us to study each week, so we only have to listen to it, and not read it out loud... Our voice acting is amazing.

 

This Saturday we get Transfer calls... I'm scared I'm going to get transferred or Elder Sonderegger is going to... I wouldn't like either :/ but! I'd no longer be a greenie, so it'd work out. But still, I love Sandbagger, he's awesome. And I want to see Miranda baptized- so that'd suck if I got transferred. (Just watch now I'm gonna be transferred.)

 

Anyways, this post is now boring me. I'm gonna get off now.

 

Prows out