Weekly Post - 1/30/2012

Well, this has been a very interesting week. It's been hard. I've been transferred from Fairfield, after having served there for 5 transfers. 5 transfers is about 7 1/2 months. So I was there for a bit longer than the usual missionary is in an area. It was an amazing 7 1/2 months. I have been greatly blessed to have served there, and I am definately going to go back to visit people afterwards!

 

Now, this is the interesting part. I have been sent to...

 

KEOKUK!

 

I am back in Keokuk! How awesome is that? That never happens! Missionaries, very very rarely get to go back to their old areas. I only got to serve in Keokuk for 1 transfer before I went to Fairfield. So it's weird to be back, and to already know the area. But it's all good! I love it here! The people remember me too! The brother who gave us a ride back didn't. But most of the other people did! It's funny.

I'm glad I get to come back and work with the people I was working with though. I went to see Thurman and Tiffany, two of my favorite investigators, and when she opened the door she flipped. I was like 'hi!' and they were excited to see me. They said that the Lord must be really serious about them if I'm back, because now they have to allow us to come over haha. Yeah, I'm gonna work hard on them. I love those two. :)

 

My new companion is Elder Samuel Bradshaw, from Kaysville, Utah. Ironically enough, his mom found this exact blog I am writing right now, and she was following it, and writing me for a while. So he and I had a good laugh. He too has been on his mission for 16 months, in other words we came out together. So we are a dynamic duo. We talk about pokemon and Zelda alot. It's fun. Of course we talk about the Gospel too, and that is always the best.

 

So going around an area that you already know is pretty cool. I'm senior companion so I have the keys again, and so I get to drive. So we get around pretty fast. It's SO NICE not driving a Pontiac Vibe. I hope everyone here who is reading this blog (if there is anyone [hello? Anybody?]) knows that Pontiac Vibes SUCK! I HATE PONTIAC VIBES! (And I try to use the word hate as little as possible. [I usually only use hate for stuff like lasagna, Satan, and things I decide I hate... like... I'll get back to you on that!])

So I'm driving a 2011 Chevy Malibu, and it is NICE! I'd own a Malibu actually. If I could pick 2 brands of car that I'd get from it'd be Toyota or Chevrolet. I'd get a Ford Fusion too, but that's Ford. Who likes Ford? I like that car. But not Ford. Hence, I will go with Toyota or Chevrolet. Honda is alright I guess. But Pontiac Vibes are terrible cars. It's a wonder people buy them. Who approved those cars anyways? Probably some jerk in a state nobody likes. He thinks he's funny. He's a JERK!

 

Anyways, we are working with people. Keokuk is exploding with potential! Since I was here, there have been 4 baptisms, and I am excited to keep that going. :) I'm just excited to be here! I might spend another 6 months here, which means this is probably my second to last, if not my last area. That's so wierd! I've been on my mission for 16 months! BWAH! BLAH! BWAH! BLAH! BWAH! BLAH! I don't like the thought of it ending... I mean, I miss alot of stuff back home. I do miss my family, and I do miss my music. I miss Lord of the Ri- OH MY GOSH LOOK AT WHAT I SAW AT WAL MART THE OTHER DAY!!!

 

LORD OF THE RINGS PEZ DISPENSERS!!!! :D :D :D I WAAAAAAAAAAAAANT!!!!

 

Anyways. Let me gain my senses back. Ok. I do miss stuff back home, but I do love being a missionary. I will definately come back to Iowa to visit. Because I love Iowa. I'm glad I have served most of my mission in Iowa and not Illinois. I like Illinois too. But Iowa is better. Go Hawkeyes.

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 1/25/2012

Well this last week was pretty crazy.

 

We had exchanges and that was awesome. I love exchanges, in getting to work with other missionaries and getting to know them. Elder Taylor, our district leader and the missionary I went with is an awesome example of how to do missionary work. I learned a TON from him.

 

We've been doing finding and stuff lately. That's what we need and this area needs really- because we're not teaching any investigators. We baptized them all! So we've got to find more to baptize. That's always a fun process, I love tracting because you get to meet all kinds of people and you learn so much. Teachin the gospel's fun, y'know what I'm sayin?

 

I love to teach though. It's so nice to teach to people and just see their testimonies grow. It's fun! The spirit gets so strong as you bear your testimony and especially as they bear their testimony! It's the best when you come to find that they do have testimonies, or they even learn that they have testimonies. I dunno, testimonies are just way cool, y'know what I'm sayin?

 

Friday we had transfer calls. Which was a bit surprising because they are usually on a saturday. So they surprised us, y'know what I'm sayin?

 

Other than that all I really don't have much to say.

 

I feel bad, because I don't have too much to say in my emails lately. It's all because we're doing alot of finding though haha. So not too much lessons to talk about really. It's chill though. I like finding. At least I'm not wastin time, y'know what I'm sayin?

 

I hate drivin long distances, especially in a Pontiac Vibe. There are worse cars, but a Pontiac Vibe is a pretty terrible car. I wonder what the vehicle coordinator was thinkin in gettin a Vibe, y'know what I'm sayin?

 

Anyways, I'm bored so I'm going to stop talking.

 

bye!

 

I'll talk to you all monday!

Weekly Post - 1/16/2012

Well this last week was pretty good.

 

We had exchanges in Iowa City with the Zone Leaders and Elder Tripp and I learned alot about how we can improve. There is always something that you can do to improve. That is something about the Gospel I love. There's more to learn, more to do, more growth- ways to be more Christ-like. You name it!

 

Anyways, we're really focusing right now on the whole finding by the spirit. Praying, looking for a place to tract by the spirit, and then praying about it, and then setting goals, praying about those, and setting those goals. The Lord is the center of this work, because it is His work; and so we need to include Him in it!

 

We had the Kerns at church again! This is week 2 in a row that they came! :) I'm so happy! Having not given up on them is paying off! Maybe they'll finally come back!

 

Don't ever give up on someone. If we give up on less-actives, investigators, potentials and such, then we are NOT following the example of Jesus Christ in seeking for their return.

 

Have a great week!

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 1/9/2012

Well this last week was good.

 

We had a less-active couple who haven't come to church in a long time come to church this Sunday. It was funny because the members don't think they'll ever come back, and so the looks on their faces when they actually walked into the church building was pretty priceless. Our Branch Mission Leader looked at me in shock and was like "you're just giddy that they're here aren't you?" and I just said "I told you they'd come."

Without faith in people, and a love for them, why would they? We don't just pull people into the church, we love them into it. That's what I have been trying to get across here in Iowa. I have been trying to make an earnest effort in doing it myself! But as we love people, and care about them- we listen to them and their situations; what they need as people, they will come back. Because we've seen them as they really are- as God and Jesus Christ see them. That's charity, to see people as Christ does. I encourage you all to find this charity!

 

We had interviews with President Jergensen this last week, and I was nervous because the Jr. Companion always goes first with President, and I was worried I was going to get rebuked after President was done interviewing Elder Tripp. I don't know what for, because I've done my best in all things training Elder Tripp. But I was surprised to hear Elder Tripp is very pleased with how the training is going, so that meant alot to me. I'm glad to hear that I am fulfilling my call to best of his needs. I am trying very hard. It's weird that in 2 1/2 weeks I'll be done training. Crazy!

 

Have a great week!

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 1/3/2012

Man, this last week went by fast.

 

It's crazy that it is 2012! I go home this year! AH! Where has the time flown to? Hawaii?

 

So I don't have very much to report to anyone this week. We're doing lots of finding! So that's fun! Tracting and tracting. But we're also seeing lots of less-actives, and that's a blessing. I love visiting with less-actives, and investigators because when I visit with those people I know that I have to be my best. I can't teach someone to pray if I don't pray, thus I can't testify of the blessings it brings. So I have to pray! That's why with this whole Book of Mormon thing Elder Tripp and I have been doing, in getting people to read the Book of Mormon more actively has helped me to make the Book of Mormon central to my studies. It has been amazing, and I know that the Book of Mormon is true. My testimony has only grown because of it.

 

Wednesday we went to a meeting with President Jergensen, that was for Trainers and their trainees. It was very good, but it took up our whole day! So we were in Davenport the whole day, but it was very good. I enjoyed it! It was a VERY long drive.

 

Friday was a very cool experience. We got to go with Elder and Sister Hawes and clean the Nauvoo Temple. It was so cool! Because we got to do a session before we cleaned too, and it was just nice to get to be in the temple for a good 3 hours straight. It's special because you know what you're cleaning, and wear your cleaning, and so as you clean you get to see different details about the Nauvoo temple that you don't normally see- but you also take extra care in your cleaning job, because you know you're cleaning the Lord's House. So you want to give Him the best work that you can. It was pretty awesome, and I will never forget that experience. I hope to do it again. I love the Nauvoo Temple. I'm a lucky guy.

 

On the way home from Nauvoo I got a phone call from the Branch President in Fairfield asking me to give a last minute talk on sunday. So I accepted. It was a sweet experience. In preparation, he told me that I could prepare a talk on anything I wanted. I told him I was going to talk on some sort of deep doctrine, but I was joking. Instead when I prepared, I felt like I should pray about what I need to teach the Branch about. I felt inspired to turn to the Christ-Like Attributes Chapter in Preach My Gospel and I flipped straight to the Patience segment. I instantly knew I needed to talk about patience. I thought that was funny, because if anybody knows me, they know that I have the patience of an Olog Hai. But it was a really good talk for me I think. I studied a long time, and I felt like I got what I needed to across. There was a sister who told me that the talk I gave, and that Sister Hawes gave both hit her really hard- so that was cool.

 

That basically sums up that awesome week. It's 2012 and I'm still in Fairfield. It's awesome!

 

Have a great week!

 

Love ya!

 

Elder Prows

 

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