This last week was amazing. We had an amazing 12 member lessons about our goal for 400. I am so excited to see excitement from members. We have a video that we have been showing with it called By Small and Simple Things. It is a very powerful movie about member missionary work, and the miracles it brings to pass. Each time we show this video there have been experiences members have had in finding something more they can do to share the gospel. We've also been giving them little packets of supplies they can use to share the gospel.
We got 2 new investigators this last week. I think I mentioned Christian in a post a few weeks ago. He walked up to us as we were teaching an investigator and pulled a Book of Mormon out, and told us he was interested and we took down his info. It was super cool! He's way solid too. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted, and we might start teaching his girlfriend Samantha too!
Kristin is our other new investigator. She came to church with a member, and went to a YSA activity. She talked to people about the gospel got a Book of Mormon and a member referred us to her and we started to teach her in the members apartment. She's sweet! We're hoping to set a date with her soon! She has alot of questions, and we answer them, so she likes that. I'm super excited. She and Christian might be my last two baptisms of my mission!
It's still crazy that a new transfer has begun, and it is my last. 6 weeks left. I'm just going to say it, I am trunky. But that is not a bad thing. What is bad is what I do with being trunky. Am I going to slack, or continue to work. One response makes me more trunky, the other saves me, and gives me peach and joy. I prefer the latter.
Elder Prows
Weekly Post - 8/20/2012
So last week I talked a little about my conversion story.
That was really unexpected.
On my mission I've come to understand alot of things so much more fully about the Gospel. I've come to know Jesus Christ through the Doctrine of Christ. The more that I've studied His doctrine, the more real He has become to me. I've begun to understand repentance alot more thoroughly. It's a tough thing, but I love it. You feel so much better afterwards!
I have had my nose glued to the book titled "The Miracle of Forgiveness" by President Spencer W. Kimball. I know that for some people it might be strange that I'm actually reading a book, because I hate reading. Seriously, I don't like it at all. But this book is legit. President Kimball knows how to tear your soul out, put it in a blender and throw it back into you, and you just feel terrible, or Godly Sorrow. You feel the need to repent. I am so grateful in that respect we have prophets on the earth today.
We are on a big spree now in our mission. We are over past half way through the year, and only have 218 baptisms. We are behind for 400! We need prayers, and faith in 400! I know,and testify that 400 is possible, if we will have faith and work towards it TOGETHER! I'd exhort you all to pray about 400, and to pray FOR 400! We are going and sharing this message to all members in our wards, and pumping them up for missionary work! I love to see the light in peoples eyes, and they get it.
1 transfer left. 6 weeks left. I feel woozy when I think about it. It's bittersweet. President Jergensen called the other day and told me that I have to work hard and sprint to the finish. I've worked too hard to slack now.
Get ready every one. This is going to be a big transfer.
Elder Prows
That was really unexpected.
On my mission I've come to understand alot of things so much more fully about the Gospel. I've come to know Jesus Christ through the Doctrine of Christ. The more that I've studied His doctrine, the more real He has become to me. I've begun to understand repentance alot more thoroughly. It's a tough thing, but I love it. You feel so much better afterwards!
I have had my nose glued to the book titled "The Miracle of Forgiveness" by President Spencer W. Kimball. I know that for some people it might be strange that I'm actually reading a book, because I hate reading. Seriously, I don't like it at all. But this book is legit. President Kimball knows how to tear your soul out, put it in a blender and throw it back into you, and you just feel terrible, or Godly Sorrow. You feel the need to repent. I am so grateful in that respect we have prophets on the earth today.
We are on a big spree now in our mission. We are over past half way through the year, and only have 218 baptisms. We are behind for 400! We need prayers, and faith in 400! I know,and testify that 400 is possible, if we will have faith and work towards it TOGETHER! I'd exhort you all to pray about 400, and to pray FOR 400! We are going and sharing this message to all members in our wards, and pumping them up for missionary work! I love to see the light in peoples eyes, and they get it.
1 transfer left. 6 weeks left. I feel woozy when I think about it. It's bittersweet. President Jergensen called the other day and told me that I have to work hard and sprint to the finish. I've worked too hard to slack now.
Get ready every one. This is going to be a big transfer.
Elder Prows
Weekly Post - 8/13/2012
Well, this was a pretty good week.
We had one of the new Zone Training Meetings that the Missionary Department has instructed to be done every month. It was pretty sweet. I felt spiritually lifted up to go work even harder than I was working before. I always feel like I should push myself a little further than I already am going. They talked about the Atonement, and our conversion stories. Each missionary shared their personal experience of how they gained a testimony of the Gospel, and became converted.
I want to share mine.
In short, making a note in advance my conversion did take place out here on the mission, and I'd like to note that I am about to open up alot in this post- you're about to learn alot about me.
I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was an interesting life. I grew up doing what I was told for the most part. I had my personal struggles, but amidst it all I had questions I wanted answered. But there was this bad problem I had, where I felt super closed to EVERYONE, and couldn't talk about what I was REALLY feeling inside. Ever since I was little I had absolutely no desire to serve a mission. It is a miracle that I am here, because I loathed the idea of going out on a mission. I didn't know what it would be like. Nobody had told me stories of their missions, or given me any real reason to serve other than it simply was "what I was supposed to do", it was a "priesthood obligation." I was very closed to my belief in missions being pointless, and beyond what I was supposed to do, because I didn't feel that I could ever voice my concerns to anyone.
I admit that in my youth I had spiritual experiences that kind of gave me a shallow foundation. But it was hardly anything I felt I could base myself on. I read the Book of Mormon once on a scout camp trip, and it was a spiritual high. But that was the most I really could say. I didn't feel I knew the Church was really true. I didn't understand anything. I couldn't grasp the most basic Doctrines. It seemed like everyone else had such firm knowledge, but amidst it all, I knew nothing. In High School I took lots of seminary time to take naps, and listen to music. I got in the wrong crowd in high school, dealing with alot of "crap" so to speak, and in short walked down a dark path of loneliness. About my sophomore year I beleive, was when this all started to happen. Kids, if your parents tell you not to hang with a certain group of kids, you listen. They know what is best, I testify of that from personal experience. The hardest thing for me was on my mission when I had to say "freak it, they were all right."
This is a hard part of my conversion to voice. Nobody back home really knows about it. In High School I did not like the church. I felt like it was a burden on me and my family. Later in life I came to find it is what holds us together, but that's later. I spent alot of fast sundays up on the stand bearing literally borrowed testimonies. I heard people bear testimonies, and I would think "well said, that is now my phrase. I'll use it, and everyone will think I do know that." Shocking? I also had a really bad plan in my heart. Before my mission I wanted to go to Southern Utah University. My plan was that I was going to move to Cedar City for a few months, get a job, and move away again. But I was hoping to not allow anybody to know. I would have my records removed from the church, and kind of just disappear. I believed that it'd be too hard to have everyone I knew on my tail, following me, and telling me I was wrong. I hated that. So why not just cut it all off from you, and start all anew? That was my reasoning. I look back, and realize that I had not thought everything through- I mean how the heck was I supposed to fund moving out of state?! Man, I really was a dumb 19 year old!
my life was summarized best by Elder Hallstrom in last conference "active in the church, but not in the Gospel."
Like I said, I really did not want to serve a mission. But I don't handle pressure well. I had a legion of friends, and family behind me asking ALL THE TIME "when are you going to put in your papers?" "when are you going to go?" etc etc. Eventually I got mad, and just decided- "alright! I'm going, because I'm tired of you asking. I'm eager to get out of Utah, anyways. So this is my chance!"
I started my papers sweating like no other, because I was scared out of my mind. I was thinking about how stupid I was to give in to pressure, and to do something I didn't believe in- something I hated. But in my minds eyes, I wanted to please people. I didn't want people to look down on me, I was all about my image. Look down on me now if you may, I don't care. But this mission was all going to be a game.
We had one of the new Zone Training Meetings that the Missionary Department has instructed to be done every month. It was pretty sweet. I felt spiritually lifted up to go work even harder than I was working before. I always feel like I should push myself a little further than I already am going. They talked about the Atonement, and our conversion stories. Each missionary shared their personal experience of how they gained a testimony of the Gospel, and became converted.
I want to share mine.
In short, making a note in advance my conversion did take place out here on the mission, and I'd like to note that I am about to open up alot in this post- you're about to learn alot about me.
I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was an interesting life. I grew up doing what I was told for the most part. I had my personal struggles, but amidst it all I had questions I wanted answered. But there was this bad problem I had, where I felt super closed to EVERYONE, and couldn't talk about what I was REALLY feeling inside. Ever since I was little I had absolutely no desire to serve a mission. It is a miracle that I am here, because I loathed the idea of going out on a mission. I didn't know what it would be like. Nobody had told me stories of their missions, or given me any real reason to serve other than it simply was "what I was supposed to do", it was a "priesthood obligation." I was very closed to my belief in missions being pointless, and beyond what I was supposed to do, because I didn't feel that I could ever voice my concerns to anyone.
I admit that in my youth I had spiritual experiences that kind of gave me a shallow foundation. But it was hardly anything I felt I could base myself on. I read the Book of Mormon once on a scout camp trip, and it was a spiritual high. But that was the most I really could say. I didn't feel I knew the Church was really true. I didn't understand anything. I couldn't grasp the most basic Doctrines. It seemed like everyone else had such firm knowledge, but amidst it all, I knew nothing. In High School I took lots of seminary time to take naps, and listen to music. I got in the wrong crowd in high school, dealing with alot of "crap" so to speak, and in short walked down a dark path of loneliness. About my sophomore year I beleive, was when this all started to happen. Kids, if your parents tell you not to hang with a certain group of kids, you listen. They know what is best, I testify of that from personal experience. The hardest thing for me was on my mission when I had to say "freak it, they were all right."
This is a hard part of my conversion to voice. Nobody back home really knows about it. In High School I did not like the church. I felt like it was a burden on me and my family. Later in life I came to find it is what holds us together, but that's later. I spent alot of fast sundays up on the stand bearing literally borrowed testimonies. I heard people bear testimonies, and I would think "well said, that is now my phrase. I'll use it, and everyone will think I do know that." Shocking? I also had a really bad plan in my heart. Before my mission I wanted to go to Southern Utah University. My plan was that I was going to move to Cedar City for a few months, get a job, and move away again. But I was hoping to not allow anybody to know. I would have my records removed from the church, and kind of just disappear. I believed that it'd be too hard to have everyone I knew on my tail, following me, and telling me I was wrong. I hated that. So why not just cut it all off from you, and start all anew? That was my reasoning. I look back, and realize that I had not thought everything through- I mean how the heck was I supposed to fund moving out of state?! Man, I really was a dumb 19 year old!
my life was summarized best by Elder Hallstrom in last conference "active in the church, but not in the Gospel."
Like I said, I really did not want to serve a mission. But I don't handle pressure well. I had a legion of friends, and family behind me asking ALL THE TIME "when are you going to put in your papers?" "when are you going to go?" etc etc. Eventually I got mad, and just decided- "alright! I'm going, because I'm tired of you asking. I'm eager to get out of Utah, anyways. So this is my chance!"
I started my papers sweating like no other, because I was scared out of my mind. I was thinking about how stupid I was to give in to pressure, and to do something I didn't believe in- something I hated. But in my minds eyes, I wanted to please people. I didn't want people to look down on me, I was all about my image. Look down on me now if you may, I don't care. But this mission was all going to be a game.
I remember when the morning I was reporting to the MTC. I cried alot that morning, because I was mad. I was really mad that this was really happening. Glenn Beck said it best when he said "I didn't want to be a mormon." I was in the same boat, but beyond all reason I chose to be a mormon missionary? Yeah, I'm still trying to figure that one out too.
The MTC was a treat for me, because everytime they wanted us to practice teaching a lesson they taught us about the Doctrine, and what we were going to be teaching. We'd go through Preach My Gospel, and they'd explain very simple doctrines. There were some that I was like "wait what?!" when they explained it, and I had a interesting "ah ha! I finally get those mormons/Christians!" One of the funniest things was when the teacher taught about the Atonement, and I was like "wait, what? Dying for us? Suffering for our sins??? I thought that he was just making a statement on the Cross. Like some chill rebel guy. This is new."
Or when they talked about the Restoration, and the significance to the Priesthood. I literally thought the priesthood was people telling me I could do something, just because. Yay, they laid their hands on my head and told me I could not give people a tray of bread and water so they can take a piece and sip. Wooptie doo.
I finally started to get it!
When I was being trained my mission was really hard. I knew I was out for the wrong reason, and I was miserable because of it. I didn't realize then that was why I was miserable. But I later realized it. While I was being busted in my second area, I was still very unhappy. My companion one day just turned to me and said- "look, you are unhappy. Figure it out, or go home." That changed my mission, and my life. I am forever in debt to that companion. I decided to figure it out and to serve my mission. I started to pray, and to actually do work.
In the long run on my mission I figured it out. I'm starting to get rushed, not due to short time. But I know the church is true now. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I love it. I love my Savior. I know He is real, and that He DID die for me. It's a simple testimony. But a good one for me.
I am different now. I can say that. You may have just found it out. But that is monumental to me. I had every reason to be happy before my mission, my life was going great! But I wasn't happy. Now I am happy, because I have Christ in my life.
I hope that nobody ever gives up on somebody. If someone has fallen they need time to fall further, and to feel the Atonement. Don't ever lose hope on yourself or another.
Have a great week!
Elder Prows
The MTC was a treat for me, because everytime they wanted us to practice teaching a lesson they taught us about the Doctrine, and what we were going to be teaching. We'd go through Preach My Gospel, and they'd explain very simple doctrines. There were some that I was like "wait what?!" when they explained it, and I had a interesting "ah ha! I finally get those mormons/Christians!" One of the funniest things was when the teacher taught about the Atonement, and I was like "wait, what? Dying for us? Suffering for our sins??? I thought that he was just making a statement on the Cross. Like some chill rebel guy. This is new."
Or when they talked about the Restoration, and the significance to the Priesthood. I literally thought the priesthood was people telling me I could do something, just because. Yay, they laid their hands on my head and told me I could not give people a tray of bread and water so they can take a piece and sip. Wooptie doo.
I finally started to get it!
When I was being trained my mission was really hard. I knew I was out for the wrong reason, and I was miserable because of it. I didn't realize then that was why I was miserable. But I later realized it. While I was being busted in my second area, I was still very unhappy. My companion one day just turned to me and said- "look, you are unhappy. Figure it out, or go home." That changed my mission, and my life. I am forever in debt to that companion. I decided to figure it out and to serve my mission. I started to pray, and to actually do work.
In the long run on my mission I figured it out. I'm starting to get rushed, not due to short time. But I know the church is true now. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I love it. I love my Savior. I know He is real, and that He DID die for me. It's a simple testimony. But a good one for me.
I am different now. I can say that. You may have just found it out. But that is monumental to me. I had every reason to be happy before my mission, my life was going great! But I wasn't happy. Now I am happy, because I have Christ in my life.
I hope that nobody ever gives up on somebody. If someone has fallen they need time to fall further, and to feel the Atonement. Don't ever lose hope on yourself or another.
Have a great week!
Elder Prows
Weekly Post - 8/6/2012
man, this last week was intense.
We went on exchanges and I took Elder Beckstead a missionary in the Kirksville 2nd ward with me. We did a ton of finding. It was so good! We got ahold of Ken, one of our investigators who we had been trying to get ahold of. We invited him to church and he said if we got him a ride he'd come. So we got him a ride, and he came to church! That was so sweet! He kept telling the members that he came because of me haha.
This last week we got to go a help to take down the Nauvoo Pageant. It's done now, so they had to strike the set. I was so happy to be walking around so much theatre instruments and stuff. I got to hold a Source 4 ERS. That felt so good. I got to watch the last 15 minutes of the Pageant too, which was pretty sweet. But what was the highlight of the night was I got to meet Robert Allen. Robert Allen is the amazing man who portrays the Savior Jesus Christ in the "Reflections of Christ" photo display. I felt like I was talking to someone super famous. He's probably not famous to anyone other than members of the Church or me, but I was so happy. He's super awesome, and I got a picture with him.
Becky got to go to the Pageant too. That was awesome. She loved it!
We were out until 2 in the morning striking the set though, and so we didn't exactly get alot of sleep. We spent the night in Keokuk, and I stole back my Plan of Salvation board game I forgot when I left because of the ET. I thought about taking my crockpot and BRITA pitcher, but I didn't want to pack them. And I was planning on donating them to the apartment anyways, so I left those. Hopefully Elder Holmes doesn't read this???
In church on sunday, during Elder's Quorum I was fighting so hard to stay awake. My legs were wobbly, and my eyelids heavy the whole 3 hours. But it was a good fast. I managed to wobble up to the podium to bear my testimony. I shared my love for the people there, and bore a simple testimony. I like them simple and sweet. I thought about doing something different, but I chose to just bear a simple testimony.
Bye
Elder Prows
We went on exchanges and I took Elder Beckstead a missionary in the Kirksville 2nd ward with me. We did a ton of finding. It was so good! We got ahold of Ken, one of our investigators who we had been trying to get ahold of. We invited him to church and he said if we got him a ride he'd come. So we got him a ride, and he came to church! That was so sweet! He kept telling the members that he came because of me haha.
This last week we got to go a help to take down the Nauvoo Pageant. It's done now, so they had to strike the set. I was so happy to be walking around so much theatre instruments and stuff. I got to hold a Source 4 ERS. That felt so good. I got to watch the last 15 minutes of the Pageant too, which was pretty sweet. But what was the highlight of the night was I got to meet Robert Allen. Robert Allen is the amazing man who portrays the Savior Jesus Christ in the "Reflections of Christ" photo display. I felt like I was talking to someone super famous. He's probably not famous to anyone other than members of the Church or me, but I was so happy. He's super awesome, and I got a picture with him.
Becky got to go to the Pageant too. That was awesome. She loved it!
We were out until 2 in the morning striking the set though, and so we didn't exactly get alot of sleep. We spent the night in Keokuk, and I stole back my Plan of Salvation board game I forgot when I left because of the ET. I thought about taking my crockpot and BRITA pitcher, but I didn't want to pack them. And I was planning on donating them to the apartment anyways, so I left those. Hopefully Elder Holmes doesn't read this???
In church on sunday, during Elder's Quorum I was fighting so hard to stay awake. My legs were wobbly, and my eyelids heavy the whole 3 hours. But it was a good fast. I managed to wobble up to the podium to bear my testimony. I shared my love for the people there, and bore a simple testimony. I like them simple and sweet. I thought about doing something different, but I chose to just bear a simple testimony.
Bye
Elder Prows
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