Well, this week was awesome.
We had Zone Conference in Nauvoo. My last one. It was a powerful conference. The Assistants and the mission presidency gave powerfully motivating trainings, to help us with 400. The mission is booming with excitement, and miracles. We currently have 254 baptisms, and 100 baptismal dates. 100 is the highest number of baptismal dates the mission has ever had SINCE IT WAS FIRST CREATED! During the Assistants' training, President told us, he had been sitting there thinking about what the AP's were talking about, and he had a powerful revelation telling him 400 WILL HAPPEN. I felt the spirit so powerfully as he revealed that to us. I know 400 will happen. It has to. Those people are there, and waiting for us! I had the privilege, as strange as it was, to stand up in front of the conference and bear my "going home testimony." At each Zone Conference each missionary there that is going home at the end of that transfer or the next bears their testimony. At that moment I knew more than ever that 400 is of God, I knew I have done good on my mission, and that President Jergensen is called of God. This mission is the greatest mission on the planet. I love the Iowa Des Moines Mission. Granted I am isolated, I know of no other missions that are seeing the miracles and the hand of the Lord in the work, the way we are. It is powerful, and a witness to me that God does direct His work.
We also had Stake Conference in Nauvoo. That was sweet. There were some amazing talks given by the Stake Presidency, President and Sister Jergensen, the Stake Patriarch, so chick, and return missionary chick, and her dad. They all gave great sermons. It was awesome because I got to sing in the Stake Choir. I hate singing in choirs unless they are good, because I like my music to sound good. so I usually try to avoid ward choirs. But the Kirksville 1st Ward surprised me with their choir. They are actually good! Not only is the director REALLY good, but she picks REALLY good arrangements for the hymns we sing, and the people can actually sing. We have a tenor section too, that's actually powerful- so that's pretty sweet. But they're losing a tenor now. I'm flattered. They said I'm the powerhouse to the choir. That's my brag for the day. I don't think I really was, I just thought I oversang a part. I hit this high F really well, and better than all the other tenors, so they were like HOLY CRAP! Everyone was like "was that YOU?!" I just look at them like "heck yes, you jerk! I am AWESOOOME!" But that would be prideful. So instead I just smile, tilt my head to the side, blush a little and say "Why yes, it was! Were you impressed?" Wait. That still sounds a little prideful. "No it wasn't. Who do you think it was? I couldn't hear anybody else but me belting a high F!" Now I'm just bragging, being stupid, annoying and prideful. I need a piece of humble cheesecake. I would say pie, but I'm not in the mood for pie. Maybe brownies. But I need to lose weight. So I'll just have some baby carrots or something. I'm not really sure what I'm writing about- OH MY GOSH! So when Elder Smith and I were driving to and from a outskirt town we saw a ZEBRA! A ZEBRA AT A FARM IN MISSOURI??? I was so confused! I didn't understand at first. Where would some Missouri farmer get a Zebra?! It's not in a zoo too, so that's super weird. Elder Flint and Elder McKenzie didn't believe me at first, but Elder McKenzie saw it as we drove to and from Stake Conference. So he is a witness to my sanity.
Christian and Sam are well. We are going to do a Church Tour/Presentation with them. Kristin is going to another church, which is sad, but she is still going to the YSA stuff. That's good, because she can be fellowshipped.
Anyways, I'm getting bored so I'll say good bye.
Good bye!
Elder Prows
Weekly Post - 9/17/2012
Well, this last week we had interviews with President Jergensen. He gave an amazing training on the WHAT, HOW and WHY of missionary work. He explained about how all that we do revolves around the churches duty to "gather scattered Israel." I came to understand the principle of those who hold Priesthood Keys. It would take too long to type out.
It was weird that that was my last interview with President Jergensen before my exit interview. This whole feeling is surreal. Other missionaries ask me what it is like, and what I mean by "bittersweet", because that is the only word I can find to express it. I love my mission, but it is unstoppable. It is ending. A member in our ward, Brother Morgan, was telling me about how in his mission the mission president would not extend ANY missionary. Because we are called for 2 years, and 2 years it is. If you realize that you want to work hard later then TOO BAD! You used your time.
We had a great district meeting too. It started off a bit shaky, I was feeling a little under the weather, but I felt better once the spirit really got going in the meeting. I was worried about my training. I didn't know how it was going to go, but I spent a good amount of time preparing, and the spirit took over and it was great. I felt prompted to do a testimony meeting, and it was great. We all took some time to meditate, and then share our testimonies. I enjoyed it.
I don't have much time, so I have to make it all worth it. That's all we can do. It's all we will do.
Elder Prows, P-Trowsers out!
It was weird that that was my last interview with President Jergensen before my exit interview. This whole feeling is surreal. Other missionaries ask me what it is like, and what I mean by "bittersweet", because that is the only word I can find to express it. I love my mission, but it is unstoppable. It is ending. A member in our ward, Brother Morgan, was telling me about how in his mission the mission president would not extend ANY missionary. Because we are called for 2 years, and 2 years it is. If you realize that you want to work hard later then TOO BAD! You used your time.
We had a great district meeting too. It started off a bit shaky, I was feeling a little under the weather, but I felt better once the spirit really got going in the meeting. I was worried about my training. I didn't know how it was going to go, but I spent a good amount of time preparing, and the spirit took over and it was great. I felt prompted to do a testimony meeting, and it was great. We all took some time to meditate, and then share our testimonies. I enjoyed it.
I don't have much time, so I have to make it all worth it. That's all we can do. It's all we will do.
Elder Prows, P-Trowsers out!
Weekly Post - 9/10/2012
Hello family!
So this week was good. We had the opportunity to be able to go to Zone Training Meeting, my last one. It was really weird to say that. But it was good. We set a Zone Goal for baptisms, and received some training from the Zone Leaders! It was way sweet. We now have a really good baptismal goal of 8 for the next 3 months. I prayed about it, just as the Zone Leaders did, and I know it is reachable.
We also had a way good lesson with Christian and Sam. We taught them about the Doctrine of Christ. They hinted at hoping to set a baptismal date somewhere in the future. They just hope to deal with marriage first. Which is good, and gratefully they don't need to get married before baptism though, because they are not living together. But I think that it would be very good for them. What better way to start attending a new church, than when you are newly married, and establishing grounds in the home. :) I'm way excited about them.
They also came with us to the CES Fireside with Elder Jefferey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was such a good sermon! I love Elder Holland. I loved when he talked about "Checking our religion at the door." I'm actually listening to that part now, which was awesome! "My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be! It is not discipleship at all!" It really made me think about my attitude towards life, and lots of other things. How often do we rationalize and justify ourselves in doing wrong? How often do we forget to watch ourselves? I loved the message. "There will never be enough police officers to replace moral cleanliness, and it never should." That was powerful to me. So much has our world changed to hope that putting evil men behind bars, is going to protect this world. The answer is morality! We have to be clean OURSELVES! That is the purpose of agency, is the Lord wanted us to figure it out ourselves. The Lord did not want us to do what we were not aware of. I am eternally grateful to that truth. In the Miracle of Forgiveness, President Spencer W. Kimball talks about the way that relying upon the laws of the land to protect us in a very literal way PREVENT true repentance-"Repentance is inseparable from time. No one can repent on the cross, nor in prison, nor in custody. One must have the opportunity of committing wrong in order to be really repentant. The man in handcuffs, the prisoner in the penitentiary, the man as he drowns, or as he dies---such a man certainly cannot repent totally. He can wish to do it, he may intend to change his life, he may determine that he will, but that is only the beginning. That is why we should not wait for the life beyond but should abandon evil habits and weaknesses while in the flesh on the earth... Clearly it is difficult to repent in the spirit world of sins involving physical habits and actions. There one has spirit and mind but not the physical power to overcome a physical habit"
We as Disciples of Christ must never ever allow ourselves to be shaken. We must "check our worldliness at the door." As Elder Holland said, "We cannot run from Babylon, we need to attack it!" So I hope we can all be strong, and endure to the end!
Watch carefully everyone, because Satan is out there, and he wants you.
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. [2 Nephi 28:20-21]
I'm grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, who can help us to overcome the devil. We can beat him, and we will! Because it is by our Savior real happiness comes.
Elder Prows
So this week was good. We had the opportunity to be able to go to Zone Training Meeting, my last one. It was really weird to say that. But it was good. We set a Zone Goal for baptisms, and received some training from the Zone Leaders! It was way sweet. We now have a really good baptismal goal of 8 for the next 3 months. I prayed about it, just as the Zone Leaders did, and I know it is reachable.
We also had a way good lesson with Christian and Sam. We taught them about the Doctrine of Christ. They hinted at hoping to set a baptismal date somewhere in the future. They just hope to deal with marriage first. Which is good, and gratefully they don't need to get married before baptism though, because they are not living together. But I think that it would be very good for them. What better way to start attending a new church, than when you are newly married, and establishing grounds in the home. :) I'm way excited about them.
They also came with us to the CES Fireside with Elder Jefferey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was such a good sermon! I love Elder Holland. I loved when he talked about "Checking our religion at the door." I'm actually listening to that part now, which was awesome! "My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be! It is not discipleship at all!" It really made me think about my attitude towards life, and lots of other things. How often do we rationalize and justify ourselves in doing wrong? How often do we forget to watch ourselves? I loved the message. "There will never be enough police officers to replace moral cleanliness, and it never should." That was powerful to me. So much has our world changed to hope that putting evil men behind bars, is going to protect this world. The answer is morality! We have to be clean OURSELVES! That is the purpose of agency, is the Lord wanted us to figure it out ourselves. The Lord did not want us to do what we were not aware of. I am eternally grateful to that truth. In the Miracle of Forgiveness, President Spencer W. Kimball talks about the way that relying upon the laws of the land to protect us in a very literal way PREVENT true repentance-"Repentance is inseparable from time. No one can repent on the cross, nor in prison, nor in custody. One must have the opportunity of committing wrong in order to be really repentant. The man in handcuffs, the prisoner in the penitentiary, the man as he drowns, or as he dies---such a man certainly cannot repent totally. He can wish to do it, he may intend to change his life, he may determine that he will, but that is only the beginning. That is why we should not wait for the life beyond but should abandon evil habits and weaknesses while in the flesh on the earth... Clearly it is difficult to repent in the spirit world of sins involving physical habits and actions. There one has spirit and mind but not the physical power to overcome a physical habit"
We as Disciples of Christ must never ever allow ourselves to be shaken. We must "check our worldliness at the door." As Elder Holland said, "We cannot run from Babylon, we need to attack it!" So I hope we can all be strong, and endure to the end!
Watch carefully everyone, because Satan is out there, and he wants you.
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. [2 Nephi 28:20-21]
I'm grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, who can help us to overcome the devil. We can beat him, and we will! Because it is by our Savior real happiness comes.
Elder Prows
Weekly Post - 9/4/2012
man, this week was crazy.
so on Friday we got permission to go shopping for food, because remnants of Hurricane Isaac were coming to Kirksville's area, and so we had to be prepared in case if we had to be quarantined in our apartments. It rained very hard. It was fun though. I enjoyed it.
We had some lessons with Christian and Sam, and they are awesome. We taught about the Restoration again, because they were having some difficulties in understanding it. But they sincerely desire to understand it! Which is so good, and baptism is something that they are looking forward to as a possibility, which is exciting. I do not see them getting baptized while I am here, but that is not what matters to me. What matters is that they understand what the covenant they are making is, and that they sincerely and honestly make that covenant. I don't want a repeat of Thomas.
Kristin is doing very well too. We are so excited for her! I think she could be baptized while I am here, but it's the same deal as with the other two. It is more important to have them understand. Otherwise would be selfish.
I got my trunky letter this week. Meaning info on how to prepare to go home, which was SUPER weird, and it seemed way early. But I guess they want me to make sure that I am prepared to go home... seeing as if I wasn't I'd just be stressed out of my mind.
I've got this kink in my left shoulder that has been paining me, and it's frustrating. It makes it hard to drive, which is annoying because I'm the designated driver, and Elder Smith doesn't have a license! But I deal with it, and just work hard, and it puts a smile on my face. Two thumbs up!
I don't have much else to write about really. The weeks are flying by, and it's odd. But it works for me. I'm just trying hard to focus, but it doesn't help when your district keeps saying "how big is your trunk today?" "Hey! You're going home." haha, I'm just getting a taste of my own medicine. I did that to other missionaries ALL THE TIME. So now I get to see what it is like. It's fun. But does get old fast. Those poor missionaries who I teased. It was fun while it lasted.
Anyways, my dad asked me if I wanted lasagna for dinner the day I get home. I make this declaration:
LASAGNA SUCKS AND TASTES LIKE DIRT!
I ate dirt when I was a child once.
Sincerely,
Elder Prows
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