Weekly Email - 6 January 2020

Tomorrow is the Worst Day Ever

 

Hi everyone I hope you all had a good week I had a really great week. We saw a lot of cool miracles and saw the Lords hand in our days for sure. I just wanted to share the main really cool experience that we had. Elder Roberts and I were finding in this housing complex and we were about to leave to go to a lesson but we decide to knock 1 more door. We knock, no answer. So we ring their Ring doorbell and a woman answers through it and says that she is good and that she's catholic. So we tell her that's great and that we are here to strengthen her faith in Jesus Christ. And then I kid you not she says "well I'm having a pretty bad day, do you guys wanna come in?" And we said sure! So we went in and she was crying on the floor and we talked to her and her boyfriend about trials and faith in Jesus Christ! Then we met with them again the next day and she had read the intro, testimonies, and part of the start of the Book of Mormon! And she and her boyfriend asked us a lot of good questions and they want to here more about the Restoration and Plan of Salvation which we responded "I think we can do that!" It was an awesome miracle and such a blessing from the Lord to have this privilege to share what is in our hearts with these people. Then Sunday was probably the best Sunday I've had on my mission. The members were all super excited and we have a great relationship with them so it's really starting to catch missionary work excitement here! 

 

As for the subject of my email tomorrow is the worst day ever because that will officially be my 18 month mark and though I do still have a ways to go I really wish I had more time because I love love love my mission! And I love you all too!

 

Love Elder West 

Christmas - 25 December 2019

This was Michael's last Christmas on his mission. The Church members in his wards are amazing. They had him and his companion, Elder Roberts over for lunch and dinner. We were able to Skype with him. He said he would wait to open his gifts until we did Skype. Typical Michael, he couldn't wait. Too funny.

Weekly Email - 23 December 2019

Hey ladies and gents, 

We had a great week we are really starting to get this place up and running! I'm really excited to see where this is all going to lead. We focus on inviting. The more you invite people the more people will accept! So invite invite invite that's all you have to do, invite! We have been getting a lot of referrals and it has been hastening the work and the members are happier too! So if you want increased happiness WORK WITH THE MISSIONARIES. Invite people to things! Love your neighbors! 

I know it will help and bless you!

Here is a little spiritual thought for the day too.

One of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon is 

"And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." - Alma 36:3

I bolded trials, troubles, and afflictions because when I was thinking about this verse I thought it was interesting how these 3 words were all used because they all are pretty much the same I thought so i looked up each of their definitions and it was a eye opening experience for me.

Affliction- pain; suffering, anything causing pain or distress; calamity.

Trial - the act or process of trying, testing, or putting to the proof; test; testing of qualifications, attainments, or progress; the fact or state or being tried by suffering, temptation that tries ones endurance.

Trouble - to disturb or agitate, to cause mental agitation to; worry; harass; perturb; vex; to cause pain, discomfort, or inconvenience to.

So each definition is close but not the same which really grew my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how this prophet used 3 different words I would have made mean the same thing but they each have slightly different and profound meanings to show how ever encompassing the Atonement of Jesus Christ really is it helps us in ALL our hard times! 

Love Elder West

1st pic - Christmas tree from members

2nd pic - visited San Clemente!

3rd pic - weekly planning

Almost Christmas with All the Packages - 20 December 2019

It is amazing to see all of the packages that come into the mission office for the missionaries for Christmas. A couple of those are for Michael, not sure which ones.

Zone Conference - 19 December 2019

Michael is still in Mission Viejo. It was zone conference again and he is loving his area.

Weekly Email - 16 December 2019

Hey hey hey!

What's up everyone! I have had a really good week! So I am still in the same area and I have a new companion Elder Robert's this is his 2nd transfer and he has been out 2 months and it is my 13th transfer and I have been out 17 months! And it has been good to get the greeny fire roaring even more again. He has so much energy and enthusiasm and it's really starting to wear off on me! We found 14 people this week (hence the subject) and it was an absolutely amazing time and it was cool to see how simple it is to teach someone about the gospel and bear your testimony and how that alone brings the spirit into any situation we taught the restoration 2 or 3 times at the door step this week. It was honestly good, I made a joke earlier this week that Elder Robert's made me throw away my walker and thank goodness he did! He is a really nice guy and we get a long really well he is from Farmington, Utah (don't ask me where that is cuz I dont know) and he has 2 younger brother and 1 younger sister just like me so that's kinda neat. But I just want to bear my testimony that I know that by small and simple things great things WILL come to pass. And that applies to everything. But I know and can promise you that as you share your testimony even or ESPECIALLY if it is SMALL AND SIMPLE that that will bring the spirit to wherever you are. And if you dont think you know enough or your testimony isnt big enough or you dont have good enough words to share it I would encourage you to just try and then stand back and you will see miracles because God has given you your own witness and testimony of the truth and of Him it is unique to you. There are people who believe the same things but no one else has your testimony. And your testimony could and will, if you share it, be EXACTLY what someone else needs to hear. And you know if right now your not ready for using words the Lord lives it when we share it through our deeds. I know this. This is my testimony that has been given to me by God through His spirit. I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity and privilege I have to share this message with the world and though there is rejection and sorrow sometimes I remember I'm not the first to feel that. I love you all and always love questions comments and emails just hearing from you. Thanks!

 

Love Elder West

Elder Roberts and Michael

Weekly Email - 9 December 2019

Greetings family and friends!

This week was absolutely fantastic! We were able to set our good friends Tommy and Leslie on date! They are the sweetest women you will ever meet! Then we had 26 LESSONS!!!!!! Yes that's right 26. We had at least 2 lessons every night and it was really a miracle to us to be able to teach so much and help us improve our teaching. We shared a lot this week on light the world and how you can get daily prompts of little ways you can serve a specific person that day. And it's super cool! If you haven't done it the url is https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world

Light the World Christmas 2019 | ComeUntoChrist.org This Christmas season, help us #LightTheWorld by thinking of someone you can serve each day—following the example of Jesus Christ. www.comeuntochrist.org

And I would invite EVERYONE that gets this email go there and get the text prompts. This isn't just for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints either this is for everyone to light the world and get rid of more and more darkness. The more people that are lighting the world the less dark it will be! So please everyone that gets this email please please please go and sign up! You will increase your joy as you serve others in these small ways. There is everything from help a family member to give blood and all these things are such great opportunities. So please do it and give od yourself this Christmas. And for all those Spanish speakers out there Christ + mas, mas in Spanish is more. So let's remember the really spirit and meaning of having more Christ in us this Christmas season.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it

Love Elder West

P.S. I put the light the world calendar in this email too if you just want to do that!