Mission Journal

January 29, 2012

I spoke in Sacrament Meeting today, and taught The Plan of Salvation, then challenge the members to introduce us to people they know.  We are grateful to our Father in Heaven for knowledge of this plan, especially with the death of Savannah – we know she will be with those of the first resurrection, and will be raised with a perfect body and live during the millennium while satan is bound.  We will be allowed to know her and love her without the restrictions of an imperfect body.  She will live again because Jesus Christ lives again.

January 28, 2012

We went to BB’s house and showed her The Butterfly Circus.  She was amazed.  We taught her that our Father in Heaven loves us and committed her to come to church tomorrow.  She promised to come again.

When we arrived home tonight around 6 pm we received a call from our son-in-law that Savannah had passed away.  It is very hard not being there.  But as our son-in-law said we are where we need to be at this time. I know Savannah is with Heavenly Father and is well taken care of and that we will see her again someday, just like we will see our other grandchildren that have passed on. The gospel is true and such a comfort at these times.

January 27, 2012

We were to teach A in Spanish again today, so we drove to Bowling Green to pick up the Spanish speaking Elder.  Also T, who was baptized last Sunday went with us to A’s house – he was so excited to help teach.  It’s sad, but when we got to A’s house he was gone, and his wife asked what we were doing there, because they were going to baptize their children in the Catholic Church.  T asked if she would like to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ and she laughed at him.  His first attempt at missionary work and it went badly.  I hope things go better next time, but I’m excited that T wants to teach.

We received a call from our daughter at home that our Savannah was very ill.  She was having trouble breathing and on oxygen.  She is our last special needs grandchild and is very fragile.  I will sleep with the phone by my bed side tonight; If I sleep much.

January 26, 2012

Wow – what anger can do to a men. TP, an inactive member has been angry with almost everyone in Ohio County sometime or another.  It seems that now he is angry with one of the branch members that he works with.  So now he has decided he will go to the Baptist Church because he doesn’t know anyone there; talking about cutting off your nose to spite your face.  We talked to him about forgiveness, I hope it helped.

January 25, 2012

We met with BL and played The Butterfly Circus for her to watch.  We learned that she was upset because she wasn’t able to enter the Temple when her son was married.  Now that she is a member of the Church she should be able to get her Temple recommend, but she isn’t attending or doing the things necessary to receive the recommend.  Sister Oakley said to her that she knew that BL felt sad when she couldn’t enter the Temple when her son was married, then asked, how much more would those feelings be on judgment day if she couldn’t be with her son in the Celestial Kingdom just because she wasn’t keeping the Lords commandments, starting with keeping the Sabbath day holy, coming to church, paying tithing, and reading the scriptures. She would see her family enter the celestial kingdom and she would be somewhere else - not with them if she didn't get on the ball and get her life in order and get herself Temple ready and endure to the end.

January 24, 2012

The Leitchfield Elders met us here at home and then we drove to Hopkinsville (after feeding them a great lunch).  We had interviews with President McKee.  President McKee and his wife are soooooo inspirational.  They showed us a video called The Butterfly Circus.  Sister Oakley and I cried through the whole thing.  Any one reading this should watch this video, look on u-tube and look for The Butterfly Circus.  It’s worthwhile.  President McKee told us we should be like Mendez and look for the good in everyone, watch the video and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Next we drove to Elkton, Kentucky.  There four of the local churches got together for “Unity in Hymns”.  Our young Elders and Sisters with Sister McKee leading sang two of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.  They first sang “Beautiful Savior” then “This Is The Christ”.  They read this message before singing.

The Tennessee Nashville Mission Choir is a group of young volunteer missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  These Missionaries come from all over the world and serve in mid-Tennessee, parts of Kentucky and Illinois.  Tonight they will be singing:

“Beautiful Savior” – this song was written by an unknown author in 1677 and was later translated by Joseph A. Seiss, 1823-1904.  This beautiful rendition speaks of the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ, the King of Creation and Son of Man.  He is the “Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.”  “Glory, honor praise, and adoration now and forevermore be Thine,” is the message of this song and of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He leads and directs the gospel on the earth today.

“This Is The Christ” – Music by Michael Finlinson Moody and words by James E. Faust, a former 2^nd Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  This heartwarming selection depicts the feeling portrayed in 3^rd Nephi of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ, when the people of Nephi, witnessed the appearance of Jesus Christ himself here on this, the American continent.  The feelings of awe, reverence, and pure love for the Savior Jesus Christ is so adequately portrayed as these words are sung: “This is the Christ, the Holy Son of God, Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of Mankind.  This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls, who ransomed us with love divine.”

Next the Catholics sang two songs, then the Methodists, and finely the Black Baptists who did a wonderful job.  It was wonderful.

January 23, 2012

We went to the C’s house and taught the first lesson to DC with his non-member father in the room.  We emphasized the power and authority of the priesthood.  I told DC that he had more authority than the Baptist Preacher to teach the gospel – the preacher may know more scriptures, but DC has more authority because he now has the priesthood.  When it came time to leave I ask Brother C if we could leave with a prayer.  His little daughter said, “Let me.”  DC said, “No.  I have the priesthood – I’ll say the prayer.”  That made the lesson worth while.

January 22, 2012

BB came to Sacrament meeting – it felt like a touchdown in the super bowl.  DC turned twelve and received the Aaronic Priesthood, for some reason he was reluctant before the ordination.

January 21, 2012

We’ve been on the phone a lot trying to set something up with someone.  It’s hard when the branch is so small.

January 20, 2012

This time in Bowling Green a different Elder came with us.  A listened again, but I fear we are losing him.  Ir wasn’t home when we went to her house. 

JY fell and broke his hip.  We visited him at the nursing home in Beaver Dam.  While there we met HT.  She used to be a member but had her name removed from the rolls of the church.  She is a very nice, bright, outgoing, and sweet person.  She treated us very nice and we had a good, long talk with her.  I thank she saw that Mormon Missionaries don’t have horns. We would really like to get to know her and her family better.  Maybe time will tell.

January 19, 2012

We visited BB today – she is such a sweat lady, but very confused.  I believe with patience and love we can help her to understand the Lord’s gospel.

January 18, 2012

BL still hasn’t been to church but we continue to visit with her, maybe someday she will understand that she must obey the Lord’s commandments and keep the Sabbath day holy.

V was home this time and we taught him the first lesson – emphasizing authority. Years ago he was a Baptist Preacher and authority was important for him to understand.

January 17, 2012

We drove to Bowling Green to pick up the Spanish speaking Elder.  We drove to A’s house and he gave him the first lesson – A’s wife refused to come into the room, and A refused to take the El Libro De Mormon.  That’s a bad sign, but we’ll keep coming as long as he will let us.  The Elder also went with us to V’s house, but V wasn’t home – his daughter A was there, she is a senior at the high school.  We taught her the first lesson and set a time to return when her father was home.

January 16, 2012

We received a media referral today; we’ll have to check that out.

JR had a birthday party for her mom and we were invited along with several other people.

January 15, 2012

This is a wonderful day. T was baptized and everything went wonderfully great.  We were told to start using the Spanish speaking Elders from Bowling Green because it’s only 45 miles away and the Sisters from Clarksville are 90 miles away.  Makes since to me.  Anyway, the two sisters and three elders and two zone leaders were all here for the baptism.  With all of these missionaries we almost doubled the size of the Sacrament meeting.

We were invited to the Branch Mission leaders home with T and his family for dinner.  It’s a good day.

January 14, 2012

I helped work on the baptismal fount today.  The pump was broken and couldn’t keep the water warm. Chill!  We got it working, thank goodness.

January 13, 2012

Today T was interviewed by the zone leaders.  He was found worthy to be baptized, we’re excited.  We went with the Spanish speaking sisters to I’s house.  They taught her, but she never asked a question – that’s a bad sign.