Mission Journal

June 21, 2012 – Thursday

We had district conference in Morgantown today.  It’s funny, look down at yesterday; we were inspired to go to the members.  Well, today the district leader, who went yesterday to leadership meeting in Clarksville, discussed a plan to get more help from the members.  We’ll go back now and work the plan, which is to have them read D&C 18:10, 15-16, then go through a ten step plan with them that will help them focus on the Savior while looking at someone to fellowship and help to receive the gospel.

After the conference we went to Elder and Sister Peterson’s house, their moving from an apartment to a house, to help them clean and move.  Sister Peterson made lunch for us and it was good.

When we got back to Hartford we went to the Longest Day celebration at the Ohio County Fair Grounds and helped with the celebration.  It was hot out there.  Sister Oakley does not do well in heat and she was really exhausted by the time we got home.

Those of you who know me, know I was hanging on to the pole and Elder Oakley was holding me up.

  

June 20, 2012 – Wednesday

We felt that we needed more help from the branch members so we visited with the most active and wonderful members today.  We started with BP’s house and asked for referrals.  Br. BP said we would have to work for it and had Sister Oakley give a lesson before he would commit to give a referral.

We also visited with the BC family.  BC was busy in his garden, but we did talk to Mrs. BC and she promised to get back with us.

June 19, 2012 – Tuesday

Today is my daughter Wendy’s birthday. J  But I couldn’t get ahold of her to tell her happy birthday.

We had a family history class at the Hartford library.  It was taught by Br. Pieper – he’s a good teacher.  There were about eight people there and they seemed to enjoy what was taught.  We’ve decided to have the class on a monthly basis, which should be good.  We met BB’s daughter at the class and she is a really nice young lady.  We have been trying to get BB to introduce us to her so we might teach her family.  She has just recently remarried and seems to have a great new husband.  They would make a great addition to the branch.

June 18, 2012 – Monday

Went to Owensboro for a short while, then cleaned and washed cloths.  It was a good day – I spent it with my wife. J

June 17, 2012 – Sunday

Today is father’s day – the primary gave out cookies to the fathers, and a kiss glued to a paper tie. J  We only had about twenty eight people at sacrament meeting, but two families were out of town so maybe things are looking up.

June 16, 2012 – Saturday

It’s been so long since we’ve been able to meet with ES.  The last three times we knocked on her door there was no answer, but we didn’t give up and today she let us in.  We didn’t get to give a formal lesson, but she did listen and seemed to truly enjoy having us there.  She had to get ready to go somewhere with her daughter, but she did set an appointment with us for next Saturday.

CD has been sick lately and we were worried about her so we stopped by her house.  She is a giving person and has allowed her brother and her grandson to both stay with her.  It seems that neither of them understands the sacrifice she has made for them.  Today her brother has moved out and she is also feeling better.  Maybe their connected?

Sister Oakley spent the whole evening baking cookies for Father’s Day for the primary to hand out tomorrow in Sacrament meeting.

June 15, 2012 – Friday

We visited with Mrs. JS today.  JS has been working a few carpenter jobs lately and it’s been hard to catch him at home.  We asked Mrs. JS to read Matt. 19:16-22, and asked her, “As a follower of Jesus Christ, will you continue to study the things we have been teaching you?  Will you continue to read from the Book of Mormon on a daily basis?  She did commit to do so.  She and her husband are having a hard time with their children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Whoever reads this, pray for them.

We also visited with WE today.  It always takes a long time when we visit with her.  She reads a lot and always has questions.  She said the wars and battles in the Book of Alma make her tired.  Then she said it’s too much like today, you can’t see or read the news unless you hear about a war somewhere.  I told her the wars were always caused by someone not obeying the word of the Lord, and that’s also true about today’s wars.

June 14, 2012 – Thursday

We had district meeting in Leitchfield this morning.  Every week we are given assignments, but it is up to us to fulfill those assignments.  I know we are directed by the Holy Ghost as we study because they are always coordinated when we present the lessons as a district.  It’s so comforting to know our Father in Heaven is in control.

After the meeting WH took us to meet with his sister B.  B is in her seventies, and we realized that she is the great grandmother of some young ladies we have been teaching – wow.

June 13, 2012 – Wednesday

Not long ago I was blessed with the opportunity to confirm a young lady a member of the church, GC.  Today we visited with her and her mother and brother and gave her a video lesson on the Book of Mormon.  She is such a neat little girl; we love her and her family.

This evening we met with the family of BN and gave a lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We read several chapters of the Book of Mormon and the spirit was strong in the room.  After the lesson they gave us dinner and things were good.  Before we left I challenged them to read from the Book of Mormon daily.  BN said he could do that, but thought Mrs. BN would have a problem with that.  After a little discussion, Mrs. BN said she is comfortable with the church she now attends.  Sister Oakley asked her, “If you knew, nothing doubting, that you could be with your husband, and family in heaven – Would you join the church that could make that happen for you?”  Mrs. BN said, “I don’t know that, how can I know that?”  Sister Oakley said, “What I’m saying is – If you did know, would you?”  She said, “I think I’ll know my family.  I believe that in my heart.”  Her husband, who studied as a priest, said, “Our church don’t teach that.  We teach that we’ll be centered on the Lord.  If you want our marriage bound in heaven, we’ll have to join with a church that teaches the true gospel of eternal marriage.”  BN also stated that he believes that the Book of Mormon truly is the word of God.  We’ll keep you posted.

June 12, 2012 – Tuesday

We visited with WH today, we love this shy man, but we wish we could do more for him, but, that’s impossible.  We can teach the gospel, but we can’t force anyone to obey.  We also visited with BB.  She is a good person, but she has only come to church 3 times since we’ve been in Hartford. L

June 11, 2012 – Monday

P-day – shopping and cleaning house – a good day.

Mission Journal

June 10, 2012 – Sunday

Last Sunday I taught the priesthood lesson and talked about how important it was to be at meetings on time, so it was very important to me to be sure that we were at the PEC meeting on time this morning.  I’m glad that we were because everyone else was on time as well! J  We had to leave by 9:30 to go get WH and give him a ride to church today; his usual ride is on vacation.  We had Branch Conference so the Stake President and Young Woman President were there.  They along with President Wiles, the Branch President, gave the talks and it was good.  Our church attendance has improved so much.  We had about 40 people there and the BC family was gone on vacation.  President McKee told us when we were at zone conference he had heard we were really improving our branch and bringing lots of people  back into activity.  I told him it wasn’t us, it was the spirit working in our area.  Things are really changing in our little branch for the better and it is so wonderful to see the change.  People are showing love for each other and coming together.  President Wiles, the Branch President, has made some changes in callings and this has made a change in attitudes and activity.  It is so great to see everyone huging and talking to each other, and sit all over the church, instead of in a certain area of the church.  More people are giving talks, giving prayers, and accepting callings too.  It’s quite a change, from the church we saw when we first came here.  These people here are so wonderful; we are truly going to miss leaving here. I now understand when Elders say they hated to leave certain areas and people.

After church we set up tables and had a potluck dinner.  It went well and we had a good time.

June 9, 2012 – Saturday

We went by BN’s house again today for a few minutes, his son CN was playing with water balloons with his friend.  They were placing the balloons on the street watching them grow and pop because of the heat.  They said they were playing water balloon baseball earlier.  When we talked with BN we were able to setup another appointment for next Wednesday.

We spent a lot of today getting ready for the potluck tomorrow.

June 8, 2012 – Friday

We went back to JS house, he was still working and not at home, but we did have a prayer with Mrs. JS and invited them to Branch Conference Sunday morning.

We also went by WH’s house; he called Wednesday telling us that someone had put something in his gas tank and that his truck was ruined.  As it turned out; his battery was dead and the fuel gauge pointed to full, all he needed was a new battery.  He gave us chicken and green beans for the potluck dinner on Sunday after Branch Conference.  We talked to him about chewing, and it was hard for him to talk about, he’s very paranoid and for a minute he thought we were rejecting him.  I assured him that God loves him and wants the best for him.  That’s why he gave us a word of wisdom.

June 7, 2012 – Thursday

Zone meeting was in Clarksville today.  We had to be there at 8:45 and it’s an hour and a half drive to get there, but we always love the meetings.  President McKee and his family were there and the meeting was spiritual and we were able to learn, as always.  We got home about 9:00 at night, a long day.

June 6, 2012 – Wednesday

Sister HS went with us to teach OP and her daughters again this morning, but when we arrived, OP told us that she and her boyfriend had to leave to wash a house with a power washer.  We’ll have to try again on another day.

We were to have dinner with BN and family this evening and then teach a lesson, but BN called and said that his son’s team won their game last night and are having a playoff game today.  So instead of teaching, we watched another little league baseball game, it was fun.

June 5, 2012 – Tuesday

We met with WH and gave him a copy of a talk given by President Monson, and then encouraged him to do his best to live by the lessons learned in the talk, that’s good advice for all of us.

We played a church video to WE that portrays Christ teaching Nicodemus about baptism with water and the Holy Spirit.  We used that to teach her a little more about the Plan of Salvation.

The Corn behind our house is growing fast.

June 4, 2012 – Monday

Elder and Sister Peterson came over today.  They have to give a family home evening lesson today and want to use the cup lesson as their base lesson.  We helped them put together a set of cups with pictures and showed them how to use the lesson, and then let them practice with us.  We sure do like Elder and Sister Peterson, they are good people.

  

Below is a picture of our first tomato from our garden.

June 3, 2012 – Sunday

There were more than forty people at church today!  We’re excited, but still have a long way to go.

June 2, 2012 – Saturday

Elder Robinson and Hamblin invited us to go to a baptism in Morgantown; their font in Leitchfield doesn’t work.  It was good to see a baptism performed by someone who holds the authority and uses the proper priesthood in the proper way.

  

We went with the other senior missionaries to Bowling Green to the Corvette museum.  It was good to be with other missionaries our age.

June 1, 2012 – Friday

We had set up an appointment with JS and Mrs. JS but when we arrived, Mrs. JS told us that he was gone, so we visited with her for a short while and set a time to come back.  Next we went to WH’s house; he lives alone and is a very sad person.  Sometimes we have to stay longer than we intended.  His only friend did something that he believes was very vulgar and now he has lost that one friend.

BN and family asked us to go to their son’s little league games tonight, a double header.  It was a lot fun watching the games; their youngest son was sick and supposed to be at home, but played on his big brother’s team because they were one man short, their missing man showed up for the second game so he went home with his mother.  They won both games by more than ten points.  We have a dinner appointment with them for next Wednesday.

May 31, 2012 – Thursday

We drove out to Horse Branch and found OP and her daughters at home.  We wanted to continue the Plan of Salvation with them and first showed the video Heavenly Father’s Plan.  The spirit was strong and just as we started to teach OP’s mother, BP showed up at OP’s house with a cigarette in her hand and insisted that OP go with her on some kind of errand.  The spirit immediately left and we knew that it was time to leave.  We set up a time to come back next week and left a Book of Mormon with her, pray for this family – please.

May 30, 2012 – Wednesday

District Meeting was canceled today, so we drove around trying to find someone to teach.  BL wasn’t home; it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to teach her, we’ll keep trying.  We went by TC’s house, and then LB’s house, and on and on.  Sometimes it’s really hard to find people who will let us in.