Mission Journal
July 29, 2012 – Sunday
Better than
thirty people at church again, it’s become a regular thing for now, Jwe’re so happy. After church we went with Br. Pieper and gave
Sister WE a blessing and the sacrament.
She has injured her knee and needs our prayers. TV was at church on time
and blessed the sacrament. He looked so nice in his white shirt and tie and his
wife just beamed.
July 28, 2012 – Saturday
When we met
with WE we found her limping around with her right knee injured. We played a church video for her, Elder
Anderson’s talk asking “What does Christ Think of Me.” She agreed to continue the Temple class on Monday,
even though she is seeing a doctor on Tuesday.
WH agreed to
come to church tomorrow! J We showed him the
same video as above and read a little from the Book of Mormon. If we all would read a little from the Book
of Mormon every day, I promise you that you will feel the Spirit of the Lord. Even if you are reading from another
scripture, still read the Book of Mormon, it has power. Power the other just don’t have. Read it.
July 27, 2012 – Friday
Today is
Penny’s Birthday!
Sister
Oakley called Penny and wished her a Happy Birthday, and then we got a frantic
call from Yvonne, that our 10th great granddaughter born on July 5th
with a heart condition was still on the ventilator and in nicu and failing
fast. Doctors now were giving her no hope.
This came as quite a blow, as they had fixed her heart condition and we
thought all was well and she was doing fine.
All we can do now is pray for Heavenly Fathers will to be done.
We got a call
from CH cancelling his appointment; he’s going to his mothers and will not be
at home. L
About 3:30 we
received a call from Yvonne; Kennedy was taken off the vent at 3:05pm and died
a few minutes later. This was our
Grandsons first child, but as we told him – this child was so special she wasn’t
meant to have to face the trial of this cruel world. She had already done her fighting and proved
herself. The gospel is so wonderful, and
gives us so much comfort and joy to know we will be with our families one day –
even if we haven’t seen them we will have that opportunity one day.
July 26, 2012 – Thursday
Today is
Robert’s Birthday!
We played
the conference talk by President Monson called “The Race of Life” for JS and
his wife. In it he talks about the
universal question; “Where did we come from, Why are we here, and Where do we
go after this life?” We also gave them a
printout of the talk. JS is still
troubled because we told him that his baptism in the Christian Church was done
without authority. We asked him to read
D&C 22 and he seemed even more confused.
When we asked them to come to church, Mrs. JS wanted to come, but JS
said he was going to the Christian Church.
Mrs. JS said in a loud voice, “We’re not doing that again!” We don’t know the history behind that
statement, but we did challenge them to keep reading from the Book of
Mormon. They both said they would.
Our second
visit with LE went very well. He read
from the Book of Mormon and said he liked what he read. We gave him the lesson on the Restoration and
he was genuinely interested. We have
another visit with him on Monday.
President
Wiles came over and we road with him to a sister’s house who has had a very
hard time lately, and then found out that she has breast cancer. We gave her a blessing of comfort, her
blessing and anointing was done at church on Sunday. We will pray for her, if you pray for her
call her SH.
July 25, 2012 – Wednesday
The
Leitchfield Elders drove to Hartford and then together we went to Hopkinsville
for interviews with President McKee. In
the last five or so days he and his wife have traveled all over the Mission
interviewing every one of the missionaries.
While he was meeting with a missionary in one of the classrooms we met
as a group in the Relief Society room.
It was a good day. The Senior
Missionaries Elder and Sister Peterson had their daughter and grandson from
Houston, Texas with them and it sure was good to hear that old Texas “draw”
again. They got a lot of razzing from
the group but took it very well.
President McKee tried his best to get us and the Petersons to extend our
missions for longer, but both of us said we really needed to get back
home. Elder Peterson has to get back to
work and we feel we need to get back to take care of some family matters. We really hate to leave this area; we love
the people and the area sooooooooo much and have grown to love it here. The people and so wonderful, the ones we have
gotten to know, and the area is to die for.
Wide open spaces of forests with the most beautiful trees. No traffic or tall buildings, and no busy
city life. President McKee is working
on getting a couple to take our place and I know they will love it here as we
do. It takes a little getting used to,
but it is great once you do.
July 24, 2012 – Tuesday
Today is
Makaila’s Birthday!
We had the
opportunity to go to CD’s house and teach her grandson CH, her granddaughter
BD, and CH’s friend TA the lesson on the Restoration. We’ve taught CH several times, but he is too
tied up with the world at this time. His
friend TA seemed to be truly interested.
BD had seen the lesson one other time and seemed interested both times,
but her mother won’t let us come to their house without her husband being home. He does a lot of hunting and fishing, but we
won’t give up.
July 23, 2012 – Monday
TV missed
the last two weeks at church because his boss was on vacation, and he had to
work in her place. His wife was worried
because his family back home was giving him a hard time because he is a
Priest. They laugh at him because they
don’t believe he could possibly be a “Priest”.
We printed out the primary lesson on Lehi’s Tree of Life dream. When we got to the part about the masses in the
Large and Spacious Building pointing and laughing, and how those who were able
to partake of the Love of God paid those in the building “no mind”; that that’s
how he needed to react to his family back home.
Maybe someday he will be able to teach them and bring them to Christ. Just love them, and he will be alright. Sister
Oakley also challenged TV to get up early in the morning on Sunday and
get ready in time to get to church so he could bless the sacrament. He really needs to start doing this because
if he wants to advance in the priesthood and go to the Temple – he needs to do
it. He agreed.
July 22, 2012 – Sunday
After Church
we met with Br. Pieper and visited with JS outside of his house. He said he went to another church this
morning. L Then we visited with LR, a part member family that Br.
Pieper home teaches. We challenged LR
and her husband to read Mosiah 27 together, and tell us the next time we see
them how Alma’s father reacted to his being in a “coma”.
July 21, 2012 – Saturday
One of those
blank days – we work like a dog and get nothing done. But we were together…………………………..
July 20, 2012 – Friday
We have a
neighbor, LE, that we met while working in the garden. He loves to sing at his Baptist Church, so we
asked him if we could have a scripture study with him. So today we went to his house and read Scriptures
from the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Book of Mormon that talked about
prophets and the need for prophets, such as Amos 3:7 Surely
the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret
unto his servants the prophets. We left a Book of Mormon with him and asked him to read
Alma 7. He is very interested in the BOM
and in the teachings of our church. He
seems to agree with all the teachings so far and is very excited to find a
church with our values.
July 19, 2012 – Thursday
We drove out
to Horse Branch and met with BG today.
She reminds me of my own family.
We read from the scriptures with her and left a Book of Mormon with her. It seems that her son is a Baptist Preacher,
stumbling block, so I asked her if it would be possible for us to meet
him. She said her father had a Book of
Mormon that she acquired when he died, but her son asked for it so he could
read it. That could be a good thing, I
hope so.
July 18, 2012 – Wednesday
ES actually
opened her door for us today. We learned
that she has injured her shoulder at work and may be having surgery soon. We asked if she would like to have a
priesthood blessing, but she said she would have to think about that. We challenged her to read 2 Nephi 25.
July 17, 2012 – Tuesday
WE went with
us to JS’s house today. We talked about
faith is Christ and all things goes back to that one thing. We won’t do anything without first having
real faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wilma bore her testimony and we asked them to pray about baptism. Wilma challenged them to read the Allegory of
the Olive Tree, in the Book of Jacob, in the Book of Mormon.
July 16, 2012 – Monday
Yes, this is
P-Day, but this is the only day JOS could meet with us. Her husband is a non-member. They are both such nice people. It seems that Mr. Jos and JS are old
friends. JOS said that if he joined any
church it would be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So we tried to get him to let us teach him,
and he refused, but did agree to read 2 Nephi 25. We’ll try to get back with him and see if he
read it.
On the way
home we saw RC’s car at home and stopped by to talk to her. She said that she maintains an apartment in
Nashville and a house here. She is
working in this area and going to church in the Nashville area.
We checked
on WE, she’s doing OK but is having stress with her granddaughters, so she
asked for Strength of Youth pamphlets to send to them.
July 15, 2012 – Sunday
We’re still
having better than thirty people at sacrament meetings. J
Still plenty of room for growth though.
After church
we went to JS’s house, they didn’t come to churchL, they are wonderful people – how do
we get through to them!
JW and
family are having some stress in their lives, a sick grandchild, and haven’t
given us any referrals yet, hope they will soon – The wish of all missionaries.
July 14, 2012 – Saturday
We drove to
Morgantown to pick up the Leitchfield Elders and then drove to Clarksville. Elder Hymas of the Seventies, and President
and Sister McKee were there to give us training. It was great, we always learn from the
Mission President and his wife, and wow, one of the General Authorities. We got home about 10:00 and were very tired
as we took the Elders home to Leitchfield.
July 13, 2012 – Friday
This is my
Brother Larry’s birthday. We had very
little luck today catching anyone at home, we’re so tired. But we know that everything is going to be
OK.
July 12, 2012 – Thursday
We visited
with JS and family again. We taught a
lesson on prayer and challenged them to come to church on Sunday. I hope they will.
We checked
back with Sister SC to see if she and her family have worked on getting us
someone new to teach. She said that they
are working on it. J
July 11, 2012 – Wednesday
We had
District Meeting in Morgantown today – The Senior Missionaries, The Elders from
Leitchfield, the Sister Missionaries from Russellville, and us of course. These are always helpful and spiritual. We have a formal setting with the District
leader in charge; we have an opening song and prayer, a spiritual thought and a
two part lesson, usually using Preach My Gospel as a basis. Then we usually eat
lunch together and go on our way.
We were to
teach BL but she called to cancel, so we went to WE’s house and after prayer,
we read the Book of Mormon together and taught about forgiveness.
July 10, 2012 – Tuesday
JS and
family allowed us to teach them about fasting and prayer. There is much power when a faithful man fast
and prays – even the power of Heaven can help that man if he is in need of such
help. I pray that JS will be willing to
pray about the gospel. If he will truly
pray with faith, he will learn the truth.
We also
visited with WH. Asked him to pray about
coming to church, and then visited with Sister BL. She gave us Diner and we asked her to help us
find more people to teach.
