President Greg Anderson & Sister Christy Anderson
No news at this time.
Elder Steven Burrows
No news at this time.
Elder Trevor Cummings
October 1, 2024
Hola everyone!
Hope you all had a fantastic week! This last week was actually pretty fun. First, we have hot water!!! Now I don't have to do the hokey pokey everytime I shower 🙏
We did exchanges this week, and I got to go with this awesome missionary named Elder Tippetts. He has been out in the mission for 13 months, is from Wyoming, and is super chill. I ended up going to his area which is called Salvatierra. Salvatierra is so crazy! There are 4 red zones in their area, which are areas you aren't allowed to go to because they are actually dangerous 😅. Also, everywhere you walk there is a hill, and not just any hill, but a STEEP hill. My legs got absolutely fried after walking all day. It's was a blast though!
Exciting news! We have a baptism this week. It's with a girl named Moserrat. She is 11, speaks great English, and is really fun. I am so pumped! First baptism 🥳 Also, I might be the one doing the baptism, so that is pretty exciting.
Towards the end of this week, we went to visit this one family. It was so wild. They absolutely FLAMED ME 🔥. They were making fun of my Spanish and trying to get me to say some interesting Mayan words. Also, they gave me the loving nickname of Chicken Little. I had never thought of it, but I kind of do look like him 😂 (man I need to lift or something). The interaction overall was good though. I got to bare my testimony on a very special topic for me which was muy suave (suave means cool in Spanish ;).
Okay, for the spiritual thought this week, I thought I could share with you my testimony that I shared with the Chicken Little Family. Here is some context first. We were talking with this father and he was asking us how we could be so committed to the church even when we have doubts. I literally LOVE this question because, as many of you know, I think about this kind of stuff a lot 🤭. Whenever this kind of question comes up, I love using it as an opportunity to share my testimony about the love of God because, to be honest with you, I do have a lot of doubts about things in the church as I'm sure many of you do. The thing that helps me get through it is I remember my experiences where I have felt the love of God. I don't know how things have worked out they way they have, I don't know how they are working out right now, or how they will work out in the future, but I know that it will because God loves me and I love Him and that is all that matters. And honestly, that is the beautiful part about it. I don't have to have all the answers. I can just trust in His love. I know that God loves me, and more importantly, I know that he loves YOU. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Well, thank you for reading this week's email. Sorry this one was a long one. Hopefully everything made sense 😅. Love you all so much and have a #blessed week!
Always serving,
Élder Cummings
Elder Tyler Eggett
October 27
Hello from the Philippines 🇵🇭! Elder Eggett here. I first want to share how blessed I am. The Philippines is a beautiful place and the people here are the kindest people in the world. I've seen so many blessings and miracles in our work. Being here where the state of life is poorer really helps you see and be grateful for the important things of life. And it's reflected through the people as well. You'll see people that barely have enough money to eat every day and yet they will still give to others and be grateful for what they have. You'll see people that work from 3 am to 10 pm during the week and still make time for their family and show up to church with a smile.
My favorite thing I've been able to see is the mercy, the love, and the power of Jesus Christ in people's lives. I've seen more hardships here than anywhere else. People experiencing death, poverty, sickness, sin, exhaustion, natural disasters, heartbreak- and yet as soon as they find their Savior, He picks them up, no matter how broken they are, and starts putting them back together. He lightens their burdens, comforts their hearts, He saves them. He carries them back to the fold.
One of the most beautiful principles of the gospel of Christ to me is all that is bad can be made good. All that hurts well be healed. All that's sad can be happy. Nothing is out of our Savior's reach.
I know my message is short but it's true. Experiment on the words and promises of Christ and the other prophets! Nothing that was worth it was ever easy. The most important things in life take faith and work. That's why I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here as a missionary. The growth I've seen in my testimony, heart, and mind is unmatched. And being able to do God's work is so special.
I miss and love the ward! Hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to leave off with a couple scriptures from D&C 122 that I've been trying to memorize.
"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
-Elder Eggett
Elder Walker Erickson
No news at this time.
Elder Zachary Eyring
No news at this time.
Elder LJ Felila
November 11, 2024
Missionary Monday's are just the best!! Love my Missionaries, from Bolivia to North Carolina and soon to Australia Sydney! Yes we got our visa, Yay!!! Australia we are coming soon!! Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing!!!
Sister Mele Felila
October 7, 2024
hola a todos !! How are you all doing?? I hope you all enjoyed the general conference and recieved a little more guidance and revelation in your lives.
work update 😋
so i'm still here in pirai and i love them so much!! Seriously, such a hard working ward, all of them are so invested in helping our brothers and sisters come unto Christ and make a covenant with our loving heavenly father.
We have 6 friends on date for this month of October and they're all progressing really well! the hand of the lord seriously is in every single part of the work. It's been amazing to watch them change and the heavenly power and guidance that the book of Mormon invites into their lives. they're all keeping their commitments and they have the biggest desire to be baptized and change their ways of the world.
miracle of the week
our friend carmen was a facebook referral and we called her and set up a time to meet up at the church building. we went to the church building and she didnt show up:( later she wrote us to meet up but we didnt have much time so we just invited her to watch general conference and she accepted and she actually came!! and was taking notes!! later we had a lesson at her home and the first thing she said was ¨quiero bautizarme¨she has the biggest desire to change and follow the way of our savior jesus christ and will be baptized the 16 of october!!
we've been working a lot with the members lately and its been so nice because our friends are so comfortable when they come to activities or when they come to church.
spiritual thought
11 And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
i testify that repentance brings joy and love into our lives, everytime we can use the sacrifice of our elder brother jesus christ we can become more like him each day. we are meant to have joy in this life and when our foundation is on built upon our savior jesus christ we will always feel his joy and his presence in our lives. i promise that as you apply the gospel of jesus christ into your daily lives you will see miracles everyday and feel the love that our heavenly father has for you. i love you all and pray for you. talk to you next time ♥️♥️
Elder Lincoln Hodge
No news at this time.
Sister Carolina Huch
No news at this time.
Elder Landon Huch
No news at this time.
Elder Gary Nelson & Sister Annette Nelson
July 2, 2024
Hello from Aruba! Elder Nelson and I are in awe of the members and missionaries here! We have 2 branches on the island and 8 younger missionaries. There are 2 other branches on 2 other islands that combine with us to make a district. All the missionaries and members are working hard to build up the church so we can become and stake with wards.
We do not proselytize, but enjoy occasionally being invited to go with the missionaries as they teach. Our small chapel does not have a font, and most baptisms take place in the ocean. Although you can't hear what's being said from shore, it is a beautiful thing to watch.
I have absolutely loved helping the members build their family trees, with the hope that someday they will be able to go to the temple for their families. We are in the Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) temple district. Many members will go to the temple only once because of the expense, but they diligently work on their family history. We are supposedly a FamilySearch Center, but we have no computer or printer. Some nights we have 8-10 people arrive to do family history, but because there are only 3 of us that bring computers from home, the members just sit and patiently wait. Every week there are people who stay the entire 2 hours, but never have a chance to look at a computer. It’s hard to see this happen, but they don’t complain, and they come back again the next week, hoping they’ll be able to have the chance to put their family records online.
Sunday at church I was told that if you speak several languages, you are multi-lingual. If you speak 2 languages, you are bi-lingual. If you speak 1 language, you’re American. Gary is making much better progress becoming bi-lingual, but I’m still very American.
Though it’s physically much harder here, the Gospel is the same. We take great comfort in knowing that the Lord knows each and every member here and can see their diligence in becoming His disciples. We learn from them every day. We are grateful to you, and humbly thank you for your prayers.
Elder Doug Smith & Sister Julie Smith
November 12, 2024
Serving in a church historic site is such a privilege. These sites are sacred and holy. They speak to us as missionaries and to our visitors with the soft voice of the spirit confirming to us of the sacred events that took place at these sites. We are blessed by the people who come and visit both members of the church and non-members as they respond to the stories of the restoration of the gospel. Their tears and their appreciation are heartfelt and spiritually confirming as they respond to the sense of awe that they have experienced. Our hearts have been softened and our testimonies strengthened by the continuous flow of the spirit as we testify of the truth of the restoration. The richness of the doctrine of the Book of Mormon continues to reveal itself as we learn about and retell the stories of it's coming forth. There is no valid explanation of its existence other than that which has been established by the prophet Joseph Smith and the witnesses of its translation and publication. It is currently flooding the world as a testimony of the restoration of the gospel and is playing a key role in the Gathering of Israel. It’s truth is astounding and glorious. Yet, what is contained in it, is but a small part of what can be known after our faithfulness to it has been demonstrated. (3 Nephi 26:9)
We have met some interesting people while we have been here giving tours.
· I met a man named Dan Morris from McCammon Idaho, who as a boy was hired to weed my grandfather’s (Chester Smith) large strawberry patch for $0.75 an hour.
· I met an old girlfriend who I did not remember. That was embarrassing.
· This past week while I was serving at the Sacred Grove, I met a couple at the Smith log home who were from the Nottingham in the UK. I greeted them and asked them if they would like a tour. They hesitated and said that they were just driving by and thought they might stop to see what was here. Another group of 5 was just coming out of the welcome center to join me for a tour, so I invited the UK couple to at least come into the first home to see what it was like. It was a very rare tour. It included three couples that did not know each other and were all non-members and a single sister who was a member. As I focused on the 1st vision all were engaged and the UK couple decided to stay for the full tour. After rehearsing Moroni’s visits, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and its publication, I emphasized that this book has gone forth throughout the entire world with over 200 million copies printed in over 181 languages. I invited them all to come back to the welcome center after their walk through the Sacred Grove and get their own copy of the Book of Mormon. Before they left for the Grove the member sister asked if she could say something. I said most certainly. She told how when she was in high school a friend gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and she put it on the shelf. A few years later she met the missionaries and began to read the Book of Mormon and even before she finished it, she followed up on Moroni’s Promise that those who would read the book and pray about it would receive an answer that it was true. She then testified of it’s truth. After which, she encouraged all of those who would receive one that day not to put it on the shelf. The spirit testifying of her words was overwhelming. After the walk through the Grove, the UK couple came back into the welcome center to receive their copies of the Book of Mormon. The young man was excited to get his and said that they would read them on their flight back to the UK. That was the most wonderful experience for me.
Well, each day is a new experience which I love. But it's gotten to a point where we have no idea what day it is. We rotate to a different site every day and sometimes we serve in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. We have a P-day on a different day every week and on Sundays we serve in the afternoon as well. So, it it's never quite clear what day it is. Which makes each week move very quickly.
Julie and I have picked up playing pickleball three times a week. That is a lot of fun and we're getting better every week. We hope to play when we get home also.
Last of all, Merrick and his family came out this last month and we took them on a tour of all the sites and I also went to Niagara Falls with them. It was great fun having them here and we encourage more of you to come out for a visit as well. Happy Birthday Merrick!!!
We love and appreciate all of you. And continually pray for your welfare and for the Lord’s spirit to draw you closer to him that you may be able to stand firm in the coming days of difficulty.
Until next time,
Elder Douglas Smith