This is Halloween!

Hello all,

 

Today is an exciting day! Super P-day is here! Seeing as we can't be out proselyting tonight, we are going to have a good day. Well, Halloween is here, which means that on November 1st, I will have 10 months left. I can't believe how fast time is flying my last half of my mission. So I guess that means I need to go out and work even harder.

 

This was another average week. We did a bit of tracting, teaching, and visiting. Nothing too out of the ordinary. But we did have a really good lesson with Abi, a less active member that is returning to activity. She invites us for dinner quite often. But the best part is that her non-member husband is the one that likes to talk about the Church. He seems interested and has really warmed up to us coming by. Hopefully we can invite him to really learn more. I feel like this area is ready for something big, but I don't know what yet. So I guess I will keep going out and trying to find new people that are ready and able to progress towards baptism.

 

On Friday we had our ward Halloween Party along with the Spanish Branch that used to be just a group in our ward. There were some really great costumes, including a family of Angry Birds, Parents as fishermen and the kids as a lobster and mermaid, and best of all, a younger couple that came as the spitting image of the Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts that stole the show. Best of all, many of the less-active members that we work with attended and met many more people in the ward.

 

This is going to be a short letter, but things are going well in the Renton Highlands. Missionary work is good and as always the Church is true!

 

~Elder Fetzer

Thanksgiving in October

Hello all,

The rainy season has officially started in Seattle, making kind of a dull week. So yes, the rain really did put a damper on things. But hopefully things will get better soon. Last week I told you about Julie, an investigator that an intense, kind of pushy zone leader found for us during a tracting blitz of an apartment. Well, after many attempts to get a hold of her (even when we called she hung up), and finally getting a hold of her at her apartment, she dropped us. She has a lot on her plate and isn't ready right now, so we'll keep on looking for those that are truly ready for the gospel in their lives.

I don't know if it was faithlessness, or just experience that has told me that you can't necessarily put people on-date for baptism on the doorstep and expect them to follow through with what they agreed to do. But I guess that it sometimes works. I do know, however, that you should always talk about baptism in every lesson so it isn't a surprise when you invite people to be baptized.

Well, I got my Mormon.org profile finally online. There is a link on the side of the blog where you can find a link to it. Have you created a profile yet?

Well, I already told you that we teach many less active people. There are nearly 300 members and only about 75 come to sacrament meeting. But past missionaries have really made some good relationships with less-active members so we do have many people to teach. Hopefully we can get some new investigators soon. Until then, things are good! 

A dull week did end well. Last night we had dinner with the Kirkhams, an awesome member family that always makes my day when we go for a visit. They had an awesome full-on thanksgiving dinner, which I have to say was quite amazing. Sometimes the Lord knows just what you need after a disappointing week. So the work moves on and as always the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Speeding Away

Hello All-

 

This week was my first time riding in a police car. Don't worry, it's not what you think. He was just a nice member that saw us walking to a 7:00 appointment and offered us a ride because we don't have a car. It was quite exciting!

 

The weeks seem to by flying by this transfer. Days go by faster when you have to walk everywhere! Our area is really quite small for a ward here and it takes about 45 minutes to walk from one end to the other. This week we had a few tracting exchanges in our area, where we found a few new investigators. Like Julie, who is technically on-date, but because we haven't really gotten the chance to meet her and she hasn't let us set up a time to come by, may be off-date very soon. She was tracted into and a really intense missionary invited her to be baptized. So we'll see where she goes, but I am a lot more hopeful about the Paulsons. The Paulsons are former investigators that we found in the area book. They were almost baptized a few years ago, but fell off because it would have caused family tension. So when we went to their house they were open to meeting again. We have an appointment with them this Thursday!

 

This ward has a lot of less-actives. With only about 60 attending sacrament each week and a few hundred on the records, there is a lot to do. I really like working with the less-actives. They have felt the spirit in their life already. There is usually a reason they don't attend anymore. But many of them are open to the missionaries visiting with them. It is sometimes the extent of their religious life and it is a really neat thing to be a part of.

Church was interesting yesterday. We were asked to do the Gospel Principles lesson in our class. Only 4 people attended. And Priesthood? I have never been to an Elders quorum meeting where only 6 (including my companion and I) attended. But the Church is still true no matter how big or small the congregation. And it is fun when you can get to know the members of the ward better and when they actually know who the missionaries are - a feeling I haven't truly felt in a ward since my firs area in Issaquah.

 

So right now we are moving along at a good pace. We teach every night and it is quite easy to have "other" lessons here. I feel like a real missionary again, after being in the office for nearly 6 months and not having too many people to teach. Time is ticking away now that I am over the hump. 

Well, things are going really well here.

 

The Church is true!

 

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Fetzer with Ted and Kathy, a couple from his last area, the night before he was transferred.

iMISSYOU

Hello All-

iWAS shocked when iHEARD that one of the world's greatest businessmen and visionarys, Steve Jobs died. iDIDN'T know that he was so sick, or for that matter, that he had even retired from Apple. What a sad day! Steve is dead, but Apple will live on!

Well, the mormon.org campaign has officially started! Now it's time to get excited. TV ads have started, billboards are up, and bus ads are driving around the streets of King County (see http://boncom.com/mormon/ for ads). The mission is just beginning to feel the impact. Hopefully, as we talk to more and more people, we will find those interested in the Church because of the things that they have seen.

The Renton Highlands ward is really great! We don't have a car so we walk everywhere! It is good though. It makes our days go by so much faster. While walking, we also talk to so many more people. This week we met Shan. She said that her boyfriend was mormon and that she wanted to learn more. So we gave her a Book of Mormon and our number and didn't really expect to hear from her again. Where was my faith? So on Sunday she texted us and asked what time Church was at! We didn't even ask her about attending. It was a really cool experience. So we'll see how she turns out.

This ward has so much potential! I am excited to be here! I still don't know too many people, but the people I have met are really nice, humble people. I am excited to be here at this time of my mission. Anyways, this is short, but I am doing well!

~Elder Fetzer

Mission Office-Check that off my list

Hello All-

 

I am kind of relieved. It feels as though a weight has been lifted off my back from all the stressful days in the office, training the new vehicle coordinator, and always being on the move in the familiar Ford F350 mission van, driving around the mission on various errands and being asked to do large moves and having to do it before a particular time. I was transferred. My new companion's name is Elder Ellis, from Utah and we are serving together in - are you ready - the Renton Highlands ward in the Renton, Washington stake in the Washington Seattle Mission! Goodbye Bellevue! I am hopeful for the future.

 

I did like the mission office, but I think that my 4 transfers there was the perfect timing. It was great to always have things to do and places to be, but I am glad to be back as a regular missionary again. This was kind of a sombre weekend, as I was somewhat expecting to be transferred, but the highlight had to be General Conference. As always, conference was great, even better when you are sitting next to the recent converts you had a part in baptizing and they watched all sessions, including Priesthood for Jake, at the Stake Center. Jake and Lindsey Stinson are the highlight of my mission. I am so grateful that they have stayed strong in the gospel and are working towards the temple next year! We had dinner with them on Sunday night, which ended up being a testimony meeting. They have so much hope for the future through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Last night we went by the Stinsons to say goodbye. I know I will see them again soon and know that they are going to be just fine in the fellowship of the Bellevue 6th ward.

 

Betsy is another story. She too is progressing. She liked (not loved) conference, but has decided to be baptized when she is well enough. Hopefully she goes through with this decision. She still has reservations though. She is concerned about polygamy and the priesthood. I am sure Elder Kasenberg can handle all that she throws out. But I will attend her baptism, that is if it happens...

 

I can't wait to listen to and read conference again. It was a great spiritual high, which was just what I needed to get me through transfers.

~Elder Fetzer