Discovering Life's Purpose

Hello All,

 

We continue to teach those we already have, but we continue to struggle to find new people to teach. We had a great lesson with Subeer before he left on his month-long trip to India. We caught up on how his testimony has progressed. He told us that since we began to meet with him he has been able to feel and be guided by the spirit. He even gave us some stories about times that he prayed for guidance, even when he was planning his trip to India he was inspired to choose an earlier flight. Many of his questions about life have been answered and he understands that understanding comes "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." He loved Church last week, especially the open discussion in elders quorum. It truly is amazing to see the progress of someone that had no real knowledge or understanding of God just about a month ago. The best thing about it is that he would like to continue learning when he gets back!

 

We also continue to teach Lin and Amy. Lin, like Subeer, has a non-religious background, but his understanding is increasing and it seems like our lesson on Saturday about the purpose of life, repentance, and the atonement of Jesus Christ is really starting to click. He was at Church yesterday. We still aren't sure how much he understands, but he does feel the spirit when he attends.

 

Amy continues to progress, although she is starting to attend a singles ward in Redmond until she moves. The missionaries in California are going to have a really solid baptism when she moves there in a month.

I can't believe that I am 21 years old! Time is coming to an end here. There was a member that couldn't feed us on Saturday so she gave us money to go out to eat. A great treat to celebrate my birthday and Elder Walker's year mark!

 

The "bring your friend to Church" day went well. Although there were many new people that attended, very few attended the meetings after sacrament. But we'll see what happens from it. The talks were on service and fulfilling callings. They were really powerful.

 

So all in all it was an okay week. The work moves forward because this is the Lord's one true Church!

 

~Elder Fetzer

CHURCH!

Hello all,

Some weeks it seems like you work so hard, but see not too much progress. This was one of those weeks. But as we go out again this week the Lord will bless us.  I learned this week that getting some people to Church is truly a week-long process. We have been trying to invite Subeer to Church for many weeks now with no luck and we knew that something had to change. I am glad that the mission has been training on getting people to Church lately because that really is the only way that people are going to get baptized is if they take this important step. Preach My Gospel encourages us to plan each day of the week an activity to get poeple to Church. So we tried it out and it worked. On Tuesday we had a Church tour to show him what the building was like and tell him about the Sunday services and he committed to attend! After following up with him throughout the week he finally did attend and had a great time! We'll continue to meet with him, but he is going on vacation to visit family in India for a month so we'll see where it goes from there.

We continue to meet with Nathaniel and his wife Siti. We taught them about repentance and had a good discussion about how it is a continual process.

We have several things set up this week, plus an exciting Sunday meeting in the Bellevue 7th ward. We're having a "bring your friend to Church day." We're hoping the members go out and invite their friends.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Many Highs and Lows

Hello all,

 

This week we experienced a lot of highs and many lows. Nathaniel was baptized Wednesday, Jun 6, now making up an all-member family of two. He was nervous, but now is all good. He has come a long way since the elders began teaching him months ago, and now he realizes that he has a bit more to go as well, to the House of the Lord. But he can do it. He has had to overcome a lot. His example has showed me that through the power of God, addictions can be taken away and He can give you the strength to overcome them.

 

This week we met a member-referral named Amy. She is 19 years old and is moving to California with LDS friends and wants to be baptized there, but wants us to prepare her for baptism. While looking for a church to attend down there, her friends invited her to attend with them and she loved it! We went into the lesson not knowing much about her and as usual, started with our lesson on the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we began to discuss Joseph Smith she stopped us and told us that earlier that day she was reading the triple combination scriptures that she was given and read the Joseph Smith History. Then she told us that she had read parts of the Book of Mormon and got to Moroni's challenge to pray about it. So she knelt down that very morning and asked God if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if the Book of Mormon was true and got her spiritual confirmation right then. She will be baptized soon!

 

But with such great things like baptism and a solid new investigator, the adversary is fighting back. Our lessons with investigators this last weekend after the baptism were basically all cancelled. They were "too busy." But they will continue to meet with us.

 

So things are okay. The Church is true and God's work will roll forth because the Church is true!

 

~Elder Fetzer

Living God's Commandments

Hello all,

Well, There isn't too much to report here, yet until next week. Nathaniel's baptism has been rescheduled for Wednesday night to better accommodate for his wife's schedule. After talking to our zone leader, who did his baptismal interview, it seems as though he has a lot stronger testimony/motivation/desire than we initially thought. I am happy that he has good fellowship and connections to the ward. I guess he should now that he has investigated for about 7 months now. It is amazing seeing where he is now and hearing where he came from - having no background in anything, to having a testimony of the restored gospel.

 

We continue to teach Lin, who is the Chinese man that came to Church with us last week. He continues to grow closer to God through prayer and scripture study and of course, Church attendance. It has been interesting how to teach people with non-Christian backgrounds during the last few months and learning really where to start because you can't just start with a lesson on the Restoration of the gospel. We start with the nature of God and move on to Jesus Christ and prayer. It truly is a privilege being able to teach someone for the first time about the Atonement and being a part of beginning their relationship with God. 

 

We continue to teach Subeer. He is growing closer to God by keeping commandments and realizes that he can gain revelation through scriptures and prayer, but we still need to get him to fully commit to come to Church. He is realizing why God has commandments and how they can help him grow closer to God and truly live "after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27).

 

God is blessing us here in the Bellevue 7th ward. People are progressing and growing closer to their Heavenly Father and the work continues because this is the Lord's true Chruch!

 

~Elder Fetzer