CHARDO • A Mission

Progress in the Highlands!

2012-02-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Well, its transfers once again and I'm staying here in the Highlands! This area has really become one of my favorites! There are some really great members here that love and support our missionary efforts. My New companion is Elder Merrill, from Mesa Arizona. I will say though that I was sad to see Elder Dale leave. Together we built up the Renton Highlands and somehow have sparked excitement in missionary work "that the ward hasn't felt in 6 years" one member told us. Plus they trust the missionaries here now! So we need to continue to work hard and keep it up! It is really cool!

We did have an okay week. We both felt like one of us was leaving so we said a lot of goodbyes. But we did have a few cool experiences. We were tracting a neighborhood that we have been in lately. It was cold and somewhat rainy, but we felt like we should keep on going. Eventually we met Shannon, a 30 year old lady that had been to our church a lot as a youth with a family in another ward and has read part of the BOM. Her sister converted about 2 years ago. We were excited when she said that her family had been talking about going back to a church and she invited us to come back. So we'll see where she goes.

We also got a referral named Molly, a 20 year old girl that the Zone Leaders met at the bus station. So we called her Saturday night and invited her to Church and loved it! She even came to a single adult potluck with many single adults in the area held at our amazing ward missionaries house. Unfortunately she doesn't live in our area's boundaries so we passed her off to the sister missionaries there, but she is planning to get baptized soon!

So things are going okay. Although I haven't yet seen someone baptized in this ward I still do see progress in the fact that the ward trusts missionaries here and sees that there are people here to teach. And I feel like that is a good accomplishment.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Small but Mighty Miracles

2012-01-31T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

So we had an okay week. Not much happened until Thursday when we had Zone Conference. It was probably the best one that I have ever had! We talked about the things that we can do in order to help people progress and keep commitments. It seems that the problems that we have been having have also been a mission-wide problem. We have become really good at putting people on-date for baptism, but the mission is having a hard time helping people keep their commitments. So we talked about reading the Book of Mormon and how we can better help people do that. Elder Holland once said that when an investigator tells us they haven't read we need to be devastated. So we discussed how we can be devastated. We also talked about how this year is the year of miracles. Every time we have a miracle we are supposed to text President Larkin. So I'm sure he gets many texts each week. It was powerful and helped me realize how I can better improve as a missionary.

We had a neat experience this week. We were tracting on Saturday and met Nick. He was working on his car and told us that he believes in Joseph Smith and in the Book of Mormon. He told us that he has attended Church many times before and that he has met with missionaries in the past and has family members that are Mormon. So we went into the baptismal interview questions and invited him to be baptized. He would like to get baptized soon, but because he wasn't at Church yesterday he won't be able to for at least another week. So we'll see how he turns out.

A few weeks ago the Spanish missionaries met Lona, a less-active member that recently moved into our ward boundaries. She said that she wanted sister missionaries to teach her and her sisters, but they haven't been able to contact her recently. There were many times that lessons and Church attendance fell through. So when we were inviting people to our ward chili cook-off on Friday we decided to call her and she actually came! Our ward missionaries really hit it off with her and when she finally came to Church on Sunday, they were saving a seat for her. This is just another example that members are key in missionary work. After sacrament she said that she had to leave for work, but said that she needed to start to take Sundays off to keep the sabbath day holy because someone talked about that. Really all it took to help bring her back was an invitation to the activity and a friendly "Hello" from a nice member and now she has started her path back. So that was a really great miracle.

We also met a lady named Jeanni a few weeks ago. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and each time we have visited her she has read a little more. We invited her to be baptized if she knew it was true and she said she would. We are planning a Church tour this week.

So even though a few things fell through we were still able to see a few neat things this week. Just another testament that the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Slushmageddon

2012-01-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Call it what you will. It snowed this week - hard. And of course, being Seattle, no one is prepared for it. So that made this an interesting week.

By the time Tuesday night rolled around most of the snow had melted, making the streets icy and very slippery. And we thought it wouldn't be snowing much more. But waking up Wednesday morning brought us more snow and ice, making the streets slushy and slippery. The next days brought freezing rain, which covered everything. Friday finally brought us warmer weather, which has now all but melted the snow.

On top of that, I went on exchange with Elder Elison Tuesday afternoon, which ended up lasting until Friday evening because the mission had us park the cars and loss of power in the Fairwood area, where he serves. It was actually quite fun, although by the end of it he was glad to go back to his area.

Because of the storms, people were home nearly every day. We were able to find a few potential new investigators, including a woman that has seen problems in the "American Church," including people not practicing what they preach and how church's now are kind of like businesses. So we taught her about the Restoration and now she wants to learn more.

I also had a neat experience. We were at an apartment complex visiting a less-active member. After our lesson I thought we should go visit a potential investigator that we found months ago. We asked her if she had looked at any of the information we had given her and she said that she visited mormon.org and thought it was a good site. So we asked her if she would be interested in learning more. At first she wasn't that interested because she told us that she was taking care of her problems by talking to a catholic priest. So we asked her if she had ever read the Book of Mormon. She said that she hadn't so we gave her a copy and explained it to her. She opened up a little bit and asked if there were any parts of it that she could read that would help her family grow closer together. So I thought for a minute and remembered some chapters in Mosiah. I have learned that when the spirit speaks you shouldn't question it, even if it seems strange sometimes. So I gave her some chapters to read. When I got home later that day I looked up the chapter on the Book of Mormon in PMG. There is a section about how the book answers questions of the soul. Under the question about helping families grow closer together those very chapters I told her to read were listed. The spirit truly does speak to us.

Other than that, our week was kind of slow. Many of the people we are teaching aren't committed to doing anything we ask them to do. But we'll keep looking because I know that the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Walking in a Renton Winter Wonderland

2012-01-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

The snow has finally fallen and the people of Renton are staying inside for now. The roads are not-so-well plowed, sidewalks not shoveled, and everything is icy. And the rain will melt it all by Wednesday. But the work still moves on in the Renton Highlands Ward.

Honestly, this was kind of a bummer week. Although we did have many teaching opportunities, we had many others fall through. It's kind of a bummer, but I know that the gospel can and will change all people that apply it to their lives. Sometimes agency is a hard thing. But I feel that the Highlands is one of the most fruitful areas in the mission so I will continue to go out and work.

Our newest investigator is named Levi and he was a referral from our Zone Leaders. He has a long history with drugs and wants to turn his life around and become closer to God. He seems solid and wants to come to Church. So we'll see what happens with him.

Other than that it was a typical week. Tracting, visiting recent converts and less-actives, trying potentials and lots of walking around and through the Highlands. But things are good. Anyways, this letter is short, but hope all is well. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Changing Little by Little

2012-01-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Well this was kind of a slower week, although we did see some miracles. Many of our plans fell through as we tried to meet with Zaria. She is always busy with work and it tends to get annoying when we call to confirm an appointment a few hours before and she isn't there when she said she would be. But she said that she worked a lot from the beginning so I guess that may be expected.

Saral is slowly progressing. Each time we visit with her she seems happier. She is more of a long-term project, but she knows the importance of change. She has a lot of trials in her life that have made her very angry, but as we have taught her it seems as though a little more peace has come into her life. I don't know if she is going to make the date of February 11th after our last lesson where we told her what the qualifications were for baptism, but she still does want to be baptized. Although she may not yet fully see that she has changed a bit, we as missionaries do. We know that God "will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more." (2 Nephi 28:30) Sara is learning and there is a long road ahead for her, but we told her as missionaries we would be with her every step of the way.

Jayson is golden, although he doesn't live in our area. He lives in a nearby stake, but they use the building. We met with him twice last week. He prayed for peace in his upcoming custody battle. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon and he told us that it was the only thing that could bring him peace as he waited in court for the case. When we passed him off to the other elders we had him sit in on a child's baptism before the lesson. He felt the spirit and accepted baptism for next month in his lesson afterward. I am happy that I got to play a small part in his conversion to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the middle of the week we got a text from a member, Helen Kirkham. She is Brother and Sister Kirkham's daughter, the family that we spent most of Christmas with. She said that she had a friend that wanted to come to Church and learn more about it. Helen had given him a Book of Mormon and told him a little bit about the restoration and told us that he was excited to attend. So yesterday we met Adam right before Church. He is 18 years old and, just like Joseph Smith, is looking for the right religion. He loved Church and is planning to come back next week. After Church we invited him to be baptized on January 28th. He is now preparing for that day.

So things are going well. I am glad that we have an investigator with solid member fellowship. I am looking forward to the upcoming week because I know that the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Happy New Years!

2012-01-02T23:07:00.012-07:00

Hello all,

Well with all the miracles we have been seeing lately, I guess it is only fair that we had a so-so week. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest either.

Well it is now 2012 and that is kind of cool. Yesterday (Jan. 1) I remembered my 16 month mark. It is really crazy! I can't believe that I am one of the older missionaries out here! We did find a few new investigators, but the bummer was that we could meet with Zaria only once this week and she didn't come to Church yesterday. She is now off her baptismal date, but I am confident that she will be baptized this month. It is always surprising. People are willing to be baptized and let us in to teach them, but when it actually comes to Church attendance on Sunday, people often back out.

Our ward increased in size yesterday. It was actually fun to look out on the congregation and see us all almost fill the small chapel in our ward building. A few weeks ago the boundaries changed. The Renton Highlands ward had been working a "skeleton crew" for a while and the "same ten people" were doing all the big callings. Our ward is quite transient because of the area and the amount of apartments in the area. There wasn't nearly enough priesthood leaders to effectively run a ward so they increased our boundaries by a little bit, incorporating a few nicer neighborhoods where people would move in and stay. So yesterday we had about 15 people in Elders Quorum, which I think is a new record!

With the switch, we got a new investigator, who is now planning to be baptized later this month. His name is Christopher. His wife joined the Church about a year ago and missionaries recently started teaching him. We had a pass-off lesson with the elders that were teaching him. We taught him the doctrine of Christ and the importance of receiving the Holy Ghost after baptism. After inviting him to be baptized, he asked us "well what do I need to do?" He seems pretty solid!

Yesterday we met Jayson. He came to Chruch because he wanted to start taking his kids. So when he walked into Gospel Principles and told us he wasn't a member, we got excited. Unfortunately he doesn't live in our area, but he wants to learn more and wants to continue attending. Things are okay right now. We need to help people understand the importance of Church. And even though our plans sometimes fall through, the gospel is still true!

~Elder Fetzer

I'll Be Home for Christmas!

2011-12-26T22:47:00.011-07:00

Hello all,

Christmas time is now past and it's time to start looking towards the new year! Transfers are here and Elder Dale and I are staying right here in the Renton Highlands. And now I can finally say that I truly will be home next Christmas!

This week we did a lot of sifting. Although we didn't get many new investigators, we solidified the ones that we already have and realized once again that some people won't make commitments. But the highlight still is Zaria. She is pretty solid. Her 11 year old daughter is in town and she is on fire with the gospel! It is really neat to see. Our second lesson went well. We taught the doctrine of Christ, which she seemed to understand. Her daughter chimed in and unexpectedly taught her the Word of Wisdom and the 10 commandments, but it is really cool to see an 11 year old so engulfed in the gospel, reading her scriptures and studying. She is even reading through the entire Bible.

We did have a neat experience this week. We were walking home for lunch and heard someone shout, "hey Mormons," so we went over to talk to the person. We met Taylor. He told us that he moved from Texas about a year ago and took all the lessons there. He said that as soon as he walked into the church there he felt the spirit and knew that it was true. He said he is still planning on being baptized and reads the Book of Mormon, but needs to quit smoking. He knows he can do it with God's help. Unfortunately he doesn't live in our area. But as we were leaving he told us that he wasn't going to talk to us when he saw us, but something prompted him to yell to us. God truly does place people in our path.

Christmas was Good. We spent the day with the Kirkhams and with a less-active family the Gaileys. On Christmas eve we had dinner with members and went caroling before an appointment that we had with Zaria.

Well, it's the beginning of a new transfer. Miracles are happening every day. I pray that they will continue to happen. Things are going well and the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

A Christmas Miracle!

2011-12-19T22:36:00.020-07:00

Hello all,

Starting out our week in the temple was a marvelous way to start out our week. Many people talk about spiritual experiences that they have in the temple. Quite honestly, until Tuesday, I didn't have one quite like this, but it brought the spirit more into our companionship and truly sanctified our work this week. It truly was a Christmas miracle.

Last Tuesday morning we got an MTC referral as we were getting ready for the temple. We were quite excited, as we hadn't gotten a referral in a while, plus this one just felt special. Zaria is a woman from Sierra Leone, in Africa. Her daughter and some of her family recently joined the Church in Utah. She went to Church one time in Utah and wanted to learn more. So we went by Tuesday evening and were let right in and we quickly dove right into the message of the Restoration. After reciting the first vision in Joseph Smith's own words, we asked her how she felt. She described the warm feelings of peace that she had and said that she had goosebumps. We testified that she had felt the Holy Ghost testify that it was true and repeated the first vision to her again. As we ended, she was awestruck and amazed that a young man did actually see God and Jesus Christ. We testified of the restoration of the priesthood and invited her to be baptized on January 7th along with her friend Brima. The spirit manifested itself strongly and it was probably the strongest I have ever felt it before.

On Thursday after weekly planning we met with Sara. I think I told you about her a few weeks ago. We have had kind of a hard time meeting with her lately. Some lessons have fallen through, but she apologized. She has many issues, including built up anger, some depression, and lots of stress, but the gospel is helping her. Each lesson there seems to be a little bit of change for the better in her. And Thursday was no exception. We testified about faith and that our Savior has suffered all of our pains and afflictions. That He can lift our burdens if we let him. The Spirit truly spoke through us. It was strong! Sara, along with her friend Valente, have once again agreed to baptism on February 11th.

God's promise to place people along our daily path truly does work. There were many small miracles that happened this week. Like when a lady answered her door and was wondering what Mormons believed after seeing the ads around. She is looking for God in her life and we testified that through the doctrine of Christ we can be made whole. We invited her to be baptized in January and she accepted. The only thing is that she doesn't live in our area. We were walking out of our apartment complex. A man asked us if he could have "one of those 'Mormon books.'" We testified that the Lord placed us in his path to tell him about the gospel. He said he was looking for more religion in his life and wanted to feel clean from his past. We invited him to learn more and referred him to missionaries in his area. Every person we talked to we shared the doctrine of Christ. We told them why we were there, to help them develop faith in Christ, repent, and be baptized. As we shared these things people felt the spirit and we were able to find many new investigators.

Yesterday our ward increased in size. Our numbers had been small and because of the turnover in this ward there are a lot of transient people here. The "same ten people" were practically running the ward, as Bishop Corder says. But needless to say, we had a great Sunday (even though it rained). We set up a ride for Sara and her friend Jacob, who met with the bishop before Chruch and received some assistance. In the meeting, Jacob said that he too was planning to be baptized the same day as Sara. And although the hour long meeting with 3 wards was mostly about the split, the spirit was still there and we heard some great messages about change. Zaria and Brima weren't able to make it at the last minute because of work and an emergency situation, but they will be there next week. And because the Lord sanctified the week, we did have the 4 investigators at Church that we were planning on including two non-member husbands that we often teach.

This week truly was amazing. We hit all the standards of excellence. We have 6 people in the area who have a baptismal date, taught 24 lessons, most of them in the "other" category to investigators and those not in the Church, and did have people at sacrament. The Lord did bless our work and is preparing the Renton Highlands for something amazing. New members are in our ward and will only make it stronger, helping those that need extra help in the area.

I have learned this week that I truly am nothing in the work of the Lord. I am just an instrument in His hands. None of the miracles that we saw this week were because of us. God trusts us in this area and he is placing people in our path so that we can help them become closer to Him. We are working hard and putting our faith in Him. I feel closer to the spirit than I ever have in my life. The spirit has truly manifest to me that the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Spiritually Fed

2011-12-13T22:32:00.007-07:00

Hello All,

Today was a temple day! As always, it was great to step inside the holy halls of the Seattle Temple and feel the Spirit of the Lord. I feel spiritually fed and uplifted and am ready to go out and do the Lord's work.

This was kind of a slow week. We taught many "other" lessons to people not of our faith, and found a few new investigators, but it seems that the people that the Lord has blessed us with to teach simply are not keeping any of the commitments we extend to them, including meeting with us. But the Lord has promised us that there are people ready for the gospel and we just need to go out and find them.

We do have one investigator named Doug that we have met with a few times. I feel that he is the closest we have to a progressing investigator. We found him a few weeks ago. He was the last door of an apartment building. He said that he had met with missionaries in the past and said that we could come back. So when we were finally able to go back, he kind of rambled on about things that didn't necessarily pertain to the gospel, but he was willing to read the Book of Mormon. When we went back yesterday, he had "researched" our Church a little more and had many questions, not necessarily wanting to anti us, but because he was simply curious. He also said that he was impressed at how we handled ourselves as he rambled on in the first lesson and how we answered his questions without fighting. He said that our Church had something that he wanted to look into more and basically committed himself to read the Book of Mormon and told us a good day to come back. So we'll see where he goes. I am remaining hopeful with him.

We had our mission Christmas party on Friday night. All in all, it was a good time being with other missionaries that I have come to become good friends with. We had an excellent dinner, which was followed by a short musical program. But the main event was the movie. "17 Miracles" was in one word, amazing! It is the story of the Willie and Martin handcart company traveling to the Salt Lake Valley. It shows the dedication and faith of those early pioneer ancestors of the Chruch and some of the many miracles that the Lord provided to help many of them get across the dangerous plains. It showed the sacrifices that the pioneers went through in order to reach Zion so they could be with the Saints. By the end of it, there wasn't a dry eye in the chapel where we watched it (including mine). It shows all of us that no matter our trials and struggles, the Lord is always watching out for us. The movie opened my eyes to the many miracles that the Lord has shown me because "if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." (Mormon 9:19-21)

Interviews were yesterday. It is always great talking to President Larkin as he gives us encouragement, advice, and support in our missionary service. Well, things are going as well as they can. The Lord will continue to bless us because the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

People In My Path

2011-11-28T22:23:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

Never in my mission have I felt more like a real missionary than I do here in the Renton Highlands. And this week was no exception. We had a great week, meeting lots of new people and truly seeing that the Lord truly does place small miracles in our place.

Let's just say that tuesday was rainy, wet, and yes, quite soggy. And we were out in the middle of it. Thank Heavens for my good Eddie Bauer rain jacket, and for the nice members that let us in. Wednesday was a good day! We found Sara about a week ago and she told us to come back later. After knocking on her door several other times and days, she finally was home and let us in. When we asked her why, she didn't know but told us that it felt right. To me it is amazing how the spirit touches some people by simply giving them "good," undescribable feelings. So we talked to her a little bit and testified about the cleansing power of the atonement. She has had a hard life and could truly use the atonement in her life. In the middle of our lesson about the atonement, her friend Jacob walked in. As we shared the first vision in Joseph Smith's words, we paused and let them think about it. The spirit told them that it was true and we invited them to be baptized on December 24th. They accepted that date and are working towards it. We're praying that they don't fall off, which they easily could.

I have found again and again that the spirit also speaks to us as missionaries telling us where to go to find someone that is prepared for the gospel. So the last door of the apartment building we were knocking on Friday we found a new investigator. This week the Lord truly has placed people in our path, as it promisses in Preach My Gospel. Although, not everything worked out this week, the Lord truly has placed us where we were needed at the time we were there.

Thanksgiving was this week! We had it with the Andersons, a member family that we see nearly every week. We had a great time talking to them and even had a cribbage tournement. Sister Belnap died this week and her funeral was Saturday. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wasn't expected to make it to Thanksgiving. But her funeral was one of the best I have attended. It was funny, hopeful, spirit-filled, and uplifting. The Belnaps are one of the flagship families of the Renton Highlands ward. She was strong in her faith and will truly be missed, but will continue to spread the gospel in the spirit world. It was really quite amazing to see how positive her children (now grown up) were. One of her daughters told us that she was okay and it was just like a mission area transfer. It's hard but it will be okay. I have never thought of death being that way, but for those that know God's plan, that is truly what it is.

Things are going well. We continue to work hard. And the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

It's almost Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T14:10:00.011-07:00

Hello all,

Well, this was actually quite a good week! They say that the "Highlands are hot," and I feel that they are beginning to become so. I feel good about this transfer. Hopefully it is the will of the Lord to allow us to teach someone that will actually progress towards baptism!

This week we got back in contact with a former/eternal investigator. Derrick and Carly Meehan have investigated since about 2009. RIght now Derrick is ready for baptism, but Carly is not. So we talked about how to recieve personal revalation. We read many scriptures, such as D&C 6:14-15 and D&C 8:2-3. They feel that they may already have recieved an answer on weather the Church is true, but they may not have realized it. So we'll check back on them soon and let them think about what we left them.

The Highlight of the week was Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He came to speak to priesthood leaders here, but also spoke to the Missionaries. He talked about always having the spirit with us. When we are able to teach by the spirit, we are able to teach anyone. He also reminded us that selfishness takes the spirit away. We have to let go of our selfish desires and have charity for those around us. It was amazing to be in the presence and shake the hand of an Apostle of the Lord. An opporotunity that we don't get too often. Elder Oaks' "Junior Companion" was Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy. He spoke about how those who are "prepared by the Lord" hear the Lord's voice and have an open heart. Hearing them both speak gave me the extra power I need to get through the next couple of weeks!

Thanksgiving is this week! We have a few invites, but we are still trying to figure out what we are going to do. I think that it is gonna be a good week! The Church is true and the Book is blue!

~Elder Fetzer

"What just happened?"

2011-11-15T11:05:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

Well, this week was transfers again and I got a new companion. His name is Elder Dale. But I am staying in the Renton Highlands, which I am actually quite excited about. It is a really good area. We have some great members and many people we can visit and teach. But we do need investigators, some that will actually progress and do what we invite them to do. So we'll keep working.

This week we found two new investigators, Heather and Dallin. They are truly people that need the gospel. People say that the Church is kind of like a hospital. For them it could be. This is their third time getting married. They have only been married 3 weeks and are looking for a divorce. We testified about how the gospel could help them and they want to keep learning more.

Also this week was the primary program. It is always fun to see the primary kids get up and sing, especially when we are combined with the Spanish branch. This week we met with Jonah. I told you about him a while ago. It was weird. He is very spiritual and told us that the only mistake in the Book of Mormon is that Jesus isn't a Hebrew name. He also went on and told us about how "father" told him about the 12 degrees of the universe and the meaning of his name and many other things. So we just intently listened and tried to get it back on a gospel subject, but now we know what to do for next time and it gave us a good idea of who to take with us. Really the only thing that could sum it up best is what I asked Elder Ellis when we were walking home: "What just happened?" But Jonah does believe the Church is true and wants to be baptized so I guess you could call him "golden."

Well, this week's letter will be short. All in all, it was a good week. All the prayers help. This will be an exciting week though. Elder Dallin H. Oaks from the Quorum of the Twelve apostles and Elder Rasband from the Presidency of the Seventies are coming on Friday. It is going to be an exciting thing for our mission! The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

The Mormon Moment

2011-11-07T10:03:00.004-07:00

Hello all,

Well, this has actually been a pretty good week. We had Zone Conference this week, which was actually really good. Probably the best one I have ever been to. It was fun and informative. There was a funny skit about golf with President Larkin, showing us that we need to use all the clubs we have in our bag and all the tools we have at our disposal as missionaries. We also had a fun miniature golf activity against the zones. President Larkin called right now the "Mormon Moment" because the Church is making headlines nearly every day. The Church is being examined and often defended. Mission presidents have even been encouraged to get the newspaper so they know what is going on around them. We even watched THIS funny video. The Church seems to be in a good position right now.

Well, the weather is getting colder and wetter right now and it is getting darker earlier, which isn't too fun, especially without a car, but we'll manage. This week we got a new investigator. Her name is Adalena. She was a referral from another set of missionaries that taught her in another area before she moved into ours. She is a single mom and is at wit's end with her 3 children (5, 12 and 17). She is stressed and wants to teach them good morals and values. She was found by a member in another ward, driving home from a long day at work. The spirit prompted her to pick her up on the side of the road because she was carrying groceries. So when she went back to pick her up, Adalena had dropped her groceries and needed help. When she asked why the member picked her up, the member responded, "Well I am Mormon and when you are baptized into the Church, you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and it told me to pick you up." Eventually missionaries did get involved in that ward, but Adalena wasn't quite ready. The member basically bore her testimony to Adalena and told her that only the gospel could help her family. So she is ready to do anything to help her family. Hopefully she truly decides to follow the gospel. So there is a ray of hope for us in the coming weeks.

I went on exchanges this Friday with Elder Peterson, who is my district leader. It was actually quite a fun exchange. He is one of my favorite missionaries out here. Sunday was kind of disappointing. because Adalena's apartment had problems and the water had to be off temporarily. She didn't make it to Church. But she still wants to come and even get involved with the youth programs. Even a recent convert that was baptized here a few months ago seems to be falling off. He constantly cancels appointments and isn't there when he says he will be. Yesterday he didn't even show up to Church to have Elder Ellis bless his child, which may just be the last time that Eder Ellis could do it.

The Church is true and the work still moves on in the Renton Highlands ward.

~Elder Fetzer

This is Halloween!

2011-10-31T13:58:00.000-06:00

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

2011-10-24T22:23:00.004-06:00

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

2011-10-19T09:15:00.000-06:00

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

2011-10-16T19:01:00.001-06:00

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

iMISSYOU

2011-10-10T20:13:00.004-06:00

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

2011-10-04T19:47:00.000-06:00

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

An unusual week!

2011-09-30T15:10:00.012-06:00

Hello all,

Well, this has been probably the craziest week of the transfer (and possibly my mission.) We have been quite busy, not necessarily completely doing missionary work, but also at the office. Today was quite an interesting day. What was supposed to be a p-day today became something I could never have imagined. In the middle of personal study, we got a phone call telling us that another missionary had left his apartment. So we spent the day, along with our zone leaders, driving around and trying to track him down. Needless to say, the elder was eventually found and has decided to stay. It is always sad when a missionary decides to leave. I don't think they really know what they are missing out on.

This was an exciting morning at the office. We picked up 5 new cars in Kirkland, which isn't necessarily new, but I finally was able to drive by myself! On top of that, we were outside of the mission boundaries. This is really the only instance that that is okay. It was really exciting and weird at the same time. And of anything I could have done in the office, driving by myself is one of the things I wanted to do the most! So I can check that off of my things to do on my mission checklist. Haha.

So it was kind of an abnormal week. I went on exchanges on Wednesday and half-day Thursday.

We did get some time to proselyte though. The Stinsons are finally back and are planing to attend conference. Jake is attending Priesthood meeting, which will be good. That is one of my favorite meetings. So this quite strange week is going to end well.

Transfers are next week. I don't know what is going to happen, but I know that whatever happens will be for my own good. I have learned from every area and from every companion. Anyways, this is probably a weird email. My mind is in a million places at once and I can't seem to put my thoughts together. Maybe it is a combination of overhearing a Chinese version of "The wheels on the Bus" at the library, having a million Spanish children running around the computers here right now, or it has just been a long week and I need a nap. But whatever it is, I am sure next week will be better. But things are going well. We still teach Betsy, although I don't know where she is going to go. Our other investigators aren't progressing.It will be interesting to see where I end up next transfer.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Getting Closer

2011-09-24T15:05:00.012-06:00

Hello all,

Well this was quite an interesting week! Betsy is close. When we met with her on Wednesday, she decided for herself that she needed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. She is smart. She realized that that is one of the main differences from us and any other Christian Church. If Joseph Smith is a Prophet - and he is - than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true! We taught her about prayer and how she could gain her own testimony of the restored gospel. She says that knowing her, she will make a decision soon.

We invited our investigator Jullian and his family to Church! They said they were open to it and are planning on being there. So if all goes well we will have at least 3 at Church this week!

We were invited to dinner with Dave and his wife Michelle. They are a very nice couple. Interested in what we have to say, but active members at another church - Mars Hill - which is a very large and popular church in the Seattle area. They said we were welcome to come back and share more, but I don't know how interested they would be in being converted. So we'll see where it goes.

We're in the office less and less now that the Dollars are here. They are trained and ready to go, though we're still only a phone call away. Transfers are coming up, which means I have a good chance of being transferred out of the office, seeing as the previous office missionaries have only stayed here for 4 transfers. But we'll see what happens.

Things are going well.

~Elder Fetzer

Finding Myself

2011-09-17T14:53:00.019-06:00

Hello All,

It is quite amazing what you find in an obscure corner of your area at the end of a windy road. The Lord promises that people all around us are being prepared to the message of the restoration, even in Bellevue, Washington. Each day we tract for just a few hours and this week we saw many miracles. First, we met Dave, a converted Christian that originally told us he was having family night and so we gave him a Book of Mormon, but just a few seconds after shutting the door, he opened it back up and stepped out and wanted to learn about the gospel. We talked to him for about an hour about the restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith and how the authority was restored to the earth. He was quite interested and wants to learn more. So we'll see where it goes.

Last month Elder Kasenberg and I were tracting in an apartment complex and we met June. She said she was busy and said to come back "in a month." So a month came and went and we kept on putting it off because things like this happen all the time without going anywhere, but we did decide to go back. So on Tuesday we went back and were told to come back Friday night (Last Night). A little skeptical, we went to our appointment and were invited in. It turns out that June's 13 year old son, Jullian had a friend from school pass away during the week. So we testified and taught about God's eternal plan and that he would see his friend again. What is amazing to me is the timing. We were prompted to go back on Tuesday and set an appointment for Friday BEFORE his friend died. None of us could have ever expected this tragedy to happen, but the Lord always knows best and times things perfectly. This family was prepared by God and at the very moment they had questions about death, they already had an appointment with the missionaries.

Now Jullian's parents aren't necessarily interested. June is Wiccan and the dad isn't really anything, but they are very open to letting their son come to Church and learn from us. So we'll see where our new prospects take us, but I know the Lord truly is preparing people all around us as we go out in faith and earnestly seek them - even in Bellevue.

Now to Betsy, she didn't make it to Church last week. She is very feeble and sick and was tired when the Stinson's came to pick her up. But we'll try again this week. She is still learning but I think with her we're going to be in it for a while. She sees the importance of living the gospel. As we were teaching her about repentance, I realized something HUGE. Anyone can repent fully without necessarily being a member of the Church. The repentance process is truly between yourself and God. Betsy has gone through all the steps of the repentance process before. Our Church doesn't necessarily have any new methods to repent, but we can repent fully when we are baptized by the proper authority, which only our Church has. This was a good week. The Dollars, from Meridian, Idaho arrived in our mission. We are still in the process of training them. Tuesday we went to the Temple. It was great as always, full of personal revelation.

How many missionaries does it take to change a tire? Answer: 7. One to change the tire, the rest to supervise, including the NEW vehicle coordinator My last official duty as vehicle coordinator involved changing tire in the temple parking lot in my suit, while the others stood around the car watching me do it. There was a missionary companionship that has been having car troubles lately - both with their assigned car and the one we replaced it with when it was being fixed from an accident. Now they had a nail in their tire that had caused it to go flat. Good thing it is really quite easy to do it and a repair at Les Schwab is free!

The highlight of my week had to be on Wednesday when Elder Edwards of the second quorum of the Seventy spoke to half the mission in a zone conference. His words were truly inspiring and uplifting. We learned about music and how music invites reverence and reverence invites the spirit. We learned that our future children will be our most important investigators. Most importantly, I learned how to see all God's children as He sees them. Everyone is a child of God. We knew them before this life. And now we are hear to re-teach them the gospel and touch them again because they agreed to it before they came here. The office staff and the zone leaders were personally interviewed by Elder Edwards afterwards. It was probably the BEST interview I have ever had with any priesthood leader, much better than any one I have ever had with President Larkin. Elder Edwards is filled with so much charity. He helped me see what I should become on my mission. He helped me truly realize what missionary the Lord truly wants me to become. It was really inspiring and now I am even more determined to become a better missionary.

The Lord is truly blessing an area that hasn't seen much happen in the past months. It is really quite amazing! Things are going well and I am hopeful for the future. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

The end of the office

2011-09-10T14:40:00.019-06:00

Hello all,

This was another good week. The Dollars (new office couple) couldn't be coming at a better time. We have worked hard the last weeks without the Greensides, but it will be nice to have a new couple taking over our positions. It is kind of funny that so much happened in the office the last week. The Washington Seattle Mission office is officially out of English copies of the Book of Mormon, but we will have enough to give out until 640 new copies come next week. Secondly, someone wants to sue a missionary that got in an accident last year and take him to small claims court. I didn't have to talk to the person that wanted to sue because she didn't know who to call and called the local LDS family services. Luckily all it took was a phone call to the insurance company and they are now on the case! Lastly, A missionary drove home to Utah in a mission car. The car won't be coming back and will be sold by Church headquarters. So if you see a light green Mazda 3 driving around on the streets of Utah, think twice about where it may have come from.

Tomorrow we actually are going to have an investigator at Church! Betsy is coming to a stake conference (which is actually a broadcast). We have found Betsy to be quite a difficult student in some aspects. She has many feminist ideas, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but has problems with women not having the priesthood and for some reason doesn't like the doctrine on the family. Maybe she has past issues in her family - we'll have to dig a bit deeper into the problem. It seems as though she agrees with the majority of what we teach her, but she still has concerns about the smallest details. Jake and Lindsey have been great fellowship. Lindsey has really become her friend and even spent the day with her when she came home from the care center. Lindsey even came over and read the Ensign with Betsy. It is exciting to see the fire they have for sharing the gospel with others and hearing them bear testimony about how the Church has blessed their lives.

We got another new investigator this week. The Korean missionaries were tracting in our area and found Wei, a Chinese man in his late 20's. He grew up Buddhist, but doesn't necessarily believe in it. He doesn't understand why God didn't let him tell his grandpa he loved him before he died. But we had a really spiritual lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it can heal his wounds. He felt the spirit and was excited to read the Book of Mormon. He is one of the most honest and sincere truth seekers I have ever met!

We are going to have a good week. Elder Edwards of the Quorum of the Seventy is going to be visiting our mission on Wednesday and we will be attending the temple on Tuesday. Things are starting to pick up in this area! It is always interesting to see an area come alive again after being nearly dead for many, many transfers, even before the Stinsons joined the Church.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Year One

2011-09-03T14:31:00.016-06:00

Something has changed. I finally have less days than the number I have been out. I am just over the hump. I have been out ONE YEAR! And in that year I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned to be more patient. I have learned to be more kind. I have learned that I can make friends and spend time with nearly anyone - no matter what age. I have learned to cook better, how to be an effective teacher. And I have learned what charity is. But more importantly, I have learned more about the truthfulness of the gospel - by living it and seeing others live it. And I have seen the happiness that comes from fully repenting, changing, and becoming better. Is there room for improvement? Of course! I can work harder and be a better missionary, but I would never change what has happened so far. I know that all the people I have met, the companions I have had, the people I have taught and the places I have gone have taught me and made me better. And as hard as it is some days, I know I can persevere. Because I have seen the blessings that come through it. So all in all, I love my mission and I can't wait to see where the next year takes me.

To end my first year, I couldn't ask for a better week. Because this was probably my busiest week, teaching wise in this area. The Lord is truly blessing us right now. Time is ticking down until the new senior couple comes. For that I am excited. This week was my last vehicle training. And soon I can turn over my cell phone to the new Vehicle Coordinator and let him deal with some of the weird situations I have had to.

This week we got a new investigator. Her name is Betsy. I would say that she is in her late 70's. A member from a different ward asked some other missionaries to give her a blessing, but when they found out she lived in our area, we soon started teaching her. Right now she is in a care facility so that she can regain strength and gain some weight, which she desparately needs. But in a few weeks she plans on attending Church and other activities. She is very sincere about wanting to learn more. We have met with her almost every day in the care facitliy. Basically everything we have taught her so far "rings true" with her. So here's to hoping that she turns out. We brought Jake and Lindsey to one lesson. They were great fellowship! While we taught the Plan of Salvation, they shared their testimonies and conversion story. Jake even pitched in and did some of the teaching on agency and the fall, even when he didn't necessarily realize that was part of the lesson plan. He knows the doctrine well, even as a new member. It was really exciting to me to see where their testimonies of the gospel are. As I have said before, they are going to be great members of the Church.

So things are going well. We are teaching more and that always helps. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Crazy things are happening!

2011-08-27T14:19:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

So this was a busy week. It was transfers! And as I predicted, Elder Kasenberg and I are still in the office. This had to have been one of the busiest weeks of my mission, in the office every day from 9-5 and most evenings driving around the mission delivering bikes and other furniture to missionaries that moved into new apartments. But at least we are busy and do have things that have to be done, although I can't wait until I am back as a regular missionary.

I am glad that our ward has FINALLY implemented the focus 5 program, in which we focus on families and individuals that are less-active and would like to invite back to Church. It has taken a long time for the ward to really learn how to implement it, after various trainings from stake leaders and even an area seventy, and took Elder Perry to come for the ward counsel to really understand it. But better late than never. Other wards I have been in that have truly implemented the program have seen great success from it and have seen many people come back into the Church. So once it is fully implemented we will have a lot more referrals from the ward to teach.

This week I sold a car without the help of Elder Greensides. I feel pretty happy about my accomplishment. I sold the Toyota Avalon driven by the mission president before he got a new one. I am happy about the persistence of the man who bought it for calling nearly every week since June to see when it would be ready.

We had a REALLY CRAZY experience this week. I can't remember if I have ever told you about him, but there is a homeless man in the stake that is well-known among the missionaries that always asks for blessings and advice. I have had 2 experiences with him in the past when I was in Issaquah 5th. Before he came to Church and after the meetings he asked for a blessing because he "gained revelation" that he lost his exaltation when he was sitting in the waiting room (that is the only part he can go into) in the temple. So he expected us to give him a blessing telling him that he had or had not lost it (that blessing didn't say). As I saw the man walk into the office and stand at the counter and ask me and my companion for a blessing, I froze. This time he talked to us for an hour about how he moved back east but his bishop there told him to come back and make amends with his wife so he could fully repent. Now in Washington he wanted a blessing telling him what to do next. I have to be honest, the spirit wasn't there. So I gave a blessing telling him universally true statements, such as to follow the law and that Heavenly Father wants him to get his life back in order. THEN he wanted my comp to give him a blessing because "out of the mouth of two or three witnesses" is truth, so he says. So Elder Kasenberg gave him a blessing with universally true statements. After this experience we talked to other missionaries and many of them had heard and even had other experiences with this man. I guess for being in Bellevue nearly a year I got my fair share of experiences with him. Crazy stuff! But that is one of the interesting things about missionary work. You don't have those experiences every day!

Well, things are going okay. Work is moving along and the Washington Seattle Mission is doing good!

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Perry comes to visit

2011-08-20T14:11:00.010-06:00

Hello all,

So this week was actually quite good, not in terms of teaching or lessons, or the people that we met, but it was just good. And to end it by hearing from one of the Twelve apostle made it all the better.

Transfers are coming up next week and i'll be surprised if either me or my companion are transferred because we are really the only ones that know how the office runs. But it could always happen. Also, it seems as though my friends out here are all getting ready to go home. Each transfer more and more people that I know are leaving the mission field, off to bigger and better things. Every transfer I feel like I know less people. So maybe it is just me and I need to start getting to know the younger missionaries better. I feel like I am still a younger missionary myself, but then I realize I have been out nearly a year and see that most of the mission is younger than I am and that makes me feel weird. Anyways, things are fine right now. We're always busy in the office and getting ready for transfers is no different.

Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing from Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. He was accompanied by his wife and Elder Christiansen of the Quroum of the 70. Elder Christiansen just emphasized points found in Preach My Gospel including talking to everyone, companionship study, and how to help people read and gain a witness of the Book of Mormon. Sister Perry also spoke about enduring trials and the blessings that come from it. Elder Perry talked about loving your companion and how to work with less-active members of the Church. The spirit in the meeting was quite strong. It is always a great experience when general authorities come to visit.

We haven't met with the Stinsons is a while. They have family visiting. But they said we could come by next week. We're planning to talk to them about Patriarchal Blessings! We found some good potential tracting this week.So that was basically my week. It was good.

~Elder Fetzer

Zone Conferences and More

2011-08-13T14:08:00.011-06:00

Hello all,

This was quite a good week! We actually did have time to do some missionary work (after 5 PM of course) and we stayed pretty busy. This week was zone conference, meaning that we had to be there all 4 days and do all the inspections and do training. It still surprises me that we train on basically the same thing every zone conference and missionaries still aren't able to care for their cars well. But at least we get a good lunch from all the work and I get to see some of my friends from around the mission.

Proselyting is going to start to change in the mission. BECAUSE, have I told you about it? The Church is going to do a HUGE media blitz for the "I'm a Mormon" campaign in the Seattle area and it is going to help the work here a lot! As part of it, we are spending a lot of time on the Mormon.org site and all the missionaries are creating profiles. Other cities that the Church has done this in has seen great success, especially NYC. It seems that the Church has been seen in a better light lately. Hopefully this helps people gain a testimony of the gospel.

Also, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is visiting the area THIS FRIDAY. Rumor has it he will provide training for this upcoming blitz, but none the less, I am quite excited! At zone conference, all the areas got DVD players to use to watch the Preach My Gospel training DVDs. I'm kind of worried about what is going to happen, but I know that the people who approved it in the Missionary Department know what they are doing.

This media blitz may be what our mission needs to see the work really start to skyrocket. We have had many visits from general authorities in the past year preparing us for great things to come. Hopefully this will help accomplish the goals our mission wants to achieve.

We had some good success tracting this week. Many of the potential investigators we found live around members homes. It is surprising how prepared some of the people are. We were tracting around the Bishop's house and we found a man who wants to become closer to God. He let us in (the second time it has ever happened) and we taught him about the atonement and we taught him how to pray and actually got him to do it! It was really quite a miracle!

Last night we had a great ward party! The ward holds an annual corn roast every year at a park on the shore of Lake Washington. It was quite enjoyable getting to know the members of this ward better! Other than that, It was an average week. But the Church is True and will bless many more people to come.

~Elder Fetzer

"Can I Rent a Car?"

2011-08-06T23:07:00.010-06:00

This was another interesting week in the Washington Seattle Mission Office. We are getting ready for Zone Conference next week and we also have transfers coming up. So things are really picking up.

There was a car that broke down and I had it towed to a dealership. When the missionary found out his car would be in the shop for 2 days he asked if the Church would get a rental car. Of course the answer is no. It is just kind of funny the dumb questions you encounter from other missionaries.

Elder and Sister Greensides left for home. They both gave good talks in the ward that they attended. It was a bittersweet goodbye for them. They will truly be missed. They were great missionaries!

Last Saturday the Bellevue Stake had a luau. This stake does more activities than any other stake I have seen, probably because the people here have money, but still. They had a roasted pig, hawaiian ice, and hundreds of cupcakes. I saw some of my friends from Issaquah 5th like Anne and Sue. Every time I see Anne she seems like she is doing better. It keeps on being a testament to me on how the gospel changes people. Last October she was in a really low point in her life, but as she has more fully lived the gospel, she has been blessed.

The Stinsons and Sue and her husband Adrian met. They both have similar interests and love the outdoors and are very active outside. Hopefully they both become better friends with each other. As soon as I met the Stinsons, I thought that they would be good friends.

Things are slow right now. Hopefully things start to pick up, but for now we have the office, which takes up most days and evenings. So we keep busy, just not with real missionary work. Hopefully I'm blessed when I get out of here.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Ready to Take Over the Office!

2011-07-30T23:04:00.009-06:00

Hello all,

So yes, Saturday is my p-day at least until mid-September, when the new office couple, the Wiesses, come. We work from 9 to 5 in the office all week, except Saturday and Sunday. The Greensides leave Monday and so we will officially take over the office. I am glad we have gotten a solid 2.5 weeks in training. I think it will be okay.

Last Saturday I attended Sue's sealing in the Seattle Temple. It was a great ceremony and as always, it is good to be in the House of the Lord. Afterwards, there was a reception at the chapel behind the Temple. It was great to see old friends from that ward.

Other than that, it was kind of a dull week in the office. We are getting another vehicle ready to sell. And there are always emergency repairs and tire replacements needing to be done as well. So things can get quite stressful. I love the days in the office where there is nothing going on!

This week we tracted a lot in the evenings and found no one. Our area is very slow, and really has always been slow because the Office Elders have always been assigned to this ward. But the highlight of the week continues to be the Stinsons. They are still solid. We had a great lesson with them about service and watched the films on the new D&C DVDs about the story of John Rowe Moyle and John Tanner. They are faith building stories about how they fulfilled their callings in the Church. That is one more thing they need, real callings. They have been temporarily assigned to be on an upcoming activities comity, but they are ready and willing to do more. So we'll have to work with the bishop to make sure they get one. Because that is one of the things a Prophet of God said that every new convert needs, a friend, a calling, and nurturing from the good word of God.

So things are going well here. We're busy in the office and we are doing missionary work, just in a different way. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

A Very Busy Week

2011-07-23T23:01:00.001-06:00

This is going to be short. I have never driven a brand new car, or been out of the mission boundaries to pick them up, but I have done those and many more vehicle coordinator tasks this week. Along with that, I did new missionary training, signed the papers to sell a car, and had to call Church headquarters to get authorizations for car repairs. This is the busiest I have been throughout my whole mission. I can't wait to have a break.

I feel as though my emails are going to be rather boring over the next weeks. We have very little time to proselyte and our other office elder related activities, including moving out apartments and delivering furniture and supplies are taking up many of our nights. I am just glad that we have a good ward that is very missionary minded.

Plus we're still teaching Jake and Lindsey, but they are on a backpacking trip this week so we won't see them until next week. We're going to Sue's sealing today at the temple and her reception after. It will be fun to see my friends from Issaquah 5th.

All in all, things are going just fine.

~Elder Fetzer

Things Are Slow, But Things Are Good!

2011-07-18T22:53:00.021-06:00

Hello All,

This was quite the week. It is always busy after transfers, but our added office assignments just make us more busy. First off, I am officially the Vehicle Coordinator for the Washington Seattle Mission with legal power of attorney to sign for new cars and sell old ones and do whatever else is required for the job. The Greensides leave the 30th of the month so Elder Kasenberg and I are at the office form 9-5 basically every weekday training with them. We are both going to do training for new missionaries, do zone conference car inspections, and manage the cars and make sure the missionaries get them fixed and take them for other maintenance. Plus, we are officially taking over for the Greensides the first week in August after they leave and filling in for many of the other office jobs until their replacements come in mid-september. This is going to be a busy and interesting transfer.

So far, we have learned a lot about how the mission works. It is kind of overload, but I am sure that the next week will get better and I know it will be fine.

Things in the Bellevue 6th ward are kind of slow. We got some new investigators this week. The Petersons are an older couple and were referred by their friends from Arizona when they went to the Easter pagent there with them. Our first lesson was interesting. They mainly wanted to know what made us different and about the Book of Mormon. I don't know how much real intent they have, but maybe they could end up being the next Jake and Lindsey Stinsons. We can only hope.

So since things are going slow here, I will just tell you more about Jake and Lindsey. They are still amazing! They just keep becoming more and more wonderful as time passes. Last night President Larkin had a fireside at his house for new converts. He asked them all to bear their testimony and share their conversion story. The Stinsons did great and Lindsey seemed VERY excited. They bore their testimonies about the importance of the priesthood and about how happy the last months living the gospel has made them. Lindsey says she is shy, but she has no problem talking to people about the Church. She is so excited about it! She was excited yesterday because she got her first calling as a visiting teacher. She said that her prayer came true because she prayed that she would be able to work with one particular sister in the ward that has really become good friends with her. Now they are companions and she will teach Lindsey how to be a visiting teacher. Jake and Lindsey are already doing missionary work. On the day of their baptism, Lindsey talked to her sister in Florida who was really down in the dumps and told her about the peace she has felt in the gospel. She asked if missionaries could visit her sister. Now, a month later Lindsey's sister has a job and is happier and is thinking about being baptized. But there is more to the story. Her sister's friend has seen the peace her sister has felt and is now taking the lessons. Even though they don't have kids to pass the gospel on to, a chain is starting to form with the people the Stinsons have told about the gospel. It is all very exciting.

So things are doing fine here. I don't know how much prosliting we will be able to do, but we are at least busy. That is good.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

The Busiest Transfers Yet!

2011-07-13T22:49:00.015-06:00

Hello all,

Transfers have happened so for us that means it is our busiest time of the transfer. I have a whole list of missionaries that need things, furniture that needs to be delivered, and other office tasks that need to be done soon!

Last week was kind of slower, but when it got to the weekend, things quickly picked up.

First off, on Sunday night, after our wonderful dinner with the Greensides and Stinsons, Elder Rodriguez found out he was going to be transferred. So we spent all the spare time we had saying goodbye. Saying goodbye to the Stinsons was quite sad. They played "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again" and we talked about their conversion. Every time I talk to them I think of how amazing they truly are. It is amazing that Lindsey, who was a timid woman that didn't trust many people has grown into a bold new member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The gospel truly does bring true happiness and changes people for the better.

On Monday we took the old missionaries home, which tends to make me quite trunky, but I got over it quickly. Elder Tanner (Hello, if you are reading my blog), my old companion went home along with 12 other missionaries. He will be missed.

Yesterday was the busiest day of my mission so far. In the morning Elder Rodriguez packed up and we left for the airport to pick up 21 new missionaries. That is about double the regular size of new missionaries. One of them was actually a familiar face. He was an elder that entered the MTC the same day I did, but had to go home a week into the MTC. It was great to see him back!

I got a new companion. His name is Elder Kasenberg. He is from Kitchener, Canada! He is a bit younger than I am (about 8 months), but a great missionary. Together we are basically going to take over the office duties of Vehicle Coordinator and the other office duties when the Greensides leave at the end of this month. So we are going to have a lot to do this transfer training for the office.

After transfers we had to deliver some mattresses and a desk to West Seattle late last night because it was the only time we had and had to be done yesterday, according to the Apartment Coordinator. So we had a very long, tiring day yesterday and still have a lot to do this week. Things are good. It's better to be busy than not.

The Church is True!

~Elder Fetzer

The Sun is Finally Out!

2011-07-05T22:42:00.015-06:00

Hello All,

Everyone told me that Summer wouldn't really be here until the 4th of July. They were right. The sun is shining and things are looking bright in the Washington Seattle Mission.

This was just another week. Nothing too special happened, but it was good. On Thursday the Stinsons went to do Temple Baptisms for their parents. The ward was completely behind them. Many of the older couples in the ward that have befriended them were there. One couple even let the Stinsons do their parents! They had quite the spiritual experience and can't wait to go back soon! We had a neat lesson with the Stinsons on Friday night. They grilled steak and we had a really good time talking to them about their Temple experience. We also talked about the Book of Mormon and why it is the keystone of our religion and about the doctrinal truths we have just because of Joseph Smith's First Vision, such as the nature of God and that the heavens are open. I realized that if we as members always remember in our hearts the truthfulness of the First Vision, we will always walk with more faith and know that God follows through with His promises. Sometimes we forget it in the craziness of daily life, but if we do remember it than keeping the commandments is easier because we know that all the revelation, restoration of Priesthood Keys, and all else in the Restored Gospel after the First Vision is true also. We need to always remember the significance of that vision.

Celebrating the 4th of July was fun! We woke up bright and early for a ward breakfast. Later that day we had a nice barbecue at a member's house and ended the day with watching fireworks overlooking Bellevue and Seattle. It was a great day! Funny Story, we brought another companionship with us to the barbecue. The members asked us to help cover their pool and while one elder was leaning over, the phone went into the pool. It sat at the bottom for about a minute until someone retrieved it from the bottom. Amazingly, after it was dried off, it still worked! Just for safe measure they put it in rice overnight to dry it our, but I can't believe that it actually works! It is a miracle!

So things are chugging along. Transfers are coming up and so we are getting busy in the office. There is a lot we have to do to get ready for transfers. So I won't be emailing until next Tuesday.

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Things Always Turn Out for the Better

2011-06-27T00:25:00.017-06:00

Hello all,

This week was interesting. It actually started out quite bad, but by the end of the week, I was again on a spiritual high.

First off, remember the Indian bible study group that Elder Ouassil and I attended while I was in Issaquah? One of the meeting locations is actually in my area, so me and my district leader, Elder Taylor (who wants to start teaching Indians), went back to get invited back to the study. Warned and prepared from what happened last time, we went in Wednesday night. It started out quite well, reading from the bible, but then the real "lesson" started. One of the men in the group heard that we were coming back and did some "research" beforehand. He was surprised about what he found and pulled out a whole bunch of anti on us, coming mostly from Brigham Young's Journal of Discoursed, which may or may-not be doctine, but we were able to solve it quite quickly. Our conversation then changed to Adam and Eve and weather they were able to have children in the garden. For the most part, we agreed on many things, but they pulled out suttle differences that they expounded on them. It was really quite annoying that they never really listened to our side. We stood our ground firmly, and so did they. and we never made any progress. Needless to say, it was quite a waste of time and they aren't open to further light and knowledge at this time. This experience only strengthened my testimony of the Restored Gospel. They seemed confused and didn't know all the answers. Experiences like this only make me more grateful for the Book of Mormon.

Saturday was interesting. At the Islamic Mosque next door to the Bellevue Stake Center was an open house. My companion and I, and another companionship attended. It was well recieved and I did increase my knowledge about Islam, although I did know a lot of it from my class at BYU-I last year. I was very impressed about how they presented themselves. They talked about the 5 pillars of Islam and even got to see someone who showed up take an oath and become a Muslim. Many members of our Church attended and during the open house they mentioned the "Chruch next door" positively.

I saw Anne and her kids in one of the parks in our area. If you remember, she was one of my favorite people I met with in Issaquah. She seems to be doing amazing! She has completely stopped smoking and got her patriarcial blessing. It is amazing to see the gospel truly change people's lives and I was happy to be a part of that change.

It was a pleasant surprise that on Sunday Jake Stinson got the Aaronic Priesthood and became a Priest. We were talking about them in Ward Counsel and noticed there was a stake baptism day for unendowed adults this week. So we invited them to meet with the bishop yesterday and they both got temple recommends and he was interviewed for the priesthood, which he ricieved after Church. It is great to see the progress they are making so quickly. They are my first new converts to be worthy to enter the temple. They are also quite excited to do family history. Lindsey and Jake's first baptisms for the dead are going to be their parents. They can't wait for Thursday!

So as you see, things are going okay here. We still don't have too many investigators, but we are still working with Jake and Lindsey. This week seems like it will be exciting too!

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Rain Drops are Falling on my head

2011-06-20T00:21:00.001-06:00

This week it rained a lot. No big deal because I am used to it, but thought you ought to know. Seattle is beautiful in the spring. Flowers are out and summer is just around the corner (tomorrow!). This week was quite a lackluster week from last week. We caught up on some much-needed office work, going to Maple Valley, Auburn, and Seattle, but we still have much to do.

We had a lesson with recent-converts, Jake and Lindsey and watched "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration," which they saw on Temple Square, but they understood it much better this time. They said that they were asked a couple of times on Temple Square if they could have missionaries visit them, and they finally said yes after seeing the film. After all, Joseph did die a martyrs death for the Church.

We are still teaching Chelsea, our Russian investigator, but she is still caught up on the apostasy and either doesn't understand it or doesn't believe it. So we still have quite a ways to go with her. We are also trying to get in with Mila, a less-active's daughter. She has been in the teaching pool for a while, but won't progress until her mom gets everything together. Her mom is quite lazy and non-committal and tends to stand us up on every appointment we set up, except the 2 times we have done service. But I am not the one to judge.

So all in all, things are just going along right now. We have no one solid we are teaching. But the Chruch is still true even though many people aren't interested and the work of the Lord will still go forth "boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished!" (from the Standard of Truth)

~Elder Fetzer

White Stuff is Falling from the Sky and it Isn't Snow!

2011-06-14T17:14:00.034-06:00

Hello All,

It is finally summertime here in Bellevue. The sun is out more and flowers and trees are blooming. Cottonwood trees spread their cotton through the air, looking like a heavy snowstorm, and our apartment's parking lot often looks like freshly fallen snow. Welcome June!

This week was Jake and Lindsey's baptism. Let me say, of all the baptisms I have had this was the most special and spiritual! They are finally members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they seem quite happy! We had two great lessons with them BEFORE their baptism on Sunday! One was reviewing the Plan of Salvation and the other, a Church tour, reviewing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They had to have been the most prepared and sincere investigators I have ever had, studying as much as 5 hours a day, reading scriptures, The Ensign, and articles on LDS.ORG before our lessons! I am truly honored that I had the opportunity to teach them and see them through to baptism. Thursday they had their baptismal interview, which I think they were a bit more nervous for than needed, but they passed with flying colors says our district leader. We asked them to write out their testimonies. When they gave us copies of them they were truly remarkable. Jake bore a sweet testimony. He was thankful for Christ and his family. Lindsey was grateful for patient missionaries and the peace that the gospel has brought into her life.

Saturday was their baptism day. They came excited, changed into their clothes, and we started the meeting. Sister Greenside gave a great talk about baptism and the Holy Ghost, while Elder Greenside baptized them. Elder Rodriguez and I were excited that he got the chance to baptize them, as they were his FIRST live baptisms. Jake, Lindsey, and the Greensides have become good friends. After the Baptism, Bishop Wilson welcomed them into the Bellevue 6th ward, giving them advice and telling them about how they would continue to progress in the gospel through Jake getting the Priesthood, getting sealed in the Temple, holding callings, and receiving their Patriarchal Blessings. The spirit was strong and the ward's support was great! Nearly 60 of Jake and Lindsey's new friends attended! As one of their missionaries, it made me quite happy to see the outpouring of love shown to them.After the Baptism the ward held a potluck at one of the Bishop's counselors houses. That was also well attended and Lindsey stood up and told everyone how grateful she was for their friendship. Lindsey and Jake have come a long way. As missionaries first started meeting with them 3 months ago they were nervous and somewhat reluctant to let missionaries in. But the gospel truly changes people for the better and they are a testimony to me that no matter what walk of life you come from, EVERYONE needs the gospel. Lindsey realizes that too. She is already doing missionary work and asked her sister, who has many problems, to take the missionary lessons in Florida! Her sister's first lesson sounded great and hopefully the lessons continue!

On Sunday I confirmed Jake a member of the Church. It was a remarkable experience to be a part of that! Sacrament meeting was truly made for them! The woman that spoke wrote her talk weeks ago. She was supposed to speak last week, but there wasn't enough time and was rescheduled for Sunday because they didn't have anyone to speak yet. She spoke about the Holy Ghost and recognizing its promptings. A high counselor spoke about following the commandments and the blessings of following them. The meeting was perfect and the spirit was strong! God truly had his hand in making it happen for the Jake and Kathy Stinson! They are going to be great, strong members of the Chruch. They are excited to serve the ward that has shown them so much love and support!

Yesterday was interviews with President Larkin. I am fine! And today the mission attended the Temple! So right now I am on quite a spiritual high! I feel good that the Stinson's are baptized and will continue to search for other opportunities to find new people to teach!

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Rodriguez, Lindsey, Jake, Elder Fetzer

Just Another Week

2011-06-06T17:09:00.011-06:00

Hello all,

So transfers are finally over! By the time we got home on Tuesday at about 8 PM we both crashed! But we have been going around the mission, delivering items and trying to catch up on different office duties.

To be honest, this was kind of a boring week. We met with Jake and Lindsey again and discussed the Restoration again. We took our Ward Mission Leader, who tends to stranglehold our lessons so that isn't too fun. Jake and Lindsey are so ready for the gospel! I am quite excited for this weekend! The ward is in full support for the baptism and have been great at fellowshipping the them.

This week we had to go to Seattle to pick up a furniture donation in Queen Anne. It was fun to go back and we went to Kerry Park again! It was beautiful!

I am so excited for this weekend! The Ward is hosting a potluck after the baptism!

Sorry this is short! I don't have much time.

~Elder Fetzer

TRANSFERS!

2011-05-31T16:50:00.003-06:00

Hello all,

So this was quite the week. I am still staying right here in Bellevue 6th Ward, working in the Mission Office with Elder Rodriguez. But to me that was really no surprise. What was a surprise is that Bellevue Zone was destroyed. Many people left. So it feels like I know no one now. But it is all good.

This week we had a good lesson with Jake and Lindsey. They invited me and my companion and the Greensides over for dinner on Thursday. We had a Mexican fiesta! They ordered Mexican and we had a great time! We then took a walk around the Seattle Temple, which is conveniently in our ward boundaries, and had a great chat about what the temple was and it's importance. They are excited to one day enter it's walls. Lindsey told us how happy the gospel has made her and that ever since she went to Utah, she has been happier than she has ever been before. She talked about how worldly things didn't make her happy and that she has found much peace in living the gospel. Jake and Lindsey are amazing. It is quite difficult to help people really live the gospel once they are baptized, but they really have no problem with it. They are keeping their committments and living the way they should BEFORE baptism. That is true repentance! Jake had hernia surgery this weekend so we gave both he and Lindsey blessings that night. All went well. Now hopefully there won't be any complications before their baptism.

Transfers are today! We have been busy getting ready for them this week. Monday we took most of the missionaries to the airport to fly home. It was really quite sad to see some leave, as now I am getting to know more and more missionaries that are getting ready to leave. Last night 2 missionaries stayed at our place so we could take them to the airport this morning. So we took them this morning and waited nearly 2 hours for the new ones to come. They are GREEN! I can't believe I was once like that. Everything is new to them. One of them asked me how busy we were and how many lessons we get. I tried to beat around the bush because Bellevue is VERY HARD!

So now they are at the Mission Home here on Mercer Island, being trained. We have a busy week ahead of us, delivering bikes, luggage, and whatever stuff missionaries left in their old areas.

So things are going well. The Church is True and the Book is Blue!

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Fetzer, Elder Rodriguez and the Greensides (on right)

FINALLY ON DATE!!!!

2011-05-23T11:26:00.011-06:00

Hello all,

Yes! Jake and Lindsey are finally on-date for baptism for June 11th. This time we are going to do things quite a bit differently so that they really do get baptized on this date. First off, we have already reserved the building. Secondly, we announced it to the ward. Thirdly, they are quite excited and determined to go through with this date and are quite happy. Yesterday at Church Lindsey told me that she is becoming more bold. She also said that she hasn't felt this much peace in her life and she wished that she had this years ago. It is amazing to see the change in that couple just from the last couple of weeks. They seem happier! The gospel truly does change lives. It reminds me of the promise in "Preach My Gospel" that people are on a quest they often didn't know they were ever on until they found the gospel. Or there is the promise in D&C 123:12 in which people are "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." It is really quite amazing. They are a testament to me that even people that come from comfortable backgrounds can still feel peace in the gospel. Jake and Lindsey have expressed the feeling that they have been prepared for quite a while for the gospel and that the time they went to Temple Square to see "Music and the Spoken Word" felt like they were going home. Wasn't that the spirit?

This was quite a long week. Tuesday to Friday we had to go around the mission, from Seattle to Sumner to 4 different zone conferences to inspect the mission car fleet. It was really quite surprising how some missionaries keep their cars up, especially showing up to Zone Conference with dirty cars. Elder Graves, who is in charge of the cars was quite disgusted by some of the cars.

Zone conference on Friday was good. We talked about revelation. There was a guest speaker, who spoke about the spirit. He said that sometimes missionaries have high and low points of lessons and that sometimes it is best to end the lesson when the spirit is strong, even when there was more to a lesson plan. He also said that we should help investigators make their own commitments and have them be their own, instead of us asking them to do things straight out, especially with baptismal dates. I feel that if we had pressured Jake and Lindsey into being baptized or setting a date too quickly, they would have pushed back. So I was happy with the guest speaker. Zone conference also mentioned how God sometimes gives you promptings in times where it is inconvenient to see if we will respond to them so he can give us other promptings in the future. That happened this week on the way to dinner. We were late and we saw someone laying on the sidewalk with people surrounding him. I was prompted to stop, but it was too late and I kept getting the prompting. So we turned around and by the time we got there again he was gone, but I think God did it so I could respond in the future.

Transfers are coming up next Tuesday so this is going to be another busy week getting ready for them. We pick up new missionaries next week! So that will be cool!

So this was a good week. Jake and Lindsey are doing well. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Miracles Happen

2011-05-16T11:09:00.026-06:00

Hello All,

To answer your questions, Jake and Lindsey are still not on date and are, of course, still not baptized, but they are still good to go. This week was tough for them. Their kids were worried about what might happen to them if they joined the Church. So they went to visit them in Portland and explained that the Church would only bring them closer and that they would change "for the better." So a week of worrying about them is over and they are still ready to be baptized. The ward is totally behind them and many people have called us asking when it is going to be. So whenever this baptism happens, it is going to be well attended.

Yesterday we had a wonderful day at Church. In gospel principles we discussed the chapter on eternal families. Jake and Lindsey were touched and commented that they can't wait for that time when they too can be sealed in the Temple for time and eternity. They are so ready for the gospel I can't even believe it. I can't wait for our appointment this week, where we will discuss their baptism plans and FINALLY set a date.

On Friday we had a miracle. Lately we have been going back to former investigators to see if they are interested in learning once again. I was impressed to visit Chelsea. Maybe it was because former missionaries said that she was "possessed by a demon" and I wanted to see what was up. But the spirit told me to check once again on Friday night, because our other attempts weren't good. The first time we went by a girl answered ans said that Chelsea wasn't there so we went back and checked out her apartment again. As we walked up to the doorstep, two women were sitting on the porch. One of them was the girl who answered the door before. The other was Chelsea. So we started talking to Chelsea and she quickly said she wasn't interested, but the other girl was. Mila said she had investigated before, but family forced her to quit investigating because she was younger than 18. Mila said she had recently quit drugs and was looking for something more. So we had a powerful lesson on her porch and now she wants to start learning once again. I did learn a lesson - always be bold. Mila knew who we were as soon as we pulled up. She remembered the way she felt when she investigated before. She said it would have been funny if we had asked her if she was interested then because she was having a really hard day. But the spirit told me to check again and I am glad I did. So hopefully Mira's family doesn't deter her again from hearing the gospel.

This week should be a busy week. We have zone conference friday and have to go to all the other ones to check the condition of the cars.

So things are going well here. The Church is true. Miracles happen!

Mormon 9:18-21
18And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
19And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

~Elder Fetzer

Baptism

2011-05-09T13:48:00.013-06:00

Hello all,

It was great to talk to you all yesterday! It really made my day! I couldn't wait to get out of Church and call home.

As you may know, Jake and Lindsey are still not on date. Jake has expressed that he wants to "get his ducks in a row" before he is baptized. Lindsey wants to do it soon. Elder Rodriguez and I want to do it soon also because we know that the more it is delayed, the more Satan will try to persuade them not to do it. It happens every time! Like with Eva and Jack. They both were tempted more than ever before their baptism. And of course Clint, who was tempted and still has yet to be baptized and now seems to be worse off than where we started. But hopefully we can give Jake and Lindsey a gentle nudge and get them baptized this weekend, or at least have a solid date for this month. They know that they have found what they are looking for and have expressed that it wouldn't be good if they gave it up now.

Other than that, I still need to get to know the ward better. I still don't know many of the members and we don't have too many other people to teach, but the Lord always has blessed me in the past and I know He will continue to do the same.

The office keeps us busy and with transferrs a couple of weeks away, I think we will start getting busier.

So things are good! The Church is true!

Love you!

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Kikutchi and More

2011-05-03T22:43:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

So this week flew by. Jake and Lindsey didn't get baptized, but they are still ready to do it. They wanted to invite friends and their grand kids to their baptism and they thought that it would be better if they told them of a date that was sometime later in May. But they are still really solid. They asked Elder Graves, who is one of the senior couples to baptize them. The Graves have come to many lessons with us and have really become good friends with the Jake and Lindsey. I think it is really great that he is going to do the baptism. Jake and Lindsey are probably the BEST investigators I have ever had. They do what they say they will and are really interested in learning more.

Yesterday we had Elder Kikutchi of the Seventy come visit the mission. He talked a lot about obedience, following the morning schedule, and mastering the doctrine. He gave a lot of good insights. Elder Kikutchi came a day before I got into the field and he apparently gave the same (4 hour long) sermon, but practically everyone agreed that it was good to be reminded.

Surprisingly, we aren't in the office as much as I thought we would be, but it is still fun. We drive around the mission constantly. It is really surprising how rural some of the areas here are, especially in Maple Valley, where there is an area nearly half the size of the mission itself.

So things are going well here. I can't wait to talk to you all this weekend!

The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

MOVING and MORE

2011-04-25T22:38:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

So this was my first week as an office Elder. It was pretty cool! My companion has told me that transfers is the hardest week. Nearly every day since then we have been delivering supplies, packages, and other stuff that Elders forgot in their old area to their new ones. It is really great to see the whole mission and meet the other missionaries here in Seattle. On Saturday we drove down to Federal Way to pick up a bed. The sisters who lived there lived with members in a mansion that overlooked the Puget Sound. That is probably the nicest place to stay here in the mission and of course sisters live there. We still have a lot to deliver, but hopefully by the end of the week we can focus more on the missionary work here in the Bellevue 6th ward.

Right now we have 2 investigators. Jake and Lindsey are an older couple who requested missionaries after they visited Temple Square a couple months ago on a long ski trip to Utah. They were very impressed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They attended "Music and the Spoken Word" for 3 consecutive weeks and loved every program. I am quite sure it is the Choir that converted them at first. While on Temple Square, they spoke to missionaries about the Book Of Mormon and were very interested. Needless to say, they are golden and are scheduled to be baptized this weekend. They do have some health concerns, so it may be delayed, but they are definitely ready to do it. They are really amazing. They have the "How can I help?" not an "I need help!" mentality that will make them great members! They are excited to hold callings. Elder Rodriguez told me that the first time they went to Church, they even donated tithing because they had extra money they wanted to donate. I am excited that they are a family and will grow together in the gospel and will have the opportunity to be sealed together in a year as they remain faithful!

Yesterday was Easter. It was fun to celebrate with members. On Thursday, Sue, from Issaquah sent Elder Kitchen and I bags of candy to celebrate! She has invited both Elder Kitchen and I with her when she is sealed in a couple of months to her soon-to-be husband, Adrian!

So I am quite excited to be here in Bellevue again! It is great to be working with many of the same Elders I have gotten to know for the past 8 months here in Bellevue. The Church it true!

~Elder Fetzer

TRANSFERS

2011-04-19T23:02:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

So as you may know, I have been transferred from Seattle. I am now in Bellevue 6th ward and also work in the mission office. It is going to be an interesting next couple of months. I get to drive this HUGE van a.k.a. "The Tank." I don't really know what exactly I will be doing, but I think it is going to be a cool job! I am excited to see more of the mission! As office Elders, we deliver supplies to other missionaries and drive all over the mission to help move. It is going to be an exciting adventure, although I really have no idea why I am an office Elder.

My new companion's name is Elder Rodriguez, from Orem, Utah. He served around me in Issaquah before he became an office elder, so it is pretty cool that I already know my companion well.

This was an interesting week. We haven't heard from Clint since my last email so I really don't know how he is doing - probably worse. I hope Elder Tanner can help him out. We continued to meet with Keith, the Chinese investigator. He was our only progressing investigator, but he is still trying to understand the spirit and try to believe in God so he is gonna be a bit of work for the 5th Ward Elders.

For some reason I kind of felt like I was going to move so this week we saw a lot of Seattle. We went to see the Fremont Troll under the Aurora bridge and went to quite a few parks. There is one park called Volunteer Park, which we went to and it had an old water tower that you were allowed to climb to the top of, which had quite a good view of both Seattle and Bellevue. At the park they also have a conservatory, which houses various plants from around the world. It was pretty cool! Bruce and Brandon Lee's grave is also in our area. We went to an old cemetery in Seattle, where many of Seattle's rich and famous are resting, including many of the old pioneer families. There are many beautiful neighborhoods in Seattle. The houses are spectacular. The houses in Issaquah have nothing compared to these houses.

So as you see, I really am quite excited for the change. I can't wait to see what the next months as an office Elder brings me! The Church is true!

~Rich

Richard and his cousin Meka before transfers

The Troll Under the Bridge

2011-04-11T22:53:00.000-06:00

From On Date To Not

2011-04-11T12:45:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

Well, this was quite a dissappointing week. Clint was not baptized. He is currently on a slippery slope and his future is cloudy. On Wednesday we found out that he really hadn't quit smoking. So we had a lesson with him later that day, and at first he seemed committed to really stop, but now he seems discouraged and seems to be smoking even more than before. The past couple of days he hasn't been too talkative and has really seemed to have given up. So the future is cloudy with Clint, but Elder Tanner and I are trying to stay positive. He might just be in a phase right now, but we may be headed for a bumpy road to get him baptized.

So things are only looking up from here. I'm hoping and praying for a miracle soon! We had a pretty fun week though. As you see, we went to a park that has a great view of downtown seattle. Did you know that the Space Needle actually is quite far away from the rest of the City and that Queen Anne is the only place that you can take the picture like this of the Seattle skyline?

It is officially spring in Seattle. We are having more and more sunny days, but of course it still rains a lot! There was a really nice day last week and it was really nice just to be outside walking around.

The Church came out with a newly edited version of the film "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration." I wonder who recieved the revalation to change it. The film truly needed it to make it more understandable to a general audience.

Anyways, I am doing fine here. Things are good. We do have quite a few people to teach, just not progressing. The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Conference Weekend

2011-04-04T16:34:00.010-06:00

So you must all be wondering how Clint's baptism went. To put it simply, it didn't happen - yet. After his interview with President Larkin, they both determined that it would be best to wait another week so he can work on his Word of Wisdom problems. So now his baptism will take place this Saturday. It actually works out quite perfectly. His next court date isn't until the week after so he will have the Holy Ghost for whatever legal matters come his way. Other than that, we had kind of a slow week with not much to report.

I did another exchange last Wednesday. I went to an area, which gets around using buses. It was really quite fun moving around using public transportation. I truly felt like a missionary!

The highlight of the week had to be conference. It is always good to be spiritually fed by prophets and apostles. This year I noticed a couple of themes, including marriage, tithing, temples, service, welfare, and preparing for tough times ahead. As we live the gospel and keep our covenants, we will be able to get through any trial that comes our way. The priesthood session was especially good. I can't wait to re-read the words of the living prophets of God in the Ensign next month.

This week we got a new investigator. He is the foreign-exchange room mate of someone in our ward. He is from China and is very interested in Christianity and that the LDS Church has a prophet on Earth once again. He has no belief in Christ, but he wants to learn more. It will certainly be interesting teaching someone without a sure knowledge of God or Jesus Christ.

Well, things here are slowly but surely going along. Hopefully the baptism goes through this weekend. The Church is true!

~Elder Richard Fetzer

HELLO SEATTLE!

2011-03-21T16:41:00.004-06:00

Pike Place Market

Hello all,

This week was actually pretty good! On Monday we went to Pike Place Market. It was a really neat experience. There were lots of shops and markets. The smell of fresh seafood was in the air. As we walked on the top floor we were stopped many times by members of the Church. We even met one man who is a Stake President in Taiwan and even pulled out his temple recommend in Chinese. We went to a store that specializes in all things that have to do with movies and comic books. I saw a script for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1," but resisted the temptation and didn't buy it. I'm pretty sure that is going to be the first movie I see when I get home. We visited the gum wall, which has officially become Seattle's most disgusting sight. But I didn't have a chance to add to it, so that will hopefully happen soon.

Gum Wall....SICK!

Every Monday we do Laundry at David's house, who is a member of the Seattle 3rd ward. As we wait for laundry, we play Settlers of Catan, which is actually a pretty fun game. David has all the expansion sets so the games get pretty intense.

We did a lot of tracting and contacting this week. We decided to walk around Greenlake, which is in the middle of the city and there are always people walking. When we got about halfway around the lake it started to pour and without any rain gear on we got drenched! Later that day we were tracting and it started to pour. We decided to wait it out on someone's porch. Good thing they weren't home!

We got a new investigator this week. His name is Clint. He is in his late 40's. He is a friend of a less-active woman named June that we have dinner with every week. Clint has been sleeping on June's couch for a couple of months and he is finally becoming interested in the gospel. He came to Church yesterday and really liked it. "It just seems so normal," he told us. The bad thing is that he is going to jail today for a DUI that he didn't show up to court for. He isn't a criminal though. He has just had some bad things happen in his life and he really wants to change. Hopefully it will humble him someday and allow him to be baptized.

Yesterday was a really good day at Church! A high school choir from Spanish Fork came and sang during Sacrament Meeting. It was a really great way to introduce Church to the people who came to Church for the first time. The spirit was strong! Seeing the choir brought back memories of Olympus High School Choir.

Well, things here are looking up for us. The Lord continues to bless us with people to teach and we are getting closer and closer to finding a progressing investigator. I can feel it! I am happy I am in the city and can't wait for the adventures that await me this week! The Church is true!

~Elder Richard Fetzer

View from the top of Elder Fetzer's apartment building

S-E-A-T-T-L-E

2011-03-14T13:07:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

So now I am in Seattle. This definitely isn't Issaquah. There is so much diversity here. It is really neat to be in the city. Our area is HUGE!!! We cover Capitol Hill down to Mt. Baker, Fremont, Ballard and Woodlands. Needless to say, there are a lot of people who are ready to hear the message of the Restoration.

I love being in the city. People are everywhere and it is really quite easy to get the goal of 80 contacts a day. Seattle is a really neat city and I can't wait to see more of it. Since today is p-day we are going to Pike Place Market. I am really excited! We saw the troll under the bridge (it is in the area), but I didn't bring my camera so we'll go back again. It seems like there is a lot to see and explore so any suggestions are welcome!

The ward is interesting. There are about 800 people on the ward roster with only about 150 attending each week. There is a lot of reactivation work to do here. It is hard though. The ward isn't too organized and it seems that ward counsel doesn't really help much. But our Ward Mission Leader is really great and hard working is is trying hard to help us out more. Right now the investigators we do have seem kind of flaky so we don't really have too many people to teach, but we are working really hard to try to get some people who will actually progress. We did get a new investigator this week. He said he wants to be baptized, but he is on watch for about 17 more months so we don't even know if he is eligible for that right now, but we'll see what happens.

This week we met Lillian, a less-active member who is just returning to activity. She is about 23 and has two little boys. She reminds me a lot of what my friend Anne may have been like about that age. She just got out of rehab and is trying to put her life back in order. Hopefully she continues on the path she is starting and I can see her progress in the Church, like Anne decided to do.

We also teach a less-active blind man named Vince. On Wednesday we had him listen to the Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration full-length movie while we watched. It is a really great film for those who haven't seen it yet. It teaches and will strengthen anyone's testimony of the Prophet.

I have been reading a lecture called "The Stick of Joseph." It is about a man who defended the Book of Mormon in a mock court case for one of his law classes. It brings up points about the Book of Mormon and shows the truthfulness of the book through facts. It is really interesting and I have learned a lot. As always though, the only way to gain a testimony of the book is to pray about it, as it directs in Moroni 10:4-5.

My companion is really cool! He has been out for about 20 months now and is almost done. Maybe we'll stay together for the next couple of transfers until he goes home, but we'll see. That is really all that is happening as of this week. I am excited for what the next 6 weeks will bring. As always, the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

*Richard's transfer brought some familiar people back into his life. He is now in his cousin Meka's ward!

TRANSFERS!!!

2011-03-08T12:53:00.015-07:00

Hello all,

As I finish this email I will be going to transfers. Yes, I am leaving Issaquah 5th ward. My time here has been well spent and I have loved serving here. The news was somewhat expected. I have been here for six months now and this is still my first area. It was a bitter-sweet departure. It is hard to say goodbye, but I know that I will see my friends here again someday. Deep down inside I felt as though I had done my best here and that it was time for someone else to take my place. I feel that I can do good somewhere else in the mission. I am excited and nervous to leave.

Nothing much happened this week. Tracting, finding a few potentials, visiting the regular people. Same old stuff, but it was pretty sad to say goodbye. There are many families that I will remember, but I know that they will be blessed as they continue to live the gospel. As we visited family after family it became harder to say goodbye. Last night was especially tough when I said goodbye to my recent converts, Rebecca and Eva. We also said goodbye to Sue, who came back to the Church last year.The last person we visited is one of my favorite people I taught, Anne and her kids. Anne and her family had a party for me. We had root beer floats and the kids wrote me some very nice notes. It is amazing how much you start to truly love the people you teach. All in all, I am excited for the new adventures I will go on and the new people I will meet.

So now you're probably wondering where I'm going. Even though I haven't officially found out I checked on the program online I use to write presidents letters. I am going to the Seattle 5th Ward in the North Seattle Stake. My zone is in downtown Seattle! I can't wait to see what downtown is like!
Well, that's about all for this week. I love and miss you! The Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

An Amazing Baptism

2011-02-28T12:47:00.021-07:00

Hello all,

We had a baptism this week! Jack was baptized and confirmed by his grandfather. It was a very spiritual baptism! Jack's less-active mom May and non-member sister Jamie sang the song "A Child's Prayer" and it brought such a great spirit. Hopefully the baptism helps to soften their hearts and eventually Jamie will get baptized. The Lord has blessed us with 2 baptisms the last 2 months! It is amazing that both people came to Church and wanted to be baptized! But now, we are back to square one and need to work hard and find people to teach!

Funny story, we were filling the font and all the hot water ran out and the font was freezing cold so I walked out on a ledge to try to pull the plug to let water out so we could fill it with boiling water and I fell halfway in! My shoes and half my pants were soaking and with only 15 minutes until the baptism we had no time to get home and change. So with halfway wet pants and sopping wet shoes I attended the baptism. Not only that, but the water was cold and Jack nearly didn't get into the water to be baptized. But thanks to his patient grandpa it finally happened!

Last Monday was an interesting day. Elder Ouassil wanted to go to goodwill to buy a new suit because we have to wear them every day now. He got the suit for a great deal, but needed it altered. So we went to Men's Warehouse and after getting fitted, he found out the price and it was way expensive. So we walked out of the store and that was pretty embarrassing. Then I wanted to use a 10 dollar certificate to a smoothie place here and we walked in and I found out that it didn't word so we walked out with no smoothie. To end the day we were dropped by a less-active we teach. So as you see the week didn't start out very well, but it sure ended well!

So now we have to work hard and find our next person to baptize! I know that the Lord will bless us! I love and miss you! I know that the Church is true with all my heart and will talk to you later!

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Fetzer, Jack, Elder Ouassil

Miracles

2011-02-21T12:41:00.014-07:00

Hello all,

So this week a miracle occurred. Here in the Bellevue Zone we have been praying for 7 baptisms for the month. We got a call on Tuesday night from Sister Polk, Jack's aunt telling us that since they didn't need to get permission from his dad they wanted to have the baptism on February 26! So we have a baptism coming up! The Lord is truly blessing us!

It is actually really crazy that our last 2 baptisms have been from people who have basically come up to us at Church and told us that they wanted to be baptized. There is a great work to do here in the Issaquah 5th ward!

Other than that we continue to work with basically the same people, Neesheri & Corinda. But hopefully Corinda continues to progress and learn about the Church. They continue to come to Church every week and let us come teach them. Hopefully Corinda takes our advice and starts using the Atonement in her life so she can see that one Man did indeed take upon Himself the sins of the world.

For now, things are going well here in Issaquah 5th ward. The Lord is blessing us. The man we found last week tracting is still trying to become activated.He says that he wants to go to the singles ward FHE tonight.

This week was all-in-all average, but we did see miracles and the Lord is truly blessing the Washington Seattle Mission.

Sorry I have to keep this short. But I love and miss you all! Thanks for your constant prayers and support. I know that the Church is true and that Joseph Smith truly restored Christ's church on the earth once again.

~Elder Richard Fetzer

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T21:31:00.009-07:00

Hello all,

Even in a slow week I have seen miracles. We continue to teach Neesheri, the member returning to activity, and his girlfriend Corinda, who is slowly progressing. She is starting to better understand the atonement and how one Man could take upon Him the sins and sorrows of the world. We challenged her to test it out and that if she had a "particle of faith," she would see the atonement work in her life too.

Jack, our on-date is also progressing. He has really no knowledge of the Church, although he has been to church many times and his extended family are active members, but he will be ready for baptism when March rolls around. Each time we go to teach him, the date keeps on getting pushed back so I really have no idea when the baptism will actually happen.

I have gained a testimony of having the spirit tell me where to go tracting. There is a street in our area that we pass nearly every day. A couple of weeks ago I had a prompting to tract there, but as time passed we always ended up going somewhere else. So this week we finally got around to tracting the street. Door after door rejected us, but I still felt that we needed to go on. When we knocked on the last door of the street we met a less-active man. He told us that the missionaries knocking on his door was the sign he needed to start coming back to Church and invited us back. The Lord will place people in our paths as we follow the spirit.

Be sure to watch out for the March issue of the Ensign. There is an article about the Issaquah 5th Ward. In the summer of 2006 there were many members who suffered many tragic events and the ward bonded together. It is a really cool article and mentions many people that I know! The article even mentions that one man is a non-member, whose member wife suffered. (There is a new feature online that will update the world on these families mentioned and hopefully the next update is that the husband is baptized, but I think it will only happen when his kids go on missions.)
Well, as you see it was kind of a dull week, but we keep on chugging along.

~Elder Richard Fetzer

A Week of Ups and Downs

2011-02-07T21:26:00.012-07:00

Hello all,

So this was quite a week. A lot happened. First off, we have another on-date! Jack is a 9 year old boy who is the son of a less-active woman in the ward! It all started a couple of weeks ago when his active aunt and uncle, also in the ward, took him to Church. After Church, his aunt came up to us and told us that Jack wanted to be baptized! So we started teaching him on Thursday night with the message of the Restoration, where he accepted the baptismal commitment for February 19th. We went back on Saturday morning and the family wanted to push back the date to March 5th so family could come into town. So it is kind of a bummer that we have no one scheduled for baptism in February, but at least we will have a baptism coming up!

We continue to teach Neesheri, the returning member I told you about last week and his girlfriend Corinda. Neesheri is coming back to church now and I think is liking it. Corinda for now is slowly progressing and needs to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. She has a hard time comprehending that one man could take on the sins of the world.

We continue to look for new investigators. Surprisingly, there are a few investigators in our ward who prefer having sister missionaries teach them, which is kind of disappointing, but at least our ward will get to count the baptisms. Right now we have the biggest teaching pool that I have had here, but that isn't saying a lot because it isn't that many people. The Lord continues to bless the Issaquah 5th Ward.
Things are looking hopeful for the coming month. As always, the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

Another Week As A Missionary

2011-01-31T21:05:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

This week was really quite uneventful, but it was still good. I am happy to still be here in good 'ol Issaquah, but it will be interesting to see where else I will serve in my mission. On Wednesday I had Zone meeting, which we have at the beginning of each transfer. It is an opportunity to meet our Zone Leaders and meet the new missionaries who have been transferred into the zone. The meeting is also a time when we set our goal for the number of baptisms we want monthly. In the past we have set numbers that we basically knew we couldn't reach. We would write down the names of the investigators we had and the ones we thought could be baptized during the next month. That number would generally be our goal. Needless to say, some areas didn't have people they could truly baptize and some investigators written down didn't make it to the waters of baptism. So this month we were realistic. Bellevue zone's goal this month is 7, which I actually think can be done. We already have 5 on date for next month and getting a few more on date won't be too hard, but we'll leave it to the Lord and see what happens in February.

We also decided to start a zone testimony meeting every Sunday night in an attempt to help our zone become more unified. I think it is gonna work. Missionaries rarely see other companionships so when we all get together it is always a lot of fun!

We continue to teach regularly. There are many people that we see each week and we have a few investigators we are working with, but no one close to baptism. This week we are starting to teach Jack, a 9 year old boy whose mom is less-active and is finally okay with him being baptized!

After the meeting with Elder Kearon last week we had Eva go up and meet him. He told her that she needed to make good friends in the Church, which she does, and that we (the missionaries) needed to help. So tonight she is meeting us at the singles ward FHE for the stake. It is gonna be fun to do stuff with a singles ward once again.

Each week we have a member lesson with the Browns. They are awesome member missionaries whose goal it is to have someone taught by the missionaries in their home in 2011. They are doing great! It is even good for them because they are getting to know their neighbors better. Sister Brown even had the courage to give a Book of Mormon to her friend. It is great to see them excited about sharing the gospel.

Anyways, as always, I love you and know that the Church is true!

~Richard

Progression

2011-01-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

This week I had my first REAL convert baptism! On Saturday, January 22, Eva was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It is remarkable to see her progression over the last couple of weeks as she progressed towards the date. She was so ready to be baptized, but as always, there is opposition in all things. The last few days before she was baptized, she doubted herself, thinking that she wasn't worthy to be baptized. But she continued to fight through her temptations and was able to overcome those challenges.

Saturday night Elder Ouassil and I attended the missionary fireside, where Patrick Kearon, of the Quorum of the Seventies spoke about the atonement to investigators, returning members, and recent converts. He compared it to a beautiful park, which was on top of a landfill. He told the people that you could bury your rubbish (sins) in the landfill and that the savior would make it beautiful again. It was a really neat lesson on the atonement, from one of my now-favorite general authorites!

At the meeting, Elder Kearon asked audience members how they felt when the missionaries taught them. A microphone was passed around to volunteers. One woman compared the spirit to warm clothes out of a dryer, another said it was like coming home. Then in the front of the audience, Eva raised her hand and stood up. She said that her missionaries (I can't believe that I am anyone's missionary!) made her feel comfort. "Brilliant!" Elder Kearon said, in his British accent.

As a missionary, I am so happy to see how she feels about the gospel and the happiness it is already bringing her. She saw sister missionaries at the meeting and said that she went home that night and prayed about it. She wants to serve the Lord on a mission, helping people get out of the hole she was once in. I can't wait to see where she is in a couple of years as she makes friends in the gospel and continues to progress.

Lastly, we had a couple of miracles this week. On Tuesday we got a referral of a less-active man and his girlfriend who would like the missionaries to teach them lessons again. We went over and invited him to church, which he hadn't attended for many years and he actually came the next day! I am hopeful for now that we can continue to teach them. His non-member girlfriend even showed up at church!

The real miracle happened after church. There is a less-active woman in the ward who is allowing her sister, who is also in the ward, to take her son to church. Sister Polk, who is the sister, came up to us and told us that Jack, who is the son of the less-active woman, would like to be taught and baptized AND that his mother was finally okay with it. It is good to see this less-active woman's heart begin to be softened.

As always, the church is true.

~Elder Fetzer

Elder Fetzer, Eva, Elder Quassil

Elder Fetzer and Elder Clayton

2011-01-22T13:12:00.002-07:00

Elder Fetzer and Elder L. Whitney Clayton
at a mission conference held Saturday, January 22, 2011 in Seattle.

Another Week Gone By

2011-01-17T13:49:00.014-07:00

Hello all,

This week was interesting. Our on-date, Eva is still steadily progressing towards baptism this saturday! It is amazing to see her progress towards her baptism. She had nearly no knowledge of God or Jesus Christ until a couple of months ago when she entered rehab. She has gained a lot of knowledge during the last couple of weeks and in turn, I have seen a change in her life. Because she insisted on having her baptism on Saturday morning, we got special permission from President Larkin to go ahead and miss part of the General Authority's talk and do the baptism in the same building! In other news, Eva asked me to perform the baptism and my companion to give the Holy Ghost. They are both firsts for us and I especially am excited because I have never done it before.

I spoke in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. I was asked on Friday night to speak on Ch. 8 in PMG about planing and setting goals. It was a pretty boring subject, but I hope that someone out there got something out of it. I included the Dutch Potato story and talked about how the Mission President set goals and had the faith that they would and could be accomplished.

We continue to teach other Less-Actives in our ward. Anne and her 4 kids are probably my favorite. We send her scripture reading assignments every day and I have seen increased faith in her life and more power to overcome temptations. Her testimony of the Book of Mormon has increased and in turn, my testimony of the Book's power to truly change lives has increased. We have started reading the Book of Mormon with the people we teach and I have realized that the doctrines taught in the book and the spirit felt while reading it has the power to change people more than just I can. Yesterday in church we talked about the scriptures a lot and the importance of "likening" the scriptures to yourself and of taking time to think about what we read as we study.

On Saturday Elder Ouassil and I spent some time at Habitat for Humanity. We put siding up on the house. As much as I love donating time doing that, the process takes much longer than it should and there are way too many mistakes done because much of the building is done by people who don't know what they are doing. In the morning we spent 2 hours putting up 3 large siding boards beacuse they had to be cut for windows. But it is always good to donate your time to a good cause like that.

This is going to be a great week with 2 exchanges with other Elders, a baptism, and 2 general authorities coming. I love and miss you all. The Church is true!

~Rich

Baptismal Commitments

2011-01-10T13:45:00.011-07:00

Hello all,

We have a baptism coming up! Our new investigator Eva is getting baptized on Jan. 22nd! She has one of the most sincere desires to change. She recently got out of rehab and moved in with her father and step mother. She wants to completely change her life around. She told us about her experience in rehab and how she found God lives and truly blesses her life. She is willing to do whatever it takes! We are really excited about this news and hope the Lord continues to bless us.

So that is our exciting news for this week! In other news, Elder L. Whitney Clayton and Elder Patrick Kearon are both coming to visit our mission in 2 weeks! That is four general authorities that have visited the mission in 5 months! As a mission, we have a goal of 1000 baptisms for the year, which equals about 1 per month per area so as of this month, we are meeting our goal for number of baptisms.

This was a good week. We continue to teach Anne and her 4 young kids. She needs constant support so we tend to visit her many times a week so that she can feel the spirit more constantly in her life. We don't want her to go back to her old ways and the ward is helping her a lot.

Our friend Sue, who is still progressing towards the temple again told us some exciting news, she is engaged to another older man in the ward. The missionaries were the first people she told that she had begun dating, as we were kind of the people who introduced the two. We brought this man to nearly every lesson we had with Sue and that started their relationship.

The weather here has been getting colder an it has been trying to snow for the last couple of days. Right now there is a small patch of blue skies, but I think it is going to go soon.

The Lord is truly blessing our mission. We have so many things to look forward to. We have started out this year well and I hope that we can continue to do well.

I know the Church is true!

~Elder Richard Fetzer

A Week of Ups and Downs

2011-01-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happy New Years!

2011-01-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

This week had a lot of ups and downs. After tracting most of Tuesday and Wednesday, with no luck, we decided that we needed to take a different approach. By the time Elder Kitchen left, we were stuck in a rut. We didn't really have any investigators that were going to go anywhere and we taught the same people week after week. We needed to expand our teaching pool. We started with former investigators and started finding success with people who wanted to continue learning. Then we went to the ward list of Less-Actives and went by to meet them. Slowly but surely we are starting to increase the number of people we teach. We even found a woman whose ex-Mormon husband recently died and she wants to learn more! Then we found a less-active member whose records aren't even in our ward and she is letting us come back this week!

But the highlight of our week was yesterday. A recent convert's 19 year old's step-daughter moved in with her and came to church yesterday. We already had an appointment for Thursday with the recent convert, but she was asking if we could start on lesson 1 so we could teach her step-daughter. Then the step-daughter spoke, "I actually want to be baptized!" WHAT???!!! THESE THINGS DON'T JUST HAPPEN! She was even asking how long it usually took to do the lessons so she could be baptized! We're going to ask her if she will be baptized at the end of this month, before transfers!

Thanks for all the prayers in my behalf! After praying for weeks that we would find someone that we could really teach and wanted to progress and the Lord has finally blessed us.

New year's eve was pretty uneventful! We had to be in by 7 so we played games, wrote letters and listened to music! Hopefully yours was more eventful!

Anyways I love you and know the Church is true!

~Elder Richard Fetzer

Christmas!!

2010-12-28T20:29:00.003-07:00

Hello all,
It was great to hear from you all on Saturday. Christmas was good! It was great to spend it with members. Saturday afternoon we spent with the Liu's and their family. It was great to spend time sitting around and talking and playing board games. And as always, we had a wonderful dinner. We spent Christmas night with recent converts, Rebecca and Jane, Sue, and Anne and her kids. It is great to see Sue take the lead and fellowship some of those people struggling. After all, that is truly what the gospel is about, to bear one another's burdens. She is a great example of fellowshipping those who need a good friend.

I recently heard of the Provo tabernacle that recently burned down. I heard that it is all ruined, except for one thing, a charred picture of the Savior. It is ironic really. In a world that is so dark and confusing, He is always there to help. He performed the atonement. Through Him, we can be saved. It was a great story to hear about at this time of year when we remember the Savior and His sacrifice for us.

The gospel is one of love. I see that every day! As I teach others about Jesus Christ and His plan for each one of us, my love for the people grows stronger and stronger. It is truly tragic when those that I teach reject the teachings. I am happy for E. That was truly the highlight of her mission, seeing the family go into the baptismal covenant.

Sarah Cate and Libby will be great missionaries! They always have such a great spirit and enthusiasm while sharing the gospel!

The new year looks promising for the work here in Issaquah 5th ward. In 2011, our ward will focus on part-member families. There are nearly 47 people who could be baptized. There is one young girl who comes to church every week and reads the Book of Mormon every night. She has been on date before, but her baptized mother, who claims she is now Buddhist, wants her to REALLY gain a testimony before she is baptized. What more of a testimony is that??!!! Me and my companion must work hard in order to start the year off right.

The Church is True!

Love/Miss You,
Elder Richard Fetzer

My Great Week!

2010-12-21T15:39:00.004-07:00

Hello All,

This week was one of the best weeks of my mission! It all started on Wednesday when Elder Ouassil and I were tracting apartments, where we found the Indian family and Debbie.
First the Indian family. One of the reasons I love my new companion is because it is easy for him to talk to people on the street and ask them if they would like to learn more. So when the Indian family (Yes, from India! Here there are many b/c they work at Microsoft ) answered the door Elder Ouassil started up a conversation. The husband wasn't home, but the wife said that they were Christian and that we could come back later in the day. Well, we went back and the husband still wasn't home, but we were invited to a bible study class that they have at their house 3 times a week where she said we could teach. She said that the group didn't follow any religion, but followed the bible's teachings and that they always sought for "truth."

So that night we invited our zone leaders to come with us to help and we went to the bible study. We were fed spicy Indian curry and heard a rather amazing sermon about Psalms 23, The Lord is My Shepard, by a boy that couldn't have been more than 12 and then heard a rather lengthy song about that Psalm in their Indian language. We then got to teaching about the Restoration and priesthood authority, although Max, the bible study group's spiritual leader, didn't agree with the fact that authority is needed in order to perform a baptism. All in all it was an excellent cultural experience and I was glad we were invited back on Friday night.

Friday night was more difficult. We went back and had Indian tortillas and meat, heard another song and got back to teaching. This time the group was more prepared and asked difficult questions. Let's just say that we didn't go anywhere in our conversation, but gave them all Books of Mormon to read and study. I think we're gonna give them some time to read before going back to any of their study groups.

Second, Debbie. We found Debbie right after the Indian family. She is a single mom with an 18 year old daughter. She was busy but said we could come back Thursday. We did! We taught her the Restoration, getting a little bit into the Plan of Salvation. The spirit was definitely there and she invited us back after Christmas.

We taught a couple of other new people, but not anyone who is looking to progress further. We found a woman walking her dog who said we could teach about Church "history" AKA The Restoration. We did, but she didn't seem that interested.

We had our mission Christmas party on Thursday. We had a great dinner and then got to watch The Grinch cartoon and Mr. Kruger's Christmas, the cheesy church movie. It was great to see my friends from the MTC and meet many other missionaries.

Have I mentioned how great the ward here is? Last night we watched last year's choir concert with Jane and Rebecca. I hadn't seen it and it was really great to watch. I pointed out dad. I hope that this year's concert went well and I can't wait to get the CD next year. I am grateful for all that I have and for this chance I have to serve the Lord. As always, I know the Church is true! I love you!

Love,
Elder Fetzer

Transfer Week!

2010-12-21T15:34:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

Transfers were today. I am now in........Issaquah 5th ward! Wait, that is where I have been since September! Elder Kitchen left. My new companion is named Elder Ouassil (pronounced Wassil). He is cool! This morning we drove down to Kent and I met him there. He is from Lancaster, California. We are both ready to work hard and go out and find new people to teach!
This was an interesting week. I was out of my area for 5 days out of the week, 2 days exchanges and the others I was with other elders in Issaquah. Elder Kitchen was at leadership training so I went with some other companionship's during the day. We did a lot of tracting, but we are beginning to see the results of our hard work. We found some new investigators for the other wards. I know that the Lord prepares people, but it is my job to find them.

I love teaching the gospel! It is amazing to watch people learn about the plan that God has for us. As we teach new members, they understand why it is truly important to live the gospel because they understand it!

Last night we had dinner at the Bishops house again. They showed me the email that you wrote! The Bishops wife was telling me that, as a missionaries mom, she would like to have someone write her about her son.

Last week we went to the mall in Bellevue with an older sister in our ward. She got us lunch! The people hare are so nice and supportive of the missionaries. The woman who took us is Stacey. She is the woman who is going to go through the temple soon. She also gave us Frango mints, which reminded me of our family reunions.

I love you!
From,
Elder Fetzer!

Christmas Wish!

2010-12-15T19:16:00.002-07:00

Ward Christmas Party

2010-12-05T15:51:00.003-07:00

Elder Kitchen, Bishop Balkman, Elder Fetzer, and Santa

Christmas wish=Baptisms

Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T12:25:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

Well, this week was an absolutely crazy but incredible week! Let's start at the good news!
First off, we have a new investigator! Addison is living with a member family; the grandparents of her son. We taught her about the restoration on Tuesday. The lesson was amazing! Thanks for all your prayers! Never have we had a lesson where the spirit was so strong and testified of the truthfulness of our message. There is no doubt that she felt it too! She had no problems with the commitments and she understood the power of the restoration and why it was important. I felt the spirit tell me things to say and testify to her that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet and restored Jesus Christ's true church on the earth once again.

We continue to support and encourage the members of the ward in their missionary efforts. The ward has always been good, and because of the ward's help, 9 new converts have been baptized into the ward, making this ward the highest number in the stake!

One woman we teach, who has 4 small children told us that she began to doubt, but that prayer helped her regain faith. She is one of my favorite people to teach. She takes our advice and applies it to her life. It is a testimony builder to me that the Lord helps and loves all his children and wants the best for every person. This woman tries hard as a mother and her hard work is an example to me.

This week it snowed. Let me say, it was pretty crazy! Schools were shut down, cars were abandoned at the side of the street and the city shut down. People were truly stuck in their houses. It was great for missionary work! People seemed more cheerful and happy and willing to let us teach them. Here they refuse to salt the roads so plowing the roads simply reveals the ice below. Roads are quite scary!

This week was thanksgiving! Let me say, it was an amazing meal! We had multiple appointments during the day, but our main course was at a member's house who was recently re-converted. The woman who cooked is French and is an amazing cook! We had the usual, but she included some french ingredients. One family we visited gave us pumpkin juice, in commemoration of Harry Potter. I am glad there are fellow fans in my ward.

During the next couple of weeks I may be going to the Harry Potter Exhibition in downtown Seattle so if I don't send you a message that week, be expecting a letter instead. Last week we went to the Bellevue mall. It was quite fun! As we walked in I saw it - The Microsoft Store. As we got closer, it seemed eerily familiar, like I had seen it before. Maybe because it looked almost EXACTLY like the Apple store! Same kinds of people working there with short-sleeved t-shirts, hand's on opportunities, and the same modern design that would be found at Apple, just a few stores down. Kind of typical. They never come up with an original idea. NICE WORK MICROSOFT!

Last night we had our weekly appointment to talk to the bishop. As we were about to leave, we saw he had a player piano. He showed it to us and we both got to use it. It was fun! Anyway, This was a good week and I can't wait for this next one. We have Zone Conference, which is always good. I feel your prayers every day and am constantly reminded why a mission is important. I love you!

Love,
Elder Fetzer

Hello All

2010-12-04T12:22:00.001-07:00

Well right now I am looking out the window at about 1 inch of snow and traffic is coming to a standstill. I love this weather! This was another slow week, but things are starting to pick up. We have a new list of part-member families we are going to start working with and we have a new investigator! We know that the most effective missionary work is through members and we are trying to get the ward more excited about it.

This week we did a lot of tracting, which I don't like, but every day we saw some miracles. We got appointments from people we never get to see and got some good potential investigators. We are finally beginning to get out of the after baptisms slump. Things in general look hopeful.

Elder Kitchen was ill for a lot of the week so there were times we stayed home. I got to catch up on some much needed sleep.

As for our investigators, We have to go back all the way to who God is and who Jesus Christ is for Kendra and her boyfriend. We thought she had a solid Christian background, being baptized Catholic, but she has never really gotten to know God. Now we have a clear road map on where she wants to go and it will be easier teaching her.

Thanksgiving is this week and we are having a missionary party! I am excited to see my friends from the MTC and others from my zone I don't get to see much. We have a lot of people that want us over to teach and have dinner with them so we will be well taken care of.

I am grateful for all I have and this mission has really helped me realize all that I have. I am grateful for the gospel and the happiness it brings people as we live it. The gospel is really amazing and it can truly change people for the better. I know that as we live it, we can build stronger relationships and bring us joy. I know the gospel is true and what I am doing is the right thing. I love you all!

Love,
Elder Fetzer

Sorry I'm Late!

2010-11-19T13:56:00.002-07:00

Dear Family,
First off, I am still alive! I can't write much today. Today is p-day because we went to the temple today. The reason I am writing so late in the day is because there was an Elder who was with us who had a mini stroke in the temple and me and my companion and the other companionship had to go to the hospital.

The other elder will be okay. He had a blessing in the temple.

Anyways, nothing much to report this week. We had a very slow week, but surprisingly had 16 lessons, which is better than average. We asked Kendra to be baptized, but she didn't understand the importance of doing it the correct way. I am hopeful this week will pick back up. As most of the converts this year have been part member families, we are making a list of potentials we could help and will see if we could teach those families.

President asked us to give something up as missionaries to show the Lord we are willing to do all it takes to reach our goals this year. We are giving up our 2 hour breaks 3 times a week. Hopefully we can get more contacts by being out during the daytime hours more when we usually have our break.

Even during hard times, the church is still true!

Love, Richard

A Miraculous Week!

2010-11-12T00:37:00.001-07:00

Hello all,
This was a really amazing week! There are many miracles happening all over the mission, even in our little part of it. There are new doors opening and new investigators coming out of the woodwork. The Lord really does place people in your path that are ready to hear the restored gospel. This week we were looking through our area book and found a former investigator from 4 years ago that we were impressed to visit. He welcomed us inside and told us that earlier that day he was talking to his Mormon friend about the Church and that he wanted to learn more. We'll be sure to visit him again really soon! We also found a woman with a husband that was inactive and wasn't in our records. He had recently died and she wants to learn more about God's great plan of Happiness. Lastly, we visited a man who used to be active years ago, but because of a bad divorce he left the Church. He wants his daughter to have the same experiences he had in the Church and wants us to continue to keep in contact with him. As I said, miracles do happen! The Lord truly places people in our paths that are ready to hear the restored gospel! The gospel changes lives for the better and I am lucky to see that happen!

Like I said this week was good! We continue to teach our new investigator, Kendra, who continues to take it slowly, but we'll do better at picking up the pace of her lessons. Lessons with her are sometimes difficult because her brother who is a recent convert is very intellectual and brings up deeper doctrine that confuses her and we have to jump ahead in the lessons. We'll have to find another place to teach her so it doesn't happen again.

Last month was the best month the Washington Seattle Mission has ever had with nearly 80 baptisms! I know that as we continue to set goals we can continue to have many more amazing months ahead.

Can I tell you how great the ward I serve in is? There is a single lady in her late 50's that we go visit/teach a lot because she is getting ready to go through the Temple (she wants us to go through with her too). She saw us tracting the other day and offered to take us for ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's shop. The members here are always so nice and offer us good food, which is good when you are on a budget.

We continue to work hard and I know that we will be blessed because of it. I feel your love, support, and prayers every day! Your letters truly make my day as well! Anyways, I will hear from you later. The Church is true!

Love,
Elder Richard Fetzer

Howl-o-ween

2010-11-04T21:32:00.004-06:00

my pumpkin is on the left

Hello All,

Well, I need to keep this short. This week was really great! We started teaching a new investigator, who is a sister of a recent convert. She told us flat out that she would go at her pace and that she wouldn't do anything she didn't think she should. So as you can see, we have a lot to work with. Anyways, This week was also Halloween! On Friday we had a ward Halloween party where a lot of non-members attended. Many people have told me that it's the best party of the year. At the party there was Chili and Corn Bread. I never knew that there were so many different kinds of Chili. We were sent home with a large pot of Chili, which will take us forever to go through. The members here are awesome! Every time we go to their houses they offer us food and treats, which is really nice!

This week was transfers. I am staying here with Elder Kitchen. It is a miracle really. On Saturday we got the call for him to pack his bags for him to be transferred. After many teary goodbyes we received a call from President Larkin telling him that he felt as though he should stay. So here we are for the next six weeks. We both feel that it is meant to be. Something BIG is gonna happen in Issaquah 5th and we are going to be the people to do it.

On Thursday we volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, where they are building houses for people in need. Elder Kitchen and I insulated a basement. It was a lot of work, but very rewarding! It is amazing how many good people there are in the world, willing to donate time and materials for causes like that! It is a really good way to give service to those in need.
On Halloween we had to be in early. So what better thing to do than watch "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration." It is on the new Church History DVD's which are a really great teaching tool that we have begun to use a lot! The movie was actually really great for Halloween. It is both dramatic and somewhat scary for a Church movie. It shows the part where Joseph is overtaken by evil before the First Vision, which is kinda scary.

It is really amazing to have a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. Because of him, we have the restored gospel on the earth again. We have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and a knowledge of the great plan of happiness. It is really amazing to see people come to know that Joseph Smith restored God's Church once again on the Earth and to see how their lives change for the better.

As always, the Church is true!

Love,

Elder Richard Fetzer

P.S. (I got this from a kid in our ward)

Q. What is a wolf's (Chewy's) favorite holiday?

A. Howl-o-ween!

A Week Of Exchanges

2010-10-26T09:59:00.004-06:00

Dear Family

This was a good week. I went on 3 exchanges with members of my district because Elder Kitchen is District Leader and he goes on exchanges with every Elder in the district and the Zone leaders, which means I do too!

Monday was P-Day. For the second week in a row, we went golfing. Let's just say that I wasn't on par for any of the 12 holes at the golf course we went to. Golfing has never been my favorite thing to do and my frustration with the sport has never been a good thing. Other than that, golfing was quite fun.

Tuesday and Thursday were exchanges. I stayed in my area for those days and was able to finally drive again! It was weird not having driven for a couple of months and took some getting used to again. Exchanges are always a good experience because you have the opportunity to learn from other missionaries and see how they approach the work. It is also really amazing to see more seasoned missionaries approach people and eventually be able to teach and make a return appointment.

On Saturday I went with one of the zone leaders to downtown Bellevue, which is a newer big city. The city is about the size of SLC and probably wouldn't be around without Microsoft. I had no idea how big that company really was until I came here. Microsoft has buildings in almost every city here and there are many ward members that work for Microsoft.

Transfers are coming up next Tuesday. For us it is really up in the air. Elder Kitchen has been here a long time and every transfer he thinks it is his time to leave, but it ends up being his companion. I feel as though I could take over the area if he left. I have gotten to know the people we teach well and also the rest of the ward okay.
Lessons this week went well. We are still in the process of finding some new investigators, but we keep our lesson count up with Members and Recent Converts and Less Actives. I have really gotten to love the people we teach regularly. It is truly our mission to find and research lessons that pertain to the people we teach and will help better their lives through the gospel.

Now more than ever I realize the importance of member missionary work. Without the members, true missionary work could never be accomplished. It is up to the members to help missionaries find and fellowship those we teach so that they may be good members of the Church. That is one thing I have seen with Rebbecca and Jane. The members have really embraced them and helped them become part of the ward family.

Yesterday we had a new investigator who come to our ward by surprise to "spy" out the Mormon Church. He came to our gospel principles class, where he disagreed about the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost being 3 separate beings and the rest of his stay at Church became more of an argument. He wasn't willing to open his mind a little more and see that God reveals more scripture. I am glad that we have strong Church members in our class who know the doctrine (and the bible) really well.

Here are some pictures I took of downtown Seattle in the distance during the sunset and one of a spider web. The spiders are everywhere here and they are big! I have never seen so many of them in my life. Martha, you would hate to go outside here. Once, there was a spider that crawled out of a lady's fireplace. Its body was the size of a quarter and with the legs it was about the size of a tennis ball.

I love you! And the Church is true!

Love

Elder Richard Fetzer

Baptisim!

2010-10-20T19:42:00.000-06:00

Dear Family-
The highlight of this week the Baptism of Rebbecca and Jane. Saturday's baptism was well attended. The ward has really embraced them and they are going to be awesome members. Rebbecca has had a hard life, but she has really seen a change for the better with the gospel a part of it. It has really strengthened my testimony of what the gospel can do for people. I got to participate in the circle when they got the gift of the Holy Ghost, which was really neat! Here they do that during Sacrament Meeting, which I had never seen before. I know that they felt the spirit this weekend and I can't wait to continue to teach them the gospel and eventually see Rebbecca go through the Temple. I know that she knows the Temple is a special place. She felt the spirit just being on the grounds.

The weeks here keep getting better and better and I know that through faith and obedience we can keep our goals. As always, The Church is true and I can't wait to hear from you later this week!

~Elder Richard Fetzer

Next Week Baptism!

2010-10-11T13:55:00.000-06:00

This was a good week mainly because we got someone on date for baptism Saturday the 16th. Meet Jane and Rebbecca. Rebbecca is a single mom, who has been investigating for about 9 months now and Jane is her 9 year old daughter. They are ready to accept the Gospel. Rebbecca constantly tells us that she feels the spirit in her life and that ever since she has started living the Gospel, her life has changed. Originally Jane wasn't going to be baptized because she is with her dad on Sundays and can't attend church, but she attends her other Church activities throughout the week and President Larkin thought it would be appropriate for her to be baptized the same day as her mother. They will be strong members of the church! Rebbecca feels right in the Church and the ward has really reached out and befriended her. On Sunday we took Rebbecca on a tour of the Temple grounds. She truly felt the spirit of the grounds and we constantly reminded her that she would always feel this same spirit after she was baptized on Saturday. She knew that the temple was a special place and didn't want to leave the grounds and return home. Now that we have Jane on date to be baptized, we are going to be teaching Rebbecca and Jane almost every night this week so that Jane can understand the importance of being baptized into Christ's Church.

As for our other investigators, they aren't really progressing, although we have faith that they will. One woman from Kroatia was supposed to be baptized on Saturday, but she still had some problems to work out. President Larkin has challenged me and Elder Kitchen to have 4 baptisms this month, almost doubling the amount of baptisms this ward has had this year. I think we can actually do it too! Tonight and tomorrow I have my first exchanges with another Elder in my district. I am going to stay in our area with the other Elder, while Elder Kitchen goes to a neighboring ward tomorrow. It will be interesting because I still don't know this area very well. The weeks here keep getting better and better. This week should be good too! We are getting better at keeping our schedules full so we don't have to go tracting, which isn't very effective in this area at all! The bishop gave us some good ideas on where to go in our area , which has been okay so far. Like I said last week, really the only baptisms that have come about in this ward have been from member referrals. I can't wait to tell you about how my first baptisms have gone when I write back next week!

Until then,

~Elder Richard Fetzer

A Week of Walking!

2010-10-04T16:44:00.013-06:00

Dear Family,

This was a long week! Last Monday, Elder Kitchen and I went fishing. It was pretty fun except we didn't catch anything! It was still fun though! We tried in Lake Samamish, but all we got were a couple of bites from little fish. We aren't allowed to go fishing in rivers right now because this is the time of year the salmon come upstream to hatch.

This week consisted of a lot of walking. The mission is only allotted a certain number of miles a month and they limit miles for missionaries. We have about 1000 miles a month, which you would think would last, but we go about 30-40 miles a day so they run out pretty quickly. After we run out we have to walk, which in this area isn't fun because there are so many hills and it is a very large area. Luckily, members are usually willing to take us to our next appointment once we get to their house so we managed.

This week we had a dinner appointment with a part-member/less active family. The dad is a member but really has no intention of coming back to church. We taught a lesson that included a bit about baptism because they have a daughter that could be baptized, but they really shut us down after the lesson. It made both my companion and me really sad!

Lets just say that General Conference was AMAZING! There was so much I got out of it this time and I can't wait to apply what I learned. I especially liked Uchdorf's talk on managing turbulent times of life and slowing down. I also liked President Monson's talk on choices in the priesthood session. On Saturday between Conference sessions we went to a boat race in Lake Samamish! It was really cool and fast!

In a slow week we still did have some miracles: First, we finally got a hold of our investigator, Astrid, a European woman with a baptismal date that we haven't been able to get a hold of for over a week! We were a bit worried, but we were glad to see she was still doing well. Second, last night (Sunday) we got to give a blessing to a girl who was sick from a recent convert family. This family, the Matthews, is really nice and we go over to their home all the time! They are also the family who referred our new investigator! Even in times when their family was inactive they still told people about the gospel. It was really amazing that doing those kinds of ordinances is part of my calling!

Overall, the investigators we have are doing quite well and I know they feel the spirit. We have our first baptism on the 16th, which I am really excited for! I love you and feel your prayers every day! As always, the Church is true!

Love,

Richard

group of Elders I was at the SL airport with

Issaquah with Bellevue and Seattle in the background

me and Elder Kitchen

one of the boats at Lake Samamish

Issaquah

2010-09-27T14:26:00.001-06:00

Family,

I am finally here! It is hard though. Gone are the days where the "investigators" took every word of advice and people (aka other missionaries walking around the MTC) on the "street" were always ready and willing to have another lesson or even listen to you.

I am assigned to serve in the Issaquah 5th ward. We are east of Seattle in the city of Issaquah, among the mountains and evergreens. It is a really nice area and the ward is really great! The ward is supportive of missionaries and they try their best to find us people to teach. Many people here are comfortable and not really interested in the gospel, but they are really nice and supportive to the LDS missionaries. But because of the members, we do have people to teach and there are 2 people on date to be baptized! This week we got one new investigator. His name is Marcello and he is from Brazil. He was referred to us by a family in our ward and we teach him at their home. So far we have taught him 2 lessons about the restoration, but it is hard because he doesn't understand a lot of English. Luckily Bro. Maximo (the man who referred him to us) knows Portuguese and translates for us. Marcello has a lot of questions, but is ready to accept the gospel. He went to church in Brazil, but when he moved here he didn't find one that fit for him so he quit going to church. I know that in our lessons he has felt the spirit.

My new companion's name is Elder Kitchen. He has been out for a little more than a year and is a really good missionary. He is from Mesa, Arizona. He has been serving in this area for 8 months and he knows the members well. They really trust him and I know that because of their trust in him, the Lord has allowed him to serve in this area for so long.

This has been one of the quickest, but longest weeks of my life. President and Sister Larkin picked us up at the airport and we were taken to the mission home where I met my new companion. President Larkin is really great and I can't wait to get to know him even better. Every day has been a lot of walking and meeting people on the street. We teach every day members, non-members, and our new investigators.

The mission has a goal to baptize 720 people by the end of the year. So far they have about 380 so we have a long way to go. President Larkin has continually told us that he prays every day that we can get that number and he has faith that if every missionary works hard that we can. So I pray every day that we can find people to teach. We are to try to talk to 80 people a day, but it is really hard, especially here in the suburbs. We haven't made that goal yet, but each day we do talk to more and more people.

Elder Kitchen and I have our own apartment, which is pretty nice. We do have a kitchen, but whenever we go to members houses, they offer us food. We have dinner with members about twice a week, but the generosity of the members helps us get by.

Washington is beautiful and I am grateful I have such a good companion. I am excited to see dad in conference this week. As always the Church is true and I can feel your prayers every day! I love you!

Love, Elder Richard Fetzer

First Letter from Seattle: September 21, 2010

2010-09-26T14:25:00.005-06:00

President and Sister Larkin

Dear Family,
Whoa, I am actually here! Today we got on the plane and I got to sit by a man who was coming to Seattle with his daughter to get surgery. They are Mormon, but we still had a nice gospel discussion. An elder in front of us had a good gospel discussion and we gave away a pass along card.
We got off the plane and found our mission president. He is really great and I can't wait to get to know him more.
Now we are at the mission home and are going to eat a really good meal. We saw the city today and it is beautiful!
Love,
Elder Richard Fetzer
p.s. I will write soon!

Quick Update

2010-09-21T11:11:00.000-06:00

Richard left the MTC for Seattle early this morning. He was able to call us from the airport and is excited and nervous to begin preaching the gospel. Just a reminder, instead of using Dear Elder, you can now write Richard at the address on the sidebar.

MTC Pictures

2010-09-18T12:38:00.012-06:00

3 of 5 going to Seattle from our district. L to R: Elder Boice, Elder Fetzer, Elder Westover

My district at the temple. L to R: Elder Cooudy (Ventura), Elder Griffin (Ventura), Elder Westover (Seattle), Elder Moak (Ventura), Elder Christiansen (Ventura), Elder Smith (Seattle), Elder Stowell (Ventura).
Bottom row: Elder Boice (Seattle), Elder Hopkinson (Seattle), Elder Fetzer (Seattle)

(Self-explanatory)

Me and my companion, Elder Westover

Elder Westover holding me in the palm of his hands.

MTC week 2

2010-09-16T18:41:00.003-06:00

I can't believe its almost time to leave the MTC. I have learned so much in so little time.I got my travel itinerary! I leave Septembe 21 and get to Seattle about 9:30 AM. There are 13 elders going to Seattle (2 of them speak other languages). We are to report to the MTC travel office at 5:00 AM that morning! There goes another good night of sleep, which I have never gotten here.

I really can't wait to finally head off and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. In devotional on tuesday I learned why missionary work is really so hard. They played a clip of Elder Ballard telling us that salvation is never cheap! It is true! Throughout time, the faithful have never had it easy. Jesus Christ suffered for us, but he said that we are to pay a small token of that price in order to gain salvation. The pioneers were persecuted, they died in order to show the world what they believed. Even today, in a time of turmoil, the Church has its challenges. As you see, all have had to pay some sort of price for the gospel. A mission is hard because it really has always been that way. Our faith will be tried and tested, but in the end we can live with Christ again and what greater reward could we have?

Sunday was a long day. At night the missionaries get to watch movies :D. This week we watched Legacy, a cheesy film with bad acting and lines, which we all came back quoting, but with a powerful message of the pioneers. It is really amazing how the Church has grown into what it is today! The pioneers could never have immagined it. It showed me that throughout all the trials that the Church has gone through, God always provided a way to bring forth His gospel to all the world. The faithfulness of our pioneer ancestors brought us the gospel, and for that I am eternally grateful.

On Sunday, Elder Westover and I gave our district a lesson on obedience. We must always follow God's commandments. God asks us to do hard things, but I know we will be blessed when we follow Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, my district helped in hosting the new missionaries. It was funny seeing how nervous the new missionaries were and I remembered that morning as well. It was scarry coming into the MTC the first day! It was good to remember how far I have come since then and think of how far I need to go in order to be the missionary I want to be.

Love,
Elder Richard Clark Fetzer

Writing Elder Fetzer

2010-09-11T09:06:00.003-06:00

Rich asked me to tell everyone to use dearelder.com while he's in the MTC. He gets those letters the very same day. He is only allowed to use email with family. We will continue to post portions of his emails to family on this blog.

Thanks, The Administration.

MTC: Week 1

2010-09-11T08:59:00.002-06:00

Hey Family!

As I watch the timer slowly time out I will try my best to write a good letter. First off, the MTC is great! The spirit is so strong here and this is definitely the most spiritual time I have EVER had. My companion, Elder Westover, is really great and we get along really well! The days here are long. Each day feels like a week, and the week here feels like a day! Really strange. Anyways, this week we have learned how to teach lesson 1. Learning the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is important because people need to know that we are Christ's church. It is really amazing using the principles used in Preach My Gospel and learning how to teach by the Holy Ghost. As it says in the scriptures, the spirit really does fill your mouth with words to say when you are in need.

Here in the MTC we use the Teaching Resource Center, where local "investigators" or actors who are called to be investigators from the members around Provo. This week we taught the Christiansens, an older couple who moved to Utah for retirement. They have attended many other christian churches and want to learn more. Me and my companion had to learn how to make a lesson plan, based around the restoration, to fit their needs. We decided to include a bit about eternal families because we knew that they might want to know that the first lesson.

Today my district went to the temple. Elder Westover and I decided to do sealings. It was really amazing that we got to be part of that ordinance. As missionaries, we are only allowed to act as the children, but even that is special.

I have seen so many people I know here! It is really fun to see people I haven't seen since college or even High School. My district is pretty great! There are 10 in our district and half are going to Seattle, and half to Ventura, CA. There are six other Elders in the room next to us also going to Seattle. It is really strange because I feel like we have all known each other before we got to the MTC. I know the 9 other Elders in my district are all going to be really great missionaries!

Here at the MTC we are definitely in a bubble. Whenever we see non-missionaries outside it is really strange. It is kinda like in Toy Story where the green aliens say "Strangers, from the outside." I really have no idea which day it is anymore, but it is okay. Weekends are kinda crazy because we hear the BYU stadium next to us erupt with excitement with every goal, but we never know who wins. I guess it is just part of MTC policy.

Overall, this has been a very good week! We had an amazing devotional about how the choices we make help us become who we are. I am glad I have made the choice to serve a mission. It is the BEST thing I can be doing right now.

Well, the timer is almost up so I better end. As always, I know the Church is true and I love you!

Love,

Elder Richard Fetzer

First letter from the MTC

2010-09-03T13:36:00.003-06:00

September 1, 2010
Dear family,

Well, I made it through my first day here at the MTC. It is really strange being here. I am actually a missionary! The spirit is strong here and I am excited to learn more about the gospel. Today I checked in and moved into my small room. I met my companion, Elder Westover, from Arizona. He is really cool! I'll send a picture later. Today we had an orientation then a live teaching session where actors came in and acted like investigators. A large group of missionaries tried to teach them. It is really amazing how prepared to hear the gospel some people are. Today was a rush of info I will probably forget but will learn as time passes.

I love you and hope to hear from you soon!
Elder Fetzer

Charity - Farewell Talk

2010-08-29T17:18:00.000-06:00

I can’t believe it is actually time to serve a mission. As I look out into the audience, I see loving family and friends. You are all here because you have helped me become who I am today – a departing full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I want to thank you for all you have done in my life and hope to see you when I get home in 2012.
Serving a mission is something I have always wanted to do. Primary taught me to follow Jesus Christ and try to be like him always, while in Young Men’s I learned how to study and teach from amazing leaders, which helped me prepare spiritually to serve. And so when it came down to the time to decide to serve a mission, the decision was easy.
When I got the mission call to Seattle, I knew it was right for me. The Lord knew what I needed and listened to my prayers giving me a call which I gratefully accepted.
As I serve in Seattle I will meet people with all sorts of backgrounds. As I meet with them, I will be a messenger for Christ because “faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.” (D&C 4:5).
The Apostle Paul said that we must have, “faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). Charity is "the pure love of Christ," or "everlasting love" (Moroni 7:47). The prophet Mormon taught: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (Moroni 7:45).
Charity is the pure love of Christ, but what does that really mean? We find part of the answer in Joshua: “Take diligent heed … to love the Lord your God … and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Charity is our love for the Lord, shown through our acts of service, patience, compassion, and understanding for one another.
In Ether we find that, “[Jesus has] loved the world, even unto the laying down of [His] life for the world, that [He might] take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. And now I know that this love which [He has] for the children of men is charity” (Ether 12:33-34) Charity is also the Lord’s love for us, shown through His acts of service, patience, compassion, and understanding. The “pure love of Christ” refers to two things, our love for the Savior and His love for each of us.
Joseph Smith exemplified the pure love of Christ. Many asked why he gained so many followers and retained them. His answer: “It is because I possess the principle of love.”
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin once told the story of a 14-year-old boy who had come to Nauvoo in search of his brother who lived near there. The young boy had arrived in winter with no money and no friends. When he inquired about his brother, the boy was taken to a large house that looked like a hotel. There he met a man who said, “Come in, son, we’ll take care of you.” The boy accepted and was brought into the house, where he was fed, warmed, and was given a bed to sleep in. The next day it was bitter cold, but the boy still prepared himself to walk eight miles to find his brother. When the man of the house saw this, he told the young boy to stay for a while and said there would be a team that he could ride with. Although the boy had no money, the man said it would all be taken care of. Later the boy learned that the man of the house was none other than prophet Joseph Smith and the boy remembered this act of charity for the rest of his life.
The Apostle Paul said in a moving statement to Timothy, “. . . [obedience to the commandments] is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. 1:5). This promise is relevant to all of us. Paul’s testimony to Timothy was that in good conscience, happy relationships with our families and friends, and in the true faith that grants us confidence in the presence of God lie the blessings of life.
The Savior gave us the ultimate example of His life to follow. He is the literal Son of God. He had perfect love and shows us how to love. He shows us that the needs, spiritually and physically, of our fellowmen are as important as our own. What more charitable act could He have done than give His life for us and suffer our sins for us? Before He died, He said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13).
Speaking to Christ, Moroni said, “And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.” (Ether 12:34).
It isn’t necessary to give our lives like the Savior, but we will have charity when we make Him the center of our lives and follow his teachings. We can bless others as we serve our fellow brothers and sisters in our Church and throughout the Earth.
In early 1946, president Cornelius Zappey was called to reorganize the Netherlands Mission after World War II. Holland was left in dismal condition. During the war, Nazi troops occupied Holland. Many Dutch resisters were taken to concentration camps and the Germans killed many others. At the end of the war, Nazis robbed Holland’s food and other basic supplies. This left Holland’s people impoverished and starving.
When President and Sister Zappy arrived, hunger still haunted. President Zappy saw the justified hatred between the Dutch and Germans, but he wondered what he could do to break down the bitter feelings towards the Germans.
“Mamma, all we can do here is pray for the people to overcome their hate,” the President told his wife. Then he went to work to try to find an answer to his own prayers.
President Zappy instructed the local priesthood leaders to start growing potatoes, Holland’s best crop, wherever they had spare land to do so. Planting days became special days for the Church branches with singing and other festivities. By the autumn of 1947, prospects were good and members expected to reap the bounty of their hard work.
At the same time, the conditions of the German saints were harsh and tragic. What few reserves the people had a year before were completely exhausted. Clothing was hard to obtain; food was rationed on a sub-subsistence basis.
By harvest time, President Zappy knew the Lord had different intentions, than what the Dutch expected, for the welfare potatoes. He knew that they must go to the starving German saints. He wondered how the Dutch might react to giving the Germans the potatoes they worked so hard to grow, as the Germans had caused them so much grief during the war.
The problems of the Dutch saints weren’t fully solved, either. President Zappy called a mission conference to propose that the potatoes be given the Germans.
He said, “Some of the most bitter enemies you people have encountered as a result of this war are the German people. But those people are now much worse off than you, and we are asking you to send your entire potato harvest to the German saints. Will you do it? Do you want our own saints to die of hunger there?”
Impacted by the spirit, the leaders humbly agreed to give the potatoes to the starving Germans.
Missionaries and members moved the large potato bags into the trucks, which delivered the potatoes into Germany. The German saints were astonished by the generosity of their fellow brothers and sisters in Holland. The potato project created a new spirit of unity among the saints. President David O. McKay called this loving act, “one of the greatest acts of true Christian conduct ever brought to my attention.” (Story from War and Peace and Dutch Potatoes by William G. Hartley)
As the Dutch saints did, we should not try to decide if someone really deserves our help. We must try to help all those who may need help. This way we will be like the Father, who causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
President Thomas S. Monson reminds us that there are also those that need to be fed spiritually, “let us ask ourselves the questions: ‘Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?’ What a formula for happiness! What a prescription for contentment, for inner peace – to have inspired gratitude in another human being. Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.” (Conference Oct. 2001)
When we give to those in need, we must have compassion for them in order to have charity. The apostle Paul taught, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4-7) When we have charity, we are patient and kind. We are loyal and believe the best in others, for “charity never faileth.” (1 Cor. 13:8)
Christ exemplified charity. He loved the sinners in spite of what they had done. He taught us that if we don’t forgive others, we too will not be forgiven. Christ has taught, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good unto them which despitefully use you…For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?” (Matt. 5:44, 46) We too must learn to “love one another”, as Jesus did.
How might we become more charitable? The first way we can become charitable is by studying the life of Jesus Christ and following His commanments. There isn’t a more perfect example to follow. We gain a deeper love for Christ as we study Him. As our love for the Lord deepens, we will become purified. We experience a “mighty change in … hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” (Mosiah 5:2)
Second, we are told to “pray always.” When we have uncharitable feelings, we can pray to have charity. Mormon teaches us to “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.” (Mor. 7:48)
Lastly, we must avoid thinking that we are better than others. We must be patient and understand their faults, for we all have them. Joseph Smith said, “The nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion of perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders and cast their sins behind our backs.” (Teachings of Presidents: Joseph Smith)
In the Book of Mormon we read of Enos, who wanted to know if his sins had been forgiven, “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.” (Enos 1:4-5)
The Lord explained that because of Enos’ faith, his sins had been forgiven. When Enos knew this, he was no longer concerned about himself. He felt concern for his friends and family, the Nephites and the Lord said that they would be blessed according to their faithfulness to the commandments. Enos’ love increased even further and pled with the Lord for his enemies, the Lamanites.
Enos was so grateful for the Lord’s love and forgiveness of himself that he spent the rest of his life helping others receive this gift. He had become truly charitable. We too must become like Enos and be charitable. We must do so in order to obtain the Kingdom of God.
As we live the gospel of Jesus Christ and follow His example, we will feel happiness. He will forgive our sins. He will heal us and replace guilt and shame with joy in our life.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities. The means of this refinement is our Christ like love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter…The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life.” (The Great Commandment, 2007)
I bear my testimony that Christ lives. He is the perfect example and when we follow Him, we will feel everlasting happiness. I am thankful for the prophet Thomas S. Monson who guides us in our time. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon, which teaches and testifies of Christ and shows us how to live our lives, for as President Ezra Taft Benson said, “it answers the greatest questions of the soul.” I am thankful for loving family and friends and for all that have come today to show your love and support. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Welcome to the Mission!

2010-08-28T17:32:00.001-06:00

While I am away, my sisters have graciously offered to update my blog, sharing all the news from Seattle!

The World at 10,000 Feet

2010-08-27T18:23:00.001-06:00

As we walked up the short trail, across streams and up the sharp rocks, we came to it - Cecret Lake in the Albion Basin up at Alta. The lake is in a beautiful location with great mountain scenery, which I will miss for the next two years, while I live at sea level.

Mockingjay

2010-08-26T19:26:00.000-06:00

This year I have found one of the best new series since Harry Potter. The Hunger Games trilogy is a post-apocalyptic story about the country of Panem, which makes up 13 districts and the Capitol. The districts provide all that the capitol needs and leaves the districts in dire circumstances. In the Dark Days, district 13 rebelled and was distroyed and as punnishment, the districts must must participate in the Capitol's "Hunger Games." Each year one boy and one girl from each of the remaining twelve districts are selected to play the game. The Games are a televised event where the participants, called "tributes", must fight to the death in a dangerous outdoor arena until only one remains. The winning tribute and his/her corresponding district is then rewarded handsomely. Katniss, the main character is selected to play, and while playing, sparks the fire to ignite full rebellion against the evil Capitol.
Mockingjay is the third and final book of this series and it lives up to the hype. In this book, Katnis becomes the Mockingjay, or face of the rebellion, which ends in full-on war. The book is exciting and exhilarating; cliffhangers are at every turn. Mockingjay is every bit as exciting as its predecessors, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Suzanne Collins creates an edge-of-your-seat plot, which follows Katnis as she plays the games one final time with a shocking ending, determining the fate of humanity.

Dreams within a Dream within a Dream

2010-07-17T13:09:00.000-06:00

Only when we wake up do we realize our dreams aren’t real. In our minds we create worlds. We fantasize of what life could be. We are happy as our dreams carry us into worlds unknown to us.

Inception makes us wonder what reality really is. To put it simply, Inception is about dreams on top of dreams inside of dreams. As in our dreams, we can dream for what seems like hours, when in reality, it is only a few minutes. We can never even be quite sure what the relationship between dreamtime and real time is.

In Inception, Cobb is a skilled thief, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb is on the run and can’t get back to see his children, who desperately want to see him once again. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. No amount of planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy inside dreams that only Cobb can see coming.

If we dream it, it seems like reality to us, but does that make it real? Inception makes us wonder what reality really is.

Experimenting With Photoshop

2010-07-15T21:29:00.000-06:00

Original

Photoshop

An Airplane Carried Me To Bed

2010-07-13T18:33:00.000-06:00

Ocean Eyes stormed into the music scene late last year before anyone had a clue who Owl City was. Now, Adam Young has done it again, under the name Sky Sailing. An Airplane Carried Me To Bed is different. This time, Young ditches the electronic style he is famous for and goes back to basics, this time in acoustic guitar. Young’s new album carries the same vocal style that he has been famous for.
Honestly, Adam’s new Sky Sailing name isn’t much different than Owl City. It is pretty much what you would expect an acoustic Owl City to sound like. What I like about Adam is that he has the courage to do things other pop artists would never do and completely rebrand himself.
An Airplane Carried Me To Bed is still in the same realm that Ocean Eyes and Owl City's other albums exist, in “dream-pop.” Tracks like “Brielle” and “I Live Alone” suggest the sound of Owl City, but focus more on acoustic guitar and piano than on the electronic keyboard we have been so accustomed to see Young on. Young shows his ability to write a song that doesn’t rely on his programmed beats.
For those who don’t enjoy Owl City because of Young’s distinct style, will most likely not enjoy this album. This album is intriguing because it shows that Adam Young is able to go full circle and embrace different musical styles. Young has stated that Sky Sailing was reality long before Owl City was imagined. Sky Sailing was his original project. His vocal melodies, instrumentation, and overall feel of his new genre, “dream-pop” all began in An Airplane Carried Me To Bed, and it is just as happy and hopeful as Owl City.

My Little Adventure

2010-07-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

We saw it in the distance, beyond the train tracks. Jessica had told me about the wall when it was featured in the BYU-I student film festival. "The wall," she had called it. Beautiful and colorful, I knew it would be perfect for my final photography project, hidden Rexburg (See HERE).
Along the lone and dreary train tracks it sits. It is a place where all can draw what and how they feel, what they think of life, and how they choose to live it. The wall is a place to express yourself and show who one really is. It will stand forever, memorializing artists who have come before.

Jessica spotted it on the ground, a green caterpillar. It's colors were bright and vivid and we had to take a closer look.

As we walked along the tracks back to the car, we saw the moose, something that you wouldn't expect to see this close to Rexburg, although a moose was spotted on campus weeks ago.

Rexburg is a neat place. I enjoy little adventures with good friends.

Photo Final

2010-07-11T21:51:00.001-06:00

Itty Bitty Rexburg City

First and foremost, Rexburg is NOT boring. At first glance, it may seem as such, but as we look at the details, this little town in Idaho is really quite interesting. All my pictures were taken in "downtown" Rexburg, Idaho. This project has really made me love the town I currently live in. Rexburg is interesting, but you just need to look a little closer.

So True!

2010-07-02T14:32:00.002-06:00

LOST was always one of the greatest shows on television up until the end. The End, however, was a lackluster ending to a fantastic series. LOST was always about mystery and intrigue, although I don't think they ever meant to answer all burning questions that had lingered for years. I have always thought of how it could have ended, and now my dreams have come true in the video below!

SO TRUE!

Two More Months!

2010-07-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

A Mission!

A Place Lost In Time

2010-06-30T18:16:00.006-06:00

I have always heard of haunted houses, but I had never actually been in one. I saw them afar off the highway, past the haunted swing in the middle of nowhere. It was a place that time had forgotten, haunted by memories of the past and I knew I had to investigate more.

I parked and walked down the long dirt road towards them. What I came up on was more than I ever could have imagined, a place lost in time. I saw a village, abandoned and dilapidated. A place where, many years ago, people had lived, struggled and eventually left. What I had really found was a time capsule, a museum of the past, where people visit and see how our ancestors lived as it slowly rots away into the Earth.

Although we may never know why they left, they still remain there in spirit. The feeling is eerie and not quite right. As I walked through the structures, I found their possessions. I saw where and how they lived. I imagined what it would have looked like in its heyday, the nice painted house with the white picket fence surrounding it, the springs of the once cushy bed and the closet full of clothes and blankets that would keep one warm through the cold Idaho winters. I saw the old chimney and imagined seeing the family through the window on a cold winter’s night talking together by the stove.

The village I found was a place full of memories of the past. And I knew I had to go back – at night!

Tom, Stacie and I had to get out of the apartment. After telling them what I found, we all agreed to go back to investigate the spirits and memories that were still at the village. We parked at the haunted swing and walked the long muddy road to it. As we got closer, it started to appear from the darkness of the night. We shined our lights through the window openings and found remnants of the past, objects forgotten, now found. I, being their tour guide, gave them the “grand tour” to and through the structures. We heard noises of creaking floorboards, animals and noises of the structures settling into the ground. I saw shadows in the corner of my eye, but I think that was just my imagination.
I was hoping to find ghosts, but never did. The place may be haunted, but one thing I know for sure, there are memories there, a spirit that people once lived there. And that feeling that is there will always stay there.

An Eerie Place

People lived here. I imagine a picket fence.

Here I am!

Through the shadows the house is visible.

What I think are ghosts...

EPIC!

2010-06-29T00:01:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the World!

2010-06-28T11:54:00.001-06:00

My New Niece,

NAOMI GRACE TALLERICO

Born June 10, 2010

Toy Story 3 - Not Just A Kids Movie

2010-06-28T09:44:00.000-06:00

When Pixar announced that they were creating Toy Story 3, they had a lot to live up to. Pixar has created another classic and created a perfect trilogy.
Toy Story 3 is not just about our favorite gang of toys breaking out of a daycare, it is deeper, about growing up. In the movie, Andy is going away to college and has to decide what to do with his old toys, who desperately want to be played with. The toys accidentally get donated to a daycare center, but soon realize that a daycare isn't all it's cracked up to be and decide to escape to see Andy once again.
In the film, you meet all sorts of new characters including Ken, Barbie's beau, Lotso, a strawberry scented bear that loves to hug, and a slough of other fun characters. Toy Story 3 provides the laughs that expected from every Pixar movie mixed in with the quality story telling the studio is famous for.
Toy Story 3 is about giving up what is important, but always keeping the memories with you. Essentially, the movie is about moving on, both for the toys and Andy.
This story relates to everyone because eventually we all need to move on from our childhood, but still keep all the wonderful memories. Although I don't still have all the toys from my childhood, I remember them. Although toys can't always last forever, the memories will.
This is one of Pixar's best works. It is a heartwarming tale of growing up and sharing your happiness with others. This film is an instant classic and will be remembered by generations.

June 24, the day I was born!

2010-06-25T22:29:00.001-06:00

Through my dreams I heard them come in. I feel my warm covers pulled off, suddenly waking up from the chill. I feel my hands bound together and I go blind from the bandana covering my eyes. I have been kidnapped.

I am escorted out of my room and apartment and hear their laugh. I instantly know it is Erica, Shelby and Carly. I hear the car pull up and am told to crawl into the back. “Where am I going?” I say, “Idaho Falls” I am told. We drive around for about 10 minutes and the bandana falls off. I see we are in the middle of nowhere (which isn’t surprising, as it is Idaho), but not on the road to Idaho Falls. They see it has fallen off and immediately tell me to get down so they can tie it up again. We drive some more and we finally stop. I see through the bandana and see that we aren’t in Idaho Falls at all, but right back at Nauvoo House. “Where are we?” I ask again, not wanting them to find out I know where we really are, “Idaho Falls,” I am told again. I am escorted up three flights of stairs and into their apartment. The bandana is taken off and I see the girls smiling faces, “Happy Birthday!” they tell me.

Warm pancakes, fruit smoothies and homemade syrup are a great way to start off the morning. That combination with the company of good friends made it the BEST morning in a very long time! Thank you!

It was odd going to class in the middle of summer on my birthday, especially when it is a day I have never had school. Overall, it was a god day of school, but this was just the beginning of the day!

That night we went to the caves. After a long and bumpy dirt road we got there. After climbing down rocks into the cave, it is relatively flat. We walked past gratified walls and already lit glow sticks, signs that we were not the only people there. We splattered glow sticks and hid among the darkened rocks. As we exited the cave I looked up and saw the bright moon and city in the distance.

As we drove home, I thought about the year of changes ahead of me, especially the MTC and the mission. I am excited and willing to serve the Lord. My 19^th year of life will have a lot of ups and downs that I am ready and willing to face.

Adventures in Photos

2010-06-19T11:52:00.000-06:00