Many Highs and Lows

Hello all,

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

~Elder Fetzer

Living God's Commandments

Hello all,

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

~Elder Fetzer

Miracles Still Happen!

Hello Family,

 

Well miracles happened this week and it is no doubt partly because of the mission's quarterly temple trip this week. We continue to teach our investigator, Subeer. This week we taught him about God's plan for us. He is realizing that he can gain revelation from the Book of Mormon and that his questions are slowly being answered. I am glad he realizes that. Many people have questions, but don't realize they can't be answered all in one setting and that their answers will be eventually answered "line upon line."

 

I was on exchange with one of the zone leaders here on Friday, Elder Anderton. Friday morning there was an emergency conference call for zone leaders from President Larkin. He received inspiration that in that day we could go out and invite 50 people to be baptized (put on-date). So through the chain of command the missionaries were notified and out we went to work. It's interesting what happens when the missions heart is in the same place. By the end of the day, 70 of our Heavenly Father's children had a date for baptism.

On Thursday during our weekly planning session we got a call out of the blue from our investigator Tatum asking us if we could meet Friday morning. I still get surprised when people actually do follow up on their word and do call us. So when we got the divine commission to put someone on-date we knew exactly who the Lord wanted us to invite to be baptized. We had a powerful lesson about repentance and how ultimately baptism would cleanse him and he agreed to a baptismal date of June 23. So for now we'll see what happens, but I know that miracles happen.

 

We continue to teach Nathaniel. His baptism is scheduled for this weekend. He has had to overcome a lot. I think his faith in baptism will eventually lead to greater knowledge.

 

A few weeks ago we found a Chinese man named Lin. He told us he was looking for God and wanted more spirituality and to come back later. We gave him a mormon.org card and told him we would come back. So on Saturday we went back. He visited the website and told us he wanted to know how he could connect with God. So we taught him how to pray and taught him about how it may take time to find his path, but that eventually it would happen. He felt the spirit and told us he wanted more of it. We invited him to Church and told him that God wanted him there. He told us he wanted to go, but slept in on Sundays. But we told him that God sometimes asked us to do hard things and he agreed to come. When he came on Sunday he had a good experience. He is beginning his path home.

 

On our way home yesterday we talked again with a man we had met before. He told us that he was lost and wanted to find God again. He was drunk and knew he had to change, but isn't quite ready to do that yet. So we got his phone number and told him we would call him in a few weeks. Just another testament to me that God places people in our path.

 

So we did have a week of many small miracles. It was good to be a part of it. Just another testament that this is God's work and the Church is true!

 

~Elder Fetzer

Changes

Hello all,

 

Another week gone by with not too much to report, but we did have a good week. Today we went to the temple, which is always an exciting opportunity. Our mission really is quite lucky that we do get to go to the temple every other quarter. It is a great spiritual refreshment.

 

We continue to teach Nathaniel, who is still preparing for his baptism. His smoking addiction is coming to a close, one that will hopefully be a lifetime change. He has the support from his wife, who was baptized last year and the desire to change, but he still needs to really just get the true motivation to change. But he can do it.

 

We also continue to teach Subeer in his office on the Microsoft campus, Studio F. He has a lot of concerns about his family and life in general, concerns that we don't yet fully understand, but when we meet with him next we hopefully will.

 

On Saturday our ward had a really great talent show. It is always great to see the many talents that you don't always see in the other people that attend church, especially their musical talents.

Next month we will be having a bring your friend to Church day, which is to help the members of the ward get a bit more involved in missionary work, featuring various well-known Church members from the area. We're pretty excited for it and so far there seems to be a good response for members trying to invite their friends. Last night as we were knocking on doors we met a lady who is a pastor at a church in Seattle and she and her husband seemed interested when we brought up that day in Church. They said they would like to come so I guess we'll see if they actually do attend.

 

I spoke in Church on Sunday on Charity using various talks I have given on my mission and further insights I have learned out here. I added parts of President Monson's talk on the subject from the October 2010 General Relief Society Meeting.

 

The Church is true!

 

~Elder Fetzer

Drawing Nearer Towards 100%

Hello all,

 

It was great to hear from you yesterday. This is gonna be a short letter. In a week of many appointment fall-throughs, some endless days, and some disappointments we actually had a surprisingly good week teaching-wise.

 

We continue to teach our investigator, Subeer continues to look for truth about God and his plan. We have met with him a few times at his office on the Microsoft campus. He is beginning to understand the Nature of God and the necessity of the Atonement. Our lesson about Jesus Christ on Friday was a powerful, spirit-led lesson. We taught him how to repent and feel the cleansing power of the Atonement in all aspects of life. We read scripture and taught truth and the spirit was there. When we asked him to go home and look back on his life and ask the Lord to take away burdens that he felt he couldn't wait to try it and did it during his closing prayer, asking for forgiveness on how he has treated his parents and asking for strength to do better. It is amazing to me what the Light of Christ brings people to do even when we didn't specifically talk to him about that.

 

Nathaniel continues to prepare to be baptized next month. He has committed to begin living the Word of Wisdom by this week. He still has a ways to go in his journey towards baptism, but he'll make it as he sees the power of God in his life. 

 

We found a few new people this week. One man's name is Tatum. We taught him about Repentance and coming closer to God after a recent DUI. He says he's at 40% of where he wants to be, but we promised he can make 100% with God's help.

 

So things are going okay. People are progressing and wanting to learn the truth because this is the Lord's true Church once again restored on the earth.

 

~Elder Fetzer

Miracles Happen

Hello all,

 

Microsoft is everywhere. On any given day we have ridden through the worldwide headquarters on our way to an appointment or visit. We live right across the street from the campus and I would say that most of the people that we talk with each day have something to do with the company. I really had no idea that it was so big!

 

We did have a pretty good week, even though the pace was a bit slower than things were going in Renton. The highlight of the week was probably the visit of Elder Golden from the first quorum of the Seventy, who is currently conducting a mission tour. His message to the missionaries on Friday was powerful. He spoke of purifying our lives and listening to the spirit. His message helped me realize my potential as a missionary as I end my mission in 4 months. Last night he spoke at a missionary fireside. He spoke of the true nature of God. Some of his message went over my head, but the important part was that the spirit was there. After the meeting he spoke to a small group of missionaries, conveying the Lords love and support for us. It was great to hear a servant of the Lord help us realize our purpose.

 

We brought our investigator Ashley, who the elders here have been teaching for a few months. She thought it was powerful. After the meeting we took a walk around the temple grounds and helped her feel the spirit a bit more.

 

Right now we are teaching a few investigators. We have someone named Nathaniel that is preparing for baptism next month and is working on quitting smoking. In our last lesson we helped him understand what he needs to do in order to fully quit, including prayer and daily scripture study. 

 

We also have a few other investigators, including Charlie. We did service for him and taught him the Plan of Salvation. He wants us to come back and continue teaching him.

 

We did have a really neat miracle. On Wednesday we were walking home from a long, somewhat disappointing day. I saw a man crossing the street ahead and prayed that we could talk to him. He walked towards us and while we were talking to him he told us that he has been thinking about God lately and what He wants for this man to do in his life. So we're meeting with him on Tuesday at his office on the Microsoft campus. It showed me that God does watch out for us all and will provide miracles.

 

So I am here for a reason. Things are good. And I am excited for this transfer because the Church is true!

~Elder Fetzer

There & Back Again: A Missionary's Tale

Hello all,

 

So yes, this week was transfers again. And after 5 whole transfers in the Renton Highlands ward I was transferred to...the Bellevue 7th ward. Can you believe it? Back to Bellevue for the 3rd time and my 9th transfer here. So yes, I was here and now I'm back again! I guess I'm meant to do something more here.

My new companion's name is Elder Walker. He is from Pleasant Grove, Utah. I'm excited about this. When I told one of my missionary friends where I was going, he was super excited because he served there before. So I think that it will be okay. And who knows, maybe I'll end my mission here.

 

This last week was pretty good. We continued to teach Amina, having a good lesson at the church with her and having a powerful hymn-singing moment with her. We also taught Rachel and helped her understand the Book of Mormon. But we also did have some other powerful experiences, mostly with less-active members. All in all it was just an average week.

 

I don't know what all I accomplished in the Renton Highlands ward. Maybe it was to get the work moving again after many, many months of not much progress. Or to find and bring Amina back into the fold. But I do know that the spirit did touch many people's lives while I was there, which will leave an impact with them for the rest of their lives. And I was grateful to be a part of those people growing closer to Christ. But I felt that it was about time to move on. It will be sad. I made a lot of good friends there, but I know that I will see them again.

 

So I'm excited for this ward and area. Microsoft headquarters are literally across the street from our apartment. The ward is good and the work is moving forward because this is the Lord's work in His true Church!

 

Until next week,

 

~Elder Fetzer