Oct. 28,2013

 

Hello Friends and Family,

 

I'm reminded of two stories.

 

The first, Is Man, a Gardner.  He was in his yard pruning the trees and bushes one day. While he was doing so, he thought he saw a bush shed a tear.  "Why have you cut me down?" the Bush asked. "I was doing so well".  The Gardner replied. "I'm the Gardner Here, and I know what I want you to be. I know of your potential and know what will help and make you grow"

 

A couple years later, the same man was in line for a big promotion in his line of work.  He had done his best and was looking at becoming the rank of General.  The interview went well, but the man was told that he could not receive the promotion because he was a Mormon.  That night he threw his hat on the ground and threw his fists in the air. "Why did you cut me down?! I deserved that, I could have been so much better!?". He then heard the Lord say, "Im the Gardner Here, and I know what I want you to be. I know of your potential and know what will help and make you grow"

 

The Lord is in control.  He knows who we are and knows of our potential.  He loves us enough to cut us down.

 

Now, the second story.  A man was in a plane crash, and ended up on an island by himself.  There he lived and survived.  He prayed every night and pleaded with the Lord for rescue and comfort.  He was lost and needed help.  He received an answer to his prayers, the Lord had said "I will provide a way".

After a couple of days, the man noticed a ship of the coast. And eventually the Captain of the ship asked the man if he was in need of a rescue.  "No" the man replied, "The Lord will provide a way".  So the ship left.

A couple of days later, the man was praying and asking for comfort. "I have provided a way" said the Lord.  So again a ship came and went as the man was insistent that the Lord will provide the way. A storm broke out and the man was killed.  While in heaven, the man met God and asked "Where were you?  You told me that you would provide the way".  The Lord than answered "Well? Did I not send two ships after you?  Did I not provide your way of rescue?"

 

This week has been, difficult.  We have investigators that fail to follow their commitments.  We have great lessons with them, and the commit to follow our invitations. But they wont actually do them.  We have felt the Lord cutting us down, and rebuilding us.  We are struggling to help the people that this is the MOST important thing in their lives.  That only through this gospel can we achieve happiness.  I keep asking   "How many stones do I have to throw at you before you realize that I've been hitting you in the face?"  Really though, They have received the restored gospel, and they refuse to see that.  The Lord teaches "line upon line...here a little there a little"  People are prepared for this message, and they have it right in front of them.  It is OUR job to help them realize the truth of this.

 

My Advise.  Remember the Lord,    9 Believe in ^aGod; believe that he is, and that he ^bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all ^cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not ^dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. Mosiah 4.

 

 

Things are moving, Slowly but Surely.

 

Love you.

 

Elder Allred

 

Oct 21, 2013

Sorry all.  I've been a little slow this week getting this out.  I will also send todays letter. 

 

Steph

 

 

Hello Family and Friends.

 

First off: Thank you so much for the mail. It really helps :)

 

So this last week was the first full week of our area split. And its been really hard. Almost all the members live outside of our area, and that goes for the majority of investigators.  Elder W and I are starting from the basics.  Were Talking to everyone and trying to receive more investigators.  We only have 3 right now. Debbie (21) is a Wartburg student and X-Country runner, Windy (older than that) is more busy than any person I've met, and Elishya (14) who we recently have discovered a speed bump that prohibits her to be baptized :(  so we need to work with that. 

 

But through thick and thin, I still LOVE my Mission.  We're putting our faith in the Lord and are now starting to see the city of Waverly softening their hearts. There was one experience that we had.  It was about 8 in the evening, dark, cold, and we were both pretty hungry.  All in all a bad combination. After some time, we knocked on our last door.  And a 70 y/o man opened the door and started asking US questions about Christ and our beliefs of him.  After Elder W and I bore testimony of Christ, the man looked at us and then asked about the Book Of Mormon, and its validity.  So once again we bore testimony of it, and I read to him Moroni 10:3-5, Moroni's promise. We than gave him a B.O.M and asked him to read and pray about it. He graciously said that he would, and we left. It may not seem like much, but it truly gave my Comp. and I a spiritual high :)

 Bearing testimony is one of the most simple ways to share the gospel and have zero arguments about belief. 

 

Also, on a humor side note.  This week, my Comp and I were out finding people again, and knocking away, and with no success, decided to walk back to the apartment to go over our area book.  So I realized that Iowa and Utah are entirely different when it comes to blocks and streets.  In the normal street world, a black is a route that takes around and puts you where you started, not the case in Iowa.  We walked around that block for a while, and finally hit a main road. So thinking that this road went south (Remember, No mountains in IA) we walked to our apartment.  Well it turns out that we were really walked west. And Started to notice a lot more farm land and corn fields.  We Were Lost.   So we walked, and walked, and walked. (Get the picture) When finally we ran into a farmer.  We looked at him and told him that we were going against the man code, and asked for directions.  He laughed at us than said that we were about 2 and a half to 3 miles outside Waverly.  :)...... So our journey back home continued.  after about an hour and a half. We made it.  Lesson of this: Carry a map on you,  and put your faith to the wheel when times get hard.

 

 This week Im focusing more on the trials of faith.  How to overcome trials, and see the good in life. :)

 

I love you all.  Pray For Waverly

 

Kia Kaha, Semper Fidelis

 

Elder Allred

Hey Ya'll

 

This last week was interesting.

We split our area, Waverly North and Waverly South. 

Elder Weilenmann and I are in Waverly North, and most of our investigators are now in the South with Elders Gray and (SO COOL) Elder Allred.   

Elder Allred is from the Price area. He and I both walked for Reddick Newton Allred :). Without fail, everyone we meet askes if we are related. We think we are.  :) This week we will be doing Family History Work :) (Your Welcome Grandma) 

This week has been hard.  Splitting my first area was hard.  We had NO idea what we were doing. Our Zone Leaders told us that it was our job to do it.  So we did.  :)  When Hard Things Fall upon us, Trust in the Lord.  He will Guide us. 

Another Trial, is that of creating a new lesson for Preach My Gospel.  Ok So its in my copy of it.  But I have been working to create a lesson to light a fire inside members to help the Missionaries.  It been Hard.  Alma tells us to use Boldness with no Ovebearance..  Im strugging with that.

How can I call a spade, a spade without burning the member trust? 

This week has not been so productive because of the split.  And its been hard.  Feeling unproductive. 

Like Grandpa Allred:  Those with the faith of Reddick Newton Allred will keep offering friendship even when it seems not to be needed or to have no effect. They will persist. When some new member reaches the point of spiritual exhaustion, they will be there offering kind words and fellowship. They will then feel the same divine approval Brother Allred felt when he saw those handcart pioneers struggling toward him, knowing he could offer them safety because he had followed counsel when it was hard to do. (Elder Erying, Finding Safety in Counsel)

Pray For Missionary Experiences.  Pray for those who have been prepared.

And Trust in the Lord.

Elder Allred.

October 7, 2013

Hello Ya’ll,

Things are moving so fast. Conference was great and was exactly what our members and investigators needed to hear.

So I have some really cool news to share. We're in the process of splitting our area into a northern and southern area. We should have the North side and a new companionship of Elders will be working in the South.  We’re trying to make it a good start for the new Elders when they arrive, so we are working a lot in the southern part of our area.

We were talking to Elishyia and Dawn, who currently live in the south.  Sadly their land lord is evicting them. So, they had 3 days to move out.  SCARY!!  We helped them find some options on a place to go, and they have decided to move into Northern Waverly. (That's our future area!!!)

While we were helping them, one of Elishyia's friends stopped us and asked if we could talk.  Sara, a 15 year-old, just broke down and ‘let the waters of Mormon come forth’.  She has had the hardest life of anyone I know. I really wish I could go into greater detail, but accept my word on this one, she REALLY NEEDS prayers.

Our talk with her was amazing.  I felt that I needed to share "Broken Things to Mend" by Elder Holland; so we went to our car and I put it on so that we could all listen.  Let me tell you, that was a journal moment.  Elishyia and one other friend came out and listened with us.  By the end of the talk, Sarah, Elishyia, Jaimee (the other friend), Elder W and I were all in tears.

Sarah then asked me, "So When can I get baptized like Elishyia?"  :) :) :) I love that question.  We then shared some scriptures, the Restoration, and left a Book of Mormon with her.  She has been reading it every night since, and begs us to teach her Mom.  :) This was all on Friday Night.

On Saturday, we watched conference at Betty’s place, and it was so cool to see her reaction to it.  She watched it all on her own.  Even when we weren’t there, she turned it on and watched,  She is so great!

We met with Sarah again, and "tried" to teach the Plan of Salvation.  We had Sarah, Elishyia, and another NEW friend, Nicky, join. Teenage girls are so hard to teach in groups.  The three of them just kept chatting away.  But in the end, NICKY said that she wanted to hear more. :)  So we’re currently in the process of setting up a meeting time with Nicky and her mom.

We talked to Sarah some more, but we haven’t set a date yet.  We felt like we shouldn't do that yet.  It’s kind of cool; we will have the calendar out, choose a date for her, pray about it and then feel that it's not the right date for her.  So then we do the process again, and again. And So on.  She has such a desire to learn and grow, and she seems eager to get a baptismal date. I think that the Lord has something in mind for her.  He definitely knows more about Sarah than we do.  So we continue to trust in His judgment.

On Sunday:  When we got to the church, NO ONE came to the church to watch conference. We had invited a lot of investigators, and many said that they would come.  But, 0 showed up for both days.  Well...kind of.   Sunday Morning we get a text from Debbie, a Wartburg College student that we know.  We work with her in a community garden.  Debbie tells us that she wants to know more about Mormons, but wants nothing more than information.  She wants us to teach the discussions, but she will not become a Mormon.

We invited her to conference.  Even she didn't show up after she said that she would.( >:(  Why can’t people keep commitments?!! )

We were just finishing the Sunday morning session, when Debbie walked in and sat down just in time for President Monson’s talk, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee”.  His talk really sparked her interest, and, of course, in the middle of his talk Elder W and I look at her and watched as she was tearing up!!!

After the session ended, we gave her a really quick church tour. And then she said: "This is great and all....but I really want to learn more. What’s your schedule so that we could meet more often?"  :D  We're meeting with her later today, and she keeps texting us and asking questions.  Elder Weilenmann and I really feel that she has been prepared. :)

So in the last 4 days: we have been blessed with 3 new investigators and we have received a lot more referrals.

The work is truly moving forward.  It’s by the hands of the Lord that this area has been successful.

Thanks for your support,

Elder Allred

 

Oh I'm not finished quite yet.

Another mater I'd like to discuss with you who are reading, specifically the members of the church.

In the words of Elder Holland, “I am going to get in your face a little, nose to nose, with just enough fire in my voice to singe your eyebrows a little.”

Missionaries are only as good as their faith lets them be.  This could be faith in the work, faith in the area, or faith in the members of the church.

I sure hope you got the message this last conference from Elder Ballard, an apostle of the Lord.  It's not just some advice from a school friend or a neighbor; it is a COMMANDMENT from the Lord!  Missionaries cannot be knocking on doors anymore.  Street contacting is losing its success in most areas of the world, and certainly in the US.  There are countless souls that are prepared in this world.  It is up to ALL of us to find them and teach them.  WE are the Watchmen, WE must warn the wicked.  And not just for their sake, but for ours.  I implore you to consider the teachings of Ezekiel 3:17-19:   

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Please, I beg you.  Missionaries and members MUST work together to keep this stone moving.  We are having the hardest time out here identifying our own investigators; the bulk of our real success has been through the contact of those already associated with the church.

Dawn is a member, her daughter Elishyia is investigating, and her friends Nicky and Jaimee are seeing their examples and are coming to us.

Members, you MUST let your lights shine.  Missionaries’ don’t always need a badge.  We need your help.  We cannot do this alone. We are ALL enlisted. And till this conflict is over I would expect nothing less from the members of the Sunset Hills 3rd Ward, and others that are reading.

I don’t apologize if this is a smack in the face, I will say this:

This Church is true. Jesus is The Christ.  He is our Redeemer, our Savior, and the Son of God.

Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through divine power.  The Book of Mormon is the true word of God.  I have been a witness of its great power. 

I LOVE MY MISSION!!

CHRIST LIVES!!!!

Til next time,

Elder Spencer Duane Allred.