Apr 25, 2011...Dear Family,
It was another good week here in Lake City. I feel like I'm more settled and comfortable here. Elder Allen and I are still getting along great. We have also been able to adapt to one another rather quickly. I'm really thankful I have this opportunity to serve here. Elder Allen is a great missionary. He is a great example of humility and love.
We were on bike last week and rode a little over a hundred miles. It was great! There were some days where it seemed like we didn't ride very much and others where it felt like that's all we did. I enjoyed both types of days. The Lord has really been blessing us. We found a few more new investigators and were able to help our other investigators progress. One thing I'm happy about is that we have invited all of our investigators to be baptized. While most of them don't think they're ready yet, it is good that they know what we are all working towards. All of them have said they would get baptized if they come to know this is true. We did set a baptismal date with a new investigator we found. His name is Mario and we are working towards him being baptized on May 21st. On Saturday we met him and had a really great lesson. It's incredible to watch people as the Spirit works on them. At the beginning of the lesson he was somewhat focused, but by the end he was hanging on every word we spoke. He was telling us that he wants us to come back once or twice a week to teach him more before we were even finished with the lesson. He was really excited. We are going to see him later today. The rest of the week was good. We had a few bumps in the road, but that's all part of life. I really feel like I've been more focused lately. It's very refreshing.
As far as Easter goes, it was good. We went and had dinner with a few members. The food was really good. We had macaroni and cheese, chicken wings, cornbread, rice, and some other things. Definitely different than home. For dessert we had....rice krispie treats and cookies. Good, but not as good as strawberry shortcake. I was actually really bummed out the other night when I realized I wouldn't be able to have any. Elder Allen suggested we buy some, but I explained that store bought stuff wasn't nearly as good.
My studies have been going well. With Easter being last Sunday I really have been reflecting on Christ and His Atonement. I can't truly express how grateful I am for His sacrifice. The Atonement is everything. Without it we would be nothing. It encompasses so much more than we truly know. He not only took upon Him our sins, but also our pains and afflictions. It says this is Alma 7:11-12. This means that whatever we may be going through we can turn to Him. He knows and loves us. He wants to help us. We just have to go to Him for that help. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior. I feel His great love in my life and it brings me greater peace and joy than anything else. He is the rock upon which we must build our foundation. For if we build it upon anything else we will fall. I love each of you with all my heart. I appreciate all that each of you has done for me throughout my life. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the rock upon which I have built my foundation and I pray that each of you may do the same.
Love Always, Zach
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Deep Creek...
4/18/11...My Dearest Family,
I'm in my new area now. So far it's been great! My new companion is Elder Ryan Allen. He's from Kingston, Utah. He's been out for six months. He actually came out with Elder Morris. We get along really well. He's very optimistic and has a great attitude. He is really loving too. I can see us having a lot of success here. It's definitely different here in compared to Gainesville. I'm serving in Lake City, FL in the Deep Creek Ward. It's a relatively small town. The ward isn't very big either. They average about 100 people in sacrament each week. It's also really quiet compared to Gainesville. In Gainesville there were about 50 children in the primary. So, it wasn't quiet in sacrament. Here there are maybe 15 kids. It was really quiet yesterday. Elder Allen and I are the only two people in our apartment. It's been nice so far. It will be a lot easier to keep it clean. I'm still getting settled in. I actually haven't even had the time to finish unpacking yet. I'm going to work on that later today. We share the car with some other Elders serving here in Lake City. We have it for one week, then they have it for a week. We will bike for the weeks when we don't have the car. I'm looking forward to being on a bike again. It's going to be nice for awhile. Oh, I also got released as a district leader. President Barry called late Monday night to let me know. I had mixed feelings when I got the call.
Mom, we did have some pretty wet weather a few weeks ago. It was windy and rained a ton! I loved it. Just so you know, the music rule has been changed. We can listen to more than just Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We can listen to a lot more music now. We just have to make sure it doesn't pull our thoughts away from the work or the Savior. It actually changed a few months ago, and has been nice. I did get the package you sent too. Thank you for sending it! It came just in time too. I made the muffins Sunday morning for breakfast. The CD has been great too. Thanks!
This last week Elder Allen and I were able to find a lot of new people to teach. We found a total of nine new investigators. That's the most I've found in a long time. The Lord was really blessing us with success. Now we need to keep up the hard work and show the Lord how thankful we are for blessing us so much. I really look forward to being able to work in this area. The members are really nice, and have been helping us quite a bit.
Well, I can't think of anything else to write right now.
Love Always, Zach
Lake City, Florida;
Nearby Metropolitan City & Distance in Miles
Gainesville 45
Jacksonville 60
Tallahassee 104
Elevation 200 Ft.
City Land Area 11.64 Sq. Mi.
County Land Area 797 Sq. Mi.
Population in 2007
County 68,682
Lake City 12,828
Ft.White 577
Greater Lake City 45,000
Lake City Retail Area 30 Mile Radius 245,000
Climate
Annual Average Temperature 69°F
Annual Average Humidity 75%
Annual Average Rainfall 56.8 in.
January Average Temperature 40°F
July Average Temperature 91°F
I'm in my new area now. So far it's been great! My new companion is Elder Ryan Allen. He's from Kingston, Utah. He's been out for six months. He actually came out with Elder Morris. We get along really well. He's very optimistic and has a great attitude. He is really loving too. I can see us having a lot of success here. It's definitely different here in compared to Gainesville. I'm serving in Lake City, FL in the Deep Creek Ward. It's a relatively small town. The ward isn't very big either. They average about 100 people in sacrament each week. It's also really quiet compared to Gainesville. In Gainesville there were about 50 children in the primary. So, it wasn't quiet in sacrament. Here there are maybe 15 kids. It was really quiet yesterday. Elder Allen and I are the only two people in our apartment. It's been nice so far. It will be a lot easier to keep it clean. I'm still getting settled in. I actually haven't even had the time to finish unpacking yet. I'm going to work on that later today. We share the car with some other Elders serving here in Lake City. We have it for one week, then they have it for a week. We will bike for the weeks when we don't have the car. I'm looking forward to being on a bike again. It's going to be nice for awhile. Oh, I also got released as a district leader. President Barry called late Monday night to let me know. I had mixed feelings when I got the call.
Mom, we did have some pretty wet weather a few weeks ago. It was windy and rained a ton! I loved it. Just so you know, the music rule has been changed. We can listen to more than just Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We can listen to a lot more music now. We just have to make sure it doesn't pull our thoughts away from the work or the Savior. It actually changed a few months ago, and has been nice. I did get the package you sent too. Thank you for sending it! It came just in time too. I made the muffins Sunday morning for breakfast. The CD has been great too. Thanks!
This last week Elder Allen and I were able to find a lot of new people to teach. We found a total of nine new investigators. That's the most I've found in a long time. The Lord was really blessing us with success. Now we need to keep up the hard work and show the Lord how thankful we are for blessing us so much. I really look forward to being able to work in this area. The members are really nice, and have been helping us quite a bit.
Well, I can't think of anything else to write right now.
Love Always, Zach
Lake City, Florida;
Nearby Metropolitan City & Distance in Miles
Gainesville 45
Jacksonville 60
Tallahassee 104
Elevation 200 Ft.
City Land Area 11.64 Sq. Mi.
County Land Area 797 Sq. Mi.
Population in 2007
County 68,682
Lake City 12,828
Ft.White 577
Greater Lake City 45,000
Lake City Retail Area 30 Mile Radius 245,000
Climate
Annual Average Temperature 69°F
Annual Average Humidity 75%
Annual Average Rainfall 56.8 in.
January Average Temperature 40°F
July Average Temperature 91°F
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Goodbye Gainesville
4/11/11...Dear Family,
Well as you can tell by the subject of this email I am leaving. It's very likely that I will be leaving the Gainesville Zone altogether. There are six zones in the mission and I've been in the Gainesville Zone the entire time. The fact that I've only had two areas for my first year is pretty rare too. I've enjoyed both of them. I will be happy to be going to a different zone. I haven't received any calls from President Barry so, I will be a district leader wherever I go. Unless I get a call from him after I send this email. It's very unlikely though.
This last week was not the best. Elder Hammond and I had our difficulties, but I feel like we're leaving on good terms. We had a lot of investigators that didn't show up for appointments or that would cancel at the last minute. Then our backup plans weren't as good as they should have been. I'm actually disappointed in myself. I could make up a lot of excuses for why I think the week didn't go well, but it comes down to being accountable. I lost focus at times and let little things get to me. I shoulder the blame. However, no matter how disappointing it was it was also a good learning experience. I can't get so caught up in worrying about the future and little things that I lose focus on the here and now. I also know I need to work harder at planning better days, and making plans to accomplish my goals. If I can do that it will really help the weeks be more productive and satisfying.
Lily was basically impossible to get in touch with. She had a lot going on with her family. However, we stopped by and talked to her last night and she still seems like she really wants to learn. We set up an appointment with her and the boys for tonight. They're going to be the last appointment of the night. Hopefully they're there and it goes well. Tonight should be a good night. We have lessons with some potential investigators. If all goes as planned tonight it could really help Elder Hammond and his new companion do well the rest of the week. It would be wonderful to end on a good note like that.
Looking back over the last six months here in Gainesville I feel like I have learned a lot. I've also seen a lot of growth within myself. Lately it's slowed down, due to the lack of focus, however I can see a lot of good changes within myself. That's really how a testimony grows. We learn things little by little. There's actually a verse I really like in the Book of Mormon that talks of this. It's 2 Nephi 28:30. It says, "For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I 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 will 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; and unto them that shall say, we have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have." It's so true. When we do those things the Lords asks us to we gain knowledge a little at a time and become better people a little at a time. However, when we stop doing those things we lose that knowledge we've gained and we become less happy. There were a few talks given in conference that reflected this very same thing. One was...Elder Bednar and when he was talking about the sun rising, and the other was...I think Elder Christofferson when he was talking about a man panning for gold. Whoever it was it had a good moral. That little by little we can gain light(sunrise) and great treasures of knowledge from God(gold). I hope that all makes sense. If not go and look up the talks from conference and that should help.
That's all I have to say for now. I will give you my info next week. Until then I will continue to pray for all of you.
Love Always, Zach
P.S. Tell Bishop that I just barely got the letter he wrote me in March. He sent it to the Ocala address. Please give him the mission office address. Anyway let him know I will write him back. I'll try today, but it's very unlikely that it will happen because I have a lot of packing to do. Thanks!!
Just a little footnote; The letter went to Ocala because I didn't realize until recently that I hadn't given the powers that be (in this case that would be whom ever is in charge printing the Sacrament program) the Gainesville address, so needless to say the wrong address was listed in the programs on Sunday. Oops! I'll do better this transfer. Sincerely, Momma flakes&snow
Well as you can tell by the subject of this email I am leaving. It's very likely that I will be leaving the Gainesville Zone altogether. There are six zones in the mission and I've been in the Gainesville Zone the entire time. The fact that I've only had two areas for my first year is pretty rare too. I've enjoyed both of them. I will be happy to be going to a different zone. I haven't received any calls from President Barry so, I will be a district leader wherever I go. Unless I get a call from him after I send this email. It's very unlikely though.
This last week was not the best. Elder Hammond and I had our difficulties, but I feel like we're leaving on good terms. We had a lot of investigators that didn't show up for appointments or that would cancel at the last minute. Then our backup plans weren't as good as they should have been. I'm actually disappointed in myself. I could make up a lot of excuses for why I think the week didn't go well, but it comes down to being accountable. I lost focus at times and let little things get to me. I shoulder the blame. However, no matter how disappointing it was it was also a good learning experience. I can't get so caught up in worrying about the future and little things that I lose focus on the here and now. I also know I need to work harder at planning better days, and making plans to accomplish my goals. If I can do that it will really help the weeks be more productive and satisfying.
Lily was basically impossible to get in touch with. She had a lot going on with her family. However, we stopped by and talked to her last night and she still seems like she really wants to learn. We set up an appointment with her and the boys for tonight. They're going to be the last appointment of the night. Hopefully they're there and it goes well. Tonight should be a good night. We have lessons with some potential investigators. If all goes as planned tonight it could really help Elder Hammond and his new companion do well the rest of the week. It would be wonderful to end on a good note like that.
Looking back over the last six months here in Gainesville I feel like I have learned a lot. I've also seen a lot of growth within myself. Lately it's slowed down, due to the lack of focus, however I can see a lot of good changes within myself. That's really how a testimony grows. We learn things little by little. There's actually a verse I really like in the Book of Mormon that talks of this. It's 2 Nephi 28:30. It says, "For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I 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 will 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; and unto them that shall say, we have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have." It's so true. When we do those things the Lords asks us to we gain knowledge a little at a time and become better people a little at a time. However, when we stop doing those things we lose that knowledge we've gained and we become less happy. There were a few talks given in conference that reflected this very same thing. One was...Elder Bednar and when he was talking about the sun rising, and the other was...I think Elder Christofferson when he was talking about a man panning for gold. Whoever it was it had a good moral. That little by little we can gain light(sunrise) and great treasures of knowledge from God(gold). I hope that all makes sense. If not go and look up the talks from conference and that should help.
That's all I have to say for now. I will give you my info next week. Until then I will continue to pray for all of you.
Love Always, Zach
P.S. Tell Bishop that I just barely got the letter he wrote me in March. He sent it to the Ocala address. Please give him the mission office address. Anyway let him know I will write him back. I'll try today, but it's very unlikely that it will happen because I have a lot of packing to do. Thanks!!
Just a little footnote; The letter went to Ocala because I didn't realize until recently that I hadn't given the powers that be (in this case that would be whom ever is in charge printing the Sacrament program) the Gainesville address, so needless to say the wrong address was listed in the programs on Sunday. Oops! I'll do better this transfer. Sincerely, Momma flakes&snow
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Last Week?
4/4/11... Dear Family,
What did you think of conference? I really enjoyed it! It's one thing I definitely look forward to now. There are so many great things to be learned if we just listen to the speakers and most importantly to the Spirit. One thing that really stood out to me is the importance of serving others, and what a great blessing it is to be able to do so. I have felt the joy that comes from serving others. It gives us a great opportunity to stop worrying about our own problems and to gain perspective. It's a great way to show how much we truly love those around us. There's always the old saying, "actions speak louder than words." It's true. Of course we need to tell people how much we care too, but serving is a great way to show it. There were many other things that I enjoyed about conference. I just don't have the time to write them all.
Other than that the week went pretty well. We found some new people to teach and were able to continue to work with the members. We did have a great lesson with Lily, Devon, and Dillon last week. We thought Lily could use a lesson on how to recognize the Holy Ghost. We thought that she may have been receiving answers to her prayers, but might not be recognizing them. We taught her the lesson then talked about her reading of the Book of Mormon. She told us that the other night when she was reading she couldn't put it down. She got really into it and was finding so many things that applied to her. We asked how she felt during this and she said she felt a great feeling of peace and a warmth in her chest. A "burning of the bosom." Then when we asked her what she thinks it was she knew it was the Holy Ghost. Then she told us that she knew the Book of Mormon is true. It was really great. She was so sincere. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get much contact with her since then. Her boyfriend moved in with her and she hasn't been returning calls and that kind of thing. It's disappointing. However I think we'll be able to help her get back on track. Not only that but continue to help Devon and Dillon and hopefully her boyfriend too. We had a really strange experience. We went to see a former investigator from a few months before I got here. When we got there she seemed a little off. She was hard to understand, but we thought it might just be because she is Russian and hasn't been here very long. Turns out she was drunk. To make a long story short it got to the point where she was yelling at me to get out of her house. It was bizarre because she was relatively normal and was trying to speak to us in English, but as time went on she started to try to talk to us in Russian. Then she would just look at the ground and talk gibberish to herself like we weren't even there. Anyway, she kept yelling at me to get out of her home and we got out of there real quick. I can't adequately explain everything that went on over email, but it was really freaky. The thing I remember most is how I felt towards the end of the meeting and after. Physically I felt okay, but I felt so spiritually drained. I felt exhausted in that sense. However, all that has done is strengthen my testimony. In that lady I saw nothing but misery and sadness. I know that true joy only comes from living the gospel. I pray that she can someday come to that same realization.
A couple of answers to questions Mom asked in her last email. Our car window was broken out in December. I'm pretty sure I told you about that at the time. The egg was gross. The sister missionaries in High Springs gave us some food they got from members and that's what was in it. The missionary with the hairy back is Elder Hammond. It's crazy how hairy he is! Also, Brady and Christy, I need your address.
I titled my email "Last Week?" because we have transfers next Tuesday. This Saturday we find out who is going. I think this may be my last week here. I've been here for almost six months now and it's very unlikely that I'll be staying. I'll let you know for sure next week. Until then say your prayers and study the scriptures. Ask God if the Book of Mormon is true.
Love Always, Zach
What did you think of conference? I really enjoyed it! It's one thing I definitely look forward to now. There are so many great things to be learned if we just listen to the speakers and most importantly to the Spirit. One thing that really stood out to me is the importance of serving others, and what a great blessing it is to be able to do so. I have felt the joy that comes from serving others. It gives us a great opportunity to stop worrying about our own problems and to gain perspective. It's a great way to show how much we truly love those around us. There's always the old saying, "actions speak louder than words." It's true. Of course we need to tell people how much we care too, but serving is a great way to show it. There were many other things that I enjoyed about conference. I just don't have the time to write them all.
Other than that the week went pretty well. We found some new people to teach and were able to continue to work with the members. We did have a great lesson with Lily, Devon, and Dillon last week. We thought Lily could use a lesson on how to recognize the Holy Ghost. We thought that she may have been receiving answers to her prayers, but might not be recognizing them. We taught her the lesson then talked about her reading of the Book of Mormon. She told us that the other night when she was reading she couldn't put it down. She got really into it and was finding so many things that applied to her. We asked how she felt during this and she said she felt a great feeling of peace and a warmth in her chest. A "burning of the bosom." Then when we asked her what she thinks it was she knew it was the Holy Ghost. Then she told us that she knew the Book of Mormon is true. It was really great. She was so sincere. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get much contact with her since then. Her boyfriend moved in with her and she hasn't been returning calls and that kind of thing. It's disappointing. However I think we'll be able to help her get back on track. Not only that but continue to help Devon and Dillon and hopefully her boyfriend too. We had a really strange experience. We went to see a former investigator from a few months before I got here. When we got there she seemed a little off. She was hard to understand, but we thought it might just be because she is Russian and hasn't been here very long. Turns out she was drunk. To make a long story short it got to the point where she was yelling at me to get out of her house. It was bizarre because she was relatively normal and was trying to speak to us in English, but as time went on she started to try to talk to us in Russian. Then she would just look at the ground and talk gibberish to herself like we weren't even there. Anyway, she kept yelling at me to get out of her home and we got out of there real quick. I can't adequately explain everything that went on over email, but it was really freaky. The thing I remember most is how I felt towards the end of the meeting and after. Physically I felt okay, but I felt so spiritually drained. I felt exhausted in that sense. However, all that has done is strengthen my testimony. In that lady I saw nothing but misery and sadness. I know that true joy only comes from living the gospel. I pray that she can someday come to that same realization.
A couple of answers to questions Mom asked in her last email. Our car window was broken out in December. I'm pretty sure I told you about that at the time. The egg was gross. The sister missionaries in High Springs gave us some food they got from members and that's what was in it. The missionary with the hairy back is Elder Hammond. It's crazy how hairy he is! Also, Brady and Christy, I need your address.
I titled my email "Last Week?" because we have transfers next Tuesday. This Saturday we find out who is going. I think this may be my last week here. I've been here for almost six months now and it's very unlikely that I'll be staying. I'll let you know for sure next week. Until then say your prayers and study the scriptures. Ask God if the Book of Mormon is true.
Love Always, Zach
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