December 26, 2011...Dear Family,
A step in the right direction. That's what last week was for Elder Mecham and I. We had some neat experiences and found some wonderful new people to teach. On Tuesday we went over to have a lesson with one of our investigators and she had two of her friends there. We taught the Plan of Salvation and it went really well. They all had some great questions and insights. We found the other investigator on Saturday while eating with a family. Their non-member mother lives with them. In the past we've taught the family and she has been there. She participates in the lessons, but didn't have any interest in learning more about the Church. Then on Saturday we taught the family and invited them to give a copy of The Book of Mormon out before the new year. They said they would and jokingly said they were going to give it to the non-member mother. Well, she said she would like that, and asked us if we would come and teach her more about what we believe. We were VERY surprised. Once again the Lord has placed people in our path to teach and people in the member's paths.
That's something I've been praying for a lot lately. I pray that we will be led to the elect, that they will be led to us, that the members will be led to the elect, and that the elect will be led to them. It has been incredible to see how the Lord has answered those prayers. There truly is great power when we pray. I've been striving to improve my prayers. Not to just say my prayers, but to actually pray...if that makes sense. At night I look back on the day and ponder what I did and what I could have done better. I think about what I need, and want, to accomplish the next day. Through this my prayers have become more meaningful. I have more faith and determination to go and work hard.
Since I have been here in St. Augustine we have been teaching a less-active young man named Chris. He is 20 and has been less-active for a long time. I have really enjoyed being able to teach him and see him progress. He has set a goal to go to the temple within the next year. He has things he must overcome, but he is determined. It's incredible to see the joy and light that has come into his life just over the short time we've been teaching him. That's what the gospel does. When people live the gospel they change. They find TRUE HAPPINESS.
I really enjoyed talking to you all, or most of you, last night.
This week is the last week of 2012. Next week is a new year. What goals do you have? I love setting goals and then making plans to achieve my goals. One thing that makes me happy is knowing that I don't have to wait for a new year to make a change in my life. I can start today. This video talks about this concept http://bcove.me/e1jzh39n
Life is all about change and growth. It's about progression.
Last week I was studying for a lesson. I was studying the kingdoms of glory. I was thinking about the celestial kingdom and the opportunity to be there as an eternal family. That possibility brings me so much happiness. That's what I am striving for. To follow God's commandments and be found worthy of the greatest gift that can ever be bestowed. Each of us has to be worthy of this. Nobody else can do it for us. Christ has made it possible. We need to choose to follow Him. We need to choose eternal life. I also read this in Preach My Gospel,
"[God's children] will live together for eternity with those of their family who qualify."
I want to be with each of you. I pray that I will qualify for this.
Love Always, Zach
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Short and sweet
December19, 2011...Dear Family,
This is probably going to be relatively short because I will be talking to most of you this Sunday. However, I will tell you a few things about last week. I feel like the week turned out rather well. At the beginning of last week just about all of our investigators were dropped. That had a big impact on the rest of the week...It was pretty shocking how quickly it all happened. I think in 3 days time we dropped about 4-5 investigators. However, we continued to have faith and work hard and the Lord blessed us for it. We were able to find some really great people to teach and saw some wonderful miracles. The members really helped us because they referred quite a few of their friends to us. One referral we received was really incredible. A little over a week ago an investigator asked us to go and see her daughter. We tried, but weren't ever able to find her. Then on Saturday we went out with a member and he referred us to the same person! Elder Mecham and I were speechless. We were stunned that we had been referred to the same person from two completely different sources. We changed our plans and went and saw her that night. We had a short powerful lesson. We told her what had happened and she was stunned too! She also said that she was having a rough day and was just about to sit down and pray...WOW! She kept saying how happy she was that we had come. The Lord definitely has been blessing us with many tender mercies.
On Thursday we had our Mission Christmas Devotional. I really enjoyed it. It's the only time of year that all the missionaries in the mission are gathered together in one place. I was able to catch up with some of my old companions. I also saw Ethan, he is the first convert baptism I had here in Florida. He was baptized in June of 2010 in Ocala. I talked to him a little and found out that he is going on a mission! Actually he flew out to Utah yesterday. He is going to the Arizona Phoenix Mission. I'm really excited for him. It was wonderful to hear that he had decided to serve the Lord. I know his mission will have a profound influence on the rest of his life.
That's about all I can think of. If you want you can mail me a letter ASAP, which means probably today, with any questions you have and we can talk about them during our call on Sunday.
I want to end with a quote that Mom sent me. It's from President Gordon B. Hinckley and says,"Christmas means giving. The Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, without sacrifice there is no true worship." Giving the best gift often isn't easy and at times even requires sacrifice. The Savior gave his life that we may receive the best gift ever, eternal life. What are we willing to sacrifice for our loved ones? What are we willing to sacrifice for our Heavenly Father?
Love Always, Zach
* We are all EXCITED for Christmas day and 6:00 pm to arrive when the best gift of the day will be Zachery's phone call! Can't wait!
This is probably going to be relatively short because I will be talking to most of you this Sunday. However, I will tell you a few things about last week. I feel like the week turned out rather well. At the beginning of last week just about all of our investigators were dropped. That had a big impact on the rest of the week...It was pretty shocking how quickly it all happened. I think in 3 days time we dropped about 4-5 investigators. However, we continued to have faith and work hard and the Lord blessed us for it. We were able to find some really great people to teach and saw some wonderful miracles. The members really helped us because they referred quite a few of their friends to us. One referral we received was really incredible. A little over a week ago an investigator asked us to go and see her daughter. We tried, but weren't ever able to find her. Then on Saturday we went out with a member and he referred us to the same person! Elder Mecham and I were speechless. We were stunned that we had been referred to the same person from two completely different sources. We changed our plans and went and saw her that night. We had a short powerful lesson. We told her what had happened and she was stunned too! She also said that she was having a rough day and was just about to sit down and pray...WOW! She kept saying how happy she was that we had come. The Lord definitely has been blessing us with many tender mercies.
On Thursday we had our Mission Christmas Devotional. I really enjoyed it. It's the only time of year that all the missionaries in the mission are gathered together in one place. I was able to catch up with some of my old companions. I also saw Ethan, he is the first convert baptism I had here in Florida. He was baptized in June of 2010 in Ocala. I talked to him a little and found out that he is going on a mission! Actually he flew out to Utah yesterday. He is going to the Arizona Phoenix Mission. I'm really excited for him. It was wonderful to hear that he had decided to serve the Lord. I know his mission will have a profound influence on the rest of his life.
That's about all I can think of. If you want you can mail me a letter ASAP, which means probably today, with any questions you have and we can talk about them during our call on Sunday.
I want to end with a quote that Mom sent me. It's from President Gordon B. Hinckley and says,"Christmas means giving. The Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, without sacrifice there is no true worship." Giving the best gift often isn't easy and at times even requires sacrifice. The Savior gave his life that we may receive the best gift ever, eternal life. What are we willing to sacrifice for our loved ones? What are we willing to sacrifice for our Heavenly Father?
Love Always, Zach
* We are all EXCITED for Christmas day and 6:00 pm to arrive when the best gift of the day will be Zachery's phone call! Can't wait!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Goals...
December 12, 2011...Dear Family,
I'm not really sure what to write about this week. This is a dilemma I have each week. It always feels like it was just yesterday that I wrote. There is a lot that happened, but most of it has become normal.
With that being said, there are a few things I will write about.
Last Tuesday I went on a tradeoff with a new missionary. I went to his area while his companion came here with Elder Mecham. While there nothing out of the ordinary happened. However, it was another eye opening experience. Through this tradeoff, and others in the past, I have been able to reflect on my growth over the last 19 months. I am frequently reminded of how much I have learned and how much stronger my testimony has gotten.
One thing I have learned is the importance of setting goals and making plans to achieve those goals. If I set a goal and don't make plans that goal is just a dream or a vain hope. When we set goals and make plans we better tap into our potential and see growth. There is a quote in Preach My Gospel which says,“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.” – ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD. I don't want to only reach a small portion of my full potential. I want to become what God wants, and expects, of me. When we reach our potential we will feel greater peace and joy in our lives. We will be able to bless the lives of others and share what we have. Reaching our potential comes a little at a time. It comes one goal at a time. That goal may be as simple as saying a prayer after waking up and before going to bed each day.
On Sunday Rachel and Zachary were confirmed! I'm really happy for them. I'm sure they don't realize how much having the gift of the Holy Ghost can impact their lives. It truly is the greatest gift we can be given in mortality. It's often a challenging thing to follow too. Learning to follow the Holy Ghost takes patience and diligence. I'm convinced that it starts with one righteous decision and that will lead to more righteous decisions. As we make those decisions we will recognize the Holy Ghost more clearly and make fewer mistakes in life. Here is a video I like that refers to the Holy Ghost...
http://bcove.me/asprlrqi
The rest of the week was normal. We found some great new investigators and were able to have wonderful lessons.
That's about all I can think of.
Love Always, Zach
I'm not really sure what to write about this week. This is a dilemma I have each week. It always feels like it was just yesterday that I wrote. There is a lot that happened, but most of it has become normal.
With that being said, there are a few things I will write about.
Last Tuesday I went on a tradeoff with a new missionary. I went to his area while his companion came here with Elder Mecham. While there nothing out of the ordinary happened. However, it was another eye opening experience. Through this tradeoff, and others in the past, I have been able to reflect on my growth over the last 19 months. I am frequently reminded of how much I have learned and how much stronger my testimony has gotten.
One thing I have learned is the importance of setting goals and making plans to achieve those goals. If I set a goal and don't make plans that goal is just a dream or a vain hope. When we set goals and make plans we better tap into our potential and see growth. There is a quote in Preach My Gospel which says,“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.” – ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD. I don't want to only reach a small portion of my full potential. I want to become what God wants, and expects, of me. When we reach our potential we will feel greater peace and joy in our lives. We will be able to bless the lives of others and share what we have. Reaching our potential comes a little at a time. It comes one goal at a time. That goal may be as simple as saying a prayer after waking up and before going to bed each day.
On Sunday Rachel and Zachary were confirmed! I'm really happy for them. I'm sure they don't realize how much having the gift of the Holy Ghost can impact their lives. It truly is the greatest gift we can be given in mortality. It's often a challenging thing to follow too. Learning to follow the Holy Ghost takes patience and diligence. I'm convinced that it starts with one righteous decision and that will lead to more righteous decisions. As we make those decisions we will recognize the Holy Ghost more clearly and make fewer mistakes in life. Here is a video I like that refers to the Holy Ghost...
http://bcove.me/asprlrqi
The rest of the week was normal. We found some great new investigators and were able to have wonderful lessons.
That's about all I can think of.
Love Always, Zach
Monday, December 5, 2011
December Already!
December 5, 2011...Dear Family,
This past week went really well. The people we recently baptized are all doing really well. Chris and Shelly were both confirmed. Rachel and Zachary will be confirmed this next Sunday. It's been really wonderful seeing the changes in each of them. The gospel really does bring a new light to people's lives. It is so wonderful.
It was a relatively busy week...which is normal. I was just thinking about it and it is amazing how we adapt to our environment and situations. We had a trade-off on Monday. Wednesday we were in Jacksonville for Zone Leader Council. Thursday we had a zone meeting. Then we had another trade-off which ended Friday. In the past that would have felt like a ridiculously busy week. However, it felt really normal. It felt like we had more time to do things. I remember when I first became a zone leader things seemed to be moving a mile a minute. Now it all is normal. Again, it really amazes me how we can adapt. I know that I was only able to adapt because the Lord blessed me, and as I continue to trust Him all will be well.
Yesterday we were able to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was really wonderful! We watched it at a member's home. Rachel and Zachary were able to be there. It's the first time I can remember watching it. I really enjoyed everything. This is such a wonderful time to remember our Savior and look to those things that really matter most. http://bcove.me/k0hjuvd2
I'm still striving to read the Book of Mormon daily. Over the last week, with how busy things were, I didn't get the chance to have personal study so I didn't get to read in the morning. However, I made sure I read each day. The only time I had was after I had gotten ready for bed. I had a few minutes each night to sit down and read. For the most part I didn't get to read much. Five to seven minutes is all. However, I noticed a change in myself as I read. Before reading my mind would be racing as I tried to focus on everything that I had done that day, and what still needed to be done the next day. Each night, as I read, my thoughts would calm down. I would feel the presence of the Spirit more abundantly and be at ease. I would then be ready to go to bed and sleep better. This experience has helped me remember that I am truly a child of God. That He loves me and wants me to have peace. He wants this for all of us. It has strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know it will bring peace to all those who apply the principles taught within.
Love Always, Zach
This past week went really well. The people we recently baptized are all doing really well. Chris and Shelly were both confirmed. Rachel and Zachary will be confirmed this next Sunday. It's been really wonderful seeing the changes in each of them. The gospel really does bring a new light to people's lives. It is so wonderful.
It was a relatively busy week...which is normal. I was just thinking about it and it is amazing how we adapt to our environment and situations. We had a trade-off on Monday. Wednesday we were in Jacksonville for Zone Leader Council. Thursday we had a zone meeting. Then we had another trade-off which ended Friday. In the past that would have felt like a ridiculously busy week. However, it felt really normal. It felt like we had more time to do things. I remember when I first became a zone leader things seemed to be moving a mile a minute. Now it all is normal. Again, it really amazes me how we can adapt. I know that I was only able to adapt because the Lord blessed me, and as I continue to trust Him all will be well.
Yesterday we were able to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was really wonderful! We watched it at a member's home. Rachel and Zachary were able to be there. It's the first time I can remember watching it. I really enjoyed everything. This is such a wonderful time to remember our Savior and look to those things that really matter most. http://bcove.me/k0hjuvd2
I'm still striving to read the Book of Mormon daily. Over the last week, with how busy things were, I didn't get the chance to have personal study so I didn't get to read in the morning. However, I made sure I read each day. The only time I had was after I had gotten ready for bed. I had a few minutes each night to sit down and read. For the most part I didn't get to read much. Five to seven minutes is all. However, I noticed a change in myself as I read. Before reading my mind would be racing as I tried to focus on everything that I had done that day, and what still needed to be done the next day. Each night, as I read, my thoughts would calm down. I would feel the presence of the Spirit more abundantly and be at ease. I would then be ready to go to bed and sleep better. This experience has helped me remember that I am truly a child of God. That He loves me and wants me to have peace. He wants this for all of us. It has strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know it will bring peace to all those who apply the principles taught within.
Love Always, Zach
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