Medford is on Fire! August 22, 2016

Medford is quite literally on fire...we had 107 degrees on Friday, Saturday

was 105 and Sunday finally cooled down to 102. Thank goodness for

shade! Well, not really. It's still hot under the shade.

We had a miracles happen this week! We got a referral, a SELF referral

mind you, of a guy named Jason. We met him Monday night. Jason wants

to make his life better and his daughter, JC also wants to know more.

Jason has a son too, named Ryden. We taught them the whole Restoration

on Monday and they accepted to be baptized! On the first lesson!!!!!

We taught them the Plan of Salvation later in the week and they

accepted to be baptized on September 17! They said they would come to

church, but they didn't make it. 😒 We have a lesson later with them

tonight on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so excited!

If you remember Enrique and Ruben, we tried all week to have lessons

with them. One day we had a lesson with their dad, Ben. Ben was

drinking and told us his whole life story in an hour. He's had a rough

life. But we told him of the blessings of the gospel, of how his life

will literally change if he would just listen. He got sick this week,

so that also made it hard to meet with them. But Enrique has been

reading the Book of Mormon! 😆  We will probably have to move their

baptism day back a bit, it depends on what happens this week!

On Friday, after District meeting, our Zone leaders did an inspired

pump up meeting! We talked about setting goals and how we can achieve

ANYTHING with the Lord on our side. We need to change our thoughts to

become great, we have to literally believe one thought: I am NOT an

average missionary.

That thought has completely changed what I do throughout the day. We

chased people down the street because the spirit prompted us to.

Eternal Salvation cannot wait. Fear is of the enemy and we are

fighting for the God of Heaven and earth- Jesus Christ. We cannot wait

to share the gospel, and I will not be average. With His help, I can

rise to become that missionary I always wanted to be.

Major Medford Miracles. August 15, 2016

Wow! What a week! First off transfers happened today and....I'm

staying in Medford with Sister Peterson!!! We are going to light

Medford on fire this transfer!! 😆🔥🔥🔥

Speaking of fire, it was pretty hot towards the end of the week.

Sunday was the worst. It was more humid than hot and it was just

sticky and gross. We were out all day after church in the heat. 

After awhile you get used it.

Well, we are teaching these brothers, Ruben and Enrique! We taught

them the whole Restoration and we told them how they can know that

Joseph Smith is a prophet by reading the Book of Mormon. They then got

quizzical looks and said: "Well, he is a prophet isn't he? I know

that he is!" They want to be baptized! We set a date for sept 10!

😄😎

We met a woman named Annareli. She was outside hanging out with her

family and she totally listened to us! She told us how she

wants to get closer to God and she knows that we have been sent to

help her achieve that goal! We gave her a Book of Mormon and she has

started to read it!

We met a man named Everet last week and this week we taught him the

Restoration! He thought it was all very interesting and we asked him

if he would be baptized. He said that he will think about it, but that

he wants to learn more!

We also had a lesson with Mike! We taught him part of the Plan of Salvation.  Even

though he doesn't understand all that we teach him, the spirit hasn't

told us to drop him. We hope and pray that his family will come and

listen one day. 

Moroni 7-

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever;

and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well

with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, 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;

that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall

be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this

hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.

I learned today from studies that I want to try to develop charity. In

1 Corinthians 13, Paul also talks about how even if we give all we

have to the poor and not have charity, then we are nothing. Crazy

right? So I am going to develop charity this week to be able to be

clean, to feel the spirit and to love others!

"Two White Chicks Here" August 8, 2016

Man, what a week!! We were so busy, and somehow, we still found 7 new

investigators! Whoot whoot!

On Tuesday we had MLC. It was super great! It was announced during

that meeting that we now will sing to members after dinner - so we

are a singing mission now!

At the end of MLC, President took us all up to the top of Mt. Ashland.

It was so beautiful up there, it reminded me of home. We talked about

being watchmen, of being leaders. It was so spiritual up there, I

really felt of Gods love for me. I loved it. :)

On Thursday we went to the pear farm and harvested pears! We started

at 8 am and worked until 1:30. It was long, but it was tons of fun!

Especially with our Zone being there, even the Yreka sisters were able

to come! We were joking and throwing shriveled pears at each

other....and yes, of course we picked too! We got a little sun

though...☀️

On Friday we taught ZTM! It was nerve wracking though, President came

to our meeting! All of us were a little stressed because of it, but

once we got up there to teach, the Spirit just took over and our

teaching just flowed. The spirit was really strong, I was so blessed

to be there and to grow my knowledge of the gospel. President really

enjoyed it! The spirit really lifted us and helped us get pumped up to

do missionary work!

On Saturday, we were walking and saw a former investigator- Tommy. He

tried to run away from us, but we caught up to him. He proceeded to

tell us how he was trying to avoid us, hoping we would just give up.

Little did he knows that we are REALLY persistent. He then told us how

everyone is racist and that his life is awful and we have no idea what

he is going through. Me, just being me, said : Tommy, do you have any

idea why we keep coming back? Why two white chicks keep coming

back!?!?

Hahaha...not the brightest moment....but he agreed to let us come

back! We want to teach him the Plan of Salvation to explain how he has so much to

live for in the future!

However, we taught Tina and Donald Millard about the Plan of Salvation.  They were

so surprised about all of it, but they knew it to be true! Sister

Peterson then shared a wonderful testimony and we asked them if they

would like to get baptized. Donald was all for it, but Tina wasn't too

sure. Our member rephrased the question and she said yes! And then,

even before we brought it up, they asked about the priesthood and the

proper authority. It was so cool! We told them that the next time we

would teach about the priesthood.  They are so prepared!  We are so

blessed to meet them!

Today, I read two talks: What Lack I yet? And Testifying of the Great

and Glorious Atonement. I was feeling that I wasn't doing all I could,

I had stopped progressing in a sense. But as I read, the spirit just

filled my soul, letting me know that most of all, I was doing my best,

and that God was pleased with what I was doing. It was such a comfort.

Then, the Spirit told me how I can be better. I can bear my testimony

more of the Atonement. It was awesome to gain that direction. I loved

this week! It was so full of spiritual help and encouragement.

Brother and Sister Jacobsens.

It all started with a name tag. August 1, 2016

Sunrise on our P Day hike

So yesterday we spoke in church and we left our apartment and got

there about 15 mins before it started. As we got out of the car, I

realized that I forgot something. Something REALLY important. My name

tag. So we raced back and grabbed my name tag. We got back just in

time for the meeting to start. Our talks were pretty awesome and then

we also got enlisted to teach gospel principles on the Second

Coming....oh my goodness. And that was just a start to a crazy day.

Today, we went on a hike, early in the morning! It was awesome! But I

fell and totally destroyed my hand and my arm. But all is well, that

why we have the resurrection right?

We were finding a lot this week, but we did have some great lessons.

On Wednesday we had specialized training. We were taught about the

Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and of the Atonement of the Savior (foundation of

testimony). It was awesome, the spirit reminded me of the time then we

went to Carthage Jail with my family. The spirit witnessed to me then that

Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Sometimes the spirit reminds you of

the times that you received a witness of the truth. 

Later that night, we had a lesson with the Ponciroli's. They are the

coolest family ever! 😆 Chris, the husband, is not a member. He has

been working to be able to get baptized for almost two years. We had

our lesson on temple grounds. President and Sister Russell came with

us as well. We read 1 Nephi 8 with them, and talked about how

important it is to read the scriptures and to hold to the rod and to

continue press forward on the path. The spirit was amazing!

On Saturday we had lesson with Donald Millard. We taught him the Plan of Salvation,

and he loved it! He understood all that we taught. He was saying how

everything what we were teaching made sense and that he felt that he

had already known it. It was a stellar lesson! We invited him to be

baptized, (three times even) and he would love to, but he is worried

about his wife. So we will work with her and help her understand the

gospel as well. I'm so excited to teach them!

On Saturday, a lesson fell through and we started walking down the

street. A car pulled over and inside was a woman named Shayla! We met

her earlier in the week and she let us into her home and talked with

us. She is really cool. After talking to her from her car, she invited

us over again. We helped clean her home, and she showed us all this

Christian music that she loves to listen to. And she also played some

songs for us on her guitar. At the end of us helping her, we showed

her "Because of Him" video. While she talked to Sister Peterson, I pulled up

Alma 7:11-13 and read it to her. All the sudden her curiosity took

over and she asked all these questions about the Book of Mormon. We

gave her a copy and we have a lesson with her later this week!

This coming week we have lots of lessons set up, at least four

everyday. We also have MLC this week and we are teaching ZTM. And we

are going to pick pears this week as well. We are so busy! But what

better way than to serve the Lord? I am so blessed to be here, to be

part of this zone. I really love them a lot, I hope we can teach them

well.

We all have a little Hippie in us! July 25, 2016

With the Neild Family

Wow what a week! We have been so busy! We found 7 new investigators

this week! 😄😎 it's so awesome! There is never a dull moment here as

we are working so hard to find and teach.

This past week we met a woman who told us how her parents were Mormon

and that she wanted  financial help because they were going to shut

off their electricity and they were out of food and such such. So us,

being missionaries, offered to give them our food. So we walked to our

apartment (took two hours, but we found two new investigators, yay!)

and we cleaned out our food pantry and gave them our food. And, yes we

still had food, we don't really eat much during the day. But, here's

the miracle: the next day members showered us with food!! Now we have

so much, we don't even know what to do with it all! 😆😊 God really

watches out for us!

That same day, we went and talked to a guy who lives behind us. The

one time I met him last transfer he was a little odd, so we had no idea

how this conversation would go. He has a "psycho gnome" in his front

yard and we asked him about it. He told us how he served in Vietnam

war, and when he got home he suffered from extreme PTSD. But he has

completely changed his life around and has written poetry. He read

some to us to explain that the psycho gnome in his yard is his PTSD

that is trying to destroy all that he loves. It was really powerful.

Then we took pictures with him!

We had a Pie-o-ne'er festival in Ashland! We had investigators coming,

but they backed out at the last second. But we had fun, visiting with

members and eating pie! I am so grateful for all those who were

pioneers, who did all they could to keep the gospel in their lives.

And that's true for today as well! There is a family that we are

teaching who have been struggling and fighting to get baptized,

fighting against all odds for two years. They are so close! They are

changing so much, the light is growing in their eyes and in their

countenance.  It's amazing.

Ah! There is so much that happened this week! We taught ZTM, I learned

so much about planning, of repentance, and of being an inviter. The

spirit is so real, and the gospel is true.

On Sunday, I was a little discouraged as we have so much to do, and I

was feeling the weight of it all and of the weight and wickedness of

the world. But I read in Alma 29:9-10--

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I

do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath

commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an

instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and

this is my joy.

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and

coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do

I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard

my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended

towards me.

God really hears our prayers! I know he does! And really, my whole

desire is to teach repentance, to teach others of the Plan of

Salvation. It's so beautiful, it's so perfect. And repentance is

truly how we can gain eternal life. And as missionaries, we are all

doing our best and serving and fighting and declaring. It's hard, but

one day we will fall at the feet of the Savior and say that His will

is the best and that we did all that was required.

Our neighbor and his Psycho Gnome. 

Super Awkward . . . July 18, 2016

Giant Sandwiches from the members.

On exchanges with Sis. Rhoton, a new missionary 

I don't even remember what happened this week. It's all a blur. Is it

P day? That's weird- so are hippies.

Speaking about hippies, we had exchanges again this week and switched

back in Ashland. We again went to Lithia park and saw like 50 hippies

just chillin' in the grass, shoeless, brown skinned, dreads and smoking

weed. As we were getting up the courage to drink the Lithia water, a

hippie walks up and fills his water bottle of the stuff and takes a

giant swig. He then proceeds to show us the 'true' lotus pose by

crossing his legs and then reaching his hands around the back to grab

his feet. And I guess to make the day even better, I swallowed the

Lithia water! 😳😜

This week was very full, we were busy all week long! I love Sister

Peterson! She works so hard with me! I am so blessed to have her! So

many people are outside and we talk with all of them! With the new

Pokemon go game, tons of people are showing up at the church (haha,

nab them before they run away).

One person we are teaching is named Pat. She is so cute! She's an

older woman, she is living with her brother for the time being, and his

family knows many members in the ward. She agreed to take the

lessons with us and she has lots of questions about the priesthood and

about prophets.

Crazy story: We met with a man by the name of Marcline Charles, a man

from Haiti. At first, he explained a bit about his beliefs and we just

sat there in amazement at his knowledge of the Bible and of the truths

of the gospel. It was amazing. And then I asked him what he thought

the priesthood was. He then explained Aaron and Melchizedek and how

John had the Aaronic and Jesus Christ had the Melchizedek. And then

THATS when it got crazy! He got REALLY passionate about Jesus Christ,

to the point that I thought he was going to thrown something at us. As

he was yelling and crying I thought : "Man, this was going so

good...I don't even know what is happening right now!" When he quieted

down I explained the Restoration and of Joseph Smith. He understood

that the Father's role to testify of Christ, which is stated in the

First Vision. But Marcline believes that Christ was the last one, the

last prophet. But he agreed to study the pamphlet and to let us come

back. So yeah. We survived that.

On Thursday we drove all the way up to Eugene with President Cropper,

a counselor in the Mission presidency. He kept asking us questions to see if we

were studying deep doctrine stuff. Me: "Well, I'm just studying about

faith and about Christlike attributes....so yeah. You won't get any

questions from me...." None of us really had anything, so then he just

asked us really deep questions to get our minds spinning....So

anyways, we drove up there to have MLC. It was so much fun! I loved

it!

Yesterday evening we went out and tried to find a couple that we had

meet last Sunday, Skylar and Miranda. The spirit prompted us to knock

on some doors and we found them! Miranda came out and talked to us.

Her and her husband just got married three years ago and they almost

got a divorce. But they realized to put God first in their marriage

and they read scriptures together and pray everyday. It's amazing!

They read the Restoration pamphlet and STUDIED from it! They are so

prepared! Miranda asked us for another pamphlet, and we gave her a

Book of Mormon! We are having a lesson with them on Wednesday!  They

are totally going to get baptized!

I love being a missionary! Thank you for all your prayers! I love you!

An authentic poncho of the Spanish Elders.

"Y'All believe in the lizard people." July 11, 2016

With Sister Peterson

Wow! This week has been awesome! My new companion, Sister Peterson is

the bomb dot com. She is so cool, so full of the spirit. I'm so

blessed to be with her!

Miracles have abounded this week! We have started to get lots of work

done! At the beginning of the week we had lots of finding, but by the

end of the week we had lots of lessons. We were pretty busy!

Christine (RC) is struggling a bit due to her medical issues, she got

a blessing on Saturday. But she is doing a lot better.

Kayden (RC) got baptized on Saturday! It's so exciting! The spirit was

so strong during the baptism, I know she will do great as a member and

will strive to listen.   The family took us to an Asian restaurant

called New East Asia. It was really good. Interesting enough, there is

a sauce in Asian restaurants here called Kim sauce. It's pretty good.

I got the recipe! 

Yesterday after dinner we walked down the street and contacted

potentials. We met an atheist guy, who was very determined to stay

that way (even though he accepted a Book of Mormon) and he even followed us to

the next door neighbor telling us all about it. (The line in the

subject heading is his. Eye roll) Goodness. People are crazy!

Well, later that evening, we were walking and talking to everyone we

could. At one point we met a young man by the name of Louis. He moved

from Mexico to here a year ago, and studies for two hours a day to

learn English. There was a slight language barrier, but the spirit

just kept urging us to talk to him. I then felt prompted to share the

#Hallelujah video. We did so, and the spirit was so strong! It was

amazing! He really felt it! He agreed to let the Spanish elders come

and teach him! :)

And we also found another Spanish family who were really nice. We gave

then to the Spanish elders too. I hope it was an answer to their

prayers!

This week was a lot cooler, the rains came in. It made it so that we

could be out more. Or at least have more motivation to be outside. We

met so many people just by walking! It's so cool. Sister Peterson is

really brave and is really committed to talk to everyone. It's a

completely different approach to missionary work than I have ever seen

before. And even though we are really different from each other, we

are able to work together because we know the end goal. And because of

that, work is happening! I love it so much!