Mondays Mondays Mondays. Wow they certainly do come quick don't they:) I hope to have a little more time this morning to write a few words. I received a letter from Lance and Heather this week! I wont say that's was the highlight of the week but It was certainly up there. Thank you thank you both. Its been a long time since I've heard from my brother and every word thrilled my soul! Heather, As always, every word and thought you have penetrates deep into my heart and often sparks a thought or an impression that leads to a great experience here on the mission. I love you and will hand write you both a little later on today.
This week has been incredible and spiritually filling. Thoughts of wonder and questioning if I am worthy to be here and not uncommon. Zone Conference with Elder Kikuchi and his sweet wife was an experience I will never forget. He spoke with power and authority that not many people witness in their lives. His spirit shook every person in the room and there is no denying that he is a special witness of Jesus Christ. Every word out of his mouth reminded me of my grandpa Hammond, and again, feelings of gratitude and an overwhelming sense of love came pouring over my soul. Tears could not be kept in. I believe that was the case for most of the missionaries at the conference. He spoke of the healing power of our lord and savior Jesus Christ and the peace that comes in being obedient and clean. We talked about the simplified curriculum which was also incredibly powerful. We talked much of the time of Joseph Smith and the first vision. We talked about why we bring the gospel to families. There were many reasons spoken of but the ultimate goal and blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ was to go to the temple and make those sacred covenants with our heavenly father that allow us to be sealed for time and all eternity as a family. That is the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its an incredible time to be alive. To be a direct witness of the gathering of Israel. I testify that the lords work is being done. That we are in the last dispensation, the fullness of times. That we are gathering the lords elect to help prepare the way for the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that all three members of the godhead are incredibly involved in every aspect of this work. There is nothing like repentance. I know that we can feel the healing power of the atonement in our lives. I know that there are incredible truths and hidden treasures that are waiting for those that align their will with the lords and who make their paths straight. I know that there is only one way to a peace of conscience and ultimate happiness in this life and it is through our savior Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for the opportunity that I've had to be here and I pray that I can be worthy of the blessings that the lord has prepared for those that love him.
Grandpa and Grandma, Elder Kikuchi and his wife say hello and they wanted me to tell you that you are missed and that they hope you are doing well. It was so cute, when Elder Kikuchi said Hammond his little wife looked up quickly and with a great big smile on her face she said Oh I love Bonnie! haha I laughed. They were sweet sweet people, full of love. How incredible that you both had the opportunity of working so closely together.
Well my time is gone but I just want each of you to know that I love you and that this gospel is indeed true. Every little bit of it. The book of Mormon is gods incredible tool in bringing to pass this great and marvelous work. I stand in awe at the way it has come about. I'm so thankful to be apart of it and I pray that I don't offend the spirit and miss opportunities to share the gospel. I thank each of you for all that you do and hope to hear from you soon!
Mom, Don't stress out about Carlee's wedding. The celebration is over and done with so quickly, it just not worth getting flustered. She's getting married in the temple and that's all that matters. That's what will last forever. I love you and hope to have time today to write you a quick note! Love you Love you!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Lindsey: Letter 15
Hello Hello! Ryan and Mom, thank you thank you for you sweet notes! As always, every word thrills my soul and I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and write me, especially when so much is going on at home. You're too sweet and I hope you're not too stressed out with the wedding and all the goings this month. I wish I had more time to write you this morning. One of the elders planned an early activity, we're just getting ready to head out. Bryce thank you for your piece of advice with the language. I understand a little bit more every day but it definitely hasn't "clicked" haha its an interesting process but I love it! It is a beautiful language. Not coming out of my mouth... but I love listening to it:) Everything here is great! I will try to write a letter a little later on in the day. Love you all. The gospel is true!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Lance: Letter 6
Dear Family,
I'm so happpy to hear everything is going so well. The package is still at the mission home but I'll get it as soon as I get back to the house... I think. So I'll thank you in advance because I know it will be sweet... so, thank you !!!
I love helping people! It is what I love to do and I feel it because of the love you give to me which is a love similiar to the love the Savior has for each of us which is love and love LOVE LOVE!!! Obviously love is a pretty big deal. I love what Pres. Uchtdorff says: "Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits, it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemany to make himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation, it is the source of happiness, the ever renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope...." Dang I love you guys! Keep doing good things and I'll try to do great things here in San Jose.
Love you guys, FO SHOWWWW....peace.
Elder Lance Porter
I'm so happpy to hear everything is going so well. The package is still at the mission home but I'll get it as soon as I get back to the house... I think. So I'll thank you in advance because I know it will be sweet... so, thank you !!!
I love helping people! It is what I love to do and I feel it because of the love you give to me which is a love similiar to the love the Savior has for each of us which is love and love LOVE LOVE!!! Obviously love is a pretty big deal. I love what Pres. Uchtdorff says: "Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits, it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemany to make himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation, it is the source of happiness, the ever renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope...." Dang I love you guys! Keep doing good things and I'll try to do great things here in San Jose.
Love you guys, FO SHOWWWW....peace.
Elder Lance Porter
Monday, August 16, 2010
Lindsey: Letter 14
Wow! What a fun week it has been to hear from so many members of my family! Carlee- You must have been inspired to send that little recorder my way. I cant tell you the feelings that enveloped me when I heard the voice of so many loved ones on the other side of the recorder. Thank you thank you! I cant thank you enough! Thank you all for you sweet words of encouragement and love. Thank you to the Hammonds for their sweet notes! Wow, I cant believe how big everyone is getting! I know I haven't been gone that long but It seems like yesterday that Mccall and I were naming our dolls after the new babies Megan and Haylee. Haha too funny. Now they are all grown up, dominating in soccer and everything else! Wow. Todd and Noelle, thank you for the standard you've set in raising your sweet children in truth and righteousness. There is nothing that brings more happiness into the home than parents who honor their covenants and teach by example and by love.
I had the opportunity to speak at a baptism yesterday right after church about the Holy Ghost. It was the sweetest program! These two little boys who had just turned eight, making their first covenant with the lord. I was a little nervous before getting up because the entire ward had stayed after to attend. So the program was held in the chapel. I said a little prayer and immediately my grandma Hammond popped into my head. I thought of all the times that I could remember she had gotten up to speak and the way she just builds and loves and laughs and glows. There's power in building and loving others. I was a bit overcome and by the time I walked up to the front the tears began to come. Brandon, Zachary, and I talked about the times they had felt the spirit in their lives and what it felt like. We talked about all the gifts of the holy ghost and how he will be your best friend all through your life. We talked about how much our father in heaven loves us. That he sends us this perfect helper, the holy ghost. We talked about David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions den, Nephi getting to the promised land, Ammon and the lamanites, Abinidi and wicked king Noah. We talked about what we could do to always keep him with us. Obeying our parents, reading our scriptures, saying our prayers. Oh it was tender. I'm so thankful for the holy ghost in my life! I dont know where any of us would be without him! Well, we'd simply be lost. I know many of us have felt that in our lives. Its a sad, lonely time and a bit of a dark time. I'm so thankful for the light and joy the holy ghost brings into our lives. The illuminating truths that he whispers and confirms. I'm so thankful for the mysteriess that he unfolds line upon line to those that seek and desire to know. I'm so thankful for the house of the lord on earth, where we can not only go to be sealed as a family for time and all eternity but where we can go to learn. Learn more and more. Drinking deeply of the beautiful truths our father in heaven has to offer if we will keep and honor our covenants. We never stop learning. Always progressing. There is so much happiness to be had in this gospel! In the temple, in our sweet families that never end. What an incredible blessing our father in heaven has given us, to feel that love in a world that is a bit unstable and scary at times. I'm so thankful for the education that comes from the holy ghost. I'm so thankful to be a part of this chuch, to be born into the convenant of celestial marriage by two people who love and honor eachother and continually try to be better each day. I cant think of a better gift for children. My sweet mother and father, I love you with my whole heart and I cant thank you enough for your sweet testimonies and righteous desires. There is nothing like this work and I'm so thankful to be apart of it. I pray that it never ends. That I can come home and continue in the work of the lord forever.
I had the opportunity to speak at a baptism yesterday right after church about the Holy Ghost. It was the sweetest program! These two little boys who had just turned eight, making their first covenant with the lord. I was a little nervous before getting up because the entire ward had stayed after to attend. So the program was held in the chapel. I said a little prayer and immediately my grandma Hammond popped into my head. I thought of all the times that I could remember she had gotten up to speak and the way she just builds and loves and laughs and glows. There's power in building and loving others. I was a bit overcome and by the time I walked up to the front the tears began to come. Brandon, Zachary, and I talked about the times they had felt the spirit in their lives and what it felt like. We talked about all the gifts of the holy ghost and how he will be your best friend all through your life. We talked about how much our father in heaven loves us. That he sends us this perfect helper, the holy ghost. We talked about David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions den, Nephi getting to the promised land, Ammon and the lamanites, Abinidi and wicked king Noah. We talked about what we could do to always keep him with us. Obeying our parents, reading our scriptures, saying our prayers. Oh it was tender. I'm so thankful for the holy ghost in my life! I dont know where any of us would be without him! Well, we'd simply be lost. I know many of us have felt that in our lives. Its a sad, lonely time and a bit of a dark time. I'm so thankful for the light and joy the holy ghost brings into our lives. The illuminating truths that he whispers and confirms. I'm so thankful for the mysteriess that he unfolds line upon line to those that seek and desire to know. I'm so thankful for the house of the lord on earth, where we can not only go to be sealed as a family for time and all eternity but where we can go to learn. Learn more and more. Drinking deeply of the beautiful truths our father in heaven has to offer if we will keep and honor our covenants. We never stop learning. Always progressing. There is so much happiness to be had in this gospel! In the temple, in our sweet families that never end. What an incredible blessing our father in heaven has given us, to feel that love in a world that is a bit unstable and scary at times. I'm so thankful for the education that comes from the holy ghost. I'm so thankful to be a part of this chuch, to be born into the convenant of celestial marriage by two people who love and honor eachother and continually try to be better each day. I cant think of a better gift for children. My sweet mother and father, I love you with my whole heart and I cant thank you enough for your sweet testimonies and righteous desires. There is nothing like this work and I'm so thankful to be apart of it. I pray that it never ends. That I can come home and continue in the work of the lord forever.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Lance: Letter 5
Porters!!!!! why are you so amazing????????! Sounds like everything is going good. i'm doing great! i love this! cant say it enough! we went to the temple with an investigator last saturday, we saw the Joseph Smith Movie with him. i love that movie......kinda selfish ha. looks like carlee and tim are doin good and thats sweet that paige and bryce are coming. they are an amazing family, they need to stick together in all things. maybe she should think a little more on the whole leaving bryce for the third semester???? i dont know..... welp thank you for all you do, there'e no where else i'd rather be..!!!!!!!!!! The Gospels true!!! never leave the faith!!!!!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Lindsey: Letter 13
Wow wow! Carlee Faye! Wow! Too Too exciting! Haha talk about beaming! I'm beaming! I couldn't be more thrilled! I love Tim! What an exciting time for both of you! How thrilled I am to know that you will be more than well taken care of. That you will never have to wonder about where he's headed or what the end goal is for both of you. What an amazing pair you two are. Will you just love him and serve him with all of your heart and soul?! Take good care of him and treat him like the king that he is. What a thrill for you! My dear sister, how I love and cherish you. How I pray and think about you. I'm so happy for you and want you to know how great you are. Even the best! Congratulations to the both of you! I cant wait to see pictures;)
Melanie! Thank you thank you for your sweet letter of encouragement and love! I'm sure you know from having had two missionaries out how much those letters are appreciated and more often than not the fuel needed to stoke the fire. I love you and am so happy to find everyone in your family doing so well. How exciting for both Matt and Carlee to be starting this chapter in their lives with people they love and cherish. I couldn't ask for anything more for my family. I'm so happy for both of them:)
Well this week has been great! We have found and are teaching six new investigators! Four of them have committed to be baptized once they have come to know the truth of what we are teaching. This last week we invited all six of them to come to church multiple times with little follow up reminders as well;) Each of them said they would, so clearly you can imagine our disappointment when not one of them showed up on Sunday. Ouch! As we were singing the sacrament hymn one of our sweet little investigators (who we were about to drop) came walking in with her entire family! (She is not part of the six) Oh I could have cried! It was the sweetest sight! I hope this is the start of great things to come for this family. My companion and I went and waited in the hallway once again in hopes that one of the six might show up. Just as the sacrament was ending we turned to go back into the meeting. We heard someone calling for us and turned to see that is was Jorge. A boy we have been working on for about two months. It was his first time to church and an absolute miracle that he was there! He is not one of the six either. The Lord works in mysterious ways and hardly ever in the way that we plan or think. Clearly.... Ha. I was so thrilled to see so many members go up to La Familia Sandoval and Jorge after the meeting ended. Each of them felt welcomed and more than loved. Jorge stayed all three hours and said that he loved it! "Everyone is so happy" were his words. He mentioned after church ended that even though he felt like he was doing everything right in his life, keeping all of our commitments, saying his prayers, reading his scriptures, giving up drinking all together, that he felt his life was getting harder and felt that more and more trials were arising. Just as he said this the bishop was walking by and overheard what he was saying. He stopped and bore a powerful witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. He told him about Satan and how is wants all men to be miserable like he is. He shared with him his conversion story when he was 22 years old and how right when he truly wanted to know if the church was true all problems started to arise. He said that when you get serious about this work so does Satan. It was powerful and just what Jorge needed to hear. I'm so thankful for the timing and tender mercies of the Lord. He is right in the middle of his work and leads and guides it every step of the way. How blessed I am to be the witness of so many great miracles. I love being a missionary and am honored by the opportunity given to each of us to be servants of the lord and his children here on earth. How blessed we are! Thank you for your continuous prayers for the missionaries and the work of the lord. I love each of you with all of my heart and hope to hear from you soon!
Melanie! Thank you thank you for your sweet letter of encouragement and love! I'm sure you know from having had two missionaries out how much those letters are appreciated and more often than not the fuel needed to stoke the fire. I love you and am so happy to find everyone in your family doing so well. How exciting for both Matt and Carlee to be starting this chapter in their lives with people they love and cherish. I couldn't ask for anything more for my family. I'm so happy for both of them:)
Well this week has been great! We have found and are teaching six new investigators! Four of them have committed to be baptized once they have come to know the truth of what we are teaching. This last week we invited all six of them to come to church multiple times with little follow up reminders as well;) Each of them said they would, so clearly you can imagine our disappointment when not one of them showed up on Sunday. Ouch! As we were singing the sacrament hymn one of our sweet little investigators (who we were about to drop) came walking in with her entire family! (She is not part of the six) Oh I could have cried! It was the sweetest sight! I hope this is the start of great things to come for this family. My companion and I went and waited in the hallway once again in hopes that one of the six might show up. Just as the sacrament was ending we turned to go back into the meeting. We heard someone calling for us and turned to see that is was Jorge. A boy we have been working on for about two months. It was his first time to church and an absolute miracle that he was there! He is not one of the six either. The Lord works in mysterious ways and hardly ever in the way that we plan or think. Clearly.... Ha. I was so thrilled to see so many members go up to La Familia Sandoval and Jorge after the meeting ended. Each of them felt welcomed and more than loved. Jorge stayed all three hours and said that he loved it! "Everyone is so happy" were his words. He mentioned after church ended that even though he felt like he was doing everything right in his life, keeping all of our commitments, saying his prayers, reading his scriptures, giving up drinking all together, that he felt his life was getting harder and felt that more and more trials were arising. Just as he said this the bishop was walking by and overheard what he was saying. He stopped and bore a powerful witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. He told him about Satan and how is wants all men to be miserable like he is. He shared with him his conversion story when he was 22 years old and how right when he truly wanted to know if the church was true all problems started to arise. He said that when you get serious about this work so does Satan. It was powerful and just what Jorge needed to hear. I'm so thankful for the timing and tender mercies of the Lord. He is right in the middle of his work and leads and guides it every step of the way. How blessed I am to be the witness of so many great miracles. I love being a missionary and am honored by the opportunity given to each of us to be servants of the lord and his children here on earth. How blessed we are! Thank you for your continuous prayers for the missionaries and the work of the lord. I love each of you with all of my heart and hope to hear from you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)