Week 93 - The work continues in Samoa, Seattle

Elder Dodson is my new companion! 

and the missionary work continues here in Seattle "Samoa"

The families are so good to us!

Fuatino Faimalie makes sure we don't leave hungry!
and so we eat, eat, and eat some more!

Elder Wilson arrived safely in Guam!

I got the chance to talk with President Hicks for just a
minute! I let him know Elder Wilson is ready and willing to serve!

Week 91-92 - Farewell Elder Wilson

It's been a great 12 weeks and I'm sending my "son" Elder Wilson to Guam! We've both learned a lot from our time together and I wish him all the best!

Wonderful Zone Conference with the Enumclaw, Maple Valley and Seattle Zones.

Week 90 - General Conference

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice...

Between sessions of conference we literally did everything we could, inviting,
calling and messaging until the last minute before the next session started to have
members, friends and neighbors join us and listen to the  Prophet of the Lord!

If the prophet was speaking to the world, as well as the Lord's 12 apostles,
is there anything that would keep you from listening? Other than emergency
situations I don't know why you would want to miss such an amazing event.

So the prophet spoke. 

What did he say? What are we going to do? How will we follow his direction?

He extended an invitation to do 5 things to increase our faith:

1. Study

2. Stop rehearsing our doubts with other doubters.

3. Act - write down what would do if we had more faith

4. Partake of ordinances worthily

5. Ask Heavenly Father how we can increase our faith

He also shared an incredible story, and even better because I am serving in a Samoan ward I got to here about his story from someone's first person perspective. So in Samoa when the members fasted and prayed for the rain to stop, they still showed up for the conference and it was pouring. The moment the prophet arrived the rain stopped for 2 hours and the moment he left it began to rain again... and in Tonga it continued to rain the whole time.

I love this because this shows how faith can bring an instant miracle. Many stories witnessed that throughout the conference. However, sometimes in order for the faith to grow it has to keep RAINING. We cannot simply say that if the rain doesn't stop that we give up. If faith is an abiding trust then we cannot let our faith falter when we receive answers 1 we don't like or 2 that indirectly answer at a later time. 

The prophet could have spoken on anything. and he spoke on Faith to move personal mountains. Faith is the first principle. seems like there would be nothing new he could share that we don't already know about faith, but I found that the faith to move mountains is something none of us have done yet so everybody has room to improve hahaha. But I love the faith to move personal mountains. "whether our mountain is the size of everest or that of a small hill, the answer to moving it remains the same. Increase your faith." Everyone is dealt different sized mountains, but life will not accept our excuse that our life is too hard. So increase your faith, and persist even if it is RAINING!

LOVE YOU ALL,

ELDER GEORGE

PS. Screenshots from my studies...

Week 88-89 - Finding, Friending, and Sharing

We've been busy

Making friends along the way

 

Eating much

Celebrating often...Elder Wilson is two decades old!
That's almost a quarter of a century :) Happy Birthday!

Breakfast is the most important part of the day, or at least it gives
missionaries the energy to get out and share what's most important!

Moms LOVE Mondays.... and video phone-calls 

Sometimes things don't go as planned...

Week 87 - Plan of Salvation

Keith Brent George 1939-2021

My Grandpa Keith passed away and I didn't get a
chance to say good-bye. I'm grateful for the knowledge
and understanding we have of the plan of salvation!
Until we meet again, I Love you "Grampa"!

 

Week 86 - Members make all the difference!

*Weekly Email at the end of the blog....

Brother Toso joined us on our visits! We had an amazing experience,
things fell into place and we were able to share the gospel with a wonderful family

We continue to meet and teach such amazing families!

The Seattle Zone is working on 100% obedience because we can see the difference!

We start first thing in the morning and stay out all day long!

So grateful for good weather.

Short haircuts last longer 😉

Fresh Salmon tacos - Seattle seafood is so awesome!

Shoutout - Goodbye to Elder Taylor! Job well done!

The majority of my district will stay together for another transfer! Let's Go!
Elders McArthur, Permann, Sisters Chaffetz, McCurdy and Wagner,
Me, Elders Wilson, Kartchner and Chidester

*Email March 8, 2021

This week was a blast. We really focus on the work, and that's what makes it go by fast and enjoyable. Elder Wilson and I are staying in Samoa and couldn't be happier!

In the past it was hard to work with the ward due to COVID, but now with it settling down we are excitedly going to all the families we've found and taking our Samoan members with us. They make all the difference, and suddenly we are the support. Here are my fun miracles. 

On Friday, we had a scheduled appointment with a family who are 7th day Adventists. They are firm in their belief and we were bringing one of our members, Bro. Toso who had been a 7th day Adventist but later in life converted to the LDS faith. His kids have served missions and he has an awesome conversion story. But whenever we try to take him to meet families something happens. As we knocked the door we received the disappointing response that they weren't feeling well and would have to meet another day. Rough. So we are standing in the parking lot and he asked if there was any other family we could take him to meet. I thought and a prompting came into my mind we could see Fale... I explained we had never taught them, we just knew they lived there and were Adventists. It was 20 minutes away and seemed like a long shot and we had a baptism at 7. but Brother Toso said let's go! At 5:30 we knock their door 3 times - to an unopened door. But magical timing, a woman walks down the hall. She had just been out to throw out the trash and we get talking... Long story short Bro. Toso and she are related somehow and we go inside for a lesson. An hour later we share a condensed version of the restoration in about 5 minutes and we have to leave for the baptism. Meanwhile, Bro Toso stays another 2 hours they become fast friends... He also shared his conversion story about why he converted and the family explained that they wanted to join. So we will teach them again next weekend at Bro Toso's house before dinner. They are amazing and if our member missionary hadn't been there, we never would have had the connection to share the gospel.

Well, we arrived at the baptism just in time but in spite of our best efforts things just don't go smoothly. The font hadn't filled properly even though we had set the faucets exactly the same as we had the week before. To our shock the water was up to only the knees. In spite of this little set-back they were able to adapt and an amazing and faithful Sister was baptized anyway. 

Lastly on Sunday we went to see a guy named Pat. He came ready with his book of Mormon and invited us down to his garage (set up like a family room). We shared the plan of salvation and it was so cool for him to ask about spirit prison. He served for a little time a while back and so the idea of an afterlife where those who didn't receive the fulness can seek that truth and learn it for themselves and change? Cool stuff. He asked us at the end, "What can I read? Y'all have something for me that I can read and we can discuss next time on Thursday? We didn't have to commit him to do it, he was ready.

We've found so many amazing individuals and families recently that are ready. Who knows how long they've been ready to receive the gospel, but now working with the members is making change for them possible. 

Great week, I love the work. 

Elder George 

Week 85 - Celestial Week

1. Exact obedience, up by 6:30 out by10am out finding and teaching all day.                    Obedience brings blessings, Exact obedience brings Miracles

2. Daily Repentance - important in a stronger relationship with the Savior

3. Pray and Act on promptings.

This was an idea I put into practice back in October and it has now been applied as a mission. We have seen the miracles, and the joy. Elder Wilson said on Saturday "This is the most I have felt the spirit, I have never felt as much as I did today!" 

Keeping all the Rules
Cleanliness in next to Godliness

  

 Technology is Amazing and Covid can't stop the Lord's work!

We had the opportunity to speak in online sacrament meeting.

The topic.... Member Missionary work of course. 

We will return to in-person on March 7th

The gospel is fun and brings joy, it doesn't have to be something that restricts us.

And cool study thought. I have really enjoyed 1 Nephi. In this read through I noticed something. John the revelator wrote Revelations but we have a 2nd witness of those prophecies and our time. Nephi saw and bore witness to the vision that John saw. He wasn't permitted to write it all, but he saw it. And bore testimony that what John would see is true. 

I am having so much fun out here! The full effort may be exhausting but I'd have it no other way. Love you all! 

We had some pretty crazy weather!