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!

Week 84 - Malo's Baptism

Hello everyone, my quick note and highlight for this week is that our friend Malo Mauinatu got baptized! She is so awesome. Her story?

Back in November her niece, Sister Alailima reached out to her. She is serving in the temple Square mission. We'll over the past few months they have been teaching her over zoom and the sisters in our zone reached out to her as well. She attended church a few times and heard about the Samoan ward and wanted to attend. We had the opportunity to teach her these past few weeks, and be part of her spiritual journey. The day was really special for her family, her 18 year old daughter will start meeting with us these coming weeks so she can be baptized as well.

This part amazes me. 

Some other missionaries met this man named Justin Lee a few weeks ago. He attended the baptism and is getting baptized this Saturday. He left his family and home in search of himself and the Savior. One late night he ran into the missionaries on the street and everything clicked for him. At the baptism he said, "I'm so grateful that my first baptism is all in Samoan. Since I can't understand the words, I can only focus on the spirit and how I feel." truly amazing, he is so faithful and all the members just wrapped him up after the baptism. 

Truthfully, baptisms are such special events. When someone has committed to follow the savior, despite how unsure they may be, and go down into the water I am always amazed. Discipleship is a journey. So fun to have the chance to start people on the path to temple covenants and finding how much joy walking this path can bring.

Our friend and returned missionary Roy, Elders Perez, Wilson, George, Carpenter and Bullock.

Elders Nash, Kennerly, Ballard, Wilson and George. P-Day at Red Robin.

Also, spiritual thought:

I've dedicated a copy of the Book of Mormon to highlighting on every page anything that describes the savior, His names, His gospel, His atonement. Haven't found a page yet without several highlights of His name (or reference to). It's been different to not have my personal copy with all my highlights and annotations in the margins, but this read through has been inspiring, giving me an opportunity to witness that every page testifies of our savior. 

Love you all!

Elder George 

He Loves You Enough!

We wanted to share this video, we had fun putting it together 🤣 

2 Nephi 1:15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed My soul from hell; I have beheld His glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of His love.

Week 83 - SNOW and more SNOW

This week was filled with appointments that were cancelled by the snowstorm! We weren't able to drive so we headed out on foot. No miracles today but joy though obedience and effort.

Had another great lesson with the Tauilili Family 

Headed up a district activity to build unity

We Love Snow!

Lunch on Pday... Elders Barrett and George on the left,
Elders Knapp and Wilson on the right. We love Red Robin!

                                  

Tradition! A snow angel must be done on the first snowstorm of the year...

No matter how cold!

We discovered Elder Wilson Collects Wolf Shirts!
Guess who else Collects Wolf Shirts...
One more thing in common!!!

  

On a Sad note:

 Elder Kendell (my MTC companion in the picture at the top of the blog) has been serving faithfully on Guam and has survived the many months of quarantine and the Covid-19 pandemic. Just as restrictions are lifting a parasite has seemingly won the battle for now. Unable to heal on the island he will return home and hopefully find answers to be made well here in the states. Life is not fair and we know we will all face challenges, trials and sometimes unknown sicknesses even while on the Lord's errand.  Enduring to the end means trusting in our Heavenly Father's will, plan, and timing. Well done Elder Kendell, God be with you until we meet again.

Week 82 - Beast Mode

The week was incredible! There's more work to be done than time in the day and having a trainee who's willing and good at working makes it so fun. I'm glad no more quarantine. It was go, go, go back knocking doors! Our Zone goal was 2500 and we got 2736.

Elder Wilson - fresh out of Home MTC and ready to GO!

Elder McCarthur and I went on splits on the Island town of Vashon.
There are no apartments but only houses, really far apart.
We hiked a quarter mile down to this house just to find no one home.

Yep, what comes down must go all the way back up!
It was a good workout for the thighs :)

Service day at the oat packaging facility 

I look forward to every Saturday and our lessons with the Tauilili family.
They are my favorite! They ask such great questions. Elder Kennerly joined us on splits.

Working on our Spidey moves...

Eating like Kings in Samoa!

   

One door opens... another door...

We actually knocked this door but it didn't look quite

right so Elder Wilson did a little investigating.

Week 81 - Welcome Elder Wilson!

 I picked up Elder Wilson Tuesday morning January 26th, and we got right to work! 

We have quite a few things in common so it should be great.

He was raised in Fruit Heights and went to Davis High

We both thought it was a good idea to jump out of plane...right out of high school :)

so there's that....He loves music, singing (I can accompany)  

hiking, camping and Ping-Pong so we are in for an adventure and I'll be able 

to prepare him to serve in Micronesia when more islands open up! 

So Let's GO!

I am also helping him prepare for constant bugs... 

I think we found the source of out pesky lit critters!