April 7th, 2014
Dear family,
Wow. I didn't think things could get
much crazier, but they just did. Holy cow. Craziest week of my life.
I'll go day by day so you can catch the full effects.
Monday we had a final lesson with J and
R. Both of them were some of the best lessons I've had with them, so
it was a good way to go out.
Tuesday was crazy. Basically this whole
week we didn't eat at a normal time and didn't take more than 10
minutes to do so. Tuesday we helped Sister D for a final time with
her fence. We came back in a few hours and taught her the Word of
Wisdom with Sister S and A too. It was a really good lesson. We
committed her to live the entire Word of Wisdom (she just needed to
quit coffee and tea) and she easily accepted. She said she doesn't
even like either of them and it made sense that she would be more in
tune with the Spirit. Yes! We tried committing her to baptism, but
she wouldn't accept a date, but said when she gets there she will. We
said good-bye and she was very thankful for all we did. She told me
that I helped her understand things better than anyone has ever done
in the past. She said the Book of Mormon has been much more powerful
and meaningful since we've been teaching her. I'll send pictures of
everyone when I have my camera and a cord (long story). We had a
lesson with M as well on the Word of Wisdom. It went well too and she
asked me if she can visit in a few years once I'm settled in Utah
again. She gave me a really nice note and I think I'm one of three
people she trusts. We brought Sister W and she was sad to hear I was
leaving, but she started crying and thanked me for the things that I
had taught her. She said she was so impressed by how much I have
matured and she was thankful to know me. That was a little shocking
from her, but it was cool. We ended up taking R out to dinner one
last time which was fun. We had a lesson with S before mutual and it
was a great lesson on baptism. We have been working with his mom to
set a goal for his baptism and they should find out soon when her
work schedule gets figured out. We had a lesson with the Ss too and
it turns out that Sister S went and bought a cake that said "Elder
Pew is the best." That was too nice and I felt really bad for
Elder W. I've been getting so much attention. We had a great lesson
on Easter and Sister S asked if I could say the opening and closing
prayer and she just really loves me. We got picked up by McNeil
because Elder J drove me, and Elder S down to the trainer/district
leader meeting. That night I heard a rumor from Elder V down in San
Antonio that I was going to be the new moving Elder. I'll explain
more later.
Wednesday we drove down to San Antonio
because Elder J was training and me and Elder S were becoming
District Leaders. It also turns out that Elder I was at the District
Leader meeting so that was three of the eight were from our MTC
district. After the meeting President asked me if he could talk to me
and he confirmed the rumors that I was becoming a Moving Elder. I was
absolutely shocked! The moving Elders are usually two of the biggest,
strongest missionaries that travel the mission and pick up and
deliver furniture, pick up new cars, new missionaries, run errands
for the mission office, and do many other things. Basically we are
the assistants to the assistants and mission office. President
Slaughter told me that the moving Elders have developed a reputation
for being disobedient because they do have more freedoms because of
the assignment. We can go in sister's apartments, drive separately,
wear normal clothes, miss studies, etc. as needed. He said that they
wanted to pick someone they could trust with obedience to basically
change the reputation of the assignment. He told me that I needed to
be smart and safe and not hurt myself. It was cool too, because he
said that even though we would have less time to proselyte that the
Lord would bless us for our sacrifices and we would be able to have a
normal area. I was kinda freaking out because it also so happens that
my district will also be me, my companion, the assistants, and one
sister companionship. He also told me that my companion, Elder N
would be out longer than me but I'm still Senior Companion and
District Leader. It was a little intimidating, but I was excited to
do something new and that President Slaughter trusted me. The ride
home was fun and me and Elder S talked like the whole way. That night
we had a lesson with A and the S were sad to see me leave, and boy I
love their family. They said I'm welcome back anytime. We had a
lesson with the Ms, and then to close we had a really killer lesson
with the Fs. We talked about the characteristics of Christ's church
and actually had them build a house out of cardboard and each piece
represented something from Christ's church. They liked it and I did
start crying when I bore my testimony at the end and expressed my
love for them. They got me a pie for all the times we gave them
something and a nice letter. I also gave them a letter and we took
pictures and I told them I'd be back someday. It was sad to leave
them, but it ended on a really positive note. H was actually getting
teary-eyed when I bore my testimony too so I know that she felt the
Spirit and is really close to just giving it all a shot. I hope they
do. I told them in my letter I hope to be there when they get sealed
in the temple.
Thursday morning I had to pack
basically everything because I hadn't had a chance yet and I wasn't
able to fit hardly anything in my suitcases. I had to leave out my
blanket and my nice jacket, but I can easily get it sometime we have
to go to Round Rock. When I said a final prayer in the apartment I
was crying too as I thought over the great experiences I had in
Brushy Creek. I asked a special blessing on everyone in the area
especially those that are still investigating. I really am sooo
thankful for the experience I had and I love the people so much and
I'm filled with gratitude over all that I was able to be a part of. I
don't think I could have the area at a bigger peak and I can't
express my gratitude that I was able to make such an impact for these
"precious souls" (Alma 31:34 I think). Elder W was almost
near tears when we did our final companionship inventory which is
unheard of for him. We had a lesson with E and we basically just bore
our testimonies of the church and L was yet again considering baptism
and asked about her family though that would hate her for joining. I
told her that sometimes we have to make hard decisions but if we know
it's the right thing to do, we should do it anyways. It was a good
meeting. We went to transfer meeting and I think that EVERYONE was
surprised to see me as the new moving Elder. Everyone was really
excited for me, but it was a shocker. My companion is Elder N. He is
from Gilbert, Arizona and has been out for one transfer more than me.
He is really cool and of course really strong, although he's only a
little taller than me. We had to go straight to work once the meeting
ended and we put everyone that was going to Austin's bikes into the
trailer. Yeah, I drive a huge Chevy truck with a trailer on the back,
who would have thought? I always told myself when I came into the
mission that if there was one thing I knew I wouldn't end up doing,
it was being a moving Elder. You have to love working out, being
strong, driving trucks, and carrying things. I still chuckle about it
when I think about it. When we got back to San Antonio we had a bunch
of things we had to deliver to missionaries all over, and we had to
stop at the missions' storage units that I have to keep track of. We
didn't even have time to proselyte that evening. Our area is the S
ward, and we are in northern San Antonio, pretty close to the temple,
mission home, etc.
Friday we got up
really early and worked out pretty hard. Elder V and Sister C were
both saying that I better be 185 lbs of muscle soon. At this pace I
probably will be. I'm still sore from working out. We are in the
mission office a lot and we work with the Senior missionary over
apartments and finances. We didn't even finish companion study and we
had to head out to run errands. We didn't get back until about 5 for
dinner. We proselyted that evening and we did teach a less-active
guy. He said he was interested in coming back though. We really don't
have a ton going on here, and we really have one investigator who is
solid, but he already has a membership record but doesn't remember
being baptized at all, so that situation needs to be figured out
before we can baptize him. We have a few active non-members too, but
I have the faith that those can get worked out.
Saturday was just a Conference day
which I absolutely loved! Conference was incredible! The talks that
stuck out to me the most were of course Elder Holland's pulpit
pounding, Linda S. Reeves, Richard G. Scott, Quentin L Cook (I was
waiting for one on family history), Dallin H Oaks in Priesthood (that
was a really cool talk), M. Russell Ballard (of course), David A
Bednar, and my favorite was Elder Corbridge. That was such a good
talk. I felt the Spirit very strong with the message of the
Restoration. I can't wait to share that one with investigators. It
was also pretty cool to see Brynn! I counted four times and everyone
was asking about her, so that was fun to see! What a neat experience
to sing in Conference! We didn't really have time to proselyte
because the extra time we had we weekly planned. We watched all the
sessions except Priesthood at the Stake Center, and we went to our
building for Priesthood. I met a few people from the ward and they
were really friendly. It was strange since I met a few of them before
at the baptism me and Elder T went to, but I don't think any of them
recognized me.
Sunday was similar except we had time
to proselyte afterwards. We were able to have a lesson with this cool
less-active couple, the Ps. They seem pretty open to coming back, so
hopefully they do.
We have a lot of work to do. It's also
tough because Elder N has been here way longer (this is his 4th
transfer) and has been out longer, so he's led the way so far, and
I'm not sure how to tactfully lead more. He's determined to do better
this transfer and once I get the hang of things here I think he'll
let me lead because I have a lot of ideas on how to help the area and
he has done things differently in the past. He's a really good
missionary though and has a solid testimony of the gospel and is
really effective if he's doing the right thing and puts his mind to
it. My point is, we need some extra prayers to know how to handle the
situation and to pick things up in the area. I want this area to
still be proselyting focused despite our other duties, instead of it
taking the back seat, but it will take time to change the culture.
Anyways, thank you for all the support and I know that if we have the
faith we really can accomplish miracles. I know that we do have
living prophets and Apostles and I loved hearing their words. It's up
to us whether we will be quick to remember or forget their counsel. I
know that God knows us and watches over us. Despite the crazy changes
and heavy load ahead (pun intended) I know that In the Strength of
the Lord I can do what is required of me like Elder Bednar said. Have
a great week!
Love,
Elder Pew
April 14th, 2014
Dear family,
This was another crazy, crazy week, but
that is the life of a Moving Elder. It has been pretty tough for me
to not proselyte very much, especially since there is not much going
on in the area and we don't have a ton of time to get things going,
but it's been a fun new adventure. Basically every morning is the
same. We get up at 5:50 and work out. Hard. I've put on a bit of
muscle weight and I've already gotten stronger. Elder N calls it the
Swol Factory and I am definitely swollen, but it does feel good to
work out hard. My body feels great and awake. I bet none of you
expected me to come home super in-shape and ripped, but that might be
what happens. I know I wasn't expecting it. We study at 8 and then
have to leave at 9 to go to the mission office. We talk to Elder W
about things missionaries have called him about, upcoming moves, etc.
and then we head out to do our deliveries. We usually aim to be back
by 5 for dinner and then proselyte the rest of the evening. The hard
thing is that there is no "set" rules or agendas for us. We
have a lot of liberty and a lot of people who want things. One of my
possible suggestions has been to go to each zone just once a month on
a date they know and they can just request the things they need and
we bring it out in one big load, that way we don't have to drive all
the way to R just to deliver a shower curtain or something. My other
idea has been to do a bit of companion study in the car and to call
people in the area book, investigators, or less-active members while
we are driving around to be more efficient. I want the area to be
more focused on proselyting than Moving Elder stuff, and do that when
needed. It will be a slow process, but I think it will work.
Monday night we stopped by a lot of
people and ended up having a lesson with this less-active guy named
B. He's like 64 but really energetic and funny. He has been coming to
church off and on the past few months and his wife isn't a member. He
said he's working on her, so that would be cool to teach her.
Tuesday we had to run a bunch of
errands. We organize everyone's orders and mail for each zone to pick
up after MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) and then we ran
around picking up a bunch of things and buying supplies at Wal-Mart,
Home Depot, and Office Depot. It's pretty strange going to stores
like everyday. We had a lesson with our only kinda investigator
Brother H. He is the one who we have records for him but he promises
that he's never been baptized. He started trying out our church a few
weeks ago and has progressed pretty well, but we need to have our
bishop interview him and find out if he really remembers or not. If
not, President Slaughter has said to treat him like an investigator.
We watched a CES Devotional that I saw a few weeks ago on P-Day
called "the Blueprints to Christ's True Church" by Tad R.
Callister in January of this year. It is an amazing talk. Super
powerful, I highly recommend it. Anyways, he really loved the talk
and the only things holding him back is he is in leadership in his
other church that's falling apart, his wife isn't interested, and he
needs to know more doctrine. I asked him though at the end if he
believed that our church is Christ's true church and he said yes. The
more I've thought about the situation the more I've thought that he
doesn't have a very strong testimony, but he loves missionaries and
the way the church is run, so he's got a good start. We just need to
help him understand our purpose, help his wife, and teach him
doctrine. He's a good guy. Also a free-mason.
Wednesday we had to deliver some things
to East Zone and take some bikes different places. We were able to
finish by dinner. We had dinner with the Ms, a super nice older
couple from South Africa. They are really cool. They said they knew
several Louws, but they didn't know for sure. They are really
awesome. We had a lesson with a recent-convert J and he is a solid 20
year-old with a member wife and two kids. They are going through some
rough financial situations but they are holding on to the gospel
which is great. We had a good lesson and then we had a lesson set
with a lady whose husband doesn't live with her and isn't a member
but comes to church every week, so we were going to talk to her, and
we asked J if he could come so we could go inside and he came. It was
sweet and he bore some solid testimony. Sister G is really nice and
has recently become much more active. She made a deal with her
husband that they would go to church every week. He doesn't live with
them because of conflict with the daughters. She is trying to figure
the situation out and she said he's been taught before, but we asked
if she would invite him to be taught again. She agreed and thought he
would be willing, but I guess he doesn't like being pushed. We'll see
how that one ends up.
Thursday we were really busy. We had to
go to Lockhart and Bastrop, which is like an hour or more away. It
was cool to drive and the cities are SO cool! They are really old and
there are like these manor looking houses. I loved it a lot. We went
to a super good BBQ place called Blacks. They have delicious brisket
(?) that just melts in your mouth. Gotta love Texas. We also had to
go to pick up all the furniture and supplies for the senior couple
that moved into Eagle Pass on the Border because they needed to move
in on Friday. We had a ton of stuff to do and then we had to go to
East San Antonio again to pick up some more stuff and we didn't get
home unitl after nine. It was a crazy day. We just have to eat
whenever we have a second.
Friday we had zone meeting. Our zone is
much bigger and it's really impressive. The Spirit was strong the
entire time. As usual it was a bunch of things that I need help with.
After the meeting we actually had a Zone Council with the leaders in
the zone. There are a lot. There are the zone leaders, three district
leaders, two sister training leaders, the Assistants, and the Sister
Assistants. It was an intense meeting and they have a really high
vision of what they want to accomplish. We were talking way above
where I'm even at, so I came out of there feeling pretty insufficient
and a lot of things to work on. Sometimes I do get discouraged
hearing where the leaders of the mission want us and where we are. I
know I'm not the only one who is far below the bar. President
Slaughter has been talking a lot about "breaking the ceiling"
which I basically explain as having the faith to work and witness
miracles. I am curious to go on exchanges with the zone leaders and
Assistants to see what they are like and if we are all just talking
about a level that none of us are really at or close to, or what. I
know that's bad to compare but I just know that the level here (at
least talked about) is waaaay higher than the zone I came from,
whether that's just a hope and vision, or a reality, I'm not sure.
Anyways, we had to hurry out of there to make it to the Border at
Eagle Pass. It was pretty exciting to get to go. You take the 35
south which is pretty well populated until you move out of San
Antonio, then it's more country. Then you get off and take a little
country highway the next 99 miles to Eagle Pass. There is absolutely
nothing. There is lots of trees and shrubs and things, but no people.
There is like 1.5 towns in between. Our car got caked with bugs. It
was much different than I expected. Eagle Pass is a pretty nice
place. It looked like any other city, unlike the shack, dirt road
streets I was expecting. The zone leaders there did say it is much
more ghetto once you leave the main city, but it was cool. You could
see a huge Mexican flag waiving just across the border and we were
about a mile away from it. The apartment was pretty nice and we got
everything in and assembled by about 8. They got us Super Tacos which
is a famous place down there and it was really good. Steak and
chicken tacos. Also my pants ripped at the crotch while we were
working which was pretty funny. It was super noticeable. We had to
make the long 2.5 hour drive home afterwards. It was a little freaky
flying down the one-lane road with no street lights at like 80 mph.
We were about halfway back the 99 mile stretch and I got pulled over.
The officer said I was going 84 on a 75 mph road which wasn't true
since I had the cruise control set at like 78, but we were just
really polite and he asked what we were doing and we just told him
that we help other missionaries move their furniture and things and
that usually we are suppose to be home by 10:30 but because we have a
special assignment we have some leverage but that might be why we
were in a hurry. He was a nice cop so I think he realized it would be
ridiculous for giving someone a ticket for only going 9 over on a
completely empty road and just gave me a warning, so that's three
times getting pulled over with 0 tickets. Yes. We got back around
10:45 which just feels super weird.
Saturday we had to go up to Austin to
deliver a book-shelf, filters, chairs, etc. to some missionaries up
there. It was weird because we drove on the 45 which goes through
Brushy Creek a bit and goes right next to the apartment. That was
kinda freaky. We got back around dinner and headed out to proselyte
for the first time in a few days. We weren't able to teach any
lessons, but we made a lot of visits. There are a ton of less-active
and part-member families that we don't know so we are hoping to find
new people to teach through those, but no success yet.
Sunday I had my first time at church
which feels weird since it feels like I've been here for awhile now.
It is a really cool ward and the bishop's funny and a great guy.
It's a great ward and I'm excited to be here. We stopped by a bunch
of people again to no avail. It's has been a little difficult because
Elder N hates anything but stopping by those people and won't street
contact or knock, so have spent a lot of time in the car driving to
the next house. The few people I have been able to contact have been
really nice and we taught one guy a bit about prophets, but he wasn't
super interested and we left a pamphlet with him. I understand the
effectiveness of member work over street contacting, but since we
have so little time, we need to talk to as many people as we can.
It's been difficult but I am confident that the Lord will bless us
for the efforts we are making and things will pick up in this area.
I know that this church is true and
that this gospel brings us true happiness now, and in the eternities.
I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and love us and
that everything they do is for our benefit. I know that trials are
given to us to help us grow and develop into who we need to become.
I know that the Book of Mormon is true and is the word of God.
I love the gospel and everything it teaches and I know it will help
us through the whirlwinds of life. Thank you for being such a great
support!
Love,
Elder Pew
p.s. I should be able to send pictures
next week hopefully
