I love you from here to Missouri!: One Word ~ WOW!!

I have so much to say this week and such little time to say it. But bear with me, I will focus on the highlights. Well, I have a new companion, Sister Bott! She rocks my socks off.

Companion #5 - Sister Bott!

We are such good friends and we have been working SO hard, it’s amazing what happens when you have two missionaries who are passionate about the work. We are on fire for Indian Creek! We have so much excitement to get it going. We have lots of ideas and plans to carry out success here in Kansas, and we WILL see a baptism this transfer.

Miracle #1: We have 6 less actives we saw this weekend come to church, and 1 investigator with her 2 kids. The lord is blessing us!

I want to talk about something that happened this last week. I had a very unique and cool experience. I will do my best to explain it briefly. Elder Christofferson gave a CES devotional talk about Sacrifice, and talked about an Amish family who had recently converted to the church. This is what he said:

"About three years ago a member of the Church shared a copy of the Book of Mormon with an Amish friend in Ohio. The friend began to read the book and could not put it down. For three days he had no other desire but to read the Book of Mormon. He and his wife were baptized, and within seven months there were three Amish couples converted and baptized members of the Church. Their children were baptized several months following. These three families decided to remain in their community and continue their Amish lifestyle even though they had left the Amish faith. However, as a result of being baptized, they were subjected to “shunning” by their close-knit Amish neighbors. Shunning means that no one in their Amish community will talk to them, work with them, do business with them, or associate with them in any way. This includes not just friends but family members—brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents.

Initially, these Amish Saints felt very alone and isolated as even their children were subjected to shunning and removed from their Amish schools because of their baptism and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their children have endured shunning by grandparents and cousins and close neighbors. Even some of the older children of these Amish families, who did not accept the gospel, will not talk to or even acknowledge their parents. These families have struggled to recover from the social and economic effects of shunning, but they are succeeding.

Their faith remains strong. The adversity and opposition of shunning has caused them to be steadfast and immovable. A year after being baptized, the families were sealed in the temple and continue faithfully attending the temple on a weekly basis. They have found strength through receiving ordinances and entering into and honoring covenants. They are all active in their Church group and continue searching for ways to share the light and knowledge of the gospel with their extended families and community through acts of kindness and service."

I know that is a lot but guess what happened? When I was serving in liberty jail, THAT Amish family came in. I got to take them through the Historic Liberty Jail. As we talked about the early saints and the persecution and things they went through for their faith, I was talking about the situation they were facing at that very moment. Shunned from everyone and everything they knew, because of their faith and truth they found. Could you imagine? Look at all the things we take for granted, and look what they have given up to be members of the church. The mom is now the young women President in their branch in Ohio, and the dad is the High priest leader, and the 17 year old daughter wants to serve a mission. It was such a special moment I’ll never forget.

Here is the talk if you want to watch, listen or read about it!

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/saving-your-life?lang=eng
Saving Your Life

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

CES Devotional for Young Adults • September 14, 2014 • Brigham Young University

Things are going great. President and the Zone leaders have expressed to Sister Bott and I that they put us together to see great things happen. President came up to both of us and said, "I expect to see great things from this power companionship. Go get this place going." And here we are!

Here are a few pictures from the Oct 14, 2014 Transfer Day! Love my Sister in Zion- Elders too!!